1. If I want to apply for the SIR visa, do I need to get my
skills assessed first?
Yes. To apply for a SIR visa you need to nominate an
occupation listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and
have your skills assessed to confirm that you have the
necessary skills to work in that occupation in Australia. Most
State/Territory government agencies require that you have your
skills assessed before you approach them about possible
sponsorship. Do contact us today – we can assist you in
getting a skill assessment done professionally.
2. How do I arrange sponsorship by a State/Territory
government for a SIR visa application?
You should first read the information on SIR sponsorship on
the General Skilled Migration website. This website has links
to the participating State and Territory government agencies.
Some states will use their website to list employment
vacancies in their State/Territory and where these are
located. Before you approach any State and Territory authority
about sponsorship, it is recommended that you have your skills
assessed to confirm that you can work in your nominated
occupation in Australia. iTPL’s partners in Australia will
assist you in gaining state sponsorship.
3. Is the SIR visa points tested?
Yes. The current pass mark for the SIR visa is 110 points.
This is a lower pass mark than the 120 points that applies to
the Skilled Independent visa category.
From 1 July 2005, SIR visa applicants who are sponsored by an
authorised state or territory government agency will be
awarded an additional 10 ´sponsorship´ points on the points
test.
4. I understand that some people are invited to apply for the
SIR visa. How do I get invited?
People who have lodged a Skilled Independent (subclass 136)
visa that has been pooled at the SIR passmark of 110 points
may be invited by the Minister to apply for a SIR visa. They
will need to obtain State/Territory sponsorship and lodge
their acceptance on, or before, the date specified in the
invitation letter. If they meet these requirements, they pay a
reduced visa application charge and are not required to be
re-assessed against criteria already met.
Skilled Independent (subclass 136) visa applicants who have
been pooled at 100 or 105 points wishing to apply for a SIR
visa should consider approaching a participating State or
Territory government agency regarding SIR sponsorship. Once
held, they would be eligible for the additional 10
´sponsorship´ points and meet the SIR passmark. They could
then be ´invited´ to apply for the SIR visa and be eligible
for the concessions given to invited applicants. Evidence of
the sponsorship, and the reference number of their pooled
application, would need to be sent to the Adelaide Skilled
Processing Centre (ASPC) before a letter of invitation could
be sent.
5. Can I add a child, spouse or other dependant to my SIR visa
application after it has been lodged?
Once your SIR application has been lodged, only a dependant
child may be added to your application (without charge)
provided the application has not been finalised. If the
application has been decided, then your child will need to
lodge a separate application and pay the visa application
charge.
If your spouse, or other dependant family member, was not
included in your original application then they are required
to lodge a separate application for a SIR visa and pay another
visa application charge irrespective of whether your
application has been finalised.
If you are applying for a SIR visa that can be granted while
you are in Australia, your spouse, or other dependant´s can
only be included in your application if they also hold an
eligible visa to apply for an SIR visa in Australia.
No. One of the aims of the program is to keep family units
together in regional Australia. Unless there are exceptional
circumstances, members of your family unit are required to
live with you.
7. Will there be any conditions attached to my SIR visa?
Yes. If successful, you and your family will have a condition
placed on your visa which requires you to live and work or
study in a regional or a low population growth metropolitan
area in Australia. Short absences for holidays or business are
permitted. As part of the application form you are required to
sign a declaration acknowledging that you understand and
accept the terms of the SIR visa if granted.
Before you can apply for a permanent visa you will need to
demonstrate that you have lived in regional Australia for at
least two years and been in full time employment there for at
least 12 months. Only employment and residence accumulated in
regional Australia after you were granted your SIR visa will
be counted towards meeting the requirements.
8. What type of work am I able to do on a SIR visa?
The only restriction on the type of work that can be done on a
SIR visa is that it be full-time and undertaken in a regional
or low population growth metropolitan area in Australia.
For the purposes of the SIR visa, full-time employment is
normally 35 hours a week. Any employment for less than 30
hours a week will not be regarded as full-time and may affect
your ability to meet the ´work´ requirement to apply for a
permanent visa.
It is also expected that SIR visa holders work in their
nominated occupation. Failure to do so may mean that you are
unable to obtain the necessary sponsorship at the permanent
visa stage.
9. If I work in regional Australia, does my employment have to
be with one employer?
No. You may work with more than one employer provided that the
total period of employment is at least 12 months and the
employment is full-time.
See:
Question 8, above.
10. What happens if I have lived in regional Australia but
can´t meet the requirements to be granted a permanent visa
after three years?
A second SIR visa may be granted if you have complied with the
conditions of your initial SIR visa.
Note:
you can only be granted one more SIR visa. If granted, the
second SIR visa will be valid for a maximum period of 12
months.
If, at the end of this period, you have still not accumulated
the necessary period of residence and/or employment, and you
are not eligible for the grant of another type of visa, you
will be required to depart Australia.
11. If I have been employed for 12 months and lived in
regional Australia for two years, what are my permanent visa
options?
The regional permanent residence visa classes available to SIR
visa holders are:
·
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
·
State and Territory Nominated Independent (STNI) visa
·
State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (SBO) visa
More detailed information on the pathways to permanent
residence from a SIR visa is available from our website.
12. Where do I lodge my application for a SIR visa?
We can assist you in submission of your SIR Visa application
through our MARA registered migration agent.
Kindly contact us today to know more! |
