ACT Reopens Sponsorship for Australian Skilled Migration

The ACT has not accepted applications for nomination under this program since July 2009, and so the announcement is a significant boon to people who are wishing to migrate under the general skilled program.

There are some significant changes:

• Most occupations now require a higher level of English for sponsorship – most require at least 7 in IELTS, except for trades where a minimum of 6 applies with 6.5 in speaking.
• There are now two lists of occupations in demand – a "SDL Baseline" list and a "SDL Quota" list. To apply under the Quota list, the application must first be cleared with ACT and numbers are strictly limited. For the Baseline list, the number of nominations possible is unlimited.
• Higher requirements for international students – most will need at least 3 months of work experience in the ACT, and students completing studies outside the ACT will require 6 months of work experience.

There are a large number of occupations nominated in the ACT lists – however many of these are subject to a quota and these will fill quickly. You can view a full list of occupations in demand in the ACT on our website: ACT occupations in demand list, but some of the more interesting ones are:

• A wide range of scientists, in both life and physical sciences
• Accountants
• Engineers
• Sales, marketing and PR
• Personnel and HR professionals
• Teachers – pre-primary, secondary and vocational
• Social workers, Welfare workers and community workers
• Psychologists and counsellors
• Designers & illustrators
• Journalists and copywriters
• Financial investment advisors
• Office managers and program/project administrators
• Hotel managers
• Residential care officers
• A wide range of trades

if you are eligible or would like to know if you can apply for this sponsorship please contact a registered migration agent as soon as possible. If you have already lodged a General Skilled application or are able to do so you should begin the process as soon as possible to ensure your application is received before the quota closes.