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.
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 have the necessary skills to work in your nominated occupation in Australia.
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 General Skilled Migration points test.
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 before a letter of invitation could be sent.
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.
If I am in Australia and hold an Occupational Trainee or Working Holiday visa, can I be granted a SIR visa ?
From 1 November 2005, if you hold :
an Occupational Trainee (subclass 442) visa, and have completed the course, training or work experience for which this Occupational Trainee visa was granted or
a Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa, and have held this visa for at least 6 months, you may also be able to apply for a SIR visa that can be granted while you are in Australia.
You will still need to meet all the SIR visa requirements including attaining sponsorship from a State/Territory Government or authorised agency. However, you will not be required to meet the recent work experience requirement.
Can I live/work in regional Australia while my family lives elsewhere ?
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.
Will there be any conditions attached to my SIR visa ?
Yes. If granted a SIR visa, 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 a regional or low population growth metropolitan area in Australia for at least two years, and been in full time employment there for at least 12 months. Only employment and residence accumulated in a regional or low population growth metropolitan area in Australia after you were granted a SIR visa will be counted towards meeting these requirements.
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. 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. 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. SIR visa holders can be self-employed as long as they are working full-time in a regional or low population growth metropolitan area in Australia.
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.
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. You will not be reassessed against age, English language ability, skill and recent work experience criteria which were satisfied for the grant 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 to apply for permanent residence, and you are not eligible for the grant of another type of visa, you will be required to depart Australia.
If I have been employed in regional Australia for 12 months and lived in regional Australia for two years, what are my permanent visa options ?
The regional permanent residence visas available to SIR visa holders are:
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme
State and Territory Nominated Independent (STNI) visa
State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner (STSBO) visa
More detailed information on the pathways to permanent residence from a SIR visa is available from our website.
Where do I lodge my application for a SIR visa ?
You can apply for your SIR visa online. If you wish to apply online, you need to go to ´online services´ and select the ´General Skilled Migration´ option. You will also need a current credit card and passport. If you are unable or do not wish to lodge your SIR visa application on the internet, you can mail or courier your application to the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre.
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