What are the changes in the Western Australia State Sponsorship?
Western Australia state migration program was updated in November 2018 to include a long list of occupations eligible for sponsorship for people who have studied a Bachelor’s or Masters’s degree in Western Australia. This has meant that Western Australia is very competitive and a good option for students looking to get state sponsorship after they graduate from their courses.
For students that have graduated from a Bachelor’s degree, they would need to have 1-year work experience and a contract for 1 year. For Masters or PhD students, then just need to have a contract for 1 year.
Good news!
From December this year, the Western Australian government will also extend state sponsorship for graduates who have completed qualifications in Western Australia at the vocational education and training level (VET).
Also included in these changes that are set to be implemented are:
Study in higher education VET and or English (and they cost) will count towards the study requirement for two years in Western Australia.
Work experience and job offer requirements will also be reduced. Graduates will need to show six months of work experience for six months employment contract (currently as above 1-year experience for Bachelor and 1-year offer for Masters).
Examples
If you are a Civil Engineer with a qualification from overseas (*ability to get a positive skills assessment) and you go to Western Australia to study, you have the following options that may suit you:
Study a Masters in (2 years)
Get a job offer for 12 months (6 months under the new rules)
Submit an expression of interest for state sponsorship WA and, if invited, apply for state sponsorship then residency
VET courses
Study Diploma and Advanced Diploma (closely related to Civil Engineer)
Apply for 485 graduate work
Get 6 months of experience as a Civil Engineer
Submit an expression of interest for state sponsorship WA and, if invited, apply for state sponsorship then residency
** Note: This is EMSA migration team’s perspective based on information available today. The full state sponsorship list and details will be released in December 2019.
To find out more, contact our education or migration team. EMSA are specialists in study pathways and migration.