Common Questions about Skilled Visas to Apply for NSW Nomination 2022!

Are you going to apply for the NSW nomination in 2022? Here’s all that you must be aware of before applying for the nomination for 190 and 491 visas. The following list has been compiled to help applicants understand what they need to know when applying to the NSW Immigration Office for skilled visas. It also includes common questions applicants may ask during their application process, and the answers they need to know.

In this news, you’ll find out the accurate answers to general questions, point requirements, invitation rounds, skills list, residency, skilled employment, and the application process for NSW nomination.

So, let’s dig into this news to clear all your confusion about the common questions about Skilled Visas for NSW nomination for a Skilled Nominated Visa 190 and Skilled Work Regional Visa 491.

Table of Contents

Most General Queries – Common Questions about Skilled Visas!

I have been nominated by NSW in the past, am I eligible to be nominated again?

No, you are not eligible to be nominated again. It is important to note that if NSW has nominated you in the past, this means that your application was accepted by NSW. Even though the Department of Home Affairs invited you to apply for a visa, it is impossible for you to be nominated for any skilled visa again in the future. In case you are nominated, once you are granted a skilled visa, you will no longer be eligible to apply for another skilled visa in Australia.

This includes:

In the SkillSelect Expression of Interest (EOI), you may have included incorrect information that made you unable to accept your nomination. It is the owner of the EOI who is responsible for making sure they can apply for a visa to Home Affairs if they are nominated. Or,
In the event that you don’t apply for a visa to Home Affairs and your nomination expires, or
There was a nomination for you in the last fiscal year.

2. Will NSW eligibility requirements change throughout the financial year?

The program is subject to modifications without notice in order to ensure smooth operation to meet the skill needs of NSW. In the event that any changes are made to the system, they will be implemented immediately after being made. It is important to note that these changes will apply to all EOIs, regardless of when the EOIs were submitted or updated in SkillSelect.

3. Am I eligible for NSW nomination?

You must decide if you’re eligible to apply either in the NSW invitation round or to apply to an RDA office directly.

4. What is an ANZSCO unit group?

ANZSCO Unit Groups are a list of similar or closely related occupations. The ANZSCO unit group code is the first 4 digits of the ANZSCO occupation code. Such as both 252311 Dental Specialist and 252312 Dentist fall into the 2523 Dental Practitioners unit group.

5. What is a ‘closely related’ occupation?

The following occupations are closely related to each other:

Occupations within the same ANZSCO unit group as your nominated occupation, or
Occupations that are in line with a career development path, or
Acknowledged as closely related by your assessing authority based on your skills assessment.

Minimum Points Requirements and Years of Skilled Work

1. How are the minimum years of skilled work experience and point scores for each unit group determined?

The numbers are calculated based on both the allocation of places by unit group and the EOIs received through SkillSelect during the course of the fiscal year. Thus, if your score falls below these numbers, you are significantly less likely to be invited to apply this financial year. Moreover, there may be changes to these numbers throughout the financial year without notice.

2. Am I eligible for NSW nomination if I score below the required years of skilled work experience and/or point score?

No. Unless you score above these numbers in your unit group, you will not be eligible for an NSW nomination.

3. What is the regional NSW study exemption?

Under Pathway 1, if you apply for a 491 Visa, you are exempt from the work experience requirement.

It is possible for you to apply if you have completed a study in regional NSW within the last 24 months prior to applying to the RDA office. It is essential that your study be relevant to your nominated occupation or a closely related occupation. As it will make you eligible to claim points for Regional study in Australia.

Common Questions about Skilled Visas – Invitation Rounds!

1. When can I expect to be invited to apply for NSW nomination?

You shouldn’t expect an invitation from NSW. No matter what your point score, level of English proficiency, and/or the number of years of skilled experience is. It is highly competitive to get an invitation for NSW nomination. Therefore, the NSW Government strongly encourages all future migrants to check all other immigration pathways as well. They must not wait to be invited by New South Wales.

2. When is the next invitation round?

One of the most common invitation rounds takes place continuously throughout the financial year. You cannot get information from the NSW Government about the date of upcoming invitation rounds or your chances of receiving an invitation for nomination at this time.

3. I was invited to apply for NSW nomination, but I did not see the invitation email in my inbox. Will NSW resend the invitation?

No. Your invitation link will not be reissued in the future. It is not possible to invite the same EOI number more than once. For consideration in a future invitation round, you need to submit a new EOI if you do not use your invitation link.

4. I was invited to apply for NSW nomination for the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491), can it be changed to the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)?

No. If you receive an invitation from NSW for a 491 Visa, it means that you have submitted an EOI in SkillSelect to be considered for that particular visa subclass nomination.

Common Questions about Skilled Visas for Skills List!

1. Is my occupation eligible for NSW nomination?

NSW skills lists are at the ANZSCO unit group level. If you would like to find out if your occupation is eligible for NSW nomination for the visa you are applying for, you can check the Skills List of the NSW Government for information on whether or not you qualify. There may be occupations within a listed unit group that are not eligible for that visa, depending on the occupation. A person’s eligibility to work in a particular occupation is decided by the Department of Home Affairs.

A valid skills assessment is required for NSW nomination. This skills assessment needs to be for an occupation that’s eligible for the visa. Additionally, it must be included in an ANZSCO unit group on the list of skills for the visa. NSW won’t nominate anyone whose occupation isn’t eligible for a given visa.

2. How often are the NSW Skills Lists reviewed?

Every year, NSW Skills Lists are reviewed at the beginning of a new fiscal year.

3. Will the unit group my occupation belongs to be added to the NSW Skills List?

During the financial year, no new Unit Groups will be created. While the NSW Government cannot disclose the details of future financial year lists.

About Residency – Common Questions about Skilled Visas!

1. Am I eligible for NSW nomination if I reside offshore?

Yes. Applicants from overseas are eligible to apply for all eligible occupations regardless of where they are located. For this to be possible, you must be living offshore at the moment. There is a requirement that you must have lived in the state for a minimum of six months in order to qualify for a 190 VisaThere is a requirement that you must have lived in the state for a minimum of six months in order to qualify for a 190 Visa. While you must have been residing for 3 months for the Skilled Work Regional visa 491.

If you want to know the occupations included in the NSW Skills list, you can read, Updated NSW Skill List 2022 for Skilled Nominated Visa 190 & Skilled Work Regional Visa 491! to find out more.

2. Am I eligible for NSW nomination if I reside in another Australian state or territory?

No. If you are currently in Australia, you must be currently living in NSW to be eligible for NSW nomination. At least 6 months of residence is required for a Skilled Nominated Visa. While you must have been living for 3 months for a 491 Visa.

3. How do I prove where I reside?

In order to prove your residency, you must provide the following documents:

Bank statements of at least 6 months from your main transaction account that show your salary and everyday expenses
Lease or rental agreements
Gas, water, and other utility bills
Other bills, such as phone, internet, etc.
The proof of age card or driver’s license

4. Do I need to be currently employed in NSW?

No. To be eligible for NSW nomination, you don’t need to be currently employed or have previously worked in your nominated/or closely related occupation. It’s the most important and common question about Skilled Visas before applying for NSW nomination.

5. I reside in NSW, but work remotely for a company based in another Australian state or territory (or offshore), am I still eligible for NSW nomination?

Yes. There is no need for you to be concerned about the location of your employer. This will not have any effect on your eligibility in any way. The invitation you receive will require you to prove that you meet the residency requirements if you wish to accept it.

6. I’m in NSW on a tourist visa, am I eligible for NSW nomination?

Your stay in NSW on a Tourist Visa will not be considered residency in NSW by the NSW Government. This means that if you spend any time in NSW on a Tourist Visa, then it cannot be counted toward the criteria for residency in this state.

Skilled Employment – Common Questions about Skilled Visas!

1. How does NSW define ‘skilled employment’?

NSW will define skilled employment as employment that falls within your nominated or closely related occupation and for a minimum of 20 hours of remuneration per week in order to qualify for the program.

2. What skilled employment does NSW accept?

Employment that is considered skilled by Home Affairs, i.e. in your nominated or closely related occupation and that is at least 20 hours a week, is acceptable to the NSW. Moreover, the employment took place after you were deemed skilled in your field.

3. What happens if I’ve claimed skilled employment in my EOI before the date I have been deemed skilled in my occupation?

As soon as you have received the invitation to apply for NSW nomination and you have claimed skilled employment before the date when you were considered skilled, you will not be able to accept the invitation to apply for NSW nomination.

4. How do I show evidence for skilled employment after I have obtained my skills assessment?

You do not need to get a new assessment for current employment if you have a valid skills assessment that assessed your skilled employment.

The following evidence can be used to prove your further skilled employment:

A contract of employment
Employment reference letter detailing your employment history, the hours you worked per week, and the duties you performed
Pay slips
Your offer letter

Watch this Video!

A Step-by-Step Guide For Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) 2022 | All you Need to Know.

Applying for NSW Nomination – Common Questions about Skilled Visas!

1. When can I apply for NSW nomination for the Skilled Work Regional visa (subclass 491) under Pathway 1?

As soon as the NSW Skills List is finalized, you can apply for NSW nomination for a 491 Visa.

2. What are the most common reasons why applications to NSW are declined?

There are a number of factors that contribute to the rejection of applications in most cases.

If the applicant wasn’t eligible to claim all the points in his Expression of Interest!

As part of the SkillSelect EOI, all claims must be supported by evidence. Evidence must be provided by the owner of the EOI in order for the EOI to be considered valid.

The most common causes include:

The claim of credentialed community language points after expiration of qualification. You must hold a valid CCL certificate when NSW invites you to apply and claim these points.
Claiming points for a Professional Year when they’re not eligible. To claim these points, your professional year must be in your nominated or closely related occupations.
Claiming points for skilled employment before gaining skilled status in your occupation.

Residential requirements are not met!

Either you currently live in NSW or offshore. At least 6 months of residency is required.

Employment Points Overclaimed!

As part of a skills assessment, you will be able to see the date on which you have been deemed skilled in your occupation at the time of the assessment. Due to this, you will not be able to claim skilled employment points before this date. You can find the ACS and most of the VETASSESS assessments in this category.

Unless your assessment displays this date, you cannot claim points for skilled employment before completing the qualification.
There is no need for you to claim all of the points in your SkillSelect EOI in order for you to accept the NSW invitation. It is only necessary for you to claim only the eligible skills in your EOI.
If you claim points incorrectly, you will not be eligible to accept your NSW invitation when you receive it upon invitation. There can be no exceptions to this rule for any reason whatsoever.

3. I have been invited to apply for NSW nomination, but my English/skills assessment has expired. Can I still apply?

Yes. It is still possible to apply for NSW nomination with an expired document. You can indicate on the application form that you are applying with an expired document by checking the box next to it. As soon as you are invited, you will receive an email with further information about the process.

It’s one of the most common questions about Skilled Visas to apply for NSW nomination. So, if you need more help regarding this question, you can consult with our registered migration agents in Australia.

I have been invited by NSW, how long is the invitation link valid for?

There is a limited validity period for the invitation links that have been provided by the NSW Government. They are only valid for a period of 14 days. It is therefore important that you submit your application within the specified timeframe in order to avoid any delays. In the event that the invitation link has expired, it will not be reissued by NSW.

To apply to NSW again in a future invitation round, you must submit a new EOI in SkillSelect if you do not use your invitation link. It is not possible to invite the same EOI number more than once.

4. I’m an ICT professional, what skills assessment do I need to provide?

Claiming points for skilled employment!

For you to be eligible to be nominated for NSW, then you need to complete an ACS ‘skills assessment’. As part of this process, ACS must verify your employment status. It is possible to claim points for employment once ACS determines that you are skilled in your occupation. As long as you are claiming points for employment, it is not possible for you to provide your ACS ‘post-Australian study assessment’.

Not claiming points for skilled employment!

If Home Affairs accepts an ACS assessment, you can submit it.

5. What are the fees for NSW nomination?

Applying to Investment NSW!

If you’re applying within Australia, you have to pay A$330 (including GST). It’s a non-refundable fee. While if you’re outside Australia, you have to pay A$300.

Applying to an RDA office!

Depending on the RDA office, fees vary. For information about the fee structure, contact the RDA directly.

Common Questions about Skilled Visas – Final Words!

In terms of NSW nominations, there are a lot of questions that people have in their minds. Such as how to apply, eligibility criteria, points requirements, etc. In order to help you apply for NSW nomination in 2022, we have listed a detailed version of the most common questions about Skilled Visas.

If you still have more to ask, you can book a consultation with our experienced immigration consultants to satisfy all your queries right now!