Queensland (QLD)

Queensland is the second largest and third most-populous state in Australia covering an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres. Queensland has a population of 4,560,059, concentrated along the coast and particularly in the state's South East region. Referred to as the "Sunshine State", Queensland is home to 10 of Australia's 30 largest cities and is the nation's third largest economy.

Queensland is less centralised than most other Australian states, with 50% of the population living outside the state capital, and 25% living outside the South East region. Queensland is home to many regional cities, the most populous being the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Townsville and Cairns.

Queensland is a popular choice for skilled migrants and with its year-round beautiful weather and great career opportunities, it is an ideal place to work and live, offering a high standard of living and good working conditions.

Brisbane

Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in Queensland. Its metropolitan area has a population of 2.3 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation encompasses a population of more than 3 million. The Brisbane central business district lies in a curve of the Brisbane river and covers an area of 2.2 square kilometres. The city has a density of 379 people per square kilometre, which is high for an Australian city and comparable to that of Sydney. However, like many western cities, Brisbane sprawls into the greater metropolitan area.

SkillSelect

Skilled Nominated or Skilled Regional visas offer a pathway to Australia if you cannot achieve sufficient points required for a Skilled Independent visa. You must submit an application through SkillSelect which is the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) online visa application system. Once you have received a positive skills assessment from an Australian assessing authority and by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) you can generate points for:

•   Your age
•   Recognised qualifications
•   Employment
•   English language skills
•   Being nominated by a state or territory government
•   Partner skills
•   Study in Australia
•   Specialist education qualifications
•   Accredited language skills
•   Professional year in Australia

Queensland Skilled Nominated and Regional Visa Programmes

The Queensland Skilled Occupations List (QSOL) reflects the current employment situation in the state and is reviewed and updated regularly in accordance with current labour market conditions. To be eligible for state nomination you must have an occupation on the "Offshore" QSOL and meet the occupation specific requirements stated on the list. Please note that certain occupations have specialisations or licensing/registration requirements to work in Queensland and that ICT applicants must have received a formal offer of employment in their nominated occupation for a period of 12 months. There is no set time frame to receive an invitation after submitting an EOI and invitations are not guaranteed as the selection process is highly competitive and driven by employment and other economic factors. When the programme is filled, applications for nomination will no longer be accepted in the programme year which usually runs from 01 July until 30 June. 

To receive an invitation to apply for Queensland nomination you must:

• Be under 45 years of age at the time of invitation
• Have a minimum of 2 years relevant work experience (unless otherwise specified)
• Have Competent English (unless otherwise specified)
• Have an occupation on the QSOL "Offshore" skills list
• Have received a positive skills assessment from an Australian assessing authority
• Have at least 65 points on the DHA points test
• Demonstrate you meet both QLD and DHA visa eligibility requirements
• Have a commitment to living and working in Queensland for a minimum of 2 years

Skilled Nominated - Subclass 190

The Skilled Nominated (190) visa is a permanent visa that allows you to live anywhere in the state of Queensland. You can only be nominated if you already reside in Queensland.

Skilled Regional - subclass 491

This visa requires you and family members included in your application o live, work and study in regional Queensland for a minimum period of 3 years - (anywhere other than the metropolitan area of Brisbane).

The DHA has allocated a total of 14,000 places for this subclass and has introduced a ranking system for an invitation to apply for a visa as follows:

1. Applicant with a skilled partner or applicants without a partner;
2. Applicant with a partner with Competent English (but does not have a skills assessment);
3. Applicant with a partner who is ineligible for either competent English or skilled partner points.

Pathway to permanent residence

After 3 years of having lived, worked/studied in regional Queensland, you can apply for permanent residence (subclass 191 - Skilled Regional) but must have complied with all the conditions of your visa including evidence of taxable income of AUD53,900.

Initial Consultations

Migrating to Australia can be complex and it is easy through research to become overloaded with information, which is difficult to interpret leaving you with many questions unanswered. Before you start out on your visa journey you need to be confident that you have understood how the migration regulations will be applied to you.

When you contact Concept Australia, an experienced staff member will provide you with an honest appraisal of your visa options and whether a pathway is available to you. The initial advice is provided free and without obligation as we only invite applicants to engage with us if they have a realistic chance of being granted a visa for Australia.

If we have assessed that you have the potential to be granted a visa and you would like to find out more about the visa process, you may wish to consider attending a consultation as this will enable you to make an informed judgement regarding your future migration plans. You will also have an  opportunity to ask key questions that you may not have found answers to during your research.

Consultations are conducted in the London Borough of Bromley but if you are unable to travel to see us, we can arrange a SKYPE or telephone appointment at a time convenient to you including selected mid-week evenings and Saturdays.

If you are interested in moving to Queensland, please contact your nearest Concept Australia office for advice and assistance:

London/Kent Office

Kingfisher House
21-23 Elmfield Road
Bromley
Kent
BR1 1LT

Telephone: 020 8315 6700 or email: info@conceptaustralia.co.uk

Office hours:

Monday to Friday from 09:00 -17:30
Saturdays from 09:30 - 12.00