South Australia State Nomination for 190 and 491

Overview of the SA Skilled Migration program

South Australia (SA) is a state in southern Australia, known for its wine, food, defence, healthcare and education industries. Adelaide — the capital of SA — is often ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities, with a more moderate cost of living than Sydney or Melbourne.

The SA Skilled and Business Migration program manages nominations for the 190 and 491 visas. SA is known as one of the more migrant-friendly states for skilled workers, with more flexible registration streams and more varied connection requirements than some other states.

The administering authority

The program is run by Migration SA, a unit within the South Australian Government. This is the authority that receives and assesses all skilled nomination applications.

Registration streams in SA

A distinctive feature of SA is that the program has several different registration streams, each with its own criteria and requirements:

Skilled Worker stream (working in SA): For people already working in SA in an occupation on the occupation list. This is the most common stream and usually has a high success rate.

Graduate stream (graduated in SA): For people who have just graduated from a recognised education provider in SA. This stream is particularly useful for international students who studied in Adelaide. Conditions include: graduating within the last 2-4 years (depending on the occupation), a qualification from an SA university, and the occupation on the list.

Offshore stream (overseas): SA sometimes opens an opening for offshore applicants for occupations with severe shortages. This stream usually has a smaller quota and higher requirements for evidence of connection.

Business and Investment stream: For people who want to invest in business in SA — not within the scope of this article, as it relates to Business Innovation visas.

Visa 190 in SA

The SA 190 visa grants permanent residence to people nominated by Migration SA.

Priority occupations for the SA 190 visa usually include:

Health: doctors, specialist nurses, allied health (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech pathology)
Engineering: civil, mechanical, electrical, defence engineers
Trades: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, construction trades
Information technology: software engineers, cybersecurity, data analytics
Accounting and finance
Education: teachers, especially in rural SA

SA Link — the connection requirement

SA Link is the connection criterion distinctive to South Australia. To be considered for nomination, applicants usually need to demonstrate at least one of the following connections:

Strong SA Link:

Living and working in SA
Studying at an SA education provider
Recently graduating from an SA university

Moderate SA Link:

Having studied in SA in the past
Having a close relative (parent, sibling) living in SA
Having a job offer from an employer in SA

Offshore with no SA Link: Offshore applicants with no connection to SA have very little chance of being nominated, except in some special openings for occupations with severe shortages.

Visa 491 in SA

The SA 491 visa is for people who want to live in regional South Australia — all of SA except Greater Adelaide.

Regional SA includes many distinctive areas: the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale (famous for wine), the Fleurieu Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, and large rural areas.

Special opportunities for the SA 491:

SA is especially interested in increasing the population in rural areas
Many occupations in agriculture, food processing and remote-area health are prioritised
The SA Graduate stream can also include graduates who want to work in a regional area

The registration process

Step 1: Identify the registration stream that suits your situation (Skilled Worker, Graduate, or Offshore).

Step 2: Check whether your occupation is on the SA occupation list for that stream.

Step 3: Prepare an active EOI on SkillSelect.

Step 4: When Migration SA opens registration for the relevant stream, submit your application through the Migration SA portal with full evidence of your SA Link.

Step 5: After nomination, wait for an ITA from DHA.

Special points about SA

SA is known as a more flexible and accessible state for skilled migrants than NSW or Victoria in some openings
The SA Graduate stream creates good opportunities for international students who studied in Adelaide
The cost of living in Adelaide is significantly lower than Sydney and Melbourne
SA usually has more transparent information about opening schedules and assessment criteria on its official website