Northern territory subclass 491 & 190 nomination Guidelines

Eligibility

Northern territory Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491) visa and Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) visa

Minimum requirements

To migrate to Australia under a skilled visa, you and your dependant family members on the application must satisfy the Department of Home Affairs requirements.

A summary of key minimum requirements are:

Age

You must be under aged 45 years at the time of nomination.

Skills assessments

You will need a full skills assessment from a relevant Australian skills assessment and assessing authority, for the skilled occupation that you have nominated.

A skills assessment is an independent assessment of whether you have the skills and / or experience to undertake an occupation in Australia. For information about which skills assessment body provides an assessment for your occupation, go to the Department of Home Affairs website.

English

The minimum English language requirement is an outcome of competent unless otherwise specified by assessing / licensing or registration body or on the Northern Territory (NT) Migration Occupation List. Competent means the equivalent of at least IELTS 6.0 in each band level.

NT Government accepts all English tests approved by the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs.

For a list of language tests accepted and the comparison of test scores go to the Department of Home Affairs website.

Points test

Meet the skilled migration points test of 65 or higher.

In addition to the above, you must also meet the Northern Territory (NT) Government requirements.

These requirements can be changed at any time by the NT Government. NT nominations are issued at the discretion of the NT Government, and meeting these requirements does not guarantee a nomination.

If you already live in Australia

The Northern Territory (NT) Government grants nominations under the subclass 491 and 190 visas for individuals who meet the visa eligibility criteria set by the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs and can demonstrate strong employment outcomes in the NT and a long-term commitment to the NT workforce.

The NT Government considers a range of factors to inform decisions on applications for nomination. The following guidelines are intended to assist potential applicants, and are subject to change at the discretion of the NT Government. Each application will be assessed on its own merits. NT nominations are issued at the discretion of the NT Government, and meeting these guidelines do not guarantee a nomination.

Specific guidelines are provided for applicants in the following categories:

Eligible NT graduates

International student graduates who have studied in the NT will be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination if you have:

successfully completed one or more qualifications after studying in the NT, at an NT-based institution for two years in a single tertiary course or a set of nested tertiary courses, and
lived in the NT for a period of at least six continuous months immediately after the date of completion* of your last qualification, while holding a visa that allows full-time work (this requirement does not apply to students who completed all course requirements in semester one 2020 and produce a letter of completion dated prior to 1 August 2020), and
demonstrated genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment** from an NT employer in your nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

International student graduates who are unable to live in the NT for six months after completing two years of study in the NT will only be considered for a subclass 491 nomination. You must provide evidence of making genuine efforts to obtain employment** from an NT employer in their nominated occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

You will be expected to demonstrate genuine efforts and progress towards being employed in the NT in your nominated occupation both during and after your studies. These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

* Date of completion is the date on which you were notified that you have met all academic course requirements. This is the date when the final exam results or notice of course completion were available or published.

** Genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment can be demonstrated through evidence of a number of applications made over a period of time for jobs in relevant occupations in the NT, and other supporting evidence such as membership in relevant professional associations, or positive feedback from industry contacts in the NT.

Please note the following general information:

if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently living interstate, you will not be eligible for the Northern Territory (NT) nomination
if you or any of your migrating dependants are currently on a student visa and are currently studying in an NT institution, you will not be eligible for NT nomination
if you have already been nominated for a subclass 489 or 491 visa by the NT, you will not be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination.

If you apply from outside Australia

If you are currently living outside Australia, you will generally only be offered a subclass 491 nomination.

Offshore applicants must have been employed in their nominated occupation for at least 12 months out of the last 24 months prior to your application, or have relevant Australian qualifications.

Offshore applicants must have an offer of full-time relevant employment in the NT, if the NT Migration Occupation List requires it.

For documents required view how to apply.

Please note, that the NT has limited places for nomination, which means that applications must be of a very high standard to be nominated. Meeting the above requirements does not guarantee a nomination.

Commitment to the NT

Accepting a nomination from Australia’s NT Government means that you are agreeing to the following conditions:

live and work in the NT in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation for at least three years from visa grant
let the NT Government know the status of your visa application – you need to do this when your visa is granted and when you arrive
regularly provide your current contact details to the NT Government
participate in surveys conducted by the NT Government.

Other NT residents

An NT resident applicant includes those on temporary visas with work rights, currently residing in the NT.

NT resident applicants will be eligible for a subclass 190 nomination if you:

demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least two consecutive years immediately prior to application
demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation continuously for at least two years immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate the employment is available for at least a further 12 months.

NT resident applicants will be considered for a subclass 491 nomination if you meet the following requirements:

applicants who started living in the NT prior to 1 July 2020, must:
- demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to application
- demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
- demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate the employment is available for at least a further 12 months.
applicants who start living in the NT on or after 1 July 2020, must:
- demonstrate that you have been residing in the NT for at least 12 consecutive months
- demonstrate that none of your migrating dependants are residing in another part of Australia, and
- demonstrate full-time employment in the NT in an eligible occupation for at least six consecutive months immediately prior to applying for NT nomination and demonstrate that the employment is available for at least a further 12 months.

An eligible occupation for this purpose is:

the occupation identified in the skills assessment (nominated occupation), or
an occupation that is related to the nominated occupation. In order to be related to the nominated occupation, the majority of time in the position must be spent on tasks that align with the skills and knowledge required to undertake the nominated occupation.

The employment must also meet the following additional requirements:

the position must be based in the NT, and the employer must have a record of trading in the NT for at least 12 months
positions that are based at serviced office spaces or involve hot-desking arrangements will generally not be considered favourably
you must be paid at market salary.

Applicants who have not been employed in an eligible occupation will generally not qualify for NT nomination.

Applicants who have been employed on a full-time basis for at least six consecutive months in an occupation that is not an eligible occupation may qualify for a subclass 491 nomination on an exceptional and case by case basis if you are able to demonstrate the following:

the employer has made genuine efforts to recruit locally and the position cannot be filled by an Australian citizen or permanent resident – at a minimum, evidence should include copies of advertisements placed, and a statement from the employer detailing the number of applicants and reasons as to why no Australian citizens or permanent residents have not been recruited
there is a genuine need for the position in the business – at a minimum, evidence should include a detailed statement from the employer explaining the need for the position and how the vacancy arose
you have made genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment in your nominated occupation or a related occupation in the NT – at a minimum, evidence must include copies / screenshots of applications made for relevant jobs and any feedback received.

Applicants who are on a Temporary Work (Skilled)(subclass 457) or Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) must provide a letter of support from your current subclass 457 or subclass 482 sponsoring business stating that they:

support your visa application
understand that you will not be tied to their business once the subclass 491 / subclass 190 visa is granted.

The NT Government may contact your employer. There may be circumstances where the need for support from your current employer can be waived.

If you are offered an NT Government nomination, a declaration form will be issued which will outline these obligations and you will be required to acknowledge, sign, and return.

Migration NT considers a number of factors in assessing commitment to the NT, including:

length of residency in the NT
previous travel to the NT
connections to the NT (for example, close family members being long-term residents of the NT).

Occupation

You must have a skilled occupation that is on the Australian Government’s current list of eligible skilled occupations.

The Northern Territory Migration Occupation List (NTMOL) provides an indication as to which of the eligible skilled occupations are in demand in the NT. Offshore applicants must read the NTMOL to determine their eligibility.

Employability

You must provide strong evidence of good employment prospects in the NT either in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation.

You can show you have good employment prospects by providing:

an offer of employment letter from an NT employer
a statement describing how your skills and experience meet NT employer needs
evidence that your occupation has been advertised in the NT multiple times and detailed explanations of how your qualifications and experience match the job vacancies
evidence of positive feedback from potential NT employers.

Please see specific information on the required evidence on employability for onshore and offshore applicants.

Financial capacity (for applicants outside the NT)

You must provide a list of all your financial assets in Australian dollars. You must provide verifiable documents evidence of those assets. For example, clear colour copies of bank statements, share certificates, property valuations and jewellery evaluations.

The table below gives you detail on the assets you need and the summary you have to provide.

Family composition	Minimum value of net assets
Individual applicant	AU$35 000
Applicant and spouse	AU$50 000
Applicant and spouse plus one child	AU$60 000
Applicant and spouse plus two children	AU$65 000

How to submit your Northern Territory nomination application

All applications and supporting documents must be submitted in the Northern Territory (NT) Government online application system.

Documents you must provide

All applications must provide the following documents:

a clear colour copy of your skills assessment from the relevant Australian skills assessment and assessing authority, for the skilled occupation you have nominated
a detailed current curriculum vitae or resume
clear colour copies of your letters of completion, academic transcripts and certificates of qualifications
clear colour copies of your identity page of your passport and all dependent family members included in your application
evidence of your visa, if you are in Australia or have previously worked or studied in Australia
where required, verifiable evidence of your English proficiency – the NT Government accepts all English tests approved by Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs. If you have undertaken a PTE Academic test, please ensure that you provide in your application the score report code.
if you are claiming points for your partner’s skills, a clear colour copy of your partner’s skills assessment
if you are claiming points for your partner’s English level, verifiable evidence of their English proficiency
a written letter about your commitment to the NTwhich needs to include:
1. your commitment to living and working in your skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation in the NT for at least three years from when the visa is granted
2. why you want to live in the NT
3. how the NT lifestyle would suit your way of life more than that of any other city in Australia, and
4. be no longer than two pages.

You may need to provide additional documents

If you are living in the NT you must provide:

bank statements for the 12 months immediately before your application that clearly shows your day-to-day spending in the NT as evidence you have been living in the NT, and
payslips for six months from a NT employer – this is not required for NT graduates*
for NT graduates – evidence of making genuine and sustained efforts to obtain employment in your skilled occupation in the NT; must include copies or screenshots of job applications, membership in professional associations in the NT, contact with NT employers and other supporting evidence, such as positive feedback from industry contacts in the NT
evidence of residency in the NT for you and your migrating dependants for the required period, for example, tenancy agreements, utility bills.

*Please also read important information if you already live in Australia.

If you are currently living outside Australia (overseas), you must provide:

verifiable evidence of full-time employment in your nominated occupation for at least 12 months out of the last 24 months or evidence that you have Australian qualifications, prior to your nomination application to MigrationNT
evidence that you have researched into living and working in the NT showing that you understand the climate, relocation costs and living expenses (websites copied and pasted into your submission will not be not accepted)
when required, evidence of a full-time (at least 35 hours per week) employment offer in your nominated occupation or in a closely related skilled occupation
- the term of employment must be for at least 12 months
- you should provide a copy of your offer letter or contract and this must include details of your employer, their address, phone number and Australian business number
- this offer will be verified with the business
evidence of job applications to relevant vacancies in the NT
evidence of making contact with relevant NT employers and receiving positive feedback on your employability (auto-generated responses from job websites and employer HR departments are insufficient)
a statement describing your understanding of the NT employment market for your occupation / industry and how your skills and experience are in line with NT employer needs (a generic statement is insufficient on its own)
evidence of strong connections to the NT, for example, signed letters of support from long-term residents in the NT detailing their willingness and ability to support you
evidence of your financial capacity to move, settle and live in Australia, as listed below:

Family composition	Minimum value of net assets
Individual applicant	AU$35 000
Applicant and spouse	AU$50 000
Applicant and spouse plus one child	AU$60 000
Applicant and spouse plus two children	AU$65 000

- you must provide a summary sheet showing the values in Australian dollars
- you must provide verifiable documented evidence that you have access to or ownership of the required amount of net assets
- assets can include cash; residential and commercial property; and personal property such as gold, jewellery, vehicles, etc
- you must provide evidence of the value, for example, independent valuations and purchase receipts
- medical insurance policies, fixed deposits, public provident funds and government savings scheme investments can be used however the maturity dates must be within a reasonable period, or alternatively the funds must be able to be withdrawn early
- while offers of support from family members will be considered and will assist your application, you still need to evidence that you have sufficient financial capacity in your own right as outlined above.

Quality of documents

All documents submitted:

must be in English
documents in language other than English, must be accompanied by an official English language translation
must be in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word DOC / DOCX formats.

Source: https://theterritory.com.au/migrate/migrate-to-work/northern-territory-government-visa-nomination/eligibility#item-4

Disclaimer: The above set criteria and details about The eligibility of 485 PSW Visa have been copied from https://theterritory.com.au/migrate/migrate-to-work/northern-territory-government-visa-nomination/eligibility#item-4 ‘as is’ and no alterations have been made. This article is published on 23/06/2020 at 02.45 PM AEST on this website. The document is provided for general information purposes only. Your use of any of this information is at your own risk, and you should not use any of this information without first seeking legal and other professional advice. The provision of this document (and the documents themselves) do not constitute legal advice or opinions of any kind, or any advertising or solicitation. No lawyer-client, advisory, fiduciary or other relationship is created between VIVID EDUCATION and any person accessing or otherwise using any of the information. Vivid Education and its affiliates (and any of their respective directors, officers, agents, contractors, interns, suppliers, and employees) will not be liable for any damages, losses, or causes of action of any nature arising from any use of any of this information.