International graduates who have chosen South Australia as their study destination play an important role in supporting the State’s skilled labour market needs. Graduates who achieve strong employment outcomes are prioritised under the General Skilled Migration program, supporting their retention, and South Australia’s skilled workforce.

Prospective applicants who meet the requirements below can submit a Registration of Interest (ROI) to South Australia via the Skilled and Business Migration portal. Please note to apply for state nomination in 2023-24, you must first submit an ROI, and then be invited to apply by South Australia. Further information on how South Australia invites prospective applicants to apply for nomination is outlined under the eligibility guidelines below.

Eligibility guidelines 

To be eligible under the South Australian Graduates stream, you must:

  1. Check if your nominated occupation is eligible under the South Australian Graduates stream on South Australia’s Skilled Occupation List 
  2. Currently live and work in South Australia
  3. Be under 45 years of age at time of state nomination is approved
  4. Have a valid and positive skills assessment for your nominated occupation
  5. Have at least Competent English, unless your nominated occupation requires registration or licensing to practice in South Australia. If your occupation requires registration or licensing in South Australia, you will need to ensure you meet the English requirement set by the registration or licensing authority to work in South Australia. Occupations with registration requirements include trades, education, and health professions. (Note: Passport holders or citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada or New Zealand do not need to provide an English language test result)
  6. Score at least 65 points in the Department of Home Affairs’ points test (including state nomination points)
  7. Have completed your qualification at a South Australian education provider and meet the following study requirements:
  8. Have been residing in South Australia for at least the last 12 months
  9. Have been working for the last 6 months, and be currently employed, in a full-time (at least 30 hours per week) job. Your job must be related to, and at the same skill level as, your nominated occupation. For South Australian nomination, this is generally defined as being in the same Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) Sub Major Group (represented by the first two digits of the ANZSCO code).
  10. Have undertaken your skilled work experience post-course completion

Invitations to apply for nomination (Registration of Interest outcome)

Invitations to apply for South Australian nomination will be sent on an ongoing basis throughout 2023-24. 

Meeting the eligibility guidelines published above does not guarantee that your Registration of Interest (ROI) will be invited to apply for nomination. The Australian Government provides South Australia with a quota of nomination places each year, limiting the number of applicants that can be nominated. South Australia will consider a range of factors when determining who is invited to apply for nomination to ensure graduates are suitably prioritised. These factors include (but are not limited to):

  1. Holding a temporary visa which will expire before 31 August 2024.  If you hold a Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485), you may be eligible to extend your visa through various streams available under this visa.  Please refer to the Department of Home Affairs website to explore the option to extend your Temporary Graduate visa before you submit a ROI application.
  2. Turning 45 years of age before 31 August 2024
  3. Period of skilled employment experience in South Australia
  4. Types of skilled employment in South Australia.  We will prioritise applicants working in South Australia in a priority sector, such as Health and Medical Sciences, Trades and Construction, Early Childhood and Teaching, Digital Technology, Food and Agribusiness, Creative Industries, Tourism and Hospitality.

Further information

For further information on South Australia’s nomination requirements, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions. To contact us, please lodge an enquiry through the Skilled and Business Migration portal.