Western Australia to make graduate stream more accessible

The State Nomination Migration Program (SNMP) Graduate stream will soon be more accessible for international students who study in Western Australia.

Last month, Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan announced that the Graduate Stream of the SNMP will be extended to include vocational education and training (VET) graduates who complete a qualification in Western Australia at Certificate III level or above. This excludes trade occupations (unless approved for delivery to international students).  The first invitation round to include VET graduates will be issued in December 2019.

Other changes to the SNMP Graduate stream are:

– Studies in Higher Education, VET and/or English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) will all count towards the requirement to study for two years in Western Australia.

– Work experience and job offer requirements will also be reduced. Graduates will need to either demonstrate six months of work experience or a six-month employment contract, but not both. Currently, international students need to have 12 months of work experience plus a job offer for 12 months.

A new Graduate Occupation List and updated eligibility criteria for the Graduate stream will be published on the Migration portal prior to the December invitation round.

Article published 5th November 2019