Skilled Migration Job Connect

To be successfully registered as a Job Connect Subsidy claimant, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• be onshore and residing in WA at time of lodgement;
• have arrived in WA within the last 10 years;
• currently hold a valid visa with working rights; and
• are actively seeking or have obtained employment in WA in an occupation aligning with your formal overseas qualifications, skills and experience, as at 1 January 2023; and
• meet one of the following conditions:

1. either (a) not working or (b) working in an occupation at a lower skill level than the occupation aligning with your formal overseas qualifications, skills and experience; or
2. required to undertake a skills assessment and/or meet occupational licencing and registration requirements to enable access to employment opportunities in WA.

Example of working at a lower skill level: You are a qualified Engineer in your home country and currently working at the local supermarket. You require your Australian Engineering registration to be able to obtain an Engineering job in WA. You can submit a Job Connect Subsidy registration to be reimbursed the cost of your registration fee.

Example of needing to meet industry requirements: You are a qualified Electrician in the UK. You have obtained your Offshore Technical Skills Record (OTSR)(opens in a new tab), completed the Migrant Gap Training in WA and you are working towards the 12 months of supervised employment requirement to become a fully qualified Electrician in WA. You can submit a Job Connect Subsidy registration to be reimbursed the cost of your WA Migrant Gap Training.

To have your Job Connect Subsidy Claim approved, you must show:

• that you have been registered and approved as a Job Connect claimant prior to lodging a claim or have been revalidated as a Job Connect claimant within the six-month period prior to lodging a claim;
• that you have received an approved service as at 1 January 2023; and
• how the approved service will or has assisted you in gaining employment in WA in an occupation aligning with your formal overseas qualifications, skills and experience.

You will not be eligible to access the Job Connect subsidy program, if you are:

• already employed in an occupation aligning with your formal overseas qualifications, skills and experience;
• already employed in an occupation at a skill level equivalent or higher than the occupation that aligns with your formal overseas qualifications, skills and experience;
• upskilling; and/or
• already receiving funding or financial assistance for the same purposes from another government program or entity.