Terms and Conditions

It is important to note that the WA Government's State nominated migration program (SNMP) has particular obligations and other conditions that are important for any prospective migrant to be aware of.

Please read the following terms and conditions very carefully, so you are fully informed of the key aspects of WA's SNMP and its related obligations.

WA State nomination obligation

Receiving WA State nomination means you commit to living and working in WA for the first two years of arriving in WA, or upon a successful visa grant (if currently residing in WA).

Employment in WA

The State's nomination process (either for an invitation to apply or for an actual nomination) is not a guarantee of employment and you understand that the WA State Government is not responsible for securing you or any of your family member's employment in WA. It is also important to note that occupations on the State's own skilled migration occupation lists are not for specific employment vacancies, and are subject to change.

The conditions for some occupations in particular industries or sectors can sometimes be quite variable, and at times change quickly.

With this in mind, prospective migrants are strongly encouraged to do their own research into the employment market conditions and future career prospects in WA, for their particular occupation and field of expertise.

To help connect skilled migrants with the WA workforce, the State Government has established the Skilled Migrant Employment Register, a free initiative supporting employers and skilled migrants to connect and to build the WA workforce. For more information visit the Skilled migrant employment register page.

As part of your application for WA State nomination you understand and acknowledge that:

• WA's labour market conditions may vary significantly as the employment market fluctuates at different times of the year and from year to year;
• you have researched relevant employment opportunities in WA and are satisfied there are sufficient employment / career opportunities in your nominated occupation in WA;
• you need to be realistic about employment expectations as it can take some time to secure employment;
• you understand that you will compete for employment vacancies with all people in the labour market as part of the normal selection process; and
• while there is no State requirement to demonstrate settlement funds, you are strongly encouraged to have sufficient funds to settle and establish yourself and any accompanying family – this is particularly important given that in Australia, there are certain waiting periods that new migrants have to meet before they are able to claim employment supports and other welfare payments. For more information please visit the Services Australian website(opens in a new tab).

Occupational licensing/registration

If your occupation requires you to be registered or licensed to be able to work in WA, you understand that a positive skills assessment and State nomination does not guarantee that you will also meet the licensing and/or registration requirements applicable to your occupation, and that you will need to verify your suitability with the relevant licensing and registration authority.

For example, to work as a health practitioner in Australia you need to apply for and be registered with the relevant National Board, and many trades such as electricians, refrigeration mechanics and plumbers also require licensing.

The costs and processes for various occupational licensing and/or registration can be quite variable depending on a number of factors, and so it is strongly encouraged that you understand, and where possible, verify your own suitability for any of these occupational specific requirements prior to applying for a visa/arriving in WA.

For more broad information please visit the Getting your skills recognised section. For specific information on registration requirements for the health sector please visit the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency AHPRA website.(opens in a new tab)

Please note these links are not comprehensive guides to all registration, licensing, professional membership and other industry requirements for all of the occupations that are eligible for WA's State nomination migration program, so it is up to you to do your own thorough research for what your occupation may require.

False and misleading information

If you provide false or misleading information as part of your State nomination application, your application may be declined. False and misleading information may also be reported to the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs who can conduct their own investigation.

We conduct verification checks on the documents you provide. This includes contacting employers and institutions directly to confirm whether the documents are genuine.

If you are aware of instances, or yourself are pressured to submit an application with false and misleading information, we encourage you to report this to the Department of Home Affairs.

Renomination

We do not provide renomination in the following instances:

• where you do not submit your visa application within 60 days; or
• if the details of your expression of interest were incorrect when we nominated you in SkillSelect, including points claimed by you or your agent; or
• if your English test or skills assessment has expired.

If an applicant has been nominated for any skilled subclass (either 190 or 491), they cannot be nominated again in the same program year.

WA Migration Services may consider re-inviting applicants for WA State nomination in exceptional circumstances.

Application fee

Payments

Payments are accepted through MasterCard and Visa only, through the applicable online application form.

Applications lodged for WA State nomination will automatically be progressed by the system once the payment process has been completed.

Skilled migrants

Terms and conditions

The Skilled Migrant Employment Register is an initiative designed to support WA employers to connect with skilled migrants to build their workforce. 

Skilled migrants looking to permanently migrate to WA, have the opportunity to contribute to the WA economy, and fill positions where no WA workers are available.

Registration conditions

• Registrations must be submitted via the Connect with the WA workforce registration form(opens in a new tab).
• Registrations that are deemed not to align with the purpose of the program will not be progressed.
• Migration Services reserves the right to amend or withdraw registrations at any time.
• Skilled migrants who are reported as not contactable more than twice, will be removed from the register.
• Registrations do not guarantee an offer of employment.

Visa related employment conditions

Your visa may limit the type of work you can do in Australia. Some visas have rules about how many hours you can work (for example, international students), or what job you can do (for example; a seasonal worker).

It's important to know the rules for your visa. Visa holders can use Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO)(opens in a new tab) to check current visa details and conditions or contact the Department of Home Affairs(opens in a new tab) for more help.

Employers

Terms and conditions

The Skilled Migrant Employment Register is an initiative designed to support WA employers to connect with skilled migrants to build their workforce. 

Details such as the preferred occupation, current location and employment intention of skilled migrants will be published on the Skilled Migrant Employment Register. Employers can review the register and send an enquiry to Migration Services when they find a skilled migrant that they would like to connect with.

Registration conditions

• Employers who wish to connect with a skilled migrant must first complete the Connect with a skilled migrant registration form(opens in a new tab).
• Employers must also submit an enquiry to Migration Services via jobconnect@dtwd.wa.gov.au, quoting the unique identifier (eg; MS001) of the skilled migrant/s they wish to connect with.
• All enquiries relating to the Skilled Migrant Employer Register must be made via jobconnect@dtwd.wa.gov.au.
• Details of skilled migrants listed on the Skilled Migrant Employment Register have not been substantiated by Migration Services. 

The Regional Certifying Body assessment advice must have been obtained no more than three (3) months before the date the nomination is lodged. If the assessment is dated more than three (3) months before the date the nomination is lodged, the Department of Home Affairs decision maker may require a fresh RCB assessment to be obtained. This is because labour market conditions may have changed sufficiently for new advice to be warranted.

False and misleading information

If you provide false or misleading information as part of your application, your application may be declined. False and misleading information may also be reported to the Commonwealth Department of Home Affairs who can conduct their own investigation.

We conduct verification checks on the documents you provide.

Application fee

Payments

Payments are accepted through MasterCard and Visa only, through the applicable online application form.

Applications lodged for WA State nomination will automatically be progressed by the system once the payment process has been completed.

An application is only considered to be 'lodged' once fees are successfully received.

Refunds

State Nominated Migration Program application fee (applications submitted prior to 1 July 2022)

Refunds will only be considered in the following instances:

• if a technical issue results in multiple payments for the same application, or if the applicant is unaware the first application has been successfully lodged and resubmits multiple applications;\if migration policy guidelines change and an applicant is impacted; or
• in special circumstances, to be considered on a case by case basis.

Regional Certifying advice application fee

Refunds will only be considered in the following instances:

• if a technical issue results in multiple payments for the same application, or if multiple applications are lodged when the applicant is unaware the first application has been successfully lodged, and resubmits multiple applications; or
• in special circumstances, to be considered on a case by case basis.

Assessment of refunds in special circumstances

A refund may be considered where there are special circumstances, which may include but are not limited to:

• circumstances that were beyond the applicant's control; and
• circumstances that were not foreseen and which may result in distress or hardship.

For more information on refunds see the Migration Services fee payment and refund policy(PDF document - opens in a new tab)[PDF 327 KB].

To request a refund, please complete and email the Migration Services refund request form(PDF document - opens in a new tab)[PDF 225 KB] to migration@dtwd.wa.gov.au.