South West Development Commission

Employer Sponsored Skilled Migration

In the rapidly developing South West region, some job vacancies are difficult to fill locally. That's where the South West Development Commission comes in. We help businesses wanting to sponsor skilled migrants, and prospective migrants wanting to move to the region.

The South West Development Commission is a Regional Certifying Body for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. We have helped many businesses in the region employ overseas skilled migrants through the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme or the Long Stay Temporary Business Visa (457).

To apply for Australian residency under one of these visa schemes, prospective migrants must have received a job offer for skilled and full-time employment with a South West business.

Sponsoring a skilled migrant

Are you a business operator in the South West unable to recruit suitable people for skilled vacancies within your business?

The employer can offer employment and sponsorship to a skilled worker from overseas provided the business cannot find a suitable candidate in the local labour market.

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme

Visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website for information on the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) sponsorship process.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship's RSMS certification and nomination document checklist will assist you in preparing and submitting a valid nomination application. There is no fee for lodging a nomination with DIAC.

Regional Certifying Body

SWDC is a regional certifying body for the RSMS. We do not charge a fee for regional certification of the RSMS nomination application.

The documents required for regional certification are:

Formal letter from the employer offering the position to the nominee
Acceptance of the offer by the nominee
Job description
Completed form 1054

For the purpose of certification, this office does not require any financial information about the nominating business, or any personal documents relating to the nominee.

The processing time for regional certification is approximately two weeks after all documentation has been received.

Becoming a skilled migrant

Whether from the UK, Southern Africa, India or the Philippines, skilled migrants from a variety of backgrounds have found a home in one of the South West's beautiful towns.

The South West is popular for its magnificent lifestyle combined with exciting business and employment opportunities.

Many migrants and residents of the South West will claim that living in the South West is like a holiday... only better!

Download Australia's South West - Better Than a Holiday brochure for an impression of lifestyle and business in Australia's South West.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship's RSMS visa application checklist will assist you in preparing for regional sponsored migration.

We offer the following assistance:

Information on employer sponsored skilled migration schemes
Help in understanding the sponsorship process and finding suitable candidates for vacancies
Information and assistance on the sponsorship application process
Certifying RSMS sponsorship applications on behalf of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Guidance in the migrant's research into business and employment opportunities for skilled positions
Information on living and working in the South West

For further information on migrating to the South West through regional employer sponsorship, please contact Geraldine Wilson or phone +61 8 9792 2000.

More information

Contact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship by phone on 131 881 (within Australia) or visit the website for a complete listing of Australian overseas immigration offices.

Useful links

Useful Links & Documents

Video

Dayalin Nadesan, originally from South Africa, and Stuart Randall, originally from England, were both sponsored by McGarry Associates.