ARTICLE · 16 NOVEMBER 2023

Market Intelligence Thought Leadership Award Winner

Why Migrating To Australia Without An Employer Sponsor Has Become More Competitive In 2023-2024

Interstaff Immigration Agency

Explore more from Interstaff Immigration Agency

Australia's state and territory nominated visa options to migrate without an employer sponsor have become more competitive due to the government significantly reducing its 2023-24 allocations for these visas.

AustraliaImmigration

Sheila Woods MARN 0533879

Author LinkedIn connections

State/Territory Visa Nominations | Interstaff Registered Migration Agents

Australia's state and territory nominated visa options to migrate without an employer sponsor have become more competitive due to the government significantly reducing its 2023-24 allocations for these visas.

Nomination allocations refer to the number of new primary applicants each state or territory can nominate in a program year. It is likely that the reduced availability of the state and territory nominated program may influence more intending migrants to consider pursuing employer-sponsored visa options.

Here's what you should know:

How do you migrate to Australia without an employer sponsor? | State/Territory Nominated Visa options explainer

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

Related Articles

What Do The New Specific Purpose Visas For Contractors And Independent Professionals Really Demand?

AustraliaImmigration

New Employer Sponsored Visa Program Enquiry Form: What It Covers And When To Use It

AustraliaImmigration

Roam Migration Law

What Are The Subclass 186 Visa Eligibility Requirements?

AustraliaImmigration

Roam Migration Law

How Long Does The Subclass 186 Visa Take To Process In Australia?

AustraliaImmigration

Roam Migration Law

Ministerial Direction 123: A Tougher, Broader Character Test Framework

AustraliaImmigration

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Immigration
- Work Visas
- General Immigration

Related Comparative Guides

Comparative Guide

Corporate Immigration

Comparative Guide

Investment Treaty Arbitration

See more popular content from

Immigration

Australia Pauses Work And Holiday Visa Applications From 24 Countries

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed during a press conference on 16 August that processing of Work and Holiday Maker visas has slowed. But updates to the Department of Home Affairs website suggest the impact may be more significant, with Subclass 462 Work and Holiday Maker visa applications being temporarily paused for passport holders from 24 countries.

AustraliaImmigration

Interstaff Immigration Agency

Ministerial Direction 123: A Tougher, Broader Character Test Framework

On 18 September 2026, Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke signed Ministerial Direction 123 (MD 123), which commences on 31 October 2026 and replaces Ministerial Direction 110 (MD 110), itself only in force since June 2024. Importantly, MD 123 will govern any decision made on or after 31 October 2026, regardless of when the underlying application was lodged. This means non-citizens with pending matters are immediately affected.

AustraliaImmigration

Directions 121 & 122: Skilled Visa Processing Priorities Reset

The Australian Department of Home Affairs has introduced new skilled visa processing priorities under Ministerial Directions 121 and 122, fundamentally restructuring how applications are prioritized. Unlike the previous system that prioritized by location, the new framework prioritizes by sector first, placing specified industries at the highest priority regardless of whether applicants are onshore or offshore.

AustraliaImmigration

Roam Migration Law

Australia Bans Entry For Iranian Visitor Visa Holders For Six Months

Yesterday evening, the Minister for Home Affairs announced an Arrival Control Determination will commence from today, 26 March 2026, banning Iranian visitor visa holders from travelling to Australia for six months.

AustraliaImmigration

Interstaff Immigration Agency

Current Visa Processing Times: August 2026

The below timeframes reflect general processing times published on the government’s Global Visa Processing Times page on 4 September 2026.

AustraliaImmigration

Interstaff Immigration Agency

What Is The Business Innovation And Investment (Permanent) Visa?

The subclass 888 visa lets a subclass 188 visa holder continue their business or investment activity and live in Australia permanently.

AustraliaImmigration

482 Sponsorship Compliance In Australia For 2026

Sponsoring overseas workers through the Subclass 482 visa creates ongoing legal obligations that extend far beyond the initial visa approval. For Australian HR leaders and in-house legal teams managing sponsored workers, compliance failures can expose the business to civil penalties up to $436,800 per breach, cancellation of sponsorship approval, and reputational damage that affects future recruitment.

AustraliaImmigration

Roam Migration Law

Australia Confirms Major Migration Changes: What Burke’s National Press Club Address Means For You

Access to this content requires browser cookies to be enabled. The page provides instructions for users to check their browser settings and enable cookies if they are currently disabled in order to view the requested information.

AustraliaImmigration

Roam Migration Law

Australia’s New Priority Order For Skilled Visa Processing

The government has acted swiftly to realign skilled visa processing priorities with migration reforms announced by the Home Affairs Minister on 17 September 2026.

AustraliaImmigration

Interstaff Immigration Agency

Current Visa Processing Times: July 2026

Understanding current government processing times allows businesses to plan recruitment and onboarding with greater certainty. With clearer expectations around timelines, organisations can better coordinate start dates, allocate resources, and maintain continuity in their workforce planning.

AustraliaImmigration

Interstaff Immigration Agency