The introduction of the Construction Visa Subsidy Program (CVSP) in Western Australia

As part of the new initiatives to upskill local workers and attract skilled foreign talent, Western Australia’s State Government has introduced the Construction Visa Subsidy Program (CVSP). A total of $11 million has been allocated to subsidise up to 1,100 skilled migrants to support the building and construction sector, and a further $2.4 million to promote skilled migration to the state. The CVSP will provide grant payments of up to $10,000 per application to offset costs, including professional legal fees, visa application fees, recruitment costs, and relocation expenses.

The CVSP has commenced as of 1 July 2023 for a period of 12 months, or until places are fully exhausted.

Further information about this program is addressed in detail below.

Introduction

There are 2 streams under this program, being the “Employer Sponsored Stream” for businesses and “State Nominated Stream” for individuals.

To be eligible for milestone payments, employers and individuals must have lodged their visas and had them granted on or after 1 July 2023.

In addition, validation checks will be conducted to ascertain that:

• the employer has a valid ABN;
• the employer/individual is registered to use the Department of Training and Workforce Development’s WA Apprenticeship Management System, and relevant bank details have been provided; and
• the employer/individual has confirmed that they agree to the CVSP’s Terms and Conditions.

CVSP – Employer Sponsored Stream

To be eligible for the CVSP, employers must be:

1. a sponsor for one the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482), Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) (SESR) visa (subclass 494) or Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS) (subclass 186); and
2. be headquartered and undertaking commercial and/or residential building and construction work in WA, in select occupations.

Eligible employers will receive payments of up to $10,000 per skilled migrant at 3 different milestone payment points:

Labour hire companies and Group Training Organisations acting as direct employers, and government agencies, are not eligible for CVSP.

The process for applying for each Milestone payment is as follows:

CVSP – State Nominated Stream

To be eligible for the CVSP, the individual must have been granted a visa through WA’s State Nominated Migration Program, being either the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491).

Eligible individuals will receive payments at 2 different milestone payment points:

Offshore applicants must have lodged their visas while residing permanently outside of Australia, on or after 1 July 2023.

The applicaiton requirements for the Milestones are set out below:

Conclusion

The WA State Government is investing in initiatives to retain and welcome skilled migrants to the state in order to keep up with the booming construction industry. Navigating the visa process can be tricky and mistakes can be costly, and the program can deliver significant economic value. Hannan Tew Lawyers are well-versed in all areas of immigration and have broad experience supporting individuals and businesses through the visa processes. Please feel free to contact us by email at info@hannantew.com.au or phone +61 3 9016 0484 if you would like assistance.