State and Territory Sponsorship

In conjunction with the Australian Government, Australian states and territories developed a series of State Specific and Regional Migration initiatives to help Australian states and territories to:

• Address skill shortages within their state or territory;
• Attract overseas businesses to establish new or joint ventures in their state or territory;
• Encourage a more balanced settlement of Australia's skilled migrant intake.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) believes these initiatives recognise special circumstances of rural and regional areas and aim to attract skilled, English-speaking migrants to areas of Australia where their skills are needed most. These migrants receive priority processing but rely on sponsorship by regional employers or state and territory governments. This allows for the regional employers and individual state and territory governments to influence the number of skilled migrants settling in their areas, which coincide with their skill needs and development objectives.