General Skilled Migration Visas
Basic Criteria to be met for all General Skilled Migration visas: (Introduction to General skilled Visas 189, 190 & 491)
- Age – you must be under 45 years of age at the date of application
- English language – you must have sufficient ability in the English language
- Qualifications – you are required to have a (usually university or a trade) and your skill must have been assessed by the relevant assessing authority in Australia.
- Nominated occupation – when you apply you will need to nominate an occupation fitting your skills and qualifications. This occupation must be on the
- Skilled Occupations List in the case of the subclass 189 visa or on one of the State/Territory lists for the subclass 190 visa
- Medical and character checks – you must be able to satisfy the criteria for both medical and character requirements
If you are a qualified professional or trades person with work experience that will benefit the Australian economy, but do not have a sponsor in Australia you will be able to apply under this category.
In addition to meeting the basic requirements below, you are also required to pass a points test with points being awarded for skill, age, English language ability, specific work experience, qualifications and spouse skills, Australian skilled work experience and fluency in one of Australia’s major community languages.
The current passmark for this particular visa category is 65 points
Permanent visa for skilled workers who are not sponsored by a State/Territory, employer or family member.
Allows visa holder to live and work anywhere in Australia.
Family
You can include the following family members in your visa application:
- your partner
- your or your partner’s dependent child
Processing
Priority processing arrangements apply to this visa. They determine the order in which Australian immigration considers applications regardless of when they have been submitted. To find out more about the priority processing arrangements Australian immigration has in place; please contact one of our relocation consultants to find out more.
Entitlements
This visa allows you and your accompanying family members to:
- live and work permanently in Australia
- study in Australia
- enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
- access certain social security payments
- apply for Australian citizenship (subject to residency criteria)
- sponsor family members for permanent residence.
As with the subclass 189 visa, this visa is also designed for highly skilled and experienced people intending to migrate to Australia on a permanent residency visa. You need to meet the basic requirements for a visa application in addition to meeting the pass mark on the points test.
The fundamental difference between the subclass 189 and subclass 190 visa is that in the case of the latter you would need to be to be nominated by an Australian State/Territory Government agency. Certain States/Territories are prepared to offer nominations to individuals who have skills and experience in occupations that are in particular demand in that State / Territory.
The passmark for this visa category is 65 points
Permanent visa for skilled workers who are nominated by a state or territory government.
Allows visa holder to live and work in the State offering nomination.
Nomination by a State/Territory government.
Family
You can include the following family members in your visa application:
- your partner
- your or your partner’s dependent child
- your or your partner’s dependent relative.
Employment obligations
There are some obligations that states or territories will require you to meet. These include that you:
- stay in that state or territory that nominated you for at least two years
- keep the state or territory informed of any changes to your address
- complete surveys and provide information when asked.
Entitlements
This visa allows you and your accompanying family members to:
- live and work permanently in Australia
- study in Australia
- enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses
- access certain social security payments
- apply for Australian citizenship (subject to residency criteria)
- sponsor relatives for permanent residence.
Processing
Priority processing arrangements apply to this visa. They determine the order in which Australian immigration considers applications regardless of when they have been submitted. To find out more about the priority processing arrangements Australian immigration has in place; please contact one of our relocation consultants to find out more.
Unlike the two visas mentioned, this is a temporary residency visa which leads to permanent residency at a later stage.
In order to qualify for this visa you will need to meet the basic criteria and achieve the necessary points on the points test. However, under this particular visa category extra points are awarded if you are sponsored by a close relative or nominated by a State/ Territory government agency. The provison for family sponsorship under this visa category is that your relative usually resides in a designated area of Australia.
The passmark for this visa category is 65 points.
- Provisional visa for skilled workers who are nominated by a State/Territory government or an eligible relative.
- Requires visa holder to live and work in a specified regional area.
- Invitation to apply
Family
You can include the following family members in your visa application:
- your partner
- your or your partner’s dependent child
- your or your partner’s dependent relative.
Entitlements
This visa allows you and your dependants to:
- temporarily live and work in a designated regional area in Australia
- study in a specified regional area of Australia
- travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid
- apply for permanent residence through the Skilled Regional (Residence) visa (subclass 887) after certain conditions have been met.
Visa obligations
Nominated by a state or territory
There are obligations that your nominating state or territory will require you to meet. These include that you:
- stay in that state or territory for at least two years
- keep the state or territory informed of any changes to your address
- complete surveys and provide information when asked.
Sponsored by an eligible family member
You must live and work in a designated area. If you plan to seek permanent residence, you will need to prove that you have spent the specified time in a designated area.
If you do not comply with the conditions of your visa:
- your visa, and those of any accompanying family members, may be cancelled
- you will not be able to apply for another provisional Skilled Regional Sponsored visa
- you may not meet the requirements to apply for permanent residence.
Eligible Sponsors
A sponsor must be at least 18 years of age who resides in Australia as one of the following:
- an Australian citizen
- an Australian permanent resident
You or your partner must be related to your sponsor as:
- a child – including a stepchild, or
- a parent – including a step parent, or
- a brother or sister – including adoptive or step-sibling, or
- a niece or nephew – including adoptive or step-niece or nephew, or
- an aunt or uncle – including adoptive or step-aunt or uncle, or
- a grandparent or first cousin.
Your sponsor must be a resident in a designated area of Australia at the time of the sponsorship.
Processing
Priority processing arrangements apply to this visa. They determine the order in which Australian immigration considers applications regardless of when they have been submitted. To find out more about the priority processing arrangements Australian immigration has in place; please contact one of our relocation consultants to find out more.
