Home > Skilled Migration Visa

Australia is a country of diverse landscapes and diverse cultures. We enjoy a high quality of life and Australia provides many opportunities to anyone willing to have a go. Skilled Migration visas are for those people who want to migrate for work to Australia and hence require either a temporary or permanent migration visa. Some of these visas can be applied by the applicant themselves while others can be sponsored by an employer or government. 



This visa gives you the opportunity to work and live in Australia as a temporary or permanent resident. You may be eligible for a skilled visa if, amongst other things, you are a skilled overseas worker with skills needed in Australia. These visas are points tested based on your experience, skillsets and other things.

Applicants for skilled migration need to meet strict threshold criteria. Note that these must be met at time of invitation - hence it is important to only lodge an Expression of Interest once all criteria have been met.These criteria include:

Age
You must be aged between 18 and 49 at the time of invitation. Anyone over 50 is not eligible for these visas.
English Language Ability
Most applicants will need to undertake an English language test. Native English speakers have the option of not taking the test, but must do so to obtain points for English.
Skills Assessment
All applicants need to undergo skills assessment in a skilled occupation. Criteria for skills assessment vary by occupation and there are a large number of skills assessing authorities. In most cases, the skills assessment will be based on the applicants qualifications and work experience, though in some cases English language ability and registration in Australia is required.
Points Test
Applicants must meet the pass mark in the general skilled migration points test to be eligible.
Skill Select
All applicants need to go through the SkillSelect system prior to lodging their visa application - this involves first making an Expression of Interest (EOI) and receiving an invitation from the Department of Immigration to apply.
Including Family Members

You can include the following types of family members in your application:

  • Spouses, defacto partners and same-sex partners
  • Dependent children
  • Other dependent family members - e.g. parents who live with you and are financially dependent.
     

For a skilled migration visa, following steps are required:
1.    Assess your eligibility in regards to your qualifications, work experience, English level and other factors
2.    Perform Skill assessment with a relevant Skill assessment authorities.
3.    Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) for one of the following skilled migration visas:
        a.    Skilled-Independent visa (subclass 189)
        b.    Skilled-Nominated visa (subclass 190)
        c.    Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)

Based on the EOI, you will receive a point score which will decide your ranking compared to other applicants, which in turn, will decide the timeline for invitation for the next stage. We will assist you with the EOI to ensure you have the required points and priority to receive an invitation for the visa application.

4.    Once your EOI has been submitted, you may be invited to apply for a skilled migration visa.
5.    After the invitation, the visa application need to be lodged within 60 days which will then be assessed by a processing team against the visa subclass requirements.

How can we help?

We have significant expertise in handling general skilled visa applications and can help you with:

•    Getting your skills assessed
•    Coming up with strategies to maximise your points score
•    Lodging visa applications within tight deadlines
•    Managing your bridging visas (if needed)
•    Getting results with minimum stress and worry for you

There are a variety of skilled migration options for applicants depending on their current situation and requirements:

Skilled Independent Subclass 189

Permanent visa option, the skilled independent does not require sponsorship by a relative or state/territory government

Key Requirements

  • Expression Of Interest (EOI) is mandatory
  • Pass marks - 60    
  • Nominated occupation must be on the applicable Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and skills assessed by relevant assessing authority
  • Must be:
    o    Invited to apply
    o    Under 50 years
    o    Have at least competent English (>6 in all areas in IELTS or similar score in other tests)
    o    Skill assessment done not more than 3 years before
    o    Visa application within 60 days of invitationSecondary applicant
    o    Is member of the family unit
    o    Make a combine application
     
Skilled Nominated Subclass 190

A permanent visa requiring nomination by an Australian State or Territory government.

Key requirements

  • Expression Of Interest (EOI) is mandatory
  • Pass marks - 60
  • Applicant must be nominated by a state/territory government   
  • Nominated occupation must be on the applicable Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL)
  • Skills assessed by relevant assessing authority    
  • Must be:
    o    Invited to apply
    o    Under 50 years
    o    Have at least competent English

State Nomination

  • When you have submitted your expression of interest, a state or territory government can examine it and decide whether to nominate you to apply for a visa.
  • State and territory authorities have their own criteria for deciding who to nominate. Each state or territory government agency have different processes for nominating expressions of interests, some will contact you first and others may wait for you to contact them. You will be able to find more information on their websites.
  • In your expression of interest, you can indicate your interest in just one state or territory, or you can choose to be available to all of them. If you accept a nomination, the states and territories may require you to:
    o    live in the nominating state or territory for a specified minimum time
    o    tell the state or territory your address, both before and after you arrive in Australia
    o    be prepared to complete surveys and providing other post-arrival information they ask for
    o    Meet any of their other requirements.

 

Skilled Regional Provisional Subclass 489
  • The subclass 489 visa is a temporary visa valid for four years and during this time, the holder can only live and work in a regional area of Australia.
  • Once they have lived for two years and worked for one year in a regional area, they can apply for a permanent subclass 887 visa.
  • The subclass 489 visa applicant can either be sponsored by an eligible family member or nominated by a State or Territory. Each State or Territory has a list of occupations that they are prepared to nominate and these occupations must be listed within the Combined Skilled Occupation List (CSOL).

This visa allows you and your family to:

  • stay in Australia for up to four years
  • live, work and study in a specified regional area of Australia
  • travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid

Key requirements

  • Expression Of Interest (EOI) is mandatory unless renewing a provisional visa
  • Applicant must be sponsored by an eligible relative or nominated by a state or territory
  • Nominated occupation must be on the applicable Skilled Occupation List (SOL)
  • Skills assessed by relevant assessing authority   
  • Must be
    o    Invited to apply
    o    Under 50
    o    Have at least competent English
Skilled Regional Subclass 887
The Skilled Regional visa is the permanent stage of the Skilled Regional Provisional visa (Subclass 489). You might be eligible to get this visa if you:
  • are in Australia
  • hold one of the following visas:
    o    Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)
    o    Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 495)
    o    Skilled Designated Area Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 496)
    o    Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 475 or 487)
    o    Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B after applying for a subclass 495, 487 or 489 visa
  • have lived in a specified regional area of Australia for at least two years
  • have worked full time in a specified regional area for at least one year
  • Meet health and character requirements.
Graduate Temporary Subclass 485

The Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa is work visa for international students who have completed 2 years of study in Australia. It can last from between 18 months and 4 years depending on your situation. It is a good way to extend your stay in Australia to improve your chances of becoming eligible for a permanent or provisional skilled visa.

Note:
This visa lets you live, study and work in Australia temporarily after you have finished your studies. Students are only able to access the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) once as a primary applicant.

There are two eligibility streams for the Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 Visa:

Post Study Work Stream

  • For international students who graduate with a higher education degree from an Australian education provider, regardless of their field of study.
  • This stream is only available to students who applied for, and were granted, their first student visa to Australia on or after 5 November 2011.
  • A visa in this stream can be granted for up to four years from the date the visa is granted, depending on the visa applicants qualification.

The Graduate Work Stream

  • For international students with an eligible qualification who graduate with skills and qualifications that relate to an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL). 
  • A Visa in this stream is granted for 18 months from the date of grant.

Common Criteria

There are a number of criteria which are common to both the PSWV (Post Study Work) stream and the Graduate Work Stream:

  1. Age - The main applicant must be under 50 at the date of lodgement.
  2. English: The main applicant must demonstrate their English language ability, either through holding certain types of passport or by undertaking an English test. Evidence of threshold English must be provided at date of lodgement. (Overall score of 6 with minimum score of 5)
  3. Study in Australia: You must meet the 2 year study requirement and have completed qualifications within six months of applying for the visa.
  4. Points Test: The Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa is not points-tested.
  5. Location of the applicant: The primary applicant must be in Australia when they make their application for a 485 visa, and must have held an eligible student visa within the 6 month period prior to lodgement.
  6. Health Insurance – Must have health insurance
Recognised Graduate Subclass 476

The Skilled — Recognised Graduate visa (subclass 476) allows recent engineering graduates of eligible universities to gain up to 18 months of skilled work experience in occupations. It is a temporary visa.
You may be inside or outside Australia when you apply for this visa however you must be outside of Australia when the visa is decided

Key Requirements

  • you are younger than 31 years of age
  • you have completed an eligible engineering qualification from a recognised institution in the past two years
    o    bachelor’s degree
    o    master’s degree
    o    doctoral degree
    o    Postgraduate diploma.
  • you have not held a Skilled — Recognised Graduate visa (subclass 476) or a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) before (unless you were a dependent family member)
  • you can demonstrate your English language ability
  • Meet health and character requirements.
  • Medicare
    o    Produce a valid Medicare card or receipt of enrolment with Medicare, or
    o    Provide evidence that you and anyone included in your application have arranged health insurance in Australia.