Overview of Australian Immigration System.
Australia is a multicultural nation, with almost 50% of its population either born overseas or having at least one parent born overseas. This all started when the British established penal colonies of British convicts from 1788, followed by a more significant number of free settlers migrating to Australia from the 1830s.
After World War II, Australia launched an immigration program to increase its population. Australia believed that it must increase its population to avoid the threat of another invasion. This has resulted in many Europeans immigrating to Australia during the late 1940s until the 1960s.
Australian Migration policy now is different than the past. The focus now is on the skills of the migrant. The majority of the migration places goes to the Skilled stream.
Four main categories of migration programs under the skilled stream are
- General Skilled Migration
- Employer Nomination
- Business Skills Migration
- Distinguished Talent
Australia offers an excellent quality of life with a beautiful landscape and thriving economy, and its permanent residents enjoy many of the benefits Australia has to offer. If you are a permanent resident, you will have the freedom to work or study, access to world-class healthcare benefits, and quality living standards. As a permanent resident, you can also sponsor your relatives for a PR visa.
Types of Visas:
General Skilled Migration (GSM)
The General Skilled Migration (GSM) is type of permanent visa that let skilled workers to live and work in Australia on a permanent basis. The categories of visa under GSM are point-tested and employer sponsored
- What is this point- tested visa
- Point- based visa that allows skilled workers to live and work in Australia without needing the sponsorship.
- Eligibility Criteria
- Must have nominated an occupation that is on the relevant occupation list
- You must be under 45 at the time of invitation.
- When you submit EOI be able to score 65 points or more
- You must have at least competent English.
- Must meet the health requirement
- Must meet the character requirement
- Have paid back your debt to the Australian government
- Sign the Australian values statement
- Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused while you were in Australia.
- How the points are calculated
Points are calculated based on the criteria below.
- Age:
- English language:
- Work experience outside Australia:
- Work experience in Australia:
- Education Qualifications:
- Australian study requirement:
- Specialist education requirement:
- Accredition in a community language:
- Study in regional Australia:
- Partner skills:
- Professional year in Australia:
- Skill assessment
- Skills assessments are issued by relevant skills assessing authorities. A skills assessing authority is an organisation that checks that your skills meet the standards they set to work in a relevant occupation.
- Expression of Interest (EOI)
You will need to make an expression of interest (EOI) through SkillSelect, if you are a skilled worker or business person from overseas who wants to migrate to Australia. An EOI is not a visa application and there is no fee to create or submit an EOI in SkillSelect.
- Invitation round
- The highest rank clients by points scored are invited by the department of home affairs to apply for the relevant visa.
List of Point – tested GSM Visa's
- Skilled independent visa SUBCLASS 189
- This visa lets invited workers with skills Australia need live and work permanently anywhere in Australia. You don't need a sponsor or nominator for this visa.
- Skilled Nominated Visa SUBCLASS 190
- This visa lets an overseas skilled worker to live and work in Australia. You will need to be nominated by an Australian State or Territory.
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa Subclass 491
- This is a provisional visa. It is for skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia
- be nominated to apply by a state or territory government agency, or an eligible relative must sponsor you
- Skilled Regional Visa SUBCLASS 887
- This visa is for people who have lived and worked in specified areas of regional Australia on a previous, eligible visa.
Employer Nominated Schemes Visa (ENS)
This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
Basic Eligibility
- You must have the necessary skills for the job
- You must be nominated by an Australian Employer
- You must meet the health and character requirements
- ENS- Direct entry stream SUBCLASS 186
- This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
- you must be nominated by an Australian employer
- your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations.
- you must have at least Competent English.
- ENS – Temporary Visa transition stream SUBCLASS 186
- This visa lets skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer, live and work in Australia permanently.
- You must hold a 457, TSS or related bridging visa A, B or C
- Usually, you must have worked for your employer full-time for at least three years
- You must be nominated by your employer
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa- Direct Entry stream SUBCLASS 187
- This visa allows skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer in regional Australia, live and work in Australia permanently.
- be nominated by an approved Australian employer for a job in regional Australia
- be under 45 years of age
- meet the skills, qualifications and English language requirements
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa Temporary Residence transition stream SUBCLASS 187
- This visa allows skilled workers, who are nominated by their employer in regional Australia, live and work in Australia permanently.
- You must be a transitional Subclass 457 or Subclass 482 worker
- Usually, you must have worked for your employer full-time for at least 3 years
- You must be nominated by your employer
- Temporary skill shortage SUBCLASS 482
- This temporary visa lets an employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker to fill a position they can't find a suitably skilled Australian to fill.
- be nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor
- have the right skills to do the job
- meet the relevant English language requirements
Temporary Graduate Visa
A temporary visa that allows international students to live, study and work after you have finished your studies
Basic Eligibility
You must:
- be under 50 years of age
- hold an eligible visa
- have held a student visa in the last 6 months
- have a recent qualification in a CRICOS-registered course
- nominate one stream only - it is not possible to change visa streams after you apply
- Graduate Work Stream SUBCLASS 485
- This visa is for international students who have recently graduated with skills and qualifications that are relevant to specific occupations Australia needs. It lets you live, study and work in Australia temporarily up to 18 months.
- Graduates affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions are now able to apply for and be granted a Temporary Graduate visa outside Australia – they must hold or have held an eligible Student visa.
- You can work in Australia
- Have a qualification relevant to an occupation on the skilled occupation list
- You can bring your family with you
- Post-Study Work Stream SUBCLASS 485
- This visa is for international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution. It lets you live, work and study in Australia, temporarily between 2 and 4 years.
- Second Post – Study Work Stream SUBCLASS 485
- This visa is for holders of a first Temporary Graduate visa in the post-study work stream who graduated with a degree from an Australian institution located in a regional area. It lets you live, work and study in Australia, temporarily between 1 and 2 years.
- You can work in Australia
- You can bring your family with you
Partner Visa (Apply in Australia)
Allows the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia.
Basic Eligibility
In most circumstances, you must be the spouse (married) or de facto partner of an:
- Australian citizen
- Australian permanent resident or
- eligible New Zealand citizen
You apply for the temporary and the permanent partner visas together.
- Partner Visa (Temporary) SUBCLASS 820
- This visa lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia temporarily. Getting this visa is the first step towards a permanent Partner visa (Subclass 801).
- This is a temporary visa
- This leads directly to the permanent Partner visa
- You must be in Australia when you apply
- Partner Visa (Permanent) SUBCLASS 801
- This visa lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia permanently. It is usually only for people who currently hold a temporary Partner visa (Subclass 820).
- This a permanent visa
- You must hold a temporary Partner visa (Subclass 820)
Partner Visa (apply overseas)
Allows the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen to live in Australia.
Basic Eligibility
You must be in a genuine relationship with your spouse or de facto partner who is:
- an Australian citizen
- Australian permanent resident
- eligible New Zealand citizen
You apply for the temporary and the permanent partner visas together.
- Partner Visa (Temporary) SUBCLASS 309 (Applying overseas)
- This visa lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia temporarily. Getting this visa is the first step towards a permanent Partner visa (Subclass 100).
- It is a temporary visa
- It leads directly to the permanent Partner visa
- You must be outside Australia when you apply
- Partner Visa (Permanent) SUBCLASS 100 (Applying overseas)
- The visa lets the de facto partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, live in Australia permanently. It is usually granted to people who hold a temporary Partner visa (Subclass 309).
- This a permanent visa
- You must hold a temporary Partner visa (Subclass 309)
Visitor Visa:
For tourists, business visitors or to visit family for 3, 6 or 12 months
Basic Eligibility
- be a genuine visitor
- have enough funds to support your stay and leave
- Tourist Stream SUBCLASS 600
- This visa stream lets you visit Australia as a tourist, to see family and friends or for purposes other than business or medical treatment. You may be granted visa up to 12 months.
- Sponsored Family Stream SUBCLASS 600
- This visa stream lets people who are sponsored, usually by a family member, come to Australia to visit their family members.
- You must be sponsored by an eligible family member who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident
- We might ask your sponsor to pay a security bond
- You must be outside Australia when you apply and when we decide your visa.
- Business Visitor Stream SUBCLASS 600
- This visa stream lets you visit Australia for business reasons.
- You can make a short visit for business visitor reasons, but you can't work or sell goods or services
- We might let you enter Australia once or many times while the visa is valid
- You must be outside Australia when you apply and when we decide your visa
Working Holidays Visa
For young adults who want an extended holiday and to work here to fund it.
Basic Eligibility
- Must be 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) - except for Canadian, French and Irish citizens up to 35 (inclusive)
- Must have a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction
- Must not be accompanied by dependent children
- First Working Holiday Visa SUBCLASS 417
- This visa lets people 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) - and Canadian, French and Irish citizens 18 to 35 years old (inclusive) - have their first extended holiday in Australia and work here to help fund their trip.
- You must have a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction
- You can work while you are here
- You can apply for a second Working Holiday visa if you meet certain eligibility criteria
- Second Working Holiday Visa SUBCLASS 417
- This visa lets people 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) - and Canadian, French and Irish citizens 18 to 35 years old (inclusive) - who currently hold, or who have held, a Working Holiday visa, have a second working holiday in Australia.
- You must have a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction
- You can do any kind of work while you are here
- You must have completed 3 months of specified Subclass 417 work
- If you are in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or your last substantive visa expired less than 28 days ago
- You can apply for a third Working Holiday visa if you meet certain eligibility criteria
- Third Working Holiday Visa Subclass 417
- This visa lets people 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) - and Canadian, French and Irish citizens 18 to 35 years old (inclusive) - who currently hold, or who have held, a second Working Holiday visa, have a third working holiday in Australia.
- You must have a passport from an eligible country/jurisdiction
- You can do any kind of work while you are here
- You must have completed 6 months of specified Subclass 417 work
- If you are in Australia, you must hold a substantive visa or your last substantive visa expired less than 28 days ago
Skill Assessment
- What is skill assessment and why it is needed for the immigration purposes.
- Skills assessments are issued by relevant skills assessing authorities. A skill assessing authority is an organisation that checks that your skills meet the standards they set to work in a relevant occupation.
- How to get skill assessed in Australia
- Choose the occupation against which you wish to be assessed
- Contact relevant assessing authority and check the criteria for the assessment.
- Apply with relevant qualification documents, proof of experience and other documentary evidence of your skill and experience.
- Receive your assessment
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