An easier pathway to permanent residency in Australia

Not all visas are created the same. If you’re an international who’s planning to live and work in Australia, then you may consider applying for the Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189), designed for skilled workers who hold jobs under Australia’s Skilled Occupations List. This visa also allows individuals to work and live in Australia permanently. If your occupation is on the list, then you may be eligible for the visa. Applicants must complete a skill test that gathers enough points and be sponsored by an employer or family member. Alternatively, applicants can be nominated by a state or territory government.

If your occupation is on the Skilled Occupations List, great! However, before you jump on the idea of permanent residency, you will need to demonstrate that you meet the following requirements. The applicant must:

• Be under the age of 50
• Have met the Australian study requirements
• Have skilled employment experience
• Have the appropriate education qualifications
• Meet Australia’s health requirements
• Meet Australia’s character requirements.

Once you’ve ticked all those boxes, it’s time you complete the skills assessment for a Subclass 189 visa. An applicant must have 65 points to be eligible. Please note that different criteria have different points. You can find out how much the points are worth here. This visa is a based off a points test and will only be open to applicants once they’ve lodged an Expression of Interest and received an invitation from the Department.

The cost of a Subclass 189 visa starts from AUD$3,755. This excludes legal fees and other cover fee requirements such as a health and police check. The typical processing time for this visa is usually six to eight months long, but if you’re worried about being away from the country, don’t fret because you can be in or outside Australia upon application or even when the visa is granted.

Applying for a subclass 189 shouldn’t be a daunting process. Just remember to cover all the steps. Check if your occupation is on the skilled occupation list to be eligible and acquire 65 points on the skilled assessment. After that, submit an expression of interest in Skill Select and from then, all you can do is wait for an invitation from the government to apply for the visa.