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 Skilled Visas

   
Embarking on the migration journey can be daunting, and with so many different visas to consider it can become downright confusing.
   
 
  It might help you get a bird, it'll get you on a plane, but is it a work permit or is it a skilled migration visa ? It's not really surprising that there's confusion. So what does it all mean and what's the best option for achieving your dream of living and working in Australia ?


The most important thing is to forget what you have been told about Australian visas - unless it was by an experienced professional. How many times do we hear, "but my sister said that owning a house will get you a visa", or "our friends in Tassie told us that owning 10 cats get us a pet-lovers visa" ?

There is so much information out there; some of it redundant, a lot of it just not true. Think of visas as split in different streams - skills, family, and a business (as well as 'others' such as visitor visas, student visas etc).

Do you own a business with a high turnover or have millions of dollars to invest ? Do you have an Australian spouse or children living in Australia ? If not, then maybe skilled migration is the best option.

Many people think that it's as easy as applying for a job, getting an offer and getting a visa. One client said to us: "What if I just get there, keep my head down and work hard - than try for a visa ?" But, what visa is he or she going to apply for to stay in Australia legally?

  • This bring us to the first key point - either opt for skilled migration and have your own independent visa or go for a temporary employer-sponsored / nominated visa.

  • Many people incorrectly believe that because sponsorship is linked to a 'job', it is automatically better.

  • But temporary means temporary, therefore no PR (permanent resident) rights; no full health care; restrictions on home-buying; ability to only work for the sponsoring employer on the salary they offered; and the need to still go a permanent visa application later.


If skills migration is an option, it will almost always be the best, cheapest and quickest route to full Australian Permanent Residence from day one for you, spouse, and all dependents.

You will have FULL health care benefits, be able to buy a house anywhere, in any job, no matter which occupation is nominated in the application, or which of you is the main applicant.

So what do these points now mean ? The following table explains: -


 

Skilled Migration

  
120 point or more

Subclass 175 - the 'best' visa to go for - direct full PR from day one. Live and work anywhere, with no restrictions on what jobs you can do (barring certain registration  of course for some occupations - they don't let just anyone become a neurosurgeon !)
 

  
110 - 115 points with a Parent, Sibling, Aunt / Uncle or Niece / Nephew as an Australian PR

Subclass 176 -  also full direct PR - giving you literally exactly the same rights as the 175 - only the application itself slightly differs. Currently, the 'Assurance of Support' is not relevant - this mean that no one needs to lodge a bond to assure your support.
 

 
100 - 115 points with your occupation on the priority skills list of a State

Each state has their own skills list, and they publish this on their own websites. This mean that the first stage of the application is still the skills assessment and the final stage of the visa application, but with state sponsorship as a middle second stage.

Although this is state-sponsored, it gives a subclass 176 visa also - again giving you full PR, with an 'obligation' to live in the sponsoring state - however there is no technical or legal mechanism to ensure that you live in the sponsoring  state in order to move to second stage - you have already obtained full PR.
 

 
100 - 115 points with your occupation on the regional sponsored list of a stage

Subclass 475 Skilled Independent Regional (often called a SRS visa). Provisional PR - this gives you a three-year visa. In that time, to move to full PR you must live in a regional area of Australia for two years and work in a regional area for at least 12 months.

South Australia sponsors the most occupations for this visa, as the whole state is consider a regional area. This mean that "regional" is essentially: -
  • Anywhere in SA, including Adelaide.

  • An area of any other state - but not in the city - e.g. all of WA but not Perth.
So "regional" means roughly a minimum 45-minutes drive from the city. The main difference with provisional PR and full PR is that on provisional, you do not have the same health care rights and need approval to buy a house.
 


Employer Nomination Scheme

 
Temporary sponsorship

Subclass 457

If you can find a job offer from a willing (wants to sponsor for a job and a visa) and able (a large enough company to sponsor) employer, then you can be sponsored from three months to 4 years.

The salary must be above a certain level (generally above AU$42,500) and the employer must have the 'need' to sponsor you - i.e. is unable to fill the position from the Australian labour market.

You will still need to move PR in a subsequent application, or leave Australia when the visa expires - or if you need or want to leave the company.
 

   
  Which occupations get you which points ?
 

The Skilled Occupation List does change, but generally: -

  • 60 points - Engineers, IT professionals, Teachers, Nurse, Accountants, Tradesmen.

  • 50 points - General professionals; Designers, professional admin roles, marketing, advertising, PR roles, chemist, mathematician, management consultant... many, many roles here - and applicants would need to hold a qualification assessed as equivalent to an Australian bachelor's degree studied at a university.

  • 40 points - Associate professional roles - can be similar to above, with applicants needing to hold a qualification assessed as equivalent to a national Diploma.

There are the basics - full assessment is always needed by a professional consultant. Registering now will start your assessment process.

 
 
   
  Frequently Asked Questions 
 
  • What is an entry expiry date ? When will I do the medicals ?

    Once a full PR (subclass 175) or 176 in this case) visa is granted, it is valid for five years. You must activate the visa by literally entering Australia once and stepping past customs.

    You usually have about 8-9 months just to make the first entry (12 months after you do your medicals, which are done during the visa application phase), so as long as you are settled in Aus when the five years ends, you get another five - year 'Resident Return visa' in a simple and very quick application. This gives you a lot of flexibility and means you can return to your home country, or anywhere, for three years or so if you wish.


  • I recently changed my job - can I still apply ?

    By the time the visa application is lodged, you must have been in the nominated occupation for at least 12 of the past 24 months - this is the key criteria for all occupations. 
  • My job is on the skilled list, but why have I been told I cannot apply yet ?

    Each occupation has unique assessment criteria. IT occupations may need eight years' experience, trade occupations may need a formal four - year apprenticeship, and other occupations have their own unique requirements.


  • I can pass the assessment for an engineer but have worked as a Construction Project Manager (a 50-point occupation) for the past 24 months - is this a problem ?

    Not necessarily - you may be assessed as one occupation in the skill assessment, and another in the visa application if this has been your recent work.


  • What are the stages of the application process ?

    • First stage: Skill assessment.
    • Second stage (if applicable): State sponsorship.
    • Third / Final stage: Visa application (if family can sponsor, this is included in the visa application).
 
 

Want to be sure that you meet the criteria for a skills visa?

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