If you have high skills and technical expertise in your occupational field, you can think of moving to Australia to stay and work there permanently. You can also sponsor your relatives and family members. It can be possible through the Skilled Independent Subclass 189 Visa program. One of the significant benefits of this visa program is that it doesn’t require the holder to get any sponsorship from a relative of the Australian employer. Having skills and knowledge can be enough.
So, here we present some of the crucial aspects related to the visa along with things you should keep in mind.
What is the Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189?
The Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 is a permanent Australian visa granted to the applicants who receive proper invitations from a state or territorial government of Australia. The employers or the states need not sponsor the skilled workers. Once granted, this visa will let you do the following.
- You can stay permanently in Australia.
- You can study and work in Australia.
- If eligible relatives want to come to Australia and apply for a PR visa, you can sponsor them.
- You can enroll in the national healthcare scheme of Australia, Medicare.
- Once eligible, you can apply for citizenship.
- After the visa is granted in the next five years, you can travel within and outside Australia as many times as you want.
What are the things to consider before applying for the visa?
Before you apply for the 189 Visa to Australia, you must know the whole procedure and what factors are involved. Go through the following points to get an idea.
How does the application procedure work?
You can apply for a visa while being inside or outside Australia. You have to go through a two-step application process, where you have first to submit an EOI (Expression of Interest) and then apply for the visa once you receive the invitation to apply.
- The visa program works according to the needs of the occupations. For example, about 7145 construction workers are needed in the current 2020-’21 program.
- On the other hand, the required number of child care center managers and music professionals is 1000 each. It means hundreds of professionals can get the chance to explore their opportunities.
There are two streams under this visa, which you should be aware of.
The Points-tested Stream
For this stream, the Department of Home Affairs evaluates the EOI. Therefore, the submitted EOI should contain details about your qualifications, skills, and occupation. Based on these details, you will get your rank in points. The eligibility criteria for the points-tested stream are as follows.
- The age of the applicants should be under 45.
- The nominated occupation should be present in the relevant skilled occupations list.
- You should have a positive skills assessment for your occupation. A relevant authority conducts the skills assessment.
- After submitting the EOI, the applicant gets an invitation from the government. Once invited, you can apply for a visa.
- Your application has to mention whether you have any medical condition that needs continuous support from the community or the government.
- You should also state whether or not you have any serious disease like Tuberculosis or any other infectious disease.
- You must achieve the required points for the points-tested stream.
The New Zealand Stream
Applicants from New Zealand can apply for this stream, and they usually do not need to go through a points-testing. The eligibility criteria are slightly different for this stream.
- As an applicant from New Zealand, you have to show that you have made significant contributions to the Australian job sector and are committed to this country.
- Residing in Australia for the last 5 years is necessary.
- Your period of stay should have started before 20 February 2016.
- You have to satisfy the taxable income requirements.
- Satisfying the character requirements is a must.
- You also have to mention whether you have any medical condition that needs continuous attention and support from the community or government.
- Last but not least, you should also state whether you have any infectious disease like Tuberculosis.
For a New Zealand citizen, migrating to Australia is relatively easier. The TTTA (Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement) is operational between the two countries. This is why the New Zealand stream’s eligibility criteria are much less than the Points-Tested stream.
How do the points testing work?
After submitting your EOI, the authority will assess the EOI and award points based on your qualifications. If your score is higher than average and there are vacancies in the occupation category, you will receive an invitation to apply.
Currently, the minimum number of points one has to score is 65. This score will be calculated based on age, educational qualification, work experience, English language skills, etc.
Skills assessment and occupation relevancy
Before submitting the Expression of Interest, it is crucial to check whether your occupation is listed in the relevant skilled occupation list or not. You must also go through a skills assessment to prove that you are skilled enough to work in that profession.
For each different occupation, different assessing authority does the evaluation. So, before you proceed, have a thorough check on that because Immigration accepts only those applications assessed by relevant authorities.
For how long does the Expression of Interest remain valid?
After submission, the validity for the EOI document is two years, and within this period, you will receive an invitation to apply for the visa. Before the invitation is sent, you will always have the chance to update your information on the website. It may increase your chances of getting the invitation. Remember, once you receive the ITA (invitation to apply), you cannot change your score.
Invitation and application
After receiving the application, you will have a maximum of 60 days in your hands to apply for the Visa Subclass 189. You can apply for a visa while being inside or outside Australia. If you want to apply while being in Australia, you can have a bridging visa. It will allow you to stay as long as the decision is made.
While assessing, the Immigration Department will first see whether you are fulfilling the eligibility criteria. The assessment will also depend on the points that you have scored in the Expression of Interest. Achieving a higher than average score will help you get a positive outcome.
Processing of the visa application
Several factors are taken into consideration when the applications are processed. These factors include the number of applications submitted at a given time, when the applications are submitted, etc.
Whom can you include in the application?
- In your Visa 189 application, you can include the following members of your family.
- Your partner or spouse
- Your or your partner’s dependent relative
- Your or your partner’s dependent child
- Dependent children mean children who are under 18 and financially dependent on your or your partner.
Final words
Before submitting the EOI, you can get in touch with a Perth migration agent to take suggestions on how you should proceed. Several leading consultancy firms can provide you with contacts of these professionals. We always recommend hiring a qualified immigration agent Perth as they can guide you through the whole process to get the best possible visa application outcome.
