Australia Migration-FAQ
Australia welcomes skilled university graduates, business professionals like Chartered Accountants, Registered Nurses, IT Professionals, Engineers, etc and trades people with skills that are highly required like Carpenters, Electricians, Mechanics, Hairdressers, etc.
You can get a list of the Skilled Occupations List or the Skills in Demand List from the Department of Immigration website.
Please click here to check in detail.
1: Skilled-Independent Category – FAQ
What is the Skilled-Independent Category?
Skilled independent visa categories refer to those applicants who meet the requirements for a skilled visa and do not have a sponsor.
There are four categories under which you can apply for a Skilled-Independent category visa:
Skilled-Independent: you must be under 45 years of age, be highly skilled and have education and employability, which will contribute quickly to the Australian economy. You must satisfy the basic requirements and pass the points test.
Skill Matching: this subclass is not points tested. Consider this subclass if you satisfy the basic requirements but it is unlikely you will pass the Points test.
Skilled-Independent Overseas Students: this subclass is available to eligible overseas students in Australia who want to apply for permanent residence. You must satisfy the basic requirements and pass the Points test.
Skilled Independent New Zealand: this subclass is available to New Zealand citizens in Australia who want to apply for permanent residence. You must satisfy the basic requirements and pass the Points test.
What are the basic requirements for a Skilled-Independent category visa?
To apply for a Skilled-Independent category visa you, or your spouse, must be able to satisfy basic requirements:
- Under 45 years of age when you apply
- Sufficient English language ability for working in Australia
- Post-secondary (such as university or trade) qualifications
- Skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation before you apply
- Nominate an occupation which fits your skills and qualifications when you apply. Your nominated occupation must be on the Skilled Occupations List (SOL)
- Recent work experience
Note: You may not need to meet the work experience requirement if you have completed an Australian post-secondary qualification less than 6 months before lodging your visa application.
How do I apply for a Skilled-Independent category visa using Skill Matching?
Skill Matching aims to improve the dispersal of skilled migrants within Australia by matching them with identified skill shortages. Skill Matching links General Skilled Migration applicants with:
- a State or Territory where the applicant’s skills have been identified as being in shortage, or
- an employer with a specific skilled vacancy.
The Skill Matching category is not points tested. You should consider this category if:
- you are not certain or it is unlikely you will pass the points test
- you satisfy the basic requirements for skill, age and English language proficiency but with a lesser recent work experience requirement.
This category does not apply to those applicants intending to apply under the Overseas Student in Australia and New Zealand citizen categories.
Skill Matching is made possible through a skill matching database. Your details will be placed in the database and stay there for up to 2 years.
This database is designed to help regional employers or State/Territory Government agencies find people who have applied to migrate to Australia and who could possibly fill specific skilled work vacancies.
2: Skilled-Independent Regional (SIR) Provisional Visa—FAQ
If I want to apply for the SIR visa, do I need to get my skills assessed first?
Yes. To apply for a SIR visa you must be able to nominate an occupation listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and be assessed as having the skills required to work in that occupation in Australia. This should be done before you approach a state/territory government agency about possible sponsorship. Further information about how to get your skills assessed, is available in the form on the Skilled Occupation List.
How do I arrange sponsorship by a state/territory government for an application for a SIR visa?
You should first visit the SIR visa website. This website has links to the participating state and territory government agencies. Some states will use their website to list employment vacancies in their state/territory and where these are located. Before you approach any state and territory authority about sponsorship, you must first have your skills assessed to confirm that you can work in your nominated occupation in Australia.
I have a ‘pooled’ subclass 136 application. If I accept the ‘invitation’ to apply for a SIR visa, will it affect this application?
No. Regardless of whether you accept the invitation to apply for a SIR visa, your application for a subclass 136 visa will remain ‘pooled’ until it is withdrawn by you or is otherwise decided.
Can I add a child, spouse or other dependent to my SIR visa application after it has been lodged?
Once your SIR application has been lodged, only a dependent child may be added to your application (without charge) provided the application has not been finalized. If the application has been decided, then your child will need to lodge a separate application and pay the prescribed application fee. If your spouse, or other dependent family member, was not included in your original application then they are required to lodge a separate application for a SIR visa irrespective of whether your application has been finalized.
Can I live/work in regional Australia while my family lives elsewhere?
No. One of the aims of the program is to keep family units together in regional Australia. Unless there are exceptional circumstances, members of your family unit are required to live with you.
The SIR visa states I must live, work and study in regional Australia. Does that mean I can study full-time on a SIR visa?
No. The SIR visa is a ‘provisional’ visa and you will need to satisfy the requirements for permanent residence (PR) before it expires.
This includes being employed full-time.You should also be aware that to be eligible to apply for PR, you might require sponsorship or nomination from an employer of State or Territory government agency. Consequently, the type of work you do while on your SIR visa may affect your eligibility for PR.
How many hours a week do I need to be employed to meet the ‘work’ requirement?
The main SIR visa holder is expected to find employment in regional Australia as soon as possible after their arrival or, if their visa is granted in Australia, as soon as the visa is granted. To meet the ‘work’ requirement to apply for PR, it is expected that the main SIR visa holder be employed on a full-time basis for at least 12 months. For the purposes of the SIR visa, full-time employment is normally for 35 hours a week. Any employment for less than 30 hours a week will not be regarded as full-time.
If I work in regional Australia, does the employment have to be with one employer?
No. Employment may be with more than one employer provided that the total period of employment is at least 12 months.
Can any employment or residence I had in regional areas before my SIR visa was granted count towards my permanent visa application?
No. Only employment and residence accumulated in regional Australia after you were granted your SIR visa is counted.
What happens if I have lived in regional Australia but can’t meet the visa requirements to be granted a permanent visa after three years?
A second SIR visa may be granted if you have complied with the conditions of your visa. It should be noted that the regulations allow for one more SIR visa to be granted. . If granted, the second SIR visa will be valid for 12 months ONLY.
3: General skilled migration—FAQ
How can I live permanently in Australia under the General Skilled migration scheme?
There are five types of categories under which you can apply for skilled migration to Australia:
Independent migrants: for those who meet the basic requirements and who are not sponsored,
Skill matching: for those who may not be able to meet the pass mark of the Points test but are seeking to be nominated by a State and territory Government or an employer,
Family sponsored migrants: you are selected on the basis of your skills, age, English-language ability and family relationship. You must be sponsored by a relative already living in Australia.
Designate Area sponsored: for those who have a sponsor who lives in a designated area.
Australian sponsored: for those who have a sponsor who lives outside a designated area.
What are the basic requirements for applying for a General Skilled Migration visa to Australia?
To apply for a General Skilled Migration visa to Australia you, or your spouse, must be able to satisfy the basic requirements mentioned below:
- be under 45 when you apply
- have sufficient ability in the English language for working in Australia
- have post-secondary (such as university or trade) qualifications Your skills must have been assessed by the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation before you apply. In the Skilled-Independent Overseas Student subclass your skills must be assessed as ‘suitable’ before you apply;
- have a nominated occupation which fits your skills and qualifications when you apply. Your nominated occupation must be on the Skilled Occupations List (SOL)
- recent work experience
Will my application be assessed against the points test?
If you apply to migrate to Australia under the Skilled-Australian Sponsored category or any of the Skilled-Independent categories, you will be assessed against the points test.
If you apply under the various Skilled Designated Area Sponsored categories, you are not points tested, but instead are assessed against threshold criteria only. You should also note that some criteria in these categories have lower thresholds than the points tested ones.
What is a pool mark?
If you do not achieve the pass mark in the points test, the pool mark is the total number of points you must score if your application is to be held in reserve for up to 2 years after it has been assessed, in case a lower pass mark is set.
What is the points test?
For Skilled – Australian sponsored and Skilled Independent categories, you will be assessed against a points test. Points can be awarded for:
- Skill
- Age
- English language ability
- Specific work experience
- Occupation in demand (and job offer)
- Australian qualifications
- Spouse skills
- Relationship (for Skilled Australian sponsored only) and
- Regional Australia – study and residence.
Points are awarded once the basic requirements have been satisfied. Bonus points can be awarded for only one of the following:
- Capital investment
- Australian Skilled work experience
- Fluency in one of Australia’s major community languages, other than English.
What is the Skilled Occupations List (SOL)?
The SOL sets out skilled occupations for migration to Australia under the General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa categories and the number of points awarded to each skilled occupation. It also lists the name of the Australian assessing authority responsible for assessing whether a person’s skills/qualifications meet the Australian Standard. In order to lodge a valid GSM application, you must nominate an occupation that is on the SOL when you apply.
If you are sponsored by a relative who lives in Sydney or a Selected Area (as defined by postcode) you will need to nominate your occupation from the Sydney and Selected Areas Skills Shortage List (SSASSL). If your occupation is not on this list, you cannot apply.
What is the Sydney and Selected Areas Skilled Shortage List (SSASSL) and who must nominate an occupation listed on SSASSL?
The SSASSL sets out skilled occupations for applicants intending to apply for a Skilled – Australian Sponsored visa (Class BQ, subclass 138) whose sponsor resides in Sydney, Gosford, Newcastle or Wollongong (as defined by postcode – see below).
These applicants must nominate a skilled occupation from the SSASSL.
- Sydney-1000-1920; 2000-2249; 2555-2574; 2740-2786
- Gosford-2250-2263
- Newcastle-2264-2279; 2280-2300; 2302-2310
- Wollongong-2500-2530
How do I have my skills assessed?
Before you apply, you must have your skills and qualifications assessed by the relevant Australian assessing authority for your nominated occupation. No other assessing body’s assessment is acceptable. Your skills must be assessed as suitable for your occupation.
Do I need to have my English language ability tested?
You must have sufficient ability in the English language for working in Australia. This is known as ‘vocational English’.
A higher level of English is required for certain occupations where English ability forms part of the skills assessment. In the Skilled-Designated area sponsored and Skill Matching categories you may be eligible with a lower level of English.
Being born in an English-speaking country, or even obtaining an Australian qualification does not guarantee that you possess vocational level English, which is the minimum requirement under General Skilled Migration.
Before you apply, you are encouraged to obtain proof of your English language ability by one of the following methods:
- provide evidence that you are a native English speaker, or
- undertake an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test.
Who can sponsor my Skilled Migration application?
In order to apply for one of the Skilled Migrations Sponsored visas you or your spouse must be related to the sponsor as:
- a non-dependent child – includes natural, adopted or stepchildren, or
- a parent, or
- a brother or sister – includes adoptive and step brothers and sisters, or
- a niece or nephew – includes adoptive and step nieces and nephews,
- a first cousin (Note: Designated Area Sponsored only), or
- a grandchild (Note: Designated Area Sponsored only). Your sponsor is someone who is:
- living in Australia
- an Australian citizen or permanent resident, and
- is living in a designated area of Australia (if applying under a Designated Area sponsored category). Your sponsor must be prepared to:
- provide support for your first two years in Australia, including accommodation and financial assistance as required.
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