Australia has become a popular destination for skilled migration and given the benefits this particular migration process offers, we are not surprised.
This beautiful country, rich in culture and with its exquisite landscapes, offers three (3) types of skilled migration visas. The 189, 190 and 491 visas are the only long-term visas which form part of skilled immigration. The process is point-based (minimum required points for skilled migration is 65), includes an English language proficiency test and applicants' qualifications, skills, work experience need to align with the Australian Skills Occupation list.
Let's briefly unpack these three (3) visas for better understanding -
The Subclass 189 visa:
The 189 visa is a general skilled visa. This visa is usually issued for five (5) years and applicants are able to settle in Australia for an indefinite period of time as a permanent residence (PR) holder. In addition, you may enrol in Medicare, Australia's publicly funded healthcare insurance scheme.
The applicant, as part of the visa process, is selected and nominated by the Federal Government and you may apply for Australian citizenship after four (4) years of living in the country.
The Subclass 190 visa:
The 190 visa is a State Sponsored visa. Like the 189 visa, this visa is also issued for five (5) years and applicants are able to settle in Australia for an indefinite period of time as a permanent residence (PR) holder. The same enrolment for Medicare applies and you may apply for Australian citizenship after four (4) years of living in the country.
The Subclass 491 visa:
Unlike the 189 and 190 visas, the subclass 491 visa is a temporary residence visa for three (3) years and applicants are only able to obtain permanent residence after this time period.
This visa is sponsored and selected by a Region. You may still enroll with Medicare for healthcare and expenses.
The subclass 491 visa does not allow applicants to live and work in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne for the three-year period, but you may do so after this allocated timeframe has passed.
Like other countries for skilled migration, the main applicant must undergo a skills assessment process, which can take between 3-6 months. Once the skills have been assessed and positive report issued, the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage will be handled. This process is quite important as this is where the applicant will be selected by either the Federal Government, State or Region.
Upon selection in the EOI pool, the applicants visa would now be applied for at and be processed by the Australian Immigration Department. During this process, applicants and dependents must undergo full medical tests and submit police clearances (adults only).
Spouses and children of skilled migration applicants are able to work and study in Australia and no further visas need to be applied for and authorized for this purpose.
Lastly and the best part of these visas - applicants who are eligible for skilled migration do not require a job offer to apply!
Should you require any further information on Australia and its skilled migration process, please reach out to us via our Contact Form on www.movingsouthimmigration.com. Alternatively, you may contact us on +2773 5357 534 or sue@movingsouthimigration.com
We look forward to having a chat with you!
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