SUBCLASS 189 (SKILLED INDEPENDENT – PERMANENT)

Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 is a Permanent Resident Visa for Australia. The applicant has to meet the points criteria on the basis of Age, Skills, English Language and other requirements of relevant occupation. This visa subclass must be lodged only through skill select system (Expression of Interest-EOI).

BENEFIT OF THIS VISA:

This visa allows applicant and his family unit to live as permanent residents in Australia. Permanent visa will be evidenced in Pakistan before leaving for Australia.

AUSTRALIAN PERMANENT RESIDENTS CAN:

Live and work in Australia on permanent basis

Study in Australia at school or university

Receive subsidized healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)

Access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)

Eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)

AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION POINTS

SUBCLASS 190 (PERMANENT)

The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is a permanent General Skilled Migration visa which requires nomination by a state or territory government via Skill-Select. Each state and territory publishes a list of occupations in demand and nomination approval will generally be determined by factors such as your overall commitment to residing in the nominating state or territory, the number of years work experience, specialized skills, employability, English language skills, relatives already residing in the state or territory, settlement funds and your overall points score.

You must also be able to meet the following basic DHA criteria:

• Nominate an occupation that is either on the MLTSSL or the STSOL
  •    Obtain a suitable skills assessment in your nominated occupation
  •    Be under 45 years of age at the time of invitation
  •    Have at least competent English
  •    Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
  •    Be invited through Skill-Select to apply for a visa
  •    Satisfy health and character requirements

Skill-Select

Skilled Nominated visas offer a pathway to Australia if you cannot meet the required criteria for Skilled Independent visa or your nominated occupation only features on the STSOL. Then application must submit through Skill-Select which is the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) online visa application system. Once you have received a positive skills assessment from an Australian assessing authority and by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) you can generate points for:

1. Your age
2. Recognized qualifications
3. Employment
4. English language skills
5. Nominated by a state or territory government
6. Partner skills
7. Study in Australia
8. Professional education
9. Accredited language skills
10. Professional year in Australia 

Changes to the points test from 16 November 2019

• Changes being introduced to the points test on 16 November 2019 will enable applicants to claim additional points to reach their point’s target which include:
• Applicants with a partner under 45 with a positive skills assessment in an occupation on the skills list with competent English – 10 points;
• Applicants whose partner has proficient language skills only – 05 points,
• Applicants without a partner – 10 points;
• A Master’s degree or PhD in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics – 10 points.

For further information on nomination criteria applied by the Australia state and territory government’s kindly select the state and territory in which you are interested:

• New South Wales
• Victoria
• South Australia
• Queensland
• Tasmania
• Western Australia
• Australian Capital Territory
• Northern Territory

SKILLED VISA WORKING SUBCLASS -491

The new subclass 491 will come into effect on 16 November 2019 and will have similar characteristics to the subclass 489 visa.

Applicants must be nominated by a state or territory government or sponsorship from a close relative residing in a designated area of Australia and will be able to reside anywhere in Australia except, the Metropolitan areas of Brisbane, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

The visa will be valid for 5 years and applicants and family members will be subject to more stringent monitoring to ensure that they only live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia for a period of 3 years.

Pathway to permanent residence

After 3 years of holding  a subclass 491 visa, applicants can apply for permanent residence (subclass 191 – Skilled Regional) but must have complied with all the conditions of the subclass 491 visa including presenting evidence of three years tax assessment notices with an annual income of $53,900.

Changes to the points test

There are also changes being introduced to the points test:

• If you have a partner who has a valid skills assessment with competent English, he/she will be able to add 10 points rather than 5 to the overall points total;
• If you do not have a partner or your partner is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, you will also be able to claim 10 points;
• If you have a partner who has competent English only, you will be able to claim 5 points;
• Specialist education points for studying in Australia in a Master or PhD course with certain fields defined in CRICOS will increase from 5 to 10 points;
• Designated regional nomination or sponsorship points will also increase from 10 to 15.

PARTNER VISA (SUBCLASS 820 AND 801)

The temporary Partner visa (subclass 820) allows you to live in Australia if you are the spouse or defacto partner of:

• An Australian citizen
• An Australian permanent resident
• An eligible New Zealand citizen.

The temporary Partner visa (subclass 820) is the first stage towards a permanent Partner visa (subclass 801). You must be in Australia when you apply and also when this visa is decided.

You lodge one application form for your temporary and permanent visas and pay one application charge. Your application is processed in two stages, about two years apart.

The temporary Partner visa (subclass 820) allows you to live in Australia if you are the spouse or de facto partner of:

The temporary Partner visa (subclass 820) lets you:

• Stay in Australia until a decision is made about your permanent Partner visa
• Work in Australia
• Study in Australia, but with no access to government funding
• Enrol in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses.

You can include your dependent children in your application, but not other dependent relatives (unless you hold or held a Prospective Marriage visa). Dependent applicants must be in Australia when they apply.

If you are later granted a permanent visa, you can:

• Stay in Australia indefinitely
• Work and study in Australia
• Apply for Australian citizenship (if you are eligible)
• Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
• Receive some social security payments
• Travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted – after that time you will need another visa to enter Australia.

PARTNER (PROVISIONAL) VISA (SUBCLASS 309) AND PARTNER (MIGRANT) VISA (SUBCLASS 100)

The Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309) allows you to live in Australia if you are the spouse or de facto partner of:

• An Australian citizen
• A permanent resident
• An eligible New Zealand citizen.

The Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309) is the first stage towards a permanent Partner visa (subclass 100).

You lodge only one application for your temporary and permanent visas and pay one application charge. Your application is processed in two stages, about two years apart.

You must be outside Australia when you apply and also when the Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309) is granted. You can be in or outside Australia when Partner visa (subclass 100) is granted.

The Partner (Provisional) visa (subclass 309) lets you:

• Enter Australia and stay here until a decision is made about your permanent Partner visa
• Work in Australia
• Study in Australia, but with no access to government funding
• Enroll in Medicare, Australia’s scheme for health-related care and expenses.

If you are later granted a permanent visa, you can:

• Stay in Australia indefinitely
• Work and study in Australia
• Apply for Australian citizenship (if you are eligible)
• Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
• Receive some social security payments
• Travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted – after that time you will need another visa to enter Australia.

PROSPECTIVE MARRIAGE VISA (SUBCLASS 300)

The Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) is for people who want to come to Australia to marry their prospective spouse.
It is a temporary visa for nine months. You must be outside Australia when you lodge your application and when the visa is granted. You can have the wedding in any country: the wedding does not need to be in Australia.

This visa allows you to:

• Enter Australia before you marry your prospective spouse.
• Travel in and out of Australia as often as you want.
• Work in Australia, although some employers might not hire people with temporary visas.
• Study in Australia, but with no access to government funding for tertiary study.
• Apply for a Partner visa, in Australia, after your marriage.