SKILLED INDEPENDENT VISA (SUBCLASS 189)

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GENERAL SKILLED MIGRATION

Visa applicants do not require sponsorship by an employer, family member, or be nominated by a State or Territory Government, and they can be in or outside of Australia upon application, and when the visa is granted.

This visa is a points test based visa and is only open to applicants upon receiving an invitation by the Department once an Expression of Interest has been lodged. 

Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189)

Skilled overseas workers can seek to apply for a visa via the SkillSelect programme who have suitable qualifications and experience in an occupation that is on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). It is a points-tested visa and requires the applicant be invited to apply

VISA BENEFITS

The Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189) is a Permanent Residency visa. Once granted, it allows the holder (and any family members included in the application) to:

  • stay in Australia indefinitely
  • work and study in Australia (without restriction)
  • travel to and from Australia for five years from the date the visa is granted
  • enrol in Medicare (Australia’s universal health care scheme)
  • apply for Australian citizenship (subject to eligibility)
  • sponsor eligible relatives for a variety of temporary and permanent Australian visas

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible to apply for a Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189), you must have lodged an Expression of Interest (EOI) through the Department of Immigration’s SkillSelect programme and have been invited to apply (through SkillSelect) for the visa.

To be eligible to be granted the visa, at the time you are invited to apply, you must:

  • be under 45 years of age
  • nominate an occupation that is included on the relevant Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
  • have your skills assessed by the appropriate Australian skills assessing authority as suitable for your nominated occupation
  • have Competent English
  • score at least 65 pointson the relevant points test
  • meet relevant health and character requirements
 
 

OUR PROCESS

1. INITIAL CONSULTATION
During our consultation we will assess your eligibility for the 191 visa. We will discuss your circumstances and then inform you of all the requirements and create a strategy for you if you are eligible.
2. DOCUMENT PREPARATION
Once we have determined that you are your satisfy the criteria for a 189 Independent Skilled Visa application then we proceed with collecting the required documentary evidence from you.
3. EXPRESSION OF INTEREST APPROVAL
Once we have gathered all your documents, we further check to make sure you have the correct points. Then we proceed to lodge the Expression Of Interest (EOI) via the Skill Select platform.We then wait for the invitation to apply from the department.
4. VISA APPLICATION PREPARATION
When we receive the invitation to apply for a visa we have 90 days to lodge the application.We prepare ahead, no time is wasted and quality check the visa application before we lodge it with the department.
5. VISA APPLICATION LODGEMENT
We lodge the visa with the department decision ready. We then wait for the department to process the visa application. Processing times can vary depending on the departments resources and the amount of applications. We will keep you informed throughout the process.