Are you looking for permanent residency in Australia?
Many international students at Australian universities wish to remain down under once they graduate, but it isn’t that simple. Applying for permanent residency can be a complicated process, so we’ve compiled a quick guide for those who have finished their studies and wish to stay in Australia. There are several pathways international students can take to become a permanent resident in Australia.
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
This stream is intended for “points-tested skilled workers who are not sponsored by an employer or family member or nominated by a state or territory government”. The process includes ensuring your occupation is on the skilled occupation list and that you have 60 points, submitting an expression of interest, awaiting a visa application invitation, organising documentation and applying within 60 days of invitation. It ordinarily takes eight to 11 months to process.
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
Reserved for skilled workers and starting from $3,670, the Employer Nomination Scheme offers the chance to work in Australia under one of three streams:
- Temporary Residence Transition stream
- Direct Entry stream
- Labour Agreement stream
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa (subclass 187)
Specifically for skilled workers who wish to work in regional Australia, this visa is comprised of two streams:
- Temporary Residence Transition stream
- Direct Entry stream
Designed to manage skilled migration applications, SkillSelect is an online service that allows people to submit an EOI (expression of interest) for a skilled visa. The applicant can then be nominated by Australian states and territories or asked to apply for a visa by the Australian Government.
If someone’s EOI is successfully submitted, they can then apply for the following visas via SkillSelect:
- Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132)
- Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188)
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
- Skilled - Nominated visa (subclass 190)
- Skilled - Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) (Invited pathway: nominated or sponsored)
Please note: An EOI is not a visa application. It is just an indication of intent to apply for a visa.
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