Australian Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) – Point-Tested Stream

Australia and its cities consistently rank amongst the most liveable in the world. The country’s quality of education, healthcare, transportation, infrastructure, and government services rank well above international averages. I know everybody is hooked on Canada but what you should understand is that Australia offers everything Canada offers and more.  According to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Australia offers the second-best quality of life amongst its member countries, which include Canada, the US, the UK, and most other European nations. The US News 2020 Best Countries Ranking also puts Australia amongst the top ten countries in the world overall, and for quality of life specifically. The Economist also ranks three Australian cities—Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide—amongst the world’s 10 best cities to live in.

I know most people are not thinking about Australia because they have little or no information at all about Australian immigration options. But I can assure you that is going to change significantly after reading this blog. Like Canada Australia is in Need of skilled labor but for a weird reason, their immigration programs are not as popular as the Canadian ones here in Africa, especially Nigeria. There are several ways to Migrate to Australia but this blog will focus on one in particular which is the SKILLED INDEPENDENT VISA (SUBCLASS 189)

This visa is specifically for invited workers from any part of the world with skills Australia needs, to live and work permanently anywhere in Australia. This visa lets invited workers with skills that can fill the Job vacuum in Australia to Live and work permanently anywhere in Australia. ​​​You don’t need a sponsor or nominator and You must be under 45. So here are the basic requirements

  1. you must have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
  2. you must have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
  3. you must satisfy the points test
  4. After Satisfying the three requirements, you must wait to be invited to apply for this visa

With this visa, you can

  • stay in Australia permanently
  • work and study in Australia
  • enrol in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
  • sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
  • travel to and from Australia for 5 years
  • if eligible, become an Australian citizen

Newly arrived residents may have to wait before they can access certain Australian Government payments and benefits

How long you can stay

This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. The visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of visa grant.

You become a permanent resident on the day the Visa is granted

For citizenship purposes, your permanent residence starts on the day:

  • Your visa is granted if you are in Australia
  • Or the day you enter Australia on this visa if you are outside Australia

Include family

You can include members of the family unit in your application. You can:

  • include them when you lodge your visa application
  • add them after you lodge your application but before your visa is decided. 
  • Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.

Cost

The visa costs AUD4,045 for the main applicant.

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

To work out what your visa will cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator.

You might have to pay an extra charge for any applicant 18 years old or older who has less than functional English. This charge is the second instalment.

The second instalment charge for family members is AUD4,885.

The Visa Pricing Estimator does not include the second instalment or other costs. You might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics.

Apply from

You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for the visa.

If you apply in Australia, you must hold a substantive or a subclass 010 Bridging A visa, a subclass 020 Bridging B visa or a subclass 030 Bridging C visa, otherwise your application will not be processed.

Processing times

Applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:

  • whether you have lodged a complete application, including all necessary supporting documents
  • how quickly you respond to any requests for additional information
  • how long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
  • how long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, particularly in relation to health, character, and national security requirements
  • for permanent migration visa applications, how many places are available in the migration program

Travel

You can travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date the visa is granted. After 5 years you will need a Resident Return (RRV) visa (subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.

 Step by step – Overview

This blog can only cover so much. I have created a more detailed explanation and step by step guide for people who are interested in pursuing this. You don’t need any immigration agents that will charge you ridiculous fees. The steps are are easy enough to follow and guess what? I am giving it out absolutely free. There is a download tab below but incase it doesn’t work, people who are interested can drop their emails in the comment section and the guide will be sent to all of you as soon as I can. Please leave comments below, tell me what you think and share. Someone you know might need it. If you have further questions, leave it in the comment or send me an email. All the best

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