Skilled Independent Visa

The Skilled Independent Visa – Subclass 189, in the “Points Tested Stream”, is a permanent visa in the General Skilled Migration Program which allows overseas skilled workers, who have received an invitation to apply for this visa, to live & work permanently anywhere in Australia. The visa applicants must have skills in particular occupations and other attributes that will contribute to the Australian economy, and must meet all threshold requirements.

Some criteria to be met by prospective visa applicants are as follows :

  • You must be under 45 years old to apply for this visa
  • The occupation you nominate must be available on the relevant “Skilled Occupation List”, and be exactly related and/or closely related to your work experience.
  • You must satisfy the “Points Test”. Here, the significance of an Australian education cannot be overemphasized enough. A qualification from an Australian educational institution could be highly beneficial when you apply for any points-based General Skilled migration visa because of the extra points that you could score on the “Points Test”, which in turn enhances your chances of being invited to apply for this visa. Added to this is the fact that when you get your skills assessed by a skills assessing authority (which is mandatory for this visa), an Australia qualification is more likely to be recognized as being equivalent to an Australian standard than an overseas qualification. Just an Australian qualification could grant you extra points in each of the following categories :
    1. Any Educational Qualification
    2. Australian Specialist Educational Qualification
    3. Australian Study Qualification
    4. Australian Professional Year Qualification
    5. Study in a Designated Regional Area in Australia

    Each of the above categories have their own eligibility criteria, which can be confusing at times. Contact us to know if you can get extra points for any of the above categories & how you can maximize your points and hence enhance your chances of being invited for this visa.

  • Due to recent changes in the Skilled Migration program-
    1. Spouses/partners of visa applicants can also add to your points in the Points Test, depending on their skills & English Language proficiency.
    2. You can also get extra points if you are single or if you are married to an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident.
  • Visa applicants must note the fact that merely passing the points test is no guarantee that you will be invited to apply for this visa. Contact us to know your chances of getting an invitation for this visa.
  • You must have your skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation. Please note that skills assessing authorities have their own criteria, which is distinct from the DHA criteria. The assessing authority must positively assess that your skills are suitable for your nominated occupation. It is only then that you can move to the next step of your visa application process.
  • You must file an “Expression of Interest (EOI)” to let the Department know that you wish to apply for this visa
  • You must be INVITED to apply for this visa
  • You & some of your family members must meet the English Language Requirement
  • You & your family members must meet the Health Requirement
  • You & your family members must meet the Character Requirement
  • Eligible family members must be included in your visa application. They cannot be included after you have been granted this visa
  • Eligible family members you include in your visa application must meet the Secondary criteria for this visa
  • You can apply while you are in or outside Australia. If you are in Australia, you must be the holder of a Substantive visa or a Bridging visa

Some of the Rights of Subclass 189 visa holders are as follows :

  • You can live permanently / indefinitely in Australia
  • You & your family members will become “Permanent Residents” from the day this visa is granted
  • You can work or study anywhere in Australia
  • You may enroll in Australia’s public health care scheme MEDICARE
  • Your children can study at local tuition fees
  • You may travel in & out of Australia as many times as you want for 5 years
  • If eligible, you can apply for Australian Citizenship

See our section “Rights of Permanent Residents” to understand all your rights & privileges as a Permanent Resident in Australia.

In our almost 20 years of providing immigration assistance for Australian migration prospects, we have observed innumerable instances of the “Department of Home Affairs (DHA)” website being used as the primary source of providing immigration advice to prospective clients. Persons interested in migrating to Australia must note that the DHA website is useful in that it contains a great deal of explanatory material about visas. However, it does not distinguish between legislation & formal policy. There are critical factors relevant to each visa which can only be found in legislation. At times, even some basic relevant factors can be absent on the DHA website & your reliance on it to file a visa application can seriously jeopardize your chances of success. Experienced legal expertise in ever-changing Australian migration law is a prerequisite to succeeding in your migration goals.

Contact us to –

  • Determine your eligibility
  • Understand the laws & policy applicable to your situation
  • Prepare & submit a decision-ready application
  • Meet your migration goals