Australia offers a great opportunity to overseas workers with high occupational skills that are mostly required in the Australian job sector. Several skilled migration visas designed by the Department of Home Affairs allow skilled workers to stay and work here permanently. 189 Visa Australia is one such visa with which you can enjoy these benefits. This blog will provide you with a comprehensive guide on being eligible for the visa and making a successful application to migrate to Australia.

Know About The Two Streams Of This Visa

The Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 has two streams – the Points-tested Stream and the New Zealand Stream. The details of these two are discussed here.

Points-tested Stream

As the name indicates, this will require a candidate to achieve the required points to apply for the visa. The minimum number of points that you will need to score is 65. Unlike a few other skilled migration visas in Australia, you will not need a nominator or sponsor.

New Zealand Stream

This stream is specially designed for New Zealand citizens who have lived in Australia for at least 5 years. The applicant should also hold a Special Category Visa Subclass 444 at the time they apply. Note that the staying period must be from before 19 February 2016.

What will make you eligible to use the opportunity to apply for the 189 Visa?

If you want to migrate to Australia permanently, you will need to meet various Visa 189 requirements. While preparing to lodge the application, you should check the stream-specific conditions and whether you can meet them. Choosing the stream wisely is a mandatory requirement for all applicants. The requirements for the Points-tested Stream include the following.

  • You must receive the invitation to apply.
  • Your age must be under or equal to 45.
  • This is a skilled migration visa. So, you have first to nominate an occupation and then go through a relevant skills assessment. A positive skills assessment is required for a successful application.
  • On the points test, your score must be at least 65. Individual scores will be calculated for different qualifications like English skills, age, work experience, academic degrees, etc.
  • Having fluency in the English language is another requirement if you are from a non-English speaking country.

On the other hand, the New Zealand Stream requirements will be a little different and will be more related to the applicant’s living and working in Australia.

  • As a worker, you should have made significant contributions to the Australian job sector.
  • Holding the Special Category Visa Subclass 444 is necessary at the time of application. This particular visa is granted to only citizens from New Zealand.
  • 5 years of stay in Australia is necessary, which should have started before 19 February 2016.

You have to also consider several other requirements common for both streams.

  • All the applicants must meet the relevant character and health requirements.
  • You or any one of your family members should not have any debts unpaid to the Australian Government.
  • There should be no records of visa cancellation. 

What Documents Should You Submit For The Application?

Submission of the documents in proper order is essential for any visa application. For the Visa Subclass 189, you will be required to upload the following documents.

  • Copies of the pages in your passport that contain your personal information
  • A copy of a national ID card
  • Well-explained Expression of Interest (EOI) 
  • Documents related to English language skills 
  • Skills assessment documents
  • Character documents, along with a completed Form 80.
  • Residential documents and income certificates 

EOI and documents related to skills assessment and English language proficiency are only required for Points-tested Stream applicants. In contrast, residential and income documents should be provided by the New Zealand Stream applicants only.

You will be allowed to add your partner/spouse and any dependent children to your application. Relevant documents must be submitted for them also. Spouse or partner documents will include:

  • Identification proof
  • Marriage or relationship certificate
  • Character documents
  • Documents in support of a genuine and continuing relationship, including joint bank accounts, joint bills, and joint lease or mortgages
  • Documents required for a dependent child under 18 years of age will include:
  • Identity documents
  • Copies of birth certificates or family book pages containing the names of both parents
  • Form no. 1229 (parental consent form)
  • Statutory declaration

You can also include children who have crossed 18 but are under 23. Necessary documents will be:

  • Filled-out form no. 47a (dependency form)
  • Proof of dependency
  • Proof of Functional English skills (for only Points-tested stream)

What steps should you follow to complete your application?

For a successful 189 Visa Australia application, you should follow the steps discussed below.

  • For the Points-tested Stream, you should first submit an Expression of Interest. This document should be provided before making the application.
  • Next, you should check whether you fulfil the points’ criteria or not. When you provide the personal information in your EOI, the points will get calculated automatically based on your qualifications and skills. If the total points are equal to or exceed the 65-mark, you will be sent the invitation to apply.
  • The vital step of any visa application is submitting every document. For an online application, you have to upload a scanned copy of all the documents. 
  • You have to wait several months while the Department of Home Affairs assesses your application.

For any help with the application, you can take guidance from a registered visa agent in Perth. In that case, you will also need to submit relevant filled-out forms.

Be aware of some important factors regarding the skilled occupations list

Suppose you need to make a Skilled Visa Perth application anywhere else in Australia. In that case, you will be required to nominate an occupation present on one of the skilled occupations lists available on the government website. Here we discuss several factors you should note regarding the skilled occupations list.

  • There are more than one skilled occupations list in Australia, and you should check whether your occupation is listed on the required list or not.
  • For Australian work visas, you can find multiple occupations.
  • Assessing authorities will be different for different listed occupations. This information will be necessary when you want to take the skills assessment.
  • There is an ANZSCO code for each occupation. ‘ANZSCO’ stands for ‘Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, and this code is used to categorize the occupations and specific skills necessary for each occupation.

You can enjoy these benefits

Once granted, the Skilled Independent Subclass 189 Visa will allow the holders to do the following.

  • You can permanently stay and work anywhere in Australia.
  • You will be able to sponsor your eligible relatives for their Skilled Independent Visa 189.
  • After some years, you can be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship.

Final words

The Australian immigration process may be challenging for you to understand. For any help, you should ask no one but a registered migration agent in Perth, WA. They can help you arrange the documents, undertake the skills assessment, and submit the application. They are available whenever you need them, and thus you can even contact them from outside Australia.