The skilled independent visa 189 is useful for working and living in Australia. Some specific overseas skilled workers who work in occupations under the ASOL (Australia’s Skilled Occupations List) could be eligible for this visa.
The 189 Visa Australia also needs you to complete a skills test and be sponsored by either a family member or an employer. You could also be nominated by an Australian state or territory government.
What Are the Benefits of the Skilled Independent Work Visa?
The 189 visa offers various benefits that a permanent resident in Australia has; some of them are:
- An opportunity to study in Australia
- To enroll in Medicare or a healthcare program in Australia
- A chance to apply for Australian citizenship
- To sponsor your relatives to reside in Australia permanently
- To work and live in Australia for some time
- Travel in and out of Australia as you wish.
Another Path to Permanent Residence for New Zealand Citizens
This additional path became a new stream under the Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 on July 1, 2017. This made it easier for New Zealand citizens who live in Australia and want to become permanent residents.
If you are a New Zealand citizen, you need to meet the following requirements to apply:
- Meet the taxable income requirements in Australia
- Meet certain character requirements
- You need to live in Australia substantially for five years, and the time has to be before February 19, 2016, to apply.
- Meet the health requirements
- Hold a subclass 444 visa.
How to Apply for the Subclass 189 Visa?
Below are some given steps that can help you to apply for the 189 visas, they are:
- You need to check whether your occupation falls under the Skilled occupation lists. This is because only those people can apply for a visa.
- You need to ensure you meet all the eligibility requirements such as:
- Basic English skills
- Under 50 years of age
- Meet the character requirements
- Meet the health requirements
- Do not have unfinished debts to the Australian government.
- Will sign the Australian values statement.
- You have to finish a skills assessment and obtain an average score to be eligible for the 189 visas. The score needs to be fulfilled per the marks specified in your letter of invitation.
- You also need to submit an EOI through the SkillSelect program. The program will ask you different questions related to your skills, background and work history. The EOI will be judged by the Australian authorities and will also be available to Australian employers who are looking for skilled workers.
- The Skilled Independent Subclass 189 needs you to be sponsored by your employer or family member. You can also be nominated by either a state or a territory government. Once you get hold of a suitable sponsor, they will send you an invitation letter to apply for the 189 visas.
If you are not in contact with an eligible relative or an employer that can sponsor you, you could find an employer through the SkillSelect program. This program can match you with employers searching for overseas-national workers. You can also get nominated by a state or territory government via this program.
- When you find a suitable employer, you need to have them nominate you for the visa subclass 189; you can apply for the visa at the time when your sponsor lodges the visa application. You can find the employer nomination application online via the DHA.
- After finding your employer and receiving a nomination, you can apply for the 189 visas online via the DHA.
- The DHA could take some months to decide on your visa application. In 2016, the processing time for the visa was three months.
- Once the visa application is approved, you will receive the visa and start working in Australia.
Conditions and Needs for the Skilled Independent Visa Application
The 189 visas are only accepted via an invitation, and to get invited to apply for the visa; you have to:
- Have some experience in the nominated position on the Australian Skilled Occupation List.
- You need to undergo a skills assessment via an authorized assessing authority for the relevant occupation.
- You have to submit an EOI.
- You need to be above 18 years and below 50 years when the invitation is issued.
- You have to fulfill the fundamental migration requirements like health, character, and English language proficiency.
- You need to secure about 65 points on the points table.
If you require help if your score meets the given criteria for the visa, you have to contact an Immigration agent in Perth. You need to understand that you will only get 60 days to apply online once you get the invitation letter.
The letter that you will receive will have all the necessary information to follow in the application process. You can receive invitations based on the claims mentioned in the EOI while being invited for the visa. The visa application needs to have all the information declared in the EOI, and you need to provide evidence for each of those.
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Processing Time for the Skilled Independent Visa
As per Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, the expected time for processing the skilled independent visa is about 24 months; about 90% of applications are processed within this time. It takes about 20 months for 75% of the subclass Australian visas to be processed.
The processing times for Australian visa applications depend upon priority processing arrangements and planning levels of the migration program. Both these factors could be responsible for the delay in the processing time of these visas.
Visa Entitlements
The subclass 189 visa lets you include family members in your visa application; under this visa; they can:
- They studied, worked, and live in Australia for a long time
- Live and work in Australia permanently
- Receive benefits for health expenses and care that is registered under Medicare
- Have various social security points
- Sponsor eligible family members to reside permanently in Australia
- Apply for Australian citizenship if they are eligible.
Successful skilled independent subclass 189 visa applicants have sanctioned multiple entry visas to live and work in Australia for five years. This means you can travel in and out of Australia for five years till the visa expires.
To be qualified to apply for the visa again, you have to live in Australia for at least two years in five years. If you don’t want to be an Australian citizen, you can lodge an RRV application before the visa expires to continue coming and leaving Australia. If you have spent at least two years in Australia, you can qualify for RRV.
Contact an Immigration Agent in Perth
If you wish to stay in Australia for a good amount of time and bring your family with you, you need to apply for the subclass 189 visa. Under this visa, you can live in Australia for five years and receive many benefits. If you do not know anything regarding visa procedures, you can contact a Migration Agent Perth.
The agent will explain to you different rules related to the visa and help you fill out the application form. They will ensure that your visa is not rejected and that you can stay in Australia for an extended period.
