Skilled Independent Visa 189 – A Legal Pathway For Australian Permanent Residency

Posted by Immigration Agent Adelaide on October 5, 2021

The Skilled Independent Visa 189 is an Australian visa program that allows international skilled workers to stay permanently in Australia. This visa has two streams – the Points Tested stream and the New Zealand stream.

The Points Tested stream is for skilled workers who are from eligible countries. On the other hand, the New Zealand stream is granted to New Zealand citizens who have lived and worked in Australia for at least 5 years and made significant contributions.

One thing to note is that for the 189 Visa Australia, you should receive an invitation to apply. This blog discusses all the essential factors you must know to make an application for this visa.

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Benefits Of Permanent Residency

An Australian skilled visa can open your path to becoming a permanent resident, and after becoming one, you can enjoy plenty of benefits. However, you must remember a permanent resident and a citizen are not the same, and certain rights are not granted to the PRs. Apart from that, you can enjoy other privileges like the citizens, which we have discussed here.

1. You can stay permanently in Australia.
2. You can study and work in Australia.
3. Enrolling in Medicare, Australia’s national health scheme will be possible.
4. You will be allowed to apply for bank loans to purchase a property.
5. After some years, you can apply for citizenship.
6. As long as the visa permits travel, you can travel within and outside Australia with a permanent residence visa.
7. If eligible relatives want to come here and stay as permanent residents, you will sponsor them.
8. To improve English, you can attend free English language courses offered by the Adult Migrant English Program.
9. You can also work in New Zealand.

In addition, you can also be eligible for other government services and benefits. However, if you do not reside in Australia while being a PR, your eligibility may be affected. That is why it is essential to contact the relevant government authorities to confirm your obligations and rights.

Here Are The Key Factors To Obtain 189 Skilled Visa

Getting an invitation is one of the major requirements of applying for the 189 Skilled Visa. But while applying for this visa, you have to keep in mind other factors too. Go through the following points to have a clear idea about the whole procedure.

What Can You Do After Having A Visa Subclass 189?

189 Skilled Visa is a permanent Australian visa that you can apply for only after getting an invitation. This visa is available for only skilled workers who an employer or a state government does not sponsor. After obtaining this visa, you can do the following things.

• As this is a permanent residency visa, you can stay in Australia indefinitely.
• You will be able to study and work in Australia.
• You can sponsor your eligible relatives who want to come to Australia.
• If eligible, you can then go for the application to become an Australian citizen.
• You can enroll in Medicare.
• The Visa Subclass 189 allows the holders to travel to and from Australia as many times as they want. This permission stays valid for 5 years after the visa is granted.

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Eligibility Criteria For Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 In Australia

When you decide to apply for the Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 for Australia, you must first figure out which stream you will be applying for. We had mentioned earlier that there are two streams under this visa, and each stream has different eligibility criteria, which you must meet.
For the Points Tested Stream, you have to satisfy the following eligibility requirements.

1. Your age must be less than 45.
2. The occupation you are nominated for must be relevant and included in the specific list of skilled occupations.
3. A positive skills assessment is required to show that you have the right skills for the occupation.
4. You should be invited to apply after submitting the Expression of Interest (EOI).
5. Your application has to mention whether you have a health condition that needs continuous community or government support.
6. In addition to the information mentioned above, you will also be required to disclose whether you have contracted tuberculosis or any other infectious disease.
7. You should meet the minimum required score in the points test.

If you are an eligible citizen from New Zealand, you can apply for the New Zealand stream without taking a point-testing. The eligibility requirements for this stream slightly differ from that of the Points-Tested Stream.

• As a citizen of New Zealand, you should show that you have made significant contributions to the Australian sector.
• You should have resided in Australia for the last 5 years.
• The staying period should be from before 20 February 2016.
• You have to fulfill specific taxable income requirements.
• You must demonstrate that you have maintained a good character.
• The health criteria are the same as the Points-Tested Stream. You also have to state whether you have any health condition that requires continuous government support and have been diagnosed with any contagious disease like TB.

Required Documents For 189 Visa In Australia

If you want your visa to get processed smoothly, you have to make a complete Visa Subclass 189 application, and that will not be possible unless you submit all the relevant documents. Here we give a detailed checklist that you have to attach with your application.

1. A filled-out application form
2. ID proof
3. Skills assessment report
4. Results of English language test
5. Skilled employment documents
6. Two copies of recent passport-size photographs
7. Educational qualification documents
8. Documents to prove your Australian study requirement
9. If applicable, records of studying in an Australian regional area
10. Skills, qualification, and English language skill documents of your partner
11. Relationship documents
12. Police clearance certificates as character documents
13. Health examination documents
14. Reference letters from your company
15. Any other important document the Australian authorities request

For a successful 189 Visa application to Australia, you should note that all these documents should be in English. Even if they are in any other language, translations should be attached. You should also keep in mind that these documents should be certified copies of the original ones.

What Is The 189 Visa Processing Time And Cost?

The 189 Visa processing time is different for the two streams, and it depends largely on the number of applications submitted at a specific time.

• For the Points-tested Stream, 75% of applications get processed in 18 months, while 90% take about 29 months.
• The New Zealand Stream takes relatively less time to process. 75% of applications take about 15 months, while 90% are processed in 16 months.

The application fee for the two streams is the same. You have to pay AUD4115, but for the New Zealand Stream, you have to pay 20% of the fee when submitting the application and the rest 80% before the visa decision is made.

How Can We Assist You?

Immigration Agent Adelaide is a leading consultancy firm that provides top-quality and reliable migration services in Adelaide. The Australian immigration process involves so many proceedings, and thus having a professional migration agent from Adelaide for guidance can be of great help. You can get in touch with them for targeted and professional guidance.