Australia’s General Skilled Migration program is broadly promoted as filling gaps in the domestic labour market by targeting specific occupations and identifying candidates with relevant skills and experience. The program contains a number of differing visas, including permanent residence visas such as the Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa and the Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa and a provisional pathway to permanent residence enabled through the Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa.
The Subclass 189 visa contains two specific streams, a Points-tested stream and a New Zealand stream.
Points-tested stream applications require an invitation which follows an expression of interest process made through the Australian Government’s Skill Select online system. Invitations follow the Australian Government’s policy settings for scoring candidates against a broad pool of interested candidates.
Points-tested stream applicants must nominate an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list, have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation from the relevant skills assessing authority, be under the age of 45 where invited to apply for the visa, satisfy the points test (score 65 points or more), have competent English at the time of invitation and meet Public Interest Criteria requirements.
The New Zealand stream provides a pathway to permanent residence for long-term New Zealand citizen residents who have demonstrated a commitment to Australia and who have made an economic contribution to Australia’s future. Minimum income threshold requirements apply and include a limited number of concessions with assessment based on an applicant’s individual taxable income.
The New Zealand stream is open to eligible applicants who demonstrate that they were usually resident in Australia for a continuous period of a least 5 years before making an application and their continuous period of usual residence in Australia commenced on or before 19 February 2016.
The Subclass 190 visa is a points tested stream whereby applicants may obtain an invitation to apply for the visa through a State or Territory nomination. Applicants for the Subclass 190 visa must first obtain an invitation through an expression of interest process through the Australian Government’s Skill Select online system. Candidates are identified through individual processes deployed by State and Territory Governments with invitations following the policy settings and occupation demand unique to each State and Territory Government.
Applicants for the Subclass 190 visa must nominate an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list, have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation from the relevant skills assessing authority, be under the age of 45 where invited to apply for the visa, satisfy the points test (score 65 points or more), have competent English at time of invitation and meet Public Interest Criteria requirements.
The Subclass 491 visa is a points tested provision stream whereby applicants may obtain an invitation to apply for the visa through a State or Territory nomination. Subclass491 visas are granted with a period of stay of 5 years and are designed to permit individuals to live, work and study in designated regional areas of Australia. The provisional visa is promoted as leading to permanent residence, subject to eligibility via the Subclass 191 Skilled Regional visa commencing from 16 November 2022.
Applicants for the Subclass 491 visa must have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list, have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation from the relevant skills assessment authority, be nominated to apply by a state or territory government agency, or be sponsored by an eligible relative, be under the age of 45 where invited to apply for the visa and satisfy the points test (score of 65 points or more), have competent English at time of invitation and meet Public Interest Criteria requirements.
