Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 | Australian Migration Agent

Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

ABOUT THIS VISA

The Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) is a permanent visa that allows you and your immediate family to move to Australia to work and liven. You will need to have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list. This visa has 2 different streams. You can apply under the POINTS TEST STREAM or the NEW ZEALAND STREAM.

SKILLED INDEPENDENT VISA (SUBCLASS 189)

To be eligible for the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) you will need to:

Be invited to apply after submitting an expression of interest (for more details click HERE)
Have the relevant skills assessment valid at the time of invitation. Your skills assessment must have been obtained within the past 3 years at the date of invitation. If you were assessed based on an Australian qualification obtained from a student visa, your course must be registered with CRICOS. If you are a medical or legal practitioner you only need to demonstrate full/unconditional registration with AHPRA or an admission to practice law in your relevant state or territory.
Be under the age of 45 when invited to apply. If you are 45 or over after invited, you can still apply.
Have 65 points or higher. The Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190) is a points tested visa. If you do NOT obtain 65 points, you will not be invited for this visa. You can calculate your points on the POINTS CALCULATOR.
You must be able to demonstrate that you have COMPETENT ENGLISH.
Meet the skills requirement of having an occupation from the relevant SKILLS OCCUPATION LIST for the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189).
Meet necessary health requirements.
Meet character requirements
Sign the Australian values statement.
Not had previous visas cancelled or refused.
IF you apply under the NEW ZEALAND STREAM, you do NOT require the points test but rather there is a separate test as outlined below.

COSTS & DETAILS OF THE SKILLED INDEPENDENT VISA SUBCLASS 189

The Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) currently costs $3755AUD for the main applicant and additional fees for each family member. There are other costs for skills assessments, health checks, police certificates, biometrics or to cover the cost of other checks as may be required. You can be inside or outside Australia when you apply for this visa. This visa enables you to stay in Australia indefinitely, work and study in Australia, enroll in Medicare, sponsor relatives to come to Australia and apply for Australian citizenship if eligible. This visa enables you to travel as many times as you like to and from Australia for 5 years. After this time you will either need Australian citizenship or to apply for a Resident Return Visa.

WHAT THIS VISA LETS YOU DO

The Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) is a permanent visa that lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. You can both work and study in Australia travel to and from Australia as many times as you like for up to 5 years. You can include family members in your application however they need to pass all health and character tests.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SKILLED INDEPENDENT VISA SUBCLASS 189

It is important to understand that you need to be invited to apply for the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), except if you apply under the New Zealand Stream.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS REQUIREMENTS

For the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) you will need to demonstrate that you have the necessary English requirements to be eligible for the nominated position as specified in the Visa Nomination Occupation List for each state. For a full list of the English language requirements, for occupations in Victoria, click HERE.

All applicants must have an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of at least 6 in each band score. Certain occupations have a higher standard of English for the purpose of state nomination. If you have been working in your state or territory for at least 6 months, you may be exempt from meeting the higher English language requirements.

Alternative English Language Tests can also be accepted by the Department of Home Affairs for the purpose of the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) including the: OET, TOEFL, PTE Academic and Cambridge English Advanced (CAE), and the iBT.

If you are a citizen of the U.K, U.S.A, Canada, Ireland, or New Zealand, you do not need to submit and English language test.

POINTS TEST FOR THE SKILLED INDEPENDENT VISA (SUBCLASS 189)

.The Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) is a points tested visa. Your points will be assessed at the time of your invitation. you will need to demonstrate that you have the necessary English requirements to be eligible for the nominated position as specified in the Visa Nomination Occupation List for each state. For full details of the points test for the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), click on the Department of Immigration Points Table Test, a summary of which is below. You will need at LEAST 65 points however for some occupations, you will need more. It is important to remember that the higher your points, the more you have to offer state and territory agencies to be invited to apply. REMEMBER: The Points test does not apply if you are applying under the NEW ZEALAND STREAM.

AGE

Points awarded to age, except for the25-33 age range, decrease over time. The closer to 30 you are the higher the points you can obtain for the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) visa.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS

The more proficient your English language skills, the higher the points that you earn towards the subclass 190 visa.

SKILLED EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE - AUSTRALIA AND OVERSEAS

The greater the number of years experience working, the higher the points that are awarded to you for the Subclass 190 visa. It is important to know that you can only claim points for employment towards the Subclass 190 visa if you are working in a job that is for your nominated skilled occupation or closely related. These periods of work described below are only for the 10 years work experience prior to your applying. For any Australian employment, you must have either held a Bridging Visa A, Bridging Visa B or a substantive visa and complied with the conditions of that visa to claim employment. For the purpose of the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), 'employment' is defined as being engaged in a paid occupation for at least 20 hours per week for which you are remunerated.

It is not up to you to define what is or is not a closely related occupation. Closely related occupations MUST be either in the same ANZSCO group or consistent with the career advancment pathway, or recognised by an assessing authority that is closely related to your nominated occupation, as part of your skills assessment.

Under the points system for the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), there is a cap of 20 maximum available points. That means if you score more than 20 points for your combined employment experience, you will only be awarded 20 points.

Subclass Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)Visa

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

The higher that your RECOGNISED educational qualifications are, the more points you can obtain towards a Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), Details about points awarded for educational qualifications are listed below. It is important to know that if your qualification was obtained outside Australia, you will need to get recognition of your qualifications. The authority undertaking your skills assessment may determine if your qualifications are comparable to the relevant Australian qualification. Further, the assessing authority is listed against your occupation in the relevant list of the ELIGIBLE SKILLED OCCUPATION. You will only receive the points for your highest qualification only regardless of the number of qualifications you may hold. You can only claim PhD points if you hold a PhD qualification.

You cannot be 'working towards' your qualification. You must have obtained the qualification at the time you are invited to apply for the visa. If it is that your overseas qualification (Bachelor level or above) is not recognised by your skills assessing authority, then you can contact the Vocational Education Training and Assessment Services (VETASSESS) for advice.

SPECIALIST EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

To obtain points for specialist educational qualifications in the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) program, you will need to obtain a postgraduate degree by research (either doctorate or masters degree) which must be awarded from an Australian educational institution after at least 2 years academic study in the fields of either science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or specified Information & Communication Technology (ICT) fields as listed below (To determine if you're eligible, go to the CSIRO website:)

NATURAL & PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Biological sciences, chemical sciences, earth sciences, mathematical sciences, natural and physical sciences, other natural and physical sciences, physics and astronomy.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Computer science, information systems, information technology, other information technology.

ENGINEERING & RELATED TECHNOLOGIES

Aerospace engineering & Technology, civil engineering, electrical & electronic engineering & technology, engineering & related technologies, gemoatics engineering, manufacturing engineering & technology, mechanical & industrial engineering & technology, other engineering & related technologies, process & resources engineering.

AUSTRALIAN STUDY REQUIREMENT

You can obtain 5 points towards a Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), if you have a diploma, degree or trade qualification from an Australian institution that meets the Australian Study Requirement.

PROFESSIONAL YEAR IN AUSTRALIA

To obtain 5 points towards Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) in a professional year, you will need to have completed a professional year in Accounting, ICT/Computing or engineering and this professional year MUST be within your nominated occupation or a closely related occupation, have been completed of a period of at least 12 months in Australia within 4 years before you are invited to apply for a visa and provided by either the: Australian Computer Socienty, CPA Australia, chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, the Institute of Public Accountants, or Engineers Australia.

CREDENTIALED COMMUNITY LANGUAGE

To obtain 5 points towards the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), you will need to be CREDENTIALLED and accredited at the paraprofessional level or above in a community language. Alternatively you can have the community language credentialed for interpreter / translating by the NAATI.

credentialled community language subclass 190 skilled nominated visa

STUDY IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA

You can obtaine 5 points towards a Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), if you hold a degree, diploma or trade qualification from an Australian educational institution that satisfies the Australian study requirement. You must have lived in and studied at the campus in one or more of the areas listed as regional Australia or low growth population metropolitan areas and NOT studied by distance education.

PARTNER SKILLS

To be eligible for the award of points from your partner towards your own Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), your partner must be an applicant for the same visa subclass and must not already be an Australian permanent resident or citizen. You will need to prove (at the time of invitation) that they were under 45 years of age, had at least competent English, had nominated a skilled occupation that is on the same skilled occupation list as your nominated skilled occupation and hd a suitable skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for their nominated skilled occupation and the assessment was not for a subclass 485 visa.

NOMINATION

You must be nominated to be invited to apply for this Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189), and provided that your nomination remains in effect, you may be awarded 5 points.

NEW ZEALAND STREAM

Under the New Zealand Stream, you do not need to satisfy the points requirement. A different set of requirements is as follows below:

1. You must currently hold a New Zealand Special Category Subclass 444 visa.

2. You must satisfy the income requirement for each of the 4 financial years. Income requirements are specified in the relevant LEGISLATIVE INSTRUMENT.

3. You must have lived in Australia for 5 years.

4. You still need to pass all other requirements outlined above such as the health and character tests but not the points test.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE SKILLED INDEPENDENT VISA SUBCLASS 189

The Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189). This visa needs to be done right first time and to avoid unnecessary delay, use a registered migration agent Mark Pelley - Principal Migration Agent for Visas To Australia. The Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) requires substantial documentation to support claims made in the application. This process can be lengthy and confusing. Failure to correctly apply for the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) could result in a rejection from the Department of Home Affairs and having to reapply and to pay all costs again. Contact VISAS TO AUSTRALIA to help you apply for this visa.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT TODAY

Book an appointment with VISAS TO AUSTRALIA today by calling us on 0403 875 409 or send us an email visastoaustralia@yahoo.com.au.

To see other WORK visas available, click on the links above or to go back to a list of the different types of visas, click HERE.

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