Skilled Independent Visa – Subclass 189 Points-Tested Stream

How This Visa Works

You can either be in Australia or overseas when you apply for a Subclass 189 Skilled Independent Visa. In order to lodge from within Australia, you would need to hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A, B or C visa. Once you apply from within Australia, you would receive a bridging visa allowing you to remain in Australia until your visa is assessed

 

Who Is Eligible For This Visa?

General Requirements:

• Your occupation is on a relevant occupation list.
• You meet the required points for the visa you intend to lodge (65 points is the minimum).
• Points are comprised of a number of factors such as age, qualifications, English fluency, work experience in Australia and overseas, qualifications obtained in Australia, partner’s English fluency, partner’s qualifications, single status;
• Your age must be between 18 and 45 inclusive. Different points are awarded to different age groups.
• You have a positive skills assessment (valid for three years) of your qualifications.
• You undertook an English language test (IELTS, OET, TOEFL, iBT, PTE Academic or Cambridge English: Advanced) and achieved the required score.

 

Steps in the process

• Lodgement of the Expression of Interest (EOI) – The EOI is a system which gives the Government the tools to prioritise and rank prospective migrants in order of merit, selecting the ‘brightest and best’ migrants and/or candidates to fill labour market shortages. It also gives the Government the tools to tweak the type of occupations most needed, curb those occupations where there are too many applications and manage the general mix of occupations accepted in each program year.
• Receive an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs.
• Lodgement of the Visa application within 60 days of receiving the invitation

 

About Skill-Select

It is important to understand that an Expression of Interest (EOI) is not a visa application and will not result in a bridging visa in Australia. Furthermore, any claims made in an EOI which cannot be substantiated in a visa application, for example, English fluency, qualifications, work experience, will lead to a refusal of the visa application.