A Guide To The Pathways To Permanent Residency In Australia

Every year, many international skilled workers apply for permanent residence visas under the Skilled Migration Program of the Australian Department of Home Affairs. Australian Permanent Residency will help you work and stay in Australia permanently and enjoy other privileges. After living for a few years as a permanent resident in Australia, you will become eligible to apply for Australian citizenship. Not only that, but you will also be able to bring your family members to Australia. Go through this entire blog to become aware of the eligibility and benefits of Australian PR.

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Benefits Of A Permanent Residence Visa In Australia

Permanent residents in Australia enjoy numerous benefits, the same as Australian citizens. These benefits are mentioned below.

• Once you are granted permanent residency, you can live and work in the country for a permanent period.
• You can bring your immediate family members (partner/spouse and dependent children) to Australia to stay with you. In addition, you can also sponsor Australian permanent residence visa applications of other relatives.
• If you have children, they can get free education up to a specific age.
• Like citizens, permanent residents in Australia are also allowed to enrol in Medicare, which is Australia’s public health care scheme. Enrolling in this health care scheme will help you get treatment at low costs or free at public hospitals. It means you can save a lot of your income.
• Certain laws protect the workplace rights of Australian permanent residents. According to these laws, you will receive the same payment as an Australian citizen for the same job position.

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Criteria For Permanent Residency In Australia

To become eligible for an Australian permanent residency, you have to fulfill the following criteria.

• First of all, make sure your age is under 45 years.
• Permanent residence visas are points-based visas, for which you will need to cross a minimum points’ mark. Right now, this requirement is 65 points.
• You must get a good score on an internationally recognised English language test.
• Permanent residence visas are granted to skilled workers. So, you must have skills in an occupation present on the relevant skilled occupation list.
• You will need to take a skills assessment conducted by an appropriate assessing authority for the nominated skilled occupation.
• You should have good health and character.

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How To Apply For A Permanent Residence Visa In Australia

The application procedure is more or less the same for different Australian permanent residence visas. However, there are still some differences that you must be aware of. Here we discuss application procedures for three permanent visas:

• Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189
• Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190
• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa Subclass 491

Application procedure for the 189 Visa

If you want to apply for the visa subclass 189, follow these steps.

1. Check if you have skills in an occupation listed on the relevant skilled occupations list.
2. Check if you fulfil all the eligibility criteria.
3. Go through the skills assessment.
4. Submit your EOI (Expression of Interest) through SkillSelect.
5. Receive the invitation from the government.
6. Apply for the visa by uploading all the necessary documents.
7. Wait for the visa decision.

Note that there are two streams under this visa. One is, Points Tested Stream, which is for applicants from every country except New Zealand. Here, applicants need to go through the points test of the Immigration Department and fulfill all the general requirements.

Another stream is New Zealand Stream, which is for New Zealand citizens who have lived for 5 years in Australia and made significant contributions in the Australian workspace. Applicants for this stream are exempt from English language requirements.

Application procedure for the 190 Visa

This visa is different from the previous one, and you can consider it if you fail to obtain the 189 Visa. While the 189 Visa is granted to those who score better in the points test, the subclass 190 is based on nomination by state and territory governments. So, if you plan to apply for the 190 Visa, check these steps.

1. See if your occupation is listed on the appropriate skilled occupations list.
2. Check if you fulfil all the eligibility criteria. Some eligibility criteria may also differ from one state to the other. So, do not forget to check that, too.
3. Complete your skills assessment.
4. Submit your EOI.
5. Receive your nomination by the state or territory government.
6. Apply for your 190 Visa by uploading all the necessary documents.
7. Wait for the visa decision.

Application procedure for the 491 Visa

As the name suggests, this visa is granted to individuals who want to stay and work permanently in a regional area of Australia. To apply for visa 491, you have to follow the steps mentioned below.

1. See if your occupation is present on the Skilled Occupations List.
2. Next, you have to check if you are eligible to apply for the visa.
3. Complete your skills assessment.
4. Submit your Expression of Interest.
5. Receive the invitation to apply from the authority.
6. Complete the application by carefully uploading all the necessary documents.
7. Wait for the visa decision.

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Permanent Residency Visa Cost in Australia

Application costs for the three permanent visas are discussed here.
Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189

Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189

Points-tested Stream

For the main applicant, the visa application fee is AUD4115. If you add other family members to the application, you will be required to pay additional charges. Using the Visa Pricing Estimator, you can check out the total cost you have to pay.

If one of the applicants over 18 years of age does not hold Functional English skills, you will be required to pay a second instalment, which equals AUD4890. However, you should pay it only when you are asked to.

Note that this second instalment or other costs are not included in the Visa Pricing Estimator. These additional costs will be for biometrics, health examinations, and police checks.

New Zealand Stream

You also have to pay a visa application fee of AUD4115 and additional fees for other applicants for this stream. But here, you have to pay only 20% of the full amount when lodging the visa. The remaining 80% should be paid when you are granted the visa.
Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190

The visa application fee is AUD4115 for the main applicant. For other applicants included in the same application, separate application fees are required. The fee will be different for partners or spouses and dependent children. You can check the total amount in the Visa Pricing Estimator.

If any adult applicant fails to meet the English language criteria, you will need to pay the second instalment of AUD4890.

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Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa Subclass 491

he visa application fee and second instalment amount are the same as the previous two for this visa. The costs for biometrics, police certificates, and health checks will also be separate.

How will ISA Migrations help you to get an Australian PR?

Immigration to Perth can be a complicated process to handle. Missing a single document can delay the visa application and sometimes lead to refusal. That is why it is always recommended to hire a migration agent in Perth for professional guidance. These migration professionals are registered and are known for providing important services to prospective migrants.

If you want to get in touch with the best Immigration Agent Perth, contact ISA Migrations.