This is a temporary visa for skilled workers who wish to live and work in regional Australia. Those with this visa can stay for up to 5 years and apply for permanent residence after 3 years. This visa cannot be extended.
To be able to submit a valid application for this visa you need to first submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect. You can do this in or outside Australia. If you are nominated by a state, territory or relative and meet the basic requirements for this visa, you will then receive an invitation to apply.
Application conditions
Applications are by invite only. To be invited to apply, you must:
have experience in a nominated occupation that can be found on one of Australia's Skilled Occupations List
have a skills assessment with the relevant assessing authority for that occupation
submit an Expression of Interest
be older than 18 and less than 45 years of age when the invitation is issued
Meet general Skilled Migration basic requirements, including English language, health, and character checks
be able to score at least 65 on the points test
Try our free online Australian General Skilled Migration points test to see if you score enough points for this visa.
Family
You can include the following family members in your visa application:
your partner
your or your partner's dependent child
your or your partner's dependent relative.
Employment obligations
There are some obligations that states or territories will require you to meet. These include that you:
stay in that state or territory that nominated you for at least two years
keep the state or territory informed of any changes to your address
complete surveys and provide information when asked.
Entitlements
This visa allows you and your accompanying family members to:
Live and work permanently in Australia 5 years
Study in Australia
Enrol in Medicare, Australia's scheme for health-related care and expenses
Access certain social security payments
Apply for permanent residence after 3 years
Sponsor relatives for permanent residence.
Processing
75% of applications are processed in 10 months
90% of applications are processed in 12 months
There is no standard processing time for this visa and each visa is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
Priority processing arrangements apply to this visa. They determine the order in which Australian immigration considers applications regardless of when they have been submitted. To find out more about the priority processing arrangements Australian immigration has in place, please see our Priority Processing page.
Further Information, help, and advice
Workpermit.com has over twenty years of experience helping people immigrate to countries all over the World. If you feel that you can pass the points test and wish to immigrate to Australia, fill out our free assessment form and one of our representatives will contact you shortly.
For more information and advice on Australian immigration law and Australian visa applications please contact us on 0344 991 9222 or at london@workpermit.com
