Under the Skilled Migration Program you can apply for permanent residence in Australia without any prior connection to Australia.
Independent (Subclass 189) visa
The Independent (Subclass 189) visa is a permanent visa that will allow you and your family to live and work in Australia for as long as you want. To be eligible for an Independent (Permanent) visa you or your partner (including same sex) need to:
- Be less than 45 years old;
- Speak reasonable English (score at least 6 out of 9 on each band of the General IELTS);
- Be accredited in an occupation on the Medium and Long‑term Strategic Skills List (there are about 180 occupations on the List); and
- Score 65 points on the visa points test.
Benefits of permanent residence
With a permanent visa you and your family are entitled to work in any occupation in any part of Australia, study at Australian schools and universities, access public hospitals and free health services, buy a house, travel between Australia and your country, sponsor family members to move to Australia, and access the social security system including Child support payments and the new home buyer’s scheme.
After living in Australia for four years you can apply for Australian citizenship and a passport. You will not have to give up your original citizenship but can become a dual citizen of Australia and your country. The entitlements reflect the genuine desire on the part of the Australian Government to open the full benefits of citizenship to those who choose to migrate to Australia.
Requirements
VisAustralia
To discover whether you are eligible for an Independent visa that will allow you to migrate to Australia, we invite you to take VisAustralia’s Migration Assessment Tool or to book a consultation with one of our expert migration agents.
