This visa lets invited workers with skills Australia need live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
With this visa you can
- Stay in Australia permanently
- Work and study in Australia
- Enroll in Australia’s public health care scheme, Medicare
- Sponsor your relatives to come to Australia
- travel to and from Australia for 5 years
- Apply for Australian citizenship, if eligible
How long you can stay
This is a permanent visa. It lets you stay in Australia indefinitely. The visa has a travel component that expires 5 years after the date of visa grant.
You become a permanent resident on the day we grant the visa. For citizenship purposes, your permanent residency starts on the day you enter Australia, on this visa
Include family
You can include members of the family unit in your application. You can:
- include family members in your application when you apply
- add family members to your application after you apply but before we decide on your visa
Cost
The visa costs AUD4,045 for the main applicant.
Travel
From the date we grant this visa, you can travel to and from Australia for up to 5 years.
After that period, you will need a Resident Return (RRV) visa to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.
Processing times
- 75% of applications: 11 months
- 90% of applications: 13 months
We assess applications on a case by case basis, and actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:
- whether you have lodged a complete application, including all necessary supporting documents
- how quickly you respond to any requests for additional information
- how long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
- how long it takes to receive additional information from external agencies, particularly in relation to health, character, and national security requirements
- for permanent migration visa applications, how many places are available in the migration program
Eligibility
- You can only apply for this visa if Australia invite you to.
- For your application to be valid, you must declare that you have a suitable skills assessment at the time of invitation.
- You must be aged under 45 when we invite you to apply for the visa.
- This is a points-tested visa. Be able to score 65 points or more.
- At the time of invitation, you must have at least competent English.
- Your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations for the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) Point-Tested stream.
- You must meet our health requirement.
- You must meet our character requirement.
- Signed Australian Value Statement
- Have paid back your debt to the Australian Government
- Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused