Australian Permanent Resident Visa

If you are planning to live and work in Australia for an extended period of time, then a permanent residency visa may be the best option for you to become an Australian permanent resident. A permanent residency visa allows you to live and work in Australia permanently, with the ability to eventually apply for Australian citizenship. This enables you to travel and work freely throughout Australia without any restrictions. There are different categories of permanent residency visas available depending on your individual needs and circumstances.

Permanent Residency Australia

The immigration department offers numerous types of Australian permanent resident visa depending on your situation. Navigating the visa process can be complicated and confusing, so it’s important that you work with an experienced immigration professional to guide you through the process and ensure you have all the necessary documentation in place to submit your application.

An immigration consultant can help you understand which type of visa is suitable for your situation, as well as help you prepare your application for submission to the immigration department. They can also help you to prepare for any interview so you can maximise your chances of a successful outcome.

Types of Visas Available

There are many different visa types available to people looking to spend time in Australia. Generally speaking, Australian visas are classified into different categories based on the type and length of stay they are intended for.

The following are the current major visa options available for permanent and temporary residence in Australia.

Business Innovation and Investment Visa

This visa allows applicants to invest in Australia through investment in bonds or in creating a new business or expanding an existing business. It also allows them to stay in Australia for a period of up to five years.

Australia Skilled Migrant Visa

This visa is available to skilled candidates who are invited by immigration to work and live in Australia on a permanent basis. Applicants must meet certain requirements based on their age, qualifications, work experience and other relevant factors in order to be eligible.

How do you get an Australia skilled migrant visa?

These visas are granted based on the applicant’s employment history, qualifications and skills. In order to qualify for an Australia skilled migrant visa, applicants must be under the age of 45 and generally have an appropriate skill level in an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) however there are various additional occupation lists if State or Territory Government sponsorship is involved. All approved occupations are listed on the Department of Home Affairs website.

Applicants must make a skills assessment application to evaluate whether their skills meet the level required for an occupation on the MLTSSL or other appropriate list. This provides an official assessment of an applicant’s skills to demonstrate to immigration that they are suitable for an Australia skilled migrant visa. It is best to work with a professional migration consultant for skilled visa guidance.

Sponsored Work Visas

A sponsored work visa is available for people who want to work in specific professions such as engineering, nursing or teaching and who need sponsorship from an Australian employer in order to apply for a visa. Visas for such professions are valid for a period of four years and can be renewed if necessary.

How do you get an Australian sponsored work visa?

Sponsorship is required in order for people to get an Australian sponsored work visa. The sponsoring employer must arrange a visa application on behalf of the applicant along with supporting evidence to show that they are able to employ the person in question and that they will benefit from their presence in Australia.

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa

This visa is for people who have skills that are in demand in regional areas of Australia in occupations on the MLTSSL or the Regional Occupation List.

How do you get a SKILLED EMPLOYER SPONSORED regional visa?

To get a Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa, you must be sponsored by an employer operating in a regional area and have approval from the local regional development authority.

Invited or sponsored training, work or participation visas

For people who wish either to attend or complete training in Australia on an approved course, undertake research or work on a practicum placement with an Australian organisation or institution.

How do you get an invited or sponsored training visa?

In order to apply for a training visa, you must have an offer from an approved sponsoring Australian institution.

Non-sponsored Work Visas

Available for applicants who wish to live and work in Australia without any sponsorship from an employer. Applications of these types of visas can be made by graduating overseas students in Australia and working holiday applicants from select countries. New Zealand citizens may also live and work in Australia without requiring a sponsoring employer.

How do you get an Australian non-sponsored work visa?

To apply for a non-sponsored work visa, you must meet the basic requirements stipulated for each specific visa category. We can advise requirements in your specific circumstances.

Australia Student Visas

Students who have an enrolment offer from an approved education provider in Australia can apply for a student visa to study in Australia on a full-time basis.

How do you get an Australian student visa?

Applicants for a student visa must provide evidence of payment to a registered educational institution for enrolment and must also be able to prove that they have the financial resources to support themselves for their first 12 months while studying in Australia.

Family Sponsored Visas

Available to spouses, de facto partners and children of an Australian citizen or the holder of a permanent visa who are intending to migrate to Australia to join their sponsor.

How do you get Australian family sponsored visas?

Individuals who are applying for this type of visa must be able to provide evidence of their relationship to their sponsor who must have the financial resources to support themselves and their family members for their first two years in Australia.

Humanitarian Visas

People who have been recognised as refugees, persons in need of protection and stateless persons may be eligible for humanitarian visas. There are different types of humanitarian visas available depending on whether the applicant is in Australia or outside Australia.

How do you get an Australian humanitarian visa?

If outside Australia, it is generally necessary to be mandated by the UNHCR and to be proposed by a supporting person or organisation in Australia. Only a small proportion of applicants receive visas due to the annual cap on visas issued.

Permanent Residents

People who hold a permanent visa are often referred to as permanent residents of Australia and they are able to enjoy most of the rights and privileges of Australian citizens. Permanent residents are able to apply for citizenship after living in Australia for a certain period of time and they must meet certain eligibility requirements.

How do you get an Australian permanent residence visa?

It is not necessary for a permanent resident to apply for a resident return visa unless they are intending to travel overseas after 5 years from grant of their initial permanent resident visa.

Applying for Permanent Residency Australia

If you are planning on moving to Australia then you will need to apply for a visa before you are able to enter the country. Applying for permanent residency in Australia can be a challenging and time-consuming process so it is strongly recommended that anyone who is interested in applying obtains the services of a qualified and experienced migration agent to guide them through the process and help them make the application process as simple as possible.

Some applications can take a significant amount of time to process due to a number of factors including the complexity of the case and the number of applications that the Department of Home Affairs is processing at the time.

An experienced and qualified migration agent will be able to advise you on the likelihood of your application being successful and how you can make the application as straightforward as possible so that it can be processed as quickly as possible.

There are additional requirements for all of the above which will be detailed by your migration consultant depending on your specific circumstances.