Skilled Migration

General Skilled Migration in Australia

The General Skilled Migration program is a points & invite based visa pathway for skilled individuals or families looking to migrate to Australia to fill skills gaps in the Australian economy.

This stream include visas such as:

  • Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)  – Point Tested Stream
  • Subclass 190 – Skilled Nominated visa
  • Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
  • Subclass 191 – Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa

Types of Skilled Migration Visas in Australia

There are four main streams of General Skilled Migration Visas in Australia. Read more and see which one is most suitable for you. 

SC 189 - Skilled
Independant Visa

Subclass 189

The Skilled Independent (Subclass 189) visa is an independent points-tested permanent residency pathway for skilled workers who want to work and live in Australia, indefinitely.

SC 190 - Skilled
Nominated Visa

Subclass 190

Subclass 190 a state nominated permanent visa for skilled migrants that allows you to live and work in their nominated state or territory.

SC 491 - Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa

Subclass 491

This temporary visa allows skilled migrants to live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia for five years. Subclass 491 visa holders can apply for PR 3 years from when the 491 visa is granted.

SC 191 - Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa

Subclass 491

This visa allows workers who hold an eligible visa and meet an income requirement to live and work in Australia permanently.

General Skilled Migration - Eligibility Criteria

You must be aged under 45 when the Department to apply for the visa.

You can still apply for the visa if you turn 45 after the Department invites you to apply.

Your occupation must be on the relevant list of eligible skilled occupations for the Skilled Visas in Australia.

You can only apply for this visa if Department invite you to do it. To do this, you must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to let the Department know that you would like to apply for the visa.

After you have submitted an EOI, you will be ranked against other intending applicants and might be invited to apply for the visa. Invitations are issued regularly through Skill-select. 

You may also be invited for a skilled visa from states or territories.

When you submit your EOI in SkillSelect you will be given an indicative points score based on the claims you have made. If you do not obtain a score of 65 points you will not be invited to apply for this visa.

For your application to be valid, you must have a suitable skills assessment at the time of invitation.

Delegates of the Minister will now accept a suitable skills assessment for an applicant’s nominated skilled occupation which has been obtained within the 60 day invitation period.

Your skills assessment must have been obtained in the 3 years before the date of your invitation. If the assessment was for a shorter period, that period must not have passed.

At the time of invitation, you must have at least competent English.

You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet the Department’s health and character requirement.

General Skilled Migration - Points Table

You must at least score 65 points to be eligible for a General Skilled Migration Visa in Australia. Check your point scores here.

Timeline

Your journey to permanent
residency in Australia

The below timeline outlines the steps you can take to to achieve permanent residency through General Skilled Visa in Australia.

Check your profile against the visa eligibility.
Complete your skill assessment.
Apply for state/territory nomination (if required).
Wait for an invitation.
Apply for the visa.

Steps to apply for General Skilled Migration in Australia

Something else ?

    FAQ

    We are happy to answer
    any queries you may have

    Can I apply for subclass 189 directly?

    You cannot apply for Subclass 189 directly for the point tested stream. However, you can apply for Subclass 189 – NZ stream directly. 

    How many points do I need to be eligible for a GSM visa?

    Contact us for checking your eligibility.

    Can I include my family in my GSM visa application?

    Yes, you can include members of your family unit, such as:

    • spouse or de-facto partner
    • child or step child; and:
      1. have not turned 18
        or
      2. have turned 18, but have not turned 23, and are financially dependent on you or your partner
        or
      3. have turned 23 and are dependent on you or on the partner as they have a mental or physical disability that stops them from earning a living to support themselves
    • grandchild or step-grandchild who is a dependent of a child who meets one of the criteria.
    What if I have accidentally claimed points, I wasn’t eligible for in my Expression of Interest (EOI)?

    If you have not received an invitation, we recommend that you rectify the error in your EOI. If you have received an invitation with over-claimed points, your visa application may be in jeopardy. Get in touch with us for a detailed consultation. 

    Can my Expression of Interest (EOI) expire?

    Yes, EOI expires in two years.

    Skilled Visa Updates / COVID-19 Concessions

    Send Us Your Migration Enquiry