Getting your Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 can take a lot of time. From submitting your EOI and getting an invitation from the Department of Home Affairs is the Department of Home Affairs recently updated their visa processing times. Before, the average visa processing time for a Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) is between 7 to 8 months. Now, the average visa processing time is between 8 to 9 months and there is nothing much we can do about it.
Our expert visa and immigration consultants at Immigration Agent Perth is well-versed with different Skilled Visas, especially Subclass 189 visas. They can offer you valuable recommendations on how to prepare for the entire process, from preparing for your Expression of Interest (EOI), submitting your EOI, accepting your invitation, and applying for your Subclass 189 visa. We will help you follow the right procedure, submit all documents in one go, and fill up your application correctly and completely.
Key Eligibility requirements
POINTS-TESTED STREAM
- You must be under 45 years of age.
- Must have a skilled occupation on the relevant Medium and Long Term Strategic Skilled List (MLTSSL).
- Be able to demonstrate ‘Competent English’.
- Have a positive skills assessment from the relevant skills assessing authority in relation to your nominated occupation.
- Obtain the minimum score on the Points Test at the time of invitation to apply for the visa.
- Must obtain an invitation to apply for the visa. To be invited you will need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect and meet the required points test on a competitive basis.
- Satisfy certain Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria.
- You must meet health and character requirements.
NEW ZEALAND STREAM
- Must hold a Subclass 444 (Special Category) visa.
- You must have been a usual resident in Australia for a continuous period of at least 5 years immediately before the date of the application. This continuous period of usual residence must have started on or before 19 February 2016.
- Unless you are exempt, you must demonstrate that for 3 completed income years within the last 5, your taxable income is not less than the minimum amount prescribed by the Minister. One of the income years must be the one that ended most recently before the date of application.
- Satisfy certain Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria.
- Meet health and character requirements.
HONG KONG STREAM
- You must apply on or after 5 March 2022.
- Must hold a Hong Kong passport or a British National (Overseas) passport.
- Hold an eligible Subclass 457 (Temporary Work (Skilled)) visa, or a Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visa or a Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa. You must have held this visa for at least 4 years.
- You must have been a usual resident in Australia for a continuous period of at least 4 years immediately before the date of the application.
- Must satisfy certain Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria.
- You must meet health and character requirements
So how do you go about getting this visa?
First – Research and Requirements for Visa Subclass 189
Second – Financial funds for Subclass 189 Visa
Third– Calculate your points score for the 189 Visa
Fourth – 189 Visa and the Skills Assessment
Fifth – English Test Score for your 189 Visa
Sixth – Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI)
Seventh – Wait for the reply of your EOI
Eighth– Apply for the visa
Nineth – Medical Examination
Tenth – Wait for your 189 visa decision
You can keep up to date with the process by contacting the case officer (person handling your application in the Government) or by logging into your SkillSelect account online. If you wish to hire a migration agent for your visa application, they will be contacting the Department of Home Affairs on your behalf and they will let you know of any changes or requests for further information. You won’t need to contact the Department yourself. Contact us below if you wish to find out more about this.
If your visa is approved then you will then have a visa grant letter sent with the details of your initial entry date or the deadline date you must enter the country which will activate your permanent residency. You only need to stay a few days if need be just to activate your residency and complete the visa grant letter requirements, and then you can come back and organize the big move! Contact a Migration Agent Perth to apply for Visa 189
