Types of Australian Visas

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    Australian Visa Types

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    Short- Stay Work Visas

    Short-term work visas are classified as either short stay specialist visas, training visas, or temporary activity visa.

    Short Stay Visas for Specialist Work – subclass 400

    A specialist work visa (400) can be granted to people who have highly specialized skills that are not easily available in Australia and are required to undertake work of a highly specialised nature in Australia, which is of short-term duration and which is usually required to fulfil a contractual obligation in Australia, between an overseas provider and an Australian company.

    Temporary Activity Visa – Training – subclass 407

    A Training Visa (407) is granted to people who seek to enhance their skills through a structured work- place training program.  The applicant will be required to meet the basic skill level of the occupation and have had 12 months experience in the last 24 months in the occupation they wish to be trained in. The employer needs to be approved as a temporary activity sponsor and present a relevant and detailed structured training plan which the overseas person will be trained in. The visa can be requested for any period of time up to 2 years, depending on the amount of time that training is needed.

    Temporary Activity Visa – is required to be in Australia for a short period to undertake specific activities – subclass 408.

    This visa is for people who require to come to Australia for short periods. There are several types of short stay activity visas such as: invited participant in an event, entertainment, performing in film or television, religious worker, domestic worker, sports trainee, elite player, coach, youth exchange, research and many others.

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    Partner or Parent Visa

    Partner Visas – subclasses 820/801, 309/100 and 300

    A provisional or permanent partner visa may be granted to the spouse, de-facto partner, or fiancé of an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident, based on the couple being in a genuine relationship. An onshore lodgement of a partner visa is the subclass 820/801 and if lodged offshore, it is a 309/100.

    Generally, a partner visa is a two-step application with a provisional visa being granted first (820 or 309) and then two years from the lodgement date, the permanent part can be lodged (801 or 100), where the couple will need to demonstrate they are is still together.

    A 300 visa is a prospective (fiancé) partner visa, which can only be lodged when the overseas applicant is offshore. The couple will need to have met in person to be able to lodge this visa.

    Parent Visas

    Contributory – subclasses 143 (offshore) and 864 (onshore).
    Non- Contributory – subclass 103 (offshore) and 804 (onshore).

    There are generally two main kinds of parent visas which lead to Permanent Residence which are contributory and non-contributory parent visas. Either can be lodged either from within Australia or outside Australia. A parent visa can be lodged in Australia if at least one of the parents meet the age requirement of the aged pension definition in Australia

    An applicant for a parent visa must meet the balance of family test. This means that at least 50% of the applicant’s children live in Australia as Australian citizens or Permanent Residents or more children are living in Australia as Australian citizens or Permanent Residents than in any other single country.

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    Business Visa

    The Business Innovation and Investment Program (BIIP) – 188 Visa

    There are four visa streams under the Business Innovation and Investment Program, subclass 188.

    The Business Innovation and Investment Program visas offer a direct pathway to permanent residence after three years, subject to meeting certain residence and investment or business turnover requirements. The initial visa will be valid for five years.

    These 4 streams of business visas are as follows:

    The Business Innovation Stream
    The applicant must pass a points test, have a successful business career with a business turnover of at least AUD 750,000, and have net assets of AUD 1.25 million. The applicant must also obtain and maintain substantial ownership and management of an Australian business.

    The Investor Stream
    The applicant must pass a points test, commit AUD 2.5 million into a complying Australian-managed investment funds for the duration of the provisional visa validity, and reside in Australia for at least two years.

    The Significant Investor Stream
    The applicant must commit at least AUD 5 million into a complying Australian-managed investment funds for the duration of the provisional visa validity and reside in the country for an average of 40 days a year for primary visa holders.

    The Entrepreneur Stream
    The applicant must undertake, or propose to undertake, a complying entrepreneur activity in Australia. A complying entrepreneur activity must relate to an innovative idea that will lead to the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia, or the development of an enterprise or business in Australia.

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    Skilled Person Visa

    Skilled Independent visa subclass 189, Skilled Nominated visa subclass 190, and Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) subclass 491.

    If you are a skilled person who wants to live and work in Australia, you may apply for a Skilled Visa via the points system. A skilled visa may be granted to skilled people who could be professionals or trades workers and who qualify for the General Skilled Migration Program. The basic requirement is to score   a minimum of 65 on the points test. The application involves being granted an invitation under Expression of Interest. (EOI) to lodge a Permanent or Provisional Residence visa application.

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    Employer Sponsorship Visa

    Temporary Skill Shortage visa subclass 482, Employer Nomination Scheme subclass 186, Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) subclass 494 and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme RSMS subclass 187.

    As an Australian business, you wish to sponsor a skilled overseas worker on a temporary or permanent basis to meet a skills shortage position in your business. As an overseas skilled worker, you have skills and relevant work experience and an employer in Australia that is interested in sponsoring you to work for them. Your occupation has to be on the skilled list which is divided into the Short -Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) and the Medium and Long -Term Strategic occupation list. (MLTSSL).  You cannot apply for a 187 unless you are already a holder of a 482 or 457 visa and meet specific conditions.

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    Student or Graduate Visa

    Student Visa subclass 500 and Temporary Graduate Visa subclass 485.

    Anyone who wants to experience Australia’s high quality of education can apply for a student visa (500). The education provider and country of citizenship determine student visa requirements. There is an exceptional wide range of courses on offer from English courses through to PhDs and everything in between.  Once a student completes their qualification in Australia and they meet certain study requirements they can apply for a Temporary Graduate Skilled Visa (485) which will give them unrestricted work rights. A subclass 485 visa has two streams. One is a Post Study Work Stream and other is a Graduate Work Stream.  A 485 can be granted for up to 4 years depending on what qualification has been completed in Australia, however, the most common time frames which 485 visas are granted are either 18 months or two years.

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    Frequently asked questions

    • I want to sponsor my partner, what are the basic things to consider?

      Many Australians find overseas partners who they wish to spend the rest of their life with, and there is a pathway to obtain a permanent visa based on a genuine relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian Permanent Resident or Eligible NZ citizen.

      Most partner visas can be lodged in or out of Australia, except for Prospective Partner visas, which must be lodged when the overseas partner is offshore. To lodge any partner visa, the applicants must show that their relationship is genuine and mutually exclusive.

      This visa can be based on marriage, a de-facto relationship of living together for 12 months under the same roof, or de-facto of less than 12 months of living together and registering their relationship with the Registry Office of their State/Territory in Australia. Please note that not all States and Territories have a facility for relationship registration. As an example, WA and NT do not allow for relationship registration. In the case of these two states, you and your partner need to either be living together for 12 months under the same roof or get married prior to lodging your partner visa. Please also note that if you are going to lodge on basis of being married, the marriage needs to have taken place prior to lodgement.

      A partner visa is a two-stage application. In the first stage, once positively assessed, a provisional visa is granted. After two years from lodgement of the provisional visa, the provisional visa holder can apply for a permanent visa.

      It is important to check if your overseas partner does not have an 8503 condition (no further stay) on their visa from which they are going to lodge a partner visa, as this condition would prevent them from lodging another visa onshore. A no further stay condition is (8503) is typically, but not always, placed on some visitor visas, especially 600 visas and family-sponsored visitor visas.

    • What is an Expression of Interest (EOI)?

      An EOI is not a visa application, it is an application that you would like to be invited to apply for a skilled visa. It’s an online form, with no fee which asks you a series of questions about how you intend to score your points for a subclass 189, 190 or 491 visa application. It is imperative that your points are calculated accurately so that when a visa application is lodged after being granted an invitation, the points in the visa application are the same as the points claimed in the EOI. An EOI does not result in a bridging visa.

    • One or both of my parents are in Australia on a visitor visa, are we able to lodge a Parent Visa in Australia?

      To lodge an onshore parent visa, your parents must meet the balance of family test. In addition, at least one of your parents must be old enough to receive the age pension in Australia. They must not have an 8503 (no further stay) condition on their visitor visa, or if they do, they must apply for it to be waived prior to lodging the application.

    • I want to apply for permanent residence based on Employer Nominated Sponsorship –what are the overall pathways?

      There are two application pathways for this category.

      Pathway One – Temporary Residence Transition:

      Once 457 visa holders have been employed for two years with the same employer or an associated entity of that employer, provided their 457 visas was lodged prior to 18th April 2017, they can apply for an Employer Nominated Sponsorship, 186 visa before reaching 50 years old.

      Alternatively, 482 visa holders can apply for an Employer Nominated Sponsorship Visa, 186, provided their occupation is on the Medium and Long-term Strategic List (MLTSSL), and have been sponsored by the same employer, or an associated entity of that employer, for three years. The application has to be lodged prior to turning 45 years old.


      Pathway Two – Direct Entry:

      The occupation that the business will nominate you has to be on the Medium and Long-term Strategic List (MLTSSL) list of occupations. The 186-visa applicant must complete a Skills Assessment from the assessing authority of that occupation and demonstrate that you have had a minimum of three years’ experience post qualification in that occupation. Applicants need to be under 45 years old at the time of application.

    • Resident Return Visa, subclass 155 – what are my options?

      You are required to apply for an RRV (Resident Return visa) if your Permanent Residence visa is about to expire and you intend to depart and return to Australia or you are offshore and wish to renew your permanent residence visa.

      If you’ve been living in Australia for at least two years (this can be accumulative) in the last five years prior to lodging your Resident Return Visa (RRV), you will be granted a new five-year block of time so you can continue living in Australia with your Permanent Residence visa.

      If you have been living in Australia for less than two years in the last five years, or living overseas but have visited Australia even for a short period of time, prior to the date of lodging a new RRV application, you may be eligible for a one-year RRV.

      To be eligible for a one-year RRV, you would need to present evidence of your ties to Australia, such as employment, family/personal, investment or business commitments. If you have spent a substantial amount of time offshore in the last 5 years and only on occasion visited Australia, it is also advisable to write a statement explaining your absence from Australia.

      If you live in Australia and your Permanent Residence visa expires, your visa status will automatically carry over – meaning you will continue to have Permanent Residence visa status. If you then wish to travel outside Australia, you will need to apply for an RRV, which will enable you to return to Australia as a continuation on your Permanent Residence Visa, but with a new RRV visa.

      Please contact us and speak to our expert team at AustraliaMigrate to help you with the renewal of your RRV.

    • Can I apply for a Bridging visa?

      In limited circumstances, you can apply for a bridging visa if you are in Australia without a valid visa.

      A bridging visa A is granted automatically when an application is made for another visa while the applicant is holding a substantive (that is a proper visa, such as student, visitor, working holiday visa TSS etc).

      A bridging Visa or C is granted if an applicant is in Australia and holds a bridging visa A, or in some cases does not hold any visa, and applies for another visa. It allows them to remain in Australia until a decision is made on their application. The Department will usually place a work restriction on a bridging visa C, but it is possible to apply for work rights to have this overturned to be able to work.

      If you are granted a bridging visa A, and only when it is active and you want to travel outside of Australia while your application is being assessed, then you need to apply for and be granted a Bridging visa B prior to your scheduled travel.

      At all times, you must avoid being in Australia without a valid visa or a Bridging visa. Unlawful stays in Australia usually carry a three-year restriction on any temporary visa that allows re-entry into Australia.

    • Where can I see my current visa status?

      As a visa holder, you can use VEVO to check your current visa details and conditions. VEVO stands for Visa Entitlement Verification Online. This is a link on the website of the Department of Home Affairs. You will need to have your passport details with you when you apply for a VEVO check.

    What our clients have to say about us

    B. SISSING

    Thank you Ian. Fabulous news. Thanks to you and your team’s effort and work. Great service.

    C. DAVIES

    Thank you SO so much for all of your patience and work on this. Still hasn’t sunk in yet that I’m actually free! Once again, massive thanks to both you and Mariola!!

    CAMILA & CHRISTIAN

    Thanks so much for this excellent news. I’m impressed how fast and smooth it all went, which is a result of excellence in services. Thanks so much for all the attention.

    M. MOBIN

    Thank you Ian ,I highly appreciate your kind efforts. Its a big day for me and my family and you make it possible. May you live long with health, wealth and peace.

    A. CAIRNS

    Great news – we’re very pleased with this result. Many thanks to AustraliaMigrate for all your hard work in getting this over the line. Have a lovely weekend!

    J. FOGARTY

    That’s the best news I’ve had in a long time. Thanks so much for all your help and patience. You’ve been awesome! 🙂

    K. MOISES

    This is fantastic news! You have been so helpful throughout this process and a pleasure to work with.

    A.LOCKWOOD

    Thanks again Ian ; as always you never fail to deliver 😉

    S. LEE

    Thank you for your working. It is Fantastic news !! I am very happy~. Thank you very much.

    L. VELICH

    Fantastic news!!! Thank you very much for your help with this one. Great start of the week indeed. Thank you Ian.

    J. BIRD

    Thanks again Ian, you and your team have been a great help.

    A. CAIRNS

    Great news – we’re very pleased with this result. Many thanks to AustraliaMigrate for all your hard work in getting this over the line. Have a lovely weekend!

    D.BROE

    Wow that was fast. Thank you very much Mariola and Ian. Great job.

    D. KEANE AND L. SON Drainer

    This is brilliant news we thank you and Ian for helping us out gaining our permanent residency.

    I. TAN

    Thank you Ian and your team for making it possible for Sebastian to stay with us.

    S.SANNA

    I am so happy that my visa application is being accepted, thank you for your help and availability, have a good weekend, and thanks again.

    SHAUN AND RACHEL

    Hi Ian, A big thanks to you and Lynn for all your help.

    J. BROAD

    Hi Ian, Thank you so much for your time and hard work. Marilia and myself are both thrilled.

    K. WINN

    Thank you so much for all your help and assistance with the application.I am very happy!

    L. DREYER

    Hi Ian, Thanks foor making my day, week, month and year! This is truly amazing news! Please thank the extended team that worked on our application.

    T. GOODWIN

    That’s fantastic, big thanks to all for your kind support and assistance.Many thanks.

    ROCKY

    Dear Ian, Izzy and I would like to thank you and your staff so much for all the hard work in helping us to obtain Nazma’s visa in Australia. We know that it could not have happened without you. Many thanks again Ian and will keep in touch. All the best to you and your team for all their assistance.

    DANICA & VLAD

    Hi Ian, First of all THANK YOU and your team! Thank you for working with us on this application till the very end, thank you for the magnificent news! Although the process was stressful, the result is the only thing that matters and we couldn’t be happier! And the date couldn’t be better! We will always have fireworks on our PR day! And Thank you for your kind wishes! Wish you all the best!

    M. SINGH

    Thanks so much for your kind efforts to help Sumit and his wife to grant 457 visa.Actually I was overseas and came back yesterday. I am extermely happy for their decision. they both are coming on 12th of March.

    MAYA AND WAZ

    Hi Ian, Amazing news 🙂 Thank you so much to you and your team for all your help. Warren and I are very grateful. We will definitely keep recommend you to friencts and people we know.: )

    R. TAYLOR

    Hi Ian and Mariola, Thanks so much for all your help, that’s great news!!

    V. PEREIRA

    That’s awesome guys! Thank you guys for all!

    DEB, NEIL AND SARDEB, NEIL AND SARAH

    Hi Ian. I just drove through to Neil’s work to tell him and he’s over the moon. It has been such a journey to get here and we have been through SO much to make it all happen – but we would never have done it without you and your amazing team. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Have a great evening.

    LOTS OF LOVE FROM JACK AND MELISSA XX

    Hello Lynn and Ian, How are you? I just wanted to let you know that my Visa has been granted. I have my Permanent Residency! Thank you for everything, Lynn has been so helpful during the all process. I could never have done it without you. I hope everything is going all right for you guys. Take care.

    C. ABRAMS

    Thanks Ian for pushing these through in time.

    G. DIONISIO

    Dear Ms Lynn, Thank you for the information, appreciated your time and effort for lodging our visa. Looking forward to seeing you for the future visa. Thank you.

    P. NAIDU

    Hi Kathy & Ian, Thank you so much for this. It’s great news. Thank you once again.

    P. KADIUM

    Hello IAN,Thank you again. It was a wonderful experience working with you.

    A. Lueer

    Dear Ian and Kathy, I can’t believe it, such good news! Thank you so so much for all your help and effort!!! Richard and I really appreciate it. I can’t find the right words to describe how grateful we are. Thank you! May both of you have a wonderful weekend.

    M. Essers

    WOW! This is amazing. Ian, Mariola and team, I cannot express my gratitude enough for all the effort and hard work you put in to making this happen. Thanks you so so much!!!

    Kimmy and Pete

    Ian and Lynn, Pete and I would like to thank you both for all your direction and hard work to make this happen. We really appreciate it. We’re elated that the Partnership Visa has finally been granted! We will be eternally grateful to both of you for making this tedious process easier for us. We couldn’t have done it without your expertise and guidance. Thank you, thank you, thank you… Have a wonderful day,

    LISA POWER

    Thank you so much this has made my day 😍😍😍😍😅

    I can’t believe it after all these years

    Thanks again JUST BRILLIANT NEWS!!

    SAYA AGEIWA

    Thank you so so so much for your hard work and support!!! We are very happy and emotional!! Today is actually our wedding anniversary, and this email made today even special.

    I truly appreciate your support all the way.

    DORIS BUECHNER

    Thank you very much for this great news. I am very glad that the wait is over and that I can finally start working

    CHANEL WATTERSON

    Thank you for the excellent news 🙂 and thank you for all your help. I really appreciate it!

    You will be hearing from me in the near future.

    Wishing you both all the best, especially in these unpredictable times.

    TONY PHILLIPS

    Thank you so much for all of your help with this application. I have no doubt we would not have looked to so good without your expertise and support.

    You guys have a done a great job and Mariola your professionalism is brilliant.

    Thank you both again.

    PASCALINE BIZIEN

    OMG

    That is the best news EVER!

    Thank you so so much for all your help to you and Ian! I am so glad I chose you to help me with all my visas all these years!

    Will highly recommend Australia Migrate if I heard anyone looking for an agent 🙂

    Thanks again!

    NATHAN YU AND JESSICA LIN

    Hi Ian & Lynn,

    Thanks for your email! We are really thrilled to hear the news!

    Jessica and I really appreciate your support during this time. Without your help, the application process won’t be so smooth.

    Thank you so much.

    JACQUES LABUSCHAGNE

    WOW WOW WOW!!

    That is amazing!! So super stoked and happy!

    Again, thank you so much for all your effort and work put into this process!!

    My Family & I thanks you from the bottom of their hearts!

    DIANDRA AND RICKY

    Thank you so much for all your help. We really appreciate it and we are soooo happy – I can’t even described 😊🙏🏻🤗

    Thank you again!

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