Permanent Visas

The Australian Migration Program is open to everyone who qualifies to migrate to this country. The Migration Program is only for permanent visas, but temporary visas that will lead to permanent visas - such as a Fiancé Visa - are also included here.

The Refugee Program for Australia is separate, and is not covered on this website.

The Migration Program

Migrants to Australia are not selected because of their race, gender or culture. Instead, qualification to migrate depends on skills, age, work experience, your ability to speak English and whether you have family or business contacts here.

It is a big step to migrate permanently to another country, and it is expensive, but many migrants have arrived and settled in Australia, and regard it as a land of opportunity - beautiful and spacious. In Western Australia, for example, 31% of the total population of 1,713,023 were born overseas at the 1996 census and in metropolitan Perth 35% of residents were born overseas.

The categories are:

Skilled Migrants Program - Temporary and permanent visas. The temporary visas in this category are pathways to a permanent visas.
Business Migrants

The other half of the Migration Program places go to family reunion and resettlement of former residents and citizens, and for the families of New Zealanders. These categories are:

Family Migrants
Special Eligibility

Applying under the Skilled Migrants Program

Independent and Family Sponsored Skilled Visas - Offshore applications. This means that the visa applicant must be overseas at time of visa grant. You can apply while in Australia, but there is no Bridging Visa available.

(In September 2007 wholesale changes were made the General Skilled Migration Scheme. Visa subclasses 136, 137, 138 & 139 no longer exist)

Skilled - Independent Migration Visa, Subclass 175. This visa is for people with good qualifications and work experience in either a trade or a profession that is required in Australia. They are able to find work quickly and settle into Australian life without need of a relative or employer to sponsor them. This is a points tested visa.

Skilled -Sponsored Visa, Subclass 176. This visa is for those people who have close family members in Australia who are able to sponsor them. They are assessed on their skills, age, English language ability and family relationship. This visa has the points system.
Applicants without relatives in Australia can apply to a State or Territory for nomination. Several States are already offering nomination and have specific lists of occupations that they will sponsor.
Skilled - Regional Sponsored Visa, Subclass 475. This Visa is Provisional (Temporary) Visa. The Provisional Visa is valid for 3 years only. The Residence Visa can be applied for in Australia when migrants have lived in the designated area for the required time.

Available onshore in Australia (Bridging Visa available), or offshore overseas:

Distinguished Talent Migration Visa, Subclasses 124 (overseas) and 858. This is a small category for especially talented people, particularly in the arts, sports, academic research or in a profession. It is not points tested, and you can be older than 45 or under 18. But it is only offered to very talented people who can benefit the Australian community.

Onshore Graduate Student Migration Visas. These visas can only be applied for when the visa applicant is in Australia, there is a Bridging Visa granted, and you must also be in Australia for visa grant.

Onshore Independent Skilled Graduate Migration Visa, Subclass 880. This visa is for application by students who have completed an educational course in Australia within the last 6 months. This visa has the points system.
Onshore Skilled Graduate Student - Australian Family Sponsored Migration Visa, Subclass 881. This visa is for graduates who have close family members in Australia who are able to sponsor them. This visa has the points system.
Onshore Skilled Graduate Student - Regional (Designated Area) Family Sponsored Migration Visa, Subclass 882. This visa is not points tested. The Australian family sponsors must live in certain 'Designated' areas of Australia where more migrants are needed.

Skilled New Zealand Citizen Migrants. These visas can only be applied for in Australia.

Onshore Independent Skilled New Zealand Citizen Migration Visa, Subclass 861. This visa is for New Zealanders already in Australia who wish to apply for permanent residence. This visa has the points system.
Onshore Skilled New Zealand Citizen - Australian Family Sponsored Visa, Subclass 862. This visa is for New Zealanders who have close family members in Australia who are able to sponsor them. This visa has the points system.
Onshore Skilled New Zealand Citizen - Regional (Designated Area) Family Sponsored Visa Subclass 863. This visa is not points tested. But the principal migrant must have the basic requirements for all skilled visas. The Australian family sponsors must live in certain 'Designated' areas of Australia where more migrants are needed.

Employer Sponsored and Nominated Visas - none of these visas are points tested.

Australian Employer Nominated Migration Visa Subclasses 856 (onshore) and Subclass 121(offshore). Employers may nominate skilled people from overseas to fill an Australian job vacancy when it is hard to find a suitable local person. skilled for the job. This is also called the 'ENS' visa.
Regional (Designated Area) Employer Sponsored Migration Visa, Subclasses 857 (onshore) and Subclass 119 (offshore). If your Australian employer is in a remote area outside the main metropolitan districts, he or she can sponsor you through this scheme.
Labour Agreement Migration Visa, Subclasses 855 (onshore) and 120 (offshore). This is a visa arrangement between an Australian Employer, the Unions, and government authorities to import workers with skills in demand, either permanently or on a temporary visa. We deal with permanent migrants here.

Temporary/Provisional Visas

There are two temporary/provisional visas available in the Skilled Migration category:

Skilled Recognised Graduate Temporary Visa, Subclass 476. This visa allows recent graduates of selected overseas universities to gain up to 18 months of skilled work experience in occupations in demand in Australia.As a holder of this visa, you may apply for permanent residence at any time if you are able to meet the passmark on the General Skilled Migration points test.
Skilled – Graduate (Temporary) visa Subclass 485 An 18 month temporary visa for overseas students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) years study. Allows applicants who are unable to pass the points test to remain in Australia for 18 months to gain the skills and experience needed to apply for a permanent or provisional General Skilled Migration visa. No points test applies.

Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) Visa Subclass 495, This is a points tested visa. For those who do not have enough points for an Independent Visa you must have sponsorship from a Regional area of Australia.

Applying under the Business Migrants Program

Business Migrants come under the Skilled Migrants Stream, but there are so many special provisions for them that Australia Immigration Visa Services place them under separate categories.

It's worth looking at the statistics to see where migrants came from, and where they settled in Australia. These are the top ten countries of origin: Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Africa, Malaysia, United Kingdom, Singapore, South Korea, Kenya and the United States of America.

40% of Business Migrants settled in NSW.
17% in Queensland.
16.5% in West Australia.
14% in Victoria.
Settlement in the other States and Territories was minimal.

Business Skills Provisional Visa categories (Class UR).

Since 1st March 2003, there are now 6 new Provisional Business Skilled Visas to allow suitably skilled migrants with financial backing to travel to Australia to start a business or to buy into an existing one. These visas are temporary and none of them are points tested as in the old system.

Business Owner (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 160). These temporary visas are granted to business people who have a history of success in their present overseas business, a good turnover and total business and personal assets over AUD$500,000.
State or Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 163). This is the same as the visa for Business Owners, but has a higher age entry and lower total business and personal asset requirements. You can also enter for this sponsored category if you have a business record as a senior manager. See the website for details.
Senior Executive (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 161). This is a temporary visa for senior executives in a large company. It has requirements for age, English language, net personal assets, levels of management you have previously held in your present business, and overall business success. See the Australia Immigration Visa Services website for details.
State or Territory Sponsored Senior Executive (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 164). This is a temporary visa for senior executives in a large company, the same as the previous un-sponsored visa, but the requirements are a little easier. For example, a higher age bracket can be approved if your business is of exceptional economic value to the sponsoring State or Territory. See the website for details.
Investor (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 162). Like the other Provisional visas, there is no longer a points test for this visa. But applicants will have to prove that they have a sound experience of Investment management. You must also be under 45 years of age and speak at least vocational English. See the Australia Immigration Visa Services website for details.
State or Territory Sponsored Investor (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 165). To apply for a sponsored visa, you must first contact the State or Territory where you plan to build your new business, or buy into an existing one. Sponsorship will allow you to apply with slightly lower criteria - for example, you can have AUD$1,125,000 in net asset value instead of AUD$2,250,000. You must also be under 55 years of age instead of under 45 years. See the Australia Immigration Visa Services website for details.

Business Skills Permanent Visa categories (Class DF).

When you have lived in Australia for two years as the holder of a Provisional Visa, and your company is running successfully, you can then apply for a Permanent (Residence) Business Skilled Visa.

Business Owner (Residence) Visa (Subclass 890). If you hold a Business Owner (Provisional) visa, a permanent visa can be applied for when you have set up business in Australia. There are requirements to prove that you have established your business interests here. For example, you must register with the Australian Taxation Office and obtain an Australian Business Number.
State or Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Residence) Visa (Subclass 892). If you are granted a Provisional visa in this category, you can apply after a minimum of 2 years for the permanent visa.
Investor (Residence) Visa (Subclass 891). Investors (Provisional) Visa holders can apply for either a State or Territory Sponsored Investors (Residence) visa (Subclass 893), or the Investors (Residence) Visa (Subclass 891) without sponsorship. The holders of these two Provisional visas can also apply for the State or Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Residence) Visa (Subclass 892).
State or Territory Sponsored Investor (Residence) Visa (Subclass 893). These visas can be applied for by either of the Investor's Provisional Visa holders.

Business Skills Migration Visas.

There is one permanent migration visa that can be applied for without a Provisional visa first.

Business Talent Migration Visa (Subclass 132). This visa is for highly successful business people.

There are also two categories of Business Migrant visas granted to applicants who are already in Australia on a temporary visa, other than a Bridging Visa or a Criminal Justice Visa. You must have been in Australia at least 9 months to apply.

Applying under the Family Migrants Program

Family migrants must have a responsible relative in Australian who will sponsor them. A family migrant who will not be self-supporting (eg. a child or an elderly person) should apply under this category, but if you are a family member who is independent and of working age you should apply for Skilled Migrant - Australian Family Sponsored Visa or a Skilled Migrant - Regional Family Sponsored Visa.

As a Family migrant you will not be tested on your skill level or your English Language ability, but you will be assessed against Australia's health and character requirements, as are all migrants. The family relationship with your sponsor is the aspect DIAC will be examining.

You may apply as a Family Migrant in one of the following categories:

Partner

Spouse, or de facto Spouse, Partner Migration Visa - or established partner.
Fiancé Visa (Prospective Marriage Partner) - intending to get married, a fiancé.
Interdependent Partner Migration Visa - for people of the same sex who live together interdependently.

Child

Parent

New Visa regulations came into effect on 1st July, 2003 to cater for a larger entry of parents. 1,000 places will be available each year for the parent visa classes, and 3,500 for the contributory parent visa classes. It is hoped that this extra provision for parent migrants will clear the waiting list, and allow families to be reunited. Parent visas in the contributory classes will be processed faster.

Parent Visas that are capped - only a few granted per year:

Parent Visa - Class AX (Subclass 103) - Parents are not limited on age if they apply outside Australia.
Aged Parent Visa - Class BP (Subclass 804) - This is available only for Aged Parents to apply onshore in Australia.

Parent Visas that are not capped - but there is a high charge to cover medical expenses for older people.

Contributory Parent - Class CA (Subclass 143) - Parents are not limited on age if they apply outside Australia.
Contributory Parent - Class DG (Subclass 864) - This visa is available only to retirement-aged parents - Aged Parents.

There are also two new Temporary Parent Visas available. See our List of Parent Visas for the whole program - there are now 6 visas available for parents.

Other Family

Aged Dependent Relative, Family Migration - this is for elderly people who are now single, without a partner.
Remaining Relative Visa - for a relative who is the last family member to remain overseas.
Carer Migration Visa - this visa is for someone travelling to Australia to look after a relative.

Step relatives

Family tree available by clicking on Diagram 1.
Family tree available by clicking on Diagram 2.

Applying under the Return Visas Program

Resident Return Visa