Applying for your Permanent Visa in Australia

Applying for your Permanent Visa in Australia Without extensive kissing up, have you been a good employee these past two years on your 457 visa? If so, you are almost at the end of the green and gold rainbow my friend. That’s right, permanent residency is within your grasp and as long as you behave it shall be yours.

Put bluntly, trying to keep up with the changes that the Department of Immigration & Citizenship introduce is akin to trying to nail a jelly to a wall. Applying for your Permanent Visa in Australia Thankfully they have smoothed the path to permanent residency and narrowed it down to the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) and its redneck cousin, the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187).

The graduation from a 457 visa to permanent residency has also been simplified.
Introducing… the Temporary Residence Transition stream. This is designed for 457 visa holders who are under 50, have worked the same position for at least the last two years and the employer wants to keep them permanently. If the role is not too soul destroying and as long as it is available for the next two years it remains your best ticket to gaining permanent residency. Now here is the ironic part; you have to possess proficient English, which should be a given if you hail from the motherland, yet you would be surprised how difficult grammar and punctuation is for some people when faced with the International English Language Testing Scheme.

The small print also ensures a bit of equality as the terms and conditions must match those for an Australian citizen. Your employer must qualify too, notably that they pay you the ‘market rate’ or whatever they would pay you if you were a fair dinkum local. Finally there is the subclass 457 training benchmark that stipulates that they have spent 1% of payroll on training or 2% to an industry training fund.

So that is the simplest route, as ever though there is an alternative; the Direct Entry stream. This is for applicants under 50 with a competent grasp of English who have not yet worked in Australia and have not held a 457 visa for at least the last two years. Basically those outside Australia and international students then. This method is also a little trickier, specifically as you must provide a skills assessment and have at least three years of relevant experience.

Again, the employer is scrutinised but for this visa there is a bit more consideration. Firstly, the business must be actively and lawfully operating in Australia, which is kinda looking out for you actually. The position you opt for must be full-time, available for two years and on the new consolidated sponsored occupation list. Again, the employer must provide training and pay you the ‘market rate’.

Whichever visa you apply for there will be stringent checks when applying so be prepared to back up what you claim. Do not think that internships and unpaid employment count as work experience, they want to know what full-time work you did. The Department of Immigration & Citizenship are not mugs and when considering your employment history they will request proof in the form of letters from your employer with their letterhead, signature including the name and position of the person authorised to sign the reference itself and their direct contact number. The letter should detail the period of employment, specify whether permanent or temporary, full or part time, position/s held, the main five duties undertaken and the salary earned. You can also throw in tax returns, superannuation information, pay slips and employment contracts. If you have a relevant certificate or degree do send along a certified copy.

Finally, there is the points system which does exactly what it says on the tin. This mainly applies to those who wish to apply via SkillSelect whereby certain criteria are awarded points, the more criteria you meet the better your chance of gaining permanent residency.

Visa Subclass:
If sponsored by a relative in a designated area or state or territory government = 10 points
By a state or territory government with an occupation on the State/Territory Nominated Skilled Occupations List = 5 points

Age:
18 to 24 and 33 to 39 = 25 points,
25 to 32 = 30 points

English Language Ability:
Competent = 0 points
Proficient (aka B grade) = 10 points
Superior (aka A grade) = 20 points

Australian Educational Qualification:
At least two years of full-time study in Australia at an Australian institution relevant to your nominated occupation = 5 points (5 more if it was living in a regional or low population growth area)

Qualifications:
PhD = 20 points
Recognised Bachelor degree = 15 points
Recognised Trade qualification = 10 points

Overseas Work Experience in last 10 years:
8 years+ = 15 points
5 years+ = 10 points
3 years+ = 5 points
Less than 3 years = 0 points

Australian Work Experience in last 10 years:
8 years+ = 20 points
5 years+ = 15 points
3 years+ = 10 points
1 year+ = 5 points
Less than 1 year = 0 points