General Skilled Migration – Important Things To Know

For those that are eligible, the Skilled Independent Subclass 189 visa is an ideal way to obtain Australian permanent residence.

Unfortunately, there are many people who do not have a proper understanding of how the program works and as a result, end up wasting time trying to pursue a visa they are not eligible for.

The first, and most important point, is that for migration purposes the government publishes two occupations lists. One is called the Skilled Occupations List (SOL) and the other is the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL). These lists have been devised for different purposes.

It is only occupations which appear on the SOL which are eligible for the189 visa. Many prospective applicants are of the belief that if they can find their occupation on the CSOL they are entitled to apply for the 189 visa when this is not the case.

If you have an occupation which is listed on the SOL and wish to apply for a 189 visa, it is necessary to apply for a skills assessment. For each occupation on the SOL, the details of the nominated assessing authority are included. There is a charge for an assessment to be done and you should expect the process to be quite comprehensive – this means that you will need to provide certified copies of relevant qualifications, transcripts of studies and work references with comprehensive descriptions of work duties involved in.

At the moment, in order to apply the 189 visa it is first necessary to lodge what is known as an Expression of Interest with the Department of Immigration. In order to be able to successfully lodge the Expression of Interest it is necessary to be able to demonstrate that you can obtain at least 60 points by reference to a points test in which points are given for various attributes such as skills, age, English language ability et cetera. If you can demonstrate that you meet the pass mark you may then be invited by the Department of Immigration to apply for a visa.

Before considering whether or not to proceed with an application it is also necessary to bear in mind that eligible applicants must:

• be between 18 and 49,
• have competent English or higher (this is proven by way of test)
• meet health and character requirements.

Even if an applicant satisfies the pass mark, an invitation to apply for a visa may not necessarily issue. In respect of each occupation there is a ceiling which determines the intake of applicants for that occupation for the year, thereby regulating the labour market for that particular occupation.

If an invitation is issued you have 60 days in which to lodge your visa application with the Department, failing which the invite lapses. Obviously, it is most important to be confident that you will have all required documentation ready for lodging as soon as possible after an invitation is received.