General Skilled Migration to Australia

General Skilled Migration Application to Australia | Here’s a summary of the process:

#1 Potential applicants whose occupation is on a relevant Skilled Occupation List can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to let the Department of Home Affairs know of their intention to apply for a General Skilled Migration Visa.

#2 Once the EOI is submitted, applicants will be ranked against others that have lodged an EOI for their occupation. The EOI will be stored in the system and is valid for 2 years. Before receiving an invitation to apply for a visa, the EOI can be updated at any time if circumstances change. For example, if the applicant has gained new qualifications that can add to their points score and improve their rankings.

#3 Invitations are issued regularly via ‘invitation rounds’.

#4 Once an invitation is received, the applicant has 60 days to submit a complete visa application along with all necessary supporting documents.

#5 The application will be assessed by the Department of Home Affairs, and they will check that the applicant meets all the requirements for the visa they have been invited to apply for.

#6 If the application is successful, the visa will be granted. If the application is unsuccessful, the applicant will have the opportunity to appeal the decision or reapply.

#7 For provisional visas such as the 491 Visa, the visa holder will have to meet certain requirements throughout their 494 Visa period to become eligible to apply for Permanent Residence through the 191 Visa.

#8 After meeting the requirements, the visa holder can apply for Permanent Residence and if granted, will be able to live and work in Australia indefinitely.

It’s important to note that the above process may vary depending on the type of visa and the individual circumstances of the applicant.

Generally, the minimum score to receive an invitation for Independent Skilled Visas is 65 points, however, this does vary according to the occupation a person is applying under. The Expression of Interest process is highly competitive and you may need even more points than the minimum required for your occupation if others apply with more points than you. Invitations are issued based on points rankings. Applicants must declare that they have a suitable skills assessment and provide this when they lodge their application. They will also need to achieve a ‘competent’ level of English and be under 45 at the time they receive the invitation. After receiving an invitation to apply for a General Skilled Visa, you can proceed with preparing the visa application and continue your journey to migration.

Like for many other visas, the Department of Home Affairs requires the main applicant and any dependent family members who apply for the visa to meet specific health and character requirements. The applicants may need to have health examinations to prove they meet the health requirement. To prove that the applicants have good character, the Department may also request documents such as police certificates. The visa applicant will also need to pay any debts to the Australian Government if funds are owed. All applicants who are 18 years or older must also read and sign the Australian Values Statement. Applicants who have had a visa cancelled or refused may be ineligible for this visa – you may wish to seek professional migration advice if so.