Skilled Independent 189 Visa

The Skilled Independent visa / Subclass 189 Visa is part of the SkillSelect system. It is is for skilled workers who want to migrate to Australia as permanent residents and whose occupation is on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) formerly called the Skilled Occupations List or SOL. The Subclass 189 visa, allows you to live and work anywhere in Australia

How the 189 Visa Works

The first stage  of the 189 visa is the Expression of Interest (EOI). An EOI is a request by you, to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), to be invited to make a visa application. You will be requested to provide a range of information depending on the type of visa(s) you are interested in applying for. Whether or not you are invited to apply for a visa is strictly determined by a points system. If you do not have the required number of points, you will not be invited to apply. If you are invited to apply and you cannot substantiate the information you provided in your EOI, your visa application may well be refused. Therefore, a well prepared and substantiated EOI is essential. A successful skills assessment by the Australian assessing body mandated by DoHA for your particular trade or profession is an essential part of the application process. The skills assessing bodies are very exacting in their requirements.

The second stage of the189 visa is your visa application. It important to understand that not everyone who submits an EOI will be invited to apply for a 189 visa. Some compare the EOI and Invitation system to a lottery. If you are invited to apply for a 189 visa, the quality and content of your documentary evidence may affect the speed at which your application is processed by the DoHA. Inadequate content, information inconsistent with your EOI, or incorrectly completed application forms may result in your application being refused. The Department’s visa application charges are generally non-refundable in the event of a refusal.

Basic Requirements for the 189 Visa

In order to meet the basic requirements for the Skilled Independent Visa, you must:

  • Have an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) .
  • Have a suitable skills assessment for your occupation
  • Meet the English language requirements
  • Be able to score at least 65 on the points test
  • Submit an Expression of Interest
  • Be invited to apply for a visa
  • Be less than 45 years old when you receive an invitation to apply for a visa
  • Meet health and character requirements.

Applying for the 189 Visa

If you are invited to apply for this visa, you will have 60 days in which to lodge your application

  • You can be inside or outside Australia when you lodge your application;
  • If you apply whilst you are in Australia, you may be eligible for a Bridging visa that allows you to stay lawfully in the country whilst your application is processed;
  • A visa application charge is payable to the DoHA when you lodge your application;
  • Your application must reflect the information provided in your Expression of Interest and be supported by relevant documentary evidence..

Including Family Members

You can include certain family members can be included in your application

  • An additional charge is made by DoHA for each additional applicant;
  • You may need to pay a second visa application charge for family members who do not have proof of having functional English;
  • Family members included in your application need to meet the health and character requirements for this visa;
  • If your spouse and/or other dependents are not included in your visa application, they will usually be required to undergo immigration medicals.

 

Please feel free to contact us if you are contemplating applying for a point tested skilled visa. If you aim to manage the whole application process yourself, a one hour consultation with a member of our team can be worth it’s weight in gold!  

We frequently help 189 visa applicants to resubmit their EOI and 189 visa applications when the’ve taken a DIY approach and had their visa application refused. Making a mistake with an EOI or 189 visa application can prove very expensive! Ouch!!!!

As they say … do it once and do it right!

Contact Us now to find out more

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