1. How can I live permanently in Australia under the General Skilled Migration program?

There are 12 different General Skilled Migration visas. Some are available to skilled people with Australian relatives who are willing and able to sponsor them. Others are for those people who are sponsored by an Australian State or Territory government. There are also ´independent´ General Skilled Migration visas, for applicant who do not have any Australian relatives or are unable to obtain State or Territory government sponsorship.

To determine the right visa for you, and to read more about each of these visa categories, you should visit the General Skilled Migration website. This site contains detailed information on all General Skilled Migration visa options and their requirements.
See: General Skilled Migration

2. What are the basic requirements for a General Skilled Migration Visa?

Australia's General Skilled Migration Program is designed to attract people who have skills in particular occupations that are required in Australia. These occupations are listed on Australia's Skilled Occupation List (SOL).
See: Skilled Occupation List

If you want to apply to live permanently in Australia under one of the General Skilled Migration visa categories you will need to meet all of the following basic requirements:

·         you must be under 45 years of age at the time you apply - unless you have been invited to apply for a General Skilled Migration visa

·         your occupation must be listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)

·         an organization in Australia, known as the relevant assessing authority, must assess your skills as being suitable for your nominated occupation

·         you must have a high level of English

·         you must have one of the following

o        recent skilled work experience

o        recently completed an Australian qualification as the result of two-years full-time study in Australia

o        be the holder of an Occupational Trainee visa and have completed the course, training or work experience for which this visa was granted

o        be in Australia as the holder of a Working Holiday visa for at least 6 months.

Unless you meet all of the above requirements, you are unable to apply for a General Skilled Migration visa.

More detailed information on the requirements for General Skilled Migration is available.
See: General Skilled Migration

3. What is the points test and will my application be assessed against the points test?

The points test is a requirement for some General Skilled Migration visa categories. The pass mark is the total number of points you need to score on the points test in order to be eligible for a points-tested General Skilled Migration visa. You must score sufficient points on the points test to reach the pass mark applicable to your visa subclass.

You must meet the pass mark that is in effect on the day you make your application.

You should be aware that for the points-tested General Skilled Migration visas, the points test is just one requirement that you must meet. There are other visa specific requirements that you need to meet before your visa can be granted.

More detailed information on the General Skilled Migration points test is available. This includes a list of visas which are points tested and further detail about the different parts of the points test.
See: What is the points test?

4. What is a pool mark?

If you achieve a score which is below the current pass mark, but above another mark, known as the ´pool mark´, your application will be held in reserve for up to two years after assessment. When this happens, your application has been ´pooled´, or placed ´in the pool´.

If the pass mark is lowered at any time in that two-year period, and your score is equal to or higher than the new pass mark, your application will be processed further. If the pass mark is not lowered, your visa application will be refused.

Apart from waiting in the pool, there are other visa options you could consider if you do not meet the pass mark. Further information on these options is available.
See: What is the points test?

5. What is the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)?

The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) lists the occupations eligible for migration under the General Skilled Migration visa categories. It also states the number of points awarded to each occupation for the ´skill´ part of the General Skilled Migration points test. In addition, it lists the name of the Australian assessing authority responsible for assessing whether a person's skills/qualifications meet the Australian Standard and are suitable for migration purposes.

In order to lodge a valid General Skilled Migration visa application, you must nominate an occupation that is on the SOL when you apply. If your occupation is not on this list, you cannot apply.
See:
Do you have a skilled occupation?

6. What is the Sydney and Selected Areas Skilled Shortage List (SSASSL) and do I need to nominate an occupation listed on SSASSL?

If you are applying for a Skilled - Australian Sponsored (subclass 138) visa and you are sponsored by a relative who lives in Sydney, Gosford, Newcastle or Wollongong you must nominate an occupation that is on the Sydney and Selected Areas Skilled Shortage List (SSASSL).

This occupation must be on the SSASSL at the time you apply and when your application is assessed.

In addition, your work experience must be in any skilled occupation that is on the SSASSL.

Further detailed information is available on requirements for Skilled - Australian Sponsored (subclass 138) visa applicants who have a sponsor living in Sydney, Gosford, Newcastle or Wollongong. This information includes a list of postcodes that are in ´Sydney and Selected Areas´.
See: About the Sydney and Selected Areas Skills Shortage List

7. Will I need to meet the two year study requirement?

To make a valid application for a General Skilled Migration visa which can be applied for, and granted, while you are in Australia, you must meet the 2 year study requirement.

The only exceptions to this are if you are:

·         the holder of an Occupational Trainee visa and have completed the course, training or work experience for which this visa was granted

·         in Australia as the holder of a Working Holiday visa for at least 6 months

and apply for a Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional)visa that can be granted while you are in Australia.

If you are applying for any other General Skilled Migration visa, you will also need to meet the 2 year study requirement if you are seeking an exemption from the recent work experience requirement.

Detailed information about the 2 year study requirement is available from our website.
See: What is the 2 year study requirement?

8. How do I have my skills assessed?

Regardless of which General Skilled Migration visa you apply for, you must provide evidence that your skills have been assessed as suitable for your nominated occupation by the relevant assessing authority before your visa can be granted.

Further detailed information on skills assessments is available from our website.
See: How do you get your skills assessed?

9. Do I need to have my English language ability tested?

If you are applying for General Skilled Migration, you must have sufficient English language ability to be able to work in Australia. This is known as ´vocational English´. Additional points on the points test can be awarded if you demonstrate that you have higher than ´vocational´ level English language ability.

However, if you are applying for either the Skilled-Designated Area Sponsored or Skill Matching categories you may be able to satisfy the English requirement with a lower level of English language ability.

A higher level than ´vocational´ English is required for certain occupations where English language ability forms part of the skills assessment. You can find out the required level of English for your occupation by contacting the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation. Contact details for assessing bodies are available at the end of the Skilled Occupation List.
See: Form 1121i, Skilled Occupation List (SOL), Sydney and Selected Areas Skills Shortage List (SSASSL) and Employer Nominated Skilled Occupation List (ENSOL).

There are three main methods of demonstrating your English language ability:

·         submit the results of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test taken within 12 months of applying for your General Skilled Migration visa. To demonstrate vocational English you must achieve a band score of at least five on all four components of the test - speaking, reading, listening and writing.

·         submit the results of an Occupational English Test, or equivalent. Some assessing authorities may require you to sit this test as part of your skills assessment. A pass result on this test will be accepted as evidence that you meet the vocational English requirement and means that you can be awarded points for competent English under the General Skilled Migration points test.

·         Provide evidence that you are a native English speaker in order to demonstrate vocational or competent English language ability. A native English speaker is a person whose first spoken language was English and who is the holder of a passport of the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, New Zealand, United States of America (USA) or the Republic of Ireland.

If there is any doubt about your English language ability, you may be requested to undertake an IELTS test if you have not already done so. This decision is at the discretion of your case officer.

It is your responsibility to contact an IELTS test centre to make arrangements. You do not need a letter of introduction or referral from the department to take the IELTS test. For the most up-to-date list of IELTS centers, you should see the IELTS website.
See: IELTS website

Further information about the English language requirement for a particular General Skilled Migration visa is contained in the information on the specific requirements for each visa.
See: Self assess against the visa requirements

10. Who can sponsor my General Skilled Migration application?

For some General Skilled Migration categories you must be sponsored by either an Australian relative or a State/Territory government.

For Australian sponsored visa categories, a sponsor is a an eligible relative aged 18 years or over who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. This relative must be willing and able to sponsor you.

For the State/Territory sponsored visas, a sponsor is an authorized State/Territory government agency or a Regional Certifying Body.

Detailed information about who can sponsor you for a specific visa is contained in the information on the requirements for a particular General Skilled Migration visa category.
See: Self assess against the visa requirements

11. Will I need to meet health and character requirements

Yes. All applicants for General Skilled Migration will need to demonstrate that they are of good health and character.

Detailed information on the health and character requirements for General Skilled Migration is available from our website.
See:
Health requirement Character Requirement

12. Where do I lodge an application for a General Skilled Migration visa?

You can apply online for the following General Skilled Migration visa categories:

·         Skilled Independent Overseas Student (Class DD, subclass 880)

·         Skilled - Designated Area Sponsored Overseas Student (Class DE, subclass 882)

·         Skilled - Australian Sponsored Overseas Student (Class DE, subclass 881)

·         Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) (subclass 495)

See: Online services - General Skilled Migration

For all other General Skilled Migration visas, or if you do not wish to apply online, you must mail or courier your application to the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre (ASPC).

Further information on completing and lodging a General Skilled Migration application electronically or by mail/courier is available from our website. This information includes the mail and courier addresses for the ASPC.
See: How do you complete and lodge your application?

Temporary stay in Australia - frequently asked questions

1. What is Temporary Residence?

Many people enter Australia on a temporary basis, whether as visitors, students or for a range of specialized purposes under the Temporary Residence program. Temporary Residence is the right to live and/or work in Australia for a limited time, or the right to live in Australia in retirement.

The focus of the Temporary Residence program is on the areas of skilled employment, social/cultural benefit, and international relations. In all cases the programs are designed to allow overseas people to come to Australia for specific purposes which will result in some benefit to the Australian community:

·         people with specialist skills, such as managers, academics and medical practitioners,

·         people who make a social or cultural contribution to the community, such as entertainers, media and film staff, sports people, religious workers, visiting academics and public lecturers, and

·         people who contribute to the development of international relations, such as diplomatic personnel, participants in exchange programs and working holiday makers.

See: Working in Australia

2. What is the difference between Permanent Residence and Temporary Residence?

Permanent residents have the right to live and work permanently in Australia.

Temporary residents are allowed to stay in Australia for the time specified in their visa. They must depart the country, or apply for a new visa before their visa expires. Temporary residents are required to pay taxes on income earned in Australia. They do not have access to social welfare benefits or national public health cover.

3. What health examinations are needed for temporary residence?

If you are intending a temporary stay in Australia, you are required to declare your health status on your visa application form. In certain circumstances, you may be asked to provide a doctor's report or undertake a medical and/or radiological examination.

This may include where you are:

·         likely to enter a hospital or other health care environment, including nursing homes as either a patient, visitor, trainee or employee,

·         likely to enter a classroom environment, including preschool, créche and child care situations,

·         known or suspected of having a medical condition, regardless of your length of stay,

·         intending to stay in Australia for more than 12 months, or

·         intending to stay in Australia for more than 3 months, and you have recently visited or lived in a country with a Very High-risk rate of tuberculosis (TB).

See:
Health examinations - frequently asked questions
Form 1163i, Health requirement for temporary entry to Australia (PDF* file, 30kb)

* PDF files require the Adobe Reader on your computer.
See: Using PDF Files

4. Why are character checks required to enter/stay in Australia?

See:
Character checks - frequently asked questions
Fact Sheet 79, The Character Requirement

5. Who can be a sponsor?

Any business which is a lawfully operating entity in Australia, who needs to recruit non-resident temporary personnel and who will be offering employment to the person can be a sponsor. The sponsor must be the direct employer of the visa holder and be able to meet the sponsorship undertaking.

6. What is the sponsorship undertaking?

The sponsor must sign an undertaking at the end of the sponsorship application form. The undertaking is provided to support the principle that the entry of temporary residents should not result in financial cost to the Australian community. The sponsor must agree to accept responsibility for:

·         all financial obligations to the Commonwealth incurred by the applicant arising out of their stay in Australia. This could include medical costs, or travel costs if repatriation became necessary and the employee was unable or unwilling to pay for the costs involved. It does not include personal debts that the visa holder may owe,

·         compliance by the applicant with all relevant legislation and awards in relation to any employment entered into by the applicant in Australia,

·         compliance by the applicant with the conditions under which the nominee was allowed to enter Australia.

7. Why do I need to labor market test?

When considering applications, the department is not looking for evidence that the applicant is the preferred employee. Rather, it is looking that no suitably-qualified Australian citizen or permanent resident is readily available to fill the position.

Several temporary visa categories may require labor market testing to establish that the required skills are not readily available in Australia:

·         Education visa,

·         Medical Practitioner,

·         Sport (may be requested),

·         Domestic worker for overseas executive (may be requested).

8. What does labor market testing involve?

Employers must provide documentary evidence of having tested the labor market before lodging a sponsorship application. The labor market testing must have been done in the six months immediately before the application is lodged. The employer must:

·         lodge the position as a vacancy with a job placement provider for national listing for a minimum of four weeks during the eight weeks before lodging the application, or

·         obtain a waiver of this requirement from a job placement provider.

and

·         advertise the vacancy in a Saturday and a weekday edition of both a metropolitan and a national daily newspaper-a total of 4 separate advertisements, or

·         if the businesses is outside major metropolitan areas, advertise the vacancy at least once in both the Saturday edition and a weekday edition of both a major local or regional and a national daily newspaper - a total of 4 separate advertisements, or

·         advertise through professional or trade journals and, where appropriate, internet or local community language newspapers. Where vacancies are lodged on the internet, they should be placed on specialist employment placement and recruitment websites.

Advertisements for a vacancy must:

·         accurately reflect duties, salary and other benefits. The proposed salary must reflect current Australian market rates and employment conditions, and

·         be prominently displayed to attract the best possible response, and

·         describe the position in a way that does not discourage Australian citizens or permanent residents from applying for the position.

When labor market testing is complete, the employer must provide, with the sponsorship, original advertisements and details of all local applicants including whether they are Australian permanent residents and the reason for their non-suitability.

9. What if my application is unsuccessful?

Most decisions made in Australia can be reviewed, as well as a number made overseas (usually where a sponsor, applicant or close family member is involved).

When you are notified of a decision to refuse your application, you will be advised as to whether you may seek a review of the decision made and the time you have to do so. The review in each case will be a review of the merits of the decision.
See: Appeals/reviews - frequently asked questions

10. I have a temporary visa and have changed my employer or occupation. What do I do now?

The work condition on your visa does not allow you to change employer or occupation. The prospective employer will be required to be an approved sponsor and the new position must be skilled.

If you are considering changing, or have already changed employer or occupation, you should contact the department immediately to discuss the matter.

11. I have a four-year temporary visa but my employer no longer needs me. What are my options?

The work condition on your visa does not allow you to change employer or occupation. If your employment with your original employer has finished earlier than the validity of your visa, you should make arrangements to leave Australia without delay.

If you wish to continue to work in Australia, and you have another employer prepared to sponsor you, you should lodge a new application immediately. If no offer of employment is forthcoming or the prospective employer is not approved as a sponsor, your visa may be cancelled and you may be required to leave Australia immediately.

You may not start work for a new employer until you have your new visa, or until the department advises you that you may do so.