What You Should Know Before Applying For A 189 Visa Australia!

If you are an international worker who possesses skills relevant to the Australian economy, you can apply for permanent residency. To get permanent residence in Australia as a skilled worker, you need to apply for the Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189. This visa is based on points and aims to select people with a specific set of skills.

People without sponsorships from relatives, employers, or the Australian government can obtain a visa permit. However, you need to meet all the requirements before applying for the visa. You can refer to this article to find out about the requirements of the particular visa. 

What is required for 189 visas?

The general requirements for obtaining the visa subclass 189 are as follows. 

1. Invitation

An invitation is required to apply for this visa. You will have to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect. You should provide details about your skills, nominated occupation, and qualifications in the EOI. The points you receive will depend on the details you provide. 

The visa applicants are ranked against each other on the basis of their scores. Applicants with higher ranks are summoned by the Australian authorities to submit the visa application. Your points should be 65 or above to get invited for the visa.

2. Time, Age, And Skills Assessment 

You have to submit the application within 60 days of receiving the invite. The applicants need to be below the age of 45. An individual can apply if their nominated occupation falls under the category of eligible skilled occupations. The skills of the applicants will also be assessed by authorities.

3. Debts

You should repay any debts to the Australian government before applying for the visa. Owing debts to the Australian government can significantly impact your skilled independent subclass 189 visa application. 

Remember that the chance of getting a new visa 189 is low if your application gets rejected. It is also challenging to obtain a new visa 189 if it somehow gets canceled during your stay in the country.

4. Character

The visa applicant needs to provide character certificates issued by the police. The family members accompanying them also need to submit character certificates. The applicants or their family members cannot have immigration detention or any criminal record. 

4. English Language Requirements

Any immigration agent in Perth will tell you that the visa 189 applicants must have a Competent English level. You have to sit in an acceptable English language test and obtain a score according to the requirements. You cannot submit a test score more than three years old. 

The family members you include in the application will have to meet English requirements as well. The adult family members must have a Functional English level or above. They are required to take the test within a year of the visa application. 

• The family members need to complete their secondary education in English medium. Moreover, they should also complete a minimum of two years of undergraduate studies in English. 

• Studying for a year in Australia does not exempt the family members from meeting the English language requirements for the visa. 

IELTS

The visa applicant must score above 6 in the four components of IELTS. A score of 4.5 will suffice for the accompanying family members. 

TOEFL iBT

The visa applicant needs to obtain at least 12 for listening and 13 for reading. The score needs to be 18 for speaking and 21 for writing. 

The accompanying family members will have to obtain a total band score of 32, including all four components. 

PTE

While the applicant needs to achieve 50 or above, the family members must get a minimum of 30. However, both can get PTE classes in Parramatta to help them easily achieve the required PTE scores.

CAE

The minimum score of the applicant should be 169. The family members cannot score anything below 147. 

OET

A visa 189 applicant can also sit for the OET. They need to get a B or more than that in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. 

Health Requirements

After receiving the invitation, the visa applicants need to undergo certain health checks. The family members are also required to meet the basic health standards. 

The Australian authorities ensure that the people entering the country are disease-free. The new visa entrants should not pose any threat to the public health of the Australian community.

Partner Requirements

Your points increase if your partner meets the following criteria:

• They are coming to Australia with you.

• They are not a permanent resident or citizen of the country.

• They have a Competent English level.

• They are under the age of 45 years.

• They have the skills and qualifications for a skilled occupation in the Australian economy. 

Processing Time For The 189 Visa

The processing time of the visa will depend on your individual circumstance. Applicants with occupations falling under the list of Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List are given higher priority. It often takes 7 to 8 months for a Visa 189 application to get passed. Sometimes applicants have to wait for a year to get their visa approved.

Reasons Why The Processing Time Is Long

Sometimes the applicants fail to submit the application with the necessary documents. This unnecessarily delays the processing of the visa. However, the authorities might ask for additional information, which will further elongate the application process.

• The verification of the documents provided also takes time. Some information such as the character certificate and health certificate is obtained from external sources. 

• Applicants also need to remember that the processing time depends on the availability of places for migrants.  

Hiring a registered migration agent in Perth will ensure that your application processing time is not delayed. They will help you arrange all the required documents and submit them on time. The experts will have the knowledge to deal with government procedures.    

Application Fees For Visa Subclass 189

The main applicant needs to pay a fee of AUD 4,045 in the first installment. 

• Each accompanying family member needs to pay AUD 4,885 in the second installment. However, the second installment needs to be paid only if the Australian authorities ask. 

• Each family member must pay the application if they are 18 or older. Otherwise, the application fee needs to be paid for family members having less than Functional English.

Additional Costs

The application fee mentioned above only includes the official price. Some additional fee is also required to be paid. This consists of the cost of health assessments conducted by the Australian government. It involves the fees for getting police certificates and other biometric requirements.

You can find a cost estimator for visa 189 on the official Australian government website. However, the estimator will not include the costs of additional expenses. It will also not take into consideration the second instalment fee.  

Summing Up

The visa 189 application will allow you to stay, work and study in any part of Australia. You have to obtain a satisfactory score on the points test. You need to be invited to apply for a visa. You will be given points on the basis of several parameters. Hiring an Immigration Perth will help you meet all the specific requirements of the visa.