Also known as the General Skilled Migration programme, these visas are for people who are not sponsored by an employer and who have skills and experience in occupations required in Australia. To apply under the General Skills Migration programme you must have skills and qualifications in an occupation listed on Australia’s Skilled Occupation List (SOL)
You must also be between 18 and 45 years of age, and have a good grasp of the English language.

Independent (Migrant) visa (subclass 175)
This is a permanent visa available to people who have the required skills in Australia, it allows you to live and work in any area of Australia, claim certain government benefits and act as a sponsor for people wishing to gain permanent residency. You do not need to be sponsored for this visa, but must pass a points test.

Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) visa (subclass 176)
This is another permanent visa for people who fall short of the pass mark for the Skilled Independent visa. You must still pass a points test but the pass mark is lower, and you must also be sponsored by an eligible relative living in Australia or by a nominated State or Territory government of Australia.

Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 475)
This visa has been designed to help attract migrants to live and work in regional areas of Australia where their skills and qualifications are in high demand. It is a temporary three year visa and has a lower pass mark than the Skilled Independent visa. You must either be sponsored by an eligible relative or by a participating State or territory government. After you have lived for at least two years and worked for at least one of those years in a specified regional area you can apply for a permanent visa.

Skilled – Recognised Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 476)
This is an 18 month temporary visa for graduates of recognised overseas educational institutions who have skills in demand in Australia. There is no points test for this visa.

There are a number of visas available to people who are currently residing in Australia on Temporary visas, who wish to apply for a permanent visa. To find out your options for these or for any of the visas above you can give us a call on 0845 601 7810, or fill out our free Australian Migration Assessment form, and one of our registered migration agents will assess your options and contact you back.