Proven Ways to Achieve Permanent Residency in Australia

Chaleen Botha
Jan 6
4 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

In a previous blog post, I discussed a TSS 482 Visa. This is the visa most often offered to candidates as a sponsored visa. It is also one of the pathways to Permanent Residency in Australia.

There are two other pathways to becoming a permanent resident: a family permanent visa and a business or investor permanent visa. This blog will focus on the Working and Skills Visas as the relevant pathway to permanent residency in Australia.

For those possessing a Working and Skills Visa, the following are the pathways to permanent residency.

Employer Nomination Scheme Visa Subclass 186 TRT Stream

An employer can nominate a skilled worker on the TRT (Temporary Resident Transition) stream to permanently live and work in Australia.

To be eligible for this visa, the worker must be under 45, with competent English, have worked on a temporary work visa (subclass 482) for at least two years, be nominated by the same employer, and meet the Immigration Department’s health and character requirements.

Employer Nomination Scheme Visa Subclass 186 DE Stream

An employer can nominate skilled workers who meet the basic eligibility requirements directly to work permanently in Australia.

To be eligible for this visa, the worker must be under 45, have an occupation on the MLTSSL (Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List), have a positive skills assessment with competent English, and meet the Immigration Department’s health and character requirements.

Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190

When nominated and accepted for this visa, you can live and work permanently in Australia as a permanent resident.

Only an Australian State or Territory Government can nominate you. You must attain a minimum score of 65 points on the points test to be eligible and be younger than 45 years old to apply.

You must also have an occupation on the relevant skills list and have completed the suitable skills assessment. Once approved for this visa, you can work and study anywhere in Australia and sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residency. When you choose to do so, if you are eligible, you can become an Australian citizen.

Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189

This visa applies to skilled workers with an occupation on the MLTSSL (Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List) who are invited to apply.

You must have completed the suitable skills assessment and score enough points to submit an EOI (Expression of Interest) to be invited. Once approved for this visa, you can work and study anywhere in Australia and sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residency. When you choose to do so, if you are eligible, you can become an Australian citizen.

Skilled Regional Visa Subclass 191

You can apply online if you have a previous, eligible visa (subclass 494 or 491) and have worked and lived in specified areas of regional Australia for at least three years.

Who Is Included in Your Application for Permanent Residency?

Usually, your dependent children are included when you apply to become a permanent resident in Australia.

Many of my clients have families accompanying them on their journey to Australia. For a child to be included in the granting of the Permanent Resident Visa, they have to be:

younger than 18 years, or
a full-time student aged between 18 and 23 years, or
over 23 and unable to work due to a disability, or
single and dependent on the parent who applied for Permanent Residency

In the event of children who are between 18 and 23 and are not full-time students anymore, they will not fall under the permanent resident visa application. It is imperative to remember that when you begin the process, and your children are already over 18.

This article provides a basic synopsis of information readily available on the Immigration Department of Australia’s website. However, consulting with an Australian licensed recruiter and MARA registered migration agent is worthwhile when you want to start emigrating from your country to Australia.

There is also a misconception that 45 is the cut-off point for many immigrants. However, different avenues are available for older, skilled applicants, and I will discuss this in the following blog. If you want to be notified when that blog is released, please sign up for our newsletter or subscribe to the blog to receive the article in your inbox.

Disclaimer

This blog was written in consultation with Softlanding Migrations. Kindly note that I am a licensed recruiter and am not allowed to answer any questions regarding visas. If you have any questions about visas, you should speak with a migration agent.

Please get in touch with Gerrit (MARN 1175375) and Andries (MARN 2117691) Jansen van Rensburg or any of their friendly team members at Softlanding Migrations.

All rights reserved. Any unauthorised act in connection with this document constitutes an act of copyright infringement and may give rise to civil liability claims. The information provided is based on general knowledge and should not be considered as personalised advice.