Skilled Visa

Australia has a number of visa options for individuals who are skilled and wish to work and live in Australia. These visas are designed to target genuine skill shortages, diversify business expertise and increase entrepreneurial talent, without displacing Australian workers.

Mk Immigration Services provides consultation, assessment, and visa services for the General Skilled Migration category.

Various visas under the General Skilled Migration category are:

Skilled Independent visa – subclass 189
Skilled Regional Sponsored visa – subclass 489 (State Regional Sponsored Stream & Family Sponsored Stream)
Skilled Nominated visa – subclass 190
Skilled Regional Subclass 887

Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) is for people seeking an independent permanent skilled visa. This includes people without an employer or family sponsor, or state or territory government nomination. Applicants must meet the necessary thresholds, including holding a suitable skills assessment in a nominated occupation on the MLTSSL, and meeting the gazetted points test mark.

Skilled Independent (New Zealand) stream (Subclass 189)

This stream is for New Zealand Special Category (subclass 444) visa holders who have lived in Australia for the requisite residence of a continuous period of five years immediately prior to application, and have commenced that period of usual residence on or before 19 February 2016.

Unlike other Skilled Visas, there is no age limitation.

They must have a taxable income at or above an income threshold for each income year in the five years prior to lodging an application unless they can claim one of the exemptions specified in the legislation. The income threshold for the fiscal years from 2013 to 2017 was $53,900 per annum.

Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

Subclass 190 – Skilled Nominated (Permanent) Visa is for people who have received state/territory government nomination and are seeking a permanent skilled visa. You must be under 45 years of age and have competent English.
This visa lets you and any additional applicants live and work in Australia permanently.

Skilled Regional Visa (Subclass 489)

Subclass 489 (Skilled Regional) is for intending migrants who are interested in either state or territory government regional nomination or have a family member in regional Australia to sponsor them. The subclass 489 visa is a four-year provisional visa where the visa holder must live in the specified regional area in Australia for at least 2 years, and work there for at least one year. Applicants who meet the 489 criteria after two years may be eligible to meet the second stage requirements for a permanent subclass 887 visa.
Visa holders who are government nominated must live and work in a specified regional area. Visa holders who are sponsored by a relative must live and work in a designated area.

Permanent Regional Visa (Subclass 887)

This visa is the second stage visa process for applicants who had previously been on a Skilled Provisional visa (Subclass 489) and are now seeking permanent residence. These applicants must previously have held one of the following visas:

Skilled Regional visa (subclass 489)
Skilled Independent Regional visa (subclass 495)
Skilled Designated Area Sponsored visa (subclass 496)
Skilled Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 475 or 487)
Bridging visa A or Bridging visa B after applying for a subclass 495, 487, or 489 visa

All these skilled provisional visa holders can apply for this second stage permanent residence visa if they have lived for at least two years in regional Australia and worked full time for a total of 12 months in the specified regional area.