Advice For PR Options

Why apply for an Australian PR?

  • 8th Happiest country in the world
  • Inviting half a million migrants by 2024
  • 800,000 job vacancies for skilled professionals
  • 100 times ROI with an Australia PR
  • Access to Universal Healthcare System
  • FREE Education for your children
  • Retirement Benefits
  • Easiest Path to Australian Citizenship

Australian permanent resident status is given to a candidate having a permanent residence visa. However candidates with Australia PR do not hold Australian citizenship. Permanent Residents in Australia can live, work, and study for 5 years permanently in the country. After living in Australia on PR status for 4 years, the candidate can apply for citizenship based on eligibility.

Australia PR process

Generally, the Australian PR process has the following three different stages.

  • Australia Skill Assessment: This can be done through a designated skill assessment body. Get a faster response from them by submitting the requirements soon.
  • Australia PR Visa Approval: Once you submit the required document, the DHA conducts thorough research of your profile. They will give you a visa grant if you meet their specific requirements.
  • Preparation for Departure: Once the candidate gets Australia PR visa approval, the applicant needs to move to Australia as per the initial entry date mentioned on the visa grant letter.

The Australian government provides various pathways for foreign nationals to obtain Permanent Residency in Australia. In recent times, the Australian PR process has become easier for Indians if they apply through a Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) or a Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190). As per the recent news update, Australia and India signed an agreement for easy immigration paths for skilled professionals and students (Read more…).

Visa options to become a Permanent Resident of Australia

Here are the popular visa options to become an Australian Permanent Resident:

Australia PR eligibility
  • 45 years of age
  • 65 points in the Australian points grid
  • Valid skills assessment
  • IELTS or PTE score
  • Health insurance
  • Police verification certificate

Check your eligibility

Australia PR requirements

65 points is the minimum score required to qualify for an Australia PR visa. The higher you score on the eligibility calculation, the brighter the chances of you being invited to apply for Australian PR. Scoring anywhere from 80 to 85 points can make you eligible for a quicker PR invitation to apply. There are various categories under which you can apply for an Australia PR visa with different eligibility requirements. But the general eligibility factors are as under:

Category   Maximum Points
Age (25-32 years) 30 points
English proficiency (8 bands) 20 points
Work Experience outside Australia (8-10 years) 15 points
Work Experience in Australia (8-10 years) 20 points
Education (outside Australia) – Doctorate degree 20 points
Niche skills such as Doctorate or master’s degree by research in Australia 10 points
Study in a regional area 5 points
Accredited in community language 5 points
Professional year in a skilled program in Australia 5 points
State sponsorship (190 visa) 5 points
Skilled spouse or de facto partner (Age, Skills & English language requirements to be met) 10 points
Spouse or de facto partner with ‘competent English’ (No need to meet Skills requirement or age factor) 5 points
Applicants without a spouse or de facto partner or where a spouse is an Australian citizen or PR holder 10 points
Relative or regional sponsorship (491 visa) 15 points

Age: You will gain a maximum of 30 points if your age is between 25 to 32 years. Your age should be below 45 years to apply for a PR visa

English proficiency: A score of 8 bands in the IELTS exam can give you a maximum of 20 points. However, the Australian immigration authorities allow applicants to take any of the English proficiency tests such as IELTS, PTE, etc. You can try for the required score on any of these tests.

Work experience: Skilled employment outside Australia with more than 8 years of experience in the last 10 years will give you 15 points; fewer years of experience means fewer points. Skilled employment in Australia with 8 to 10 years of experience from the date of application will give you a maximum of 20 points.

Skilled employment in Australia Points
Less than 1 year 0
1-2 years 5
3-4 years 10
5-7 years 15
8-10 years 20

Education: Points for the education criteria depend on the educational qualification. Maximum points are given to a doctorate degree from an Australian university or a doctorate from a university outside Australia, provided the Australian government recognizes it.

Qualifications Points
A Doctorate degree from an Australian university or institute outside Australia. 20
A Bachelor’s (or Masters) degree from an Australian university or institute outside Australia. 15
Diploma or trade qualification completed in Australia 10
Any qualification or award recognized by the relevant assessing authority for your nominated skilled occupation. 10
Master by research or a Doctorate degree from an Australian educational institution in the STEM fields 10

Language Proficiency: You should have proof that you have a competent level of proficiency in the English language.

Skilled Occupation Lists (SOL): The applicant must choose an occupation available in the following skilled occupation lists. The list contains the occupations that are currently acceptable for migration to Australia. The occupations in the lists are updated regularly and reflect the changes in the Australian labor market. There are three categories of the SOL:

  • Medium- and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
  • Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL)
  • Regional Occupations List (ROL)

Spouse application: If your spouse is also an applicant for the PR visa, you will be eligible for additional points to your Skill Select Expression of Interest. To get these additional 10 points, your spouse must meet the following requirements:

  • Should be less than 45 years of age
  • Should have the basic competent level scores in English
  • Job occupation code should appear in the same occupation list as the primary applicant list

Other qualifications:  You can gain points if you meet any of the following criteria.

Study in a regional area 5 points
Accredited in community language 5 points
Professional year in a skilled program in Australia 5 points
State sponsorship (190 visas) 5 points
Relative or regional sponsorship (491 visa) 15 Points

*Check your score with the help of the Y-Axis Australia Immigration Points calculator.

How to get an Australian PR?

To get an Australia PR visa, candidates must follow the below 7 steps. Check the below steps to get Australia PR in a hassle-free process:

Step 1:  Check the eligibility for Australia

  • Check if you meet the eligibility requirements.
  • Verify if your occupation is present in the list of occupations in demand.
  • Check if you have the required points based on the points table.

Step 2: Get your skill assessment done

Get your skills assessed by the Skills Assessment Authority, which will assess your skills, education, and work experience based on Australian standards.

Step 3: English Proficiency Test

Check if you have the required proficiency in the English language by taking the specified English language test. Fortunately, the Australian immigration authorities accept scores from various English ability tests like IELTS, PTE, etc. So, you can take any of these tests to obtain the specified score.

Step 4: Register your Expression of Interest

  • The next step is to register an Expression of Interest (EOI) on Australia’s Skill Select website. You should fill out an online form in the SkillSelect portal where you should give responses to questions on your skill, which is again based on the visa subclass you are applying under. The SkillSelect program offers three visa categories under which you can apply for a PR visa.
  • Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189
  • Skilled Nominated Visa 190
  • Skilled regional (provisional) Subclass 491

The first two are permanent visas, while the third one is a temporary visa with a validity of five years, which can later be converted to a PR visa. You should provide all the required information in the online application.

Step 5: Get your Invitation to Apply (ITA)

Once you submit your application and meet all the requirements, you will get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Australia PR.

Step 6: Submit your Australia PR application

The next step is to submit your PR application. You must submit it within 60 days. The application must have all the supporting documents for processing your PR visa. These documents are your personal documents, immigration documents, and work experience documents.

Step 7: Get your PR visa and fly to Australia

The last step is getting your PR visa.

Benefits of Australia Permanent Residency

Australia has always been a popular choice for individuals who desire to migrate to another country.  The country has favorable factors such as a thriving economy which means there are more jobs in Australia. Australia promises a better quality of life and a multicultural society with peace and harmony. Australia offers a permanent residency or PR visa to immigrants. The Australia PR visa has a validity of five years. You can move into Australia with your family with a PR visa. You can apply for citizenship after living in Australia for four years with an Australia PR visa.

  • Live in Australia for an indefinite period of time
  • Travel anywhere in Australia
  • Pursue higher studies in Australia and get eligibility to apply for an educational loan
  • Eligibility for Social Security benefits
  • Sponsor your relatives if they meet certain pre-requisites
  • Eligibility to work in Australia
  • Travel to New Zealand and can even apply for a visa there

What is an Australian PR Visa?

Australia offers many options for applying for a PR visa. An Australian PR visa allows the eligible candidate to become a permanent resident in Australia.  Applicants can choose the appropriate option based on their eligibility and requirements. Below are popular options to get an Australian PR Visa:

Australia 189 visa

This visa is for those invited foreign workers who possess the skills required by the Australian government. With a subclass 189 visa, you can live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.

  • No nominator or sponsor is needed.
  • You can only apply for this visa after being formally invited to do so.
  • You must be below 45 years of age to be able to apply.

Australia 190 Visa

Allows nominated skilled workers to live, work/study anywhere in the nominated state/territory in Australia as permanent residents. Like subclass 189, to be able to apply for subclass 190, you must have received an invitation to apply.

With both subclass 189 and 190, you must –

  • Score 65 on the points calculator
  • Receive an invitation to apply
  • Have an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List
  • Be in possession of a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
  • English test scores will also be required.