Services

Australian Immigration

There are two (2) programs/streams under which you and your family can apply for an Australian Visa under the Australian Migration Act and Regulations.

Migration Program
- Skilled Migration Stream – a number of categories for people who have particular skills, outstanding talents or business skills;
- Family Migration Stream - people can be sponsored by a relative who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
- Special Eligibility Migrants – former citizens or residents wanting to return to Australia
The migration program planning levels remain at 160,000 places available from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 which means there has been no changes to the overall numbers.
Humanitarian Program
- Offshore Resettlement Program – assist overseas people in humanitarian need for whom resettlement in another country is the only option.
- Onshore Protection - for those who are already in Australia who arrived on temporary visas or in an authorized manner, and who claim Australia's protection.
The size of the 2010- 2011 humanitarian program is 13,750 visas

General Skilled Migration (GSM)

Basic Requirements
For Points Based Skilled Migration to Australia, you must be able to satisfy the following basic requirements to make an application.
- Invitation to apply: You can only apply for GSM visa once invited to apply for the visa. The invitation will be issued subject to a specified timeframe in which you are to lodge your application.
- Age: You must be under 50 years of age when you are invited to apply.
- English language: The threshold English language requirement is Competent English, which is a minimum score of six (6) in each of the 4 components of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test or other language test as specified by the Minister. For some occupations, the assessing authority may require a higher level of English as part of their skills assessment process.
- Nominated occupation: When you register your Expression of Interest (EOI), you must nominate a skilled occupation which fits your skills and qualifications. Your nominated occupation must be on the Skilled Occupation Lists (SOL).
- Skills assessment: Before you receive an invitation, you must have had your skills assessed as suitable for your occupation by an assessing authority for your nominated occupation.
Note: If you are not able to satisfy these requirements, you will NOT be eligible for Points Based Skilled Migration.
Visa Categories
1. General Skilled Migration: under SkillSelect
From 1 July 2012 the Australian Government is making changes to the skilled migration program.
- A. Introduction of new points test skilled migration visas.
- B. Introduction of SkillSelect
  SkillSelect is an online service that will be introduced on 1 July 2012 and will involve significant changes to the skilled visa application process. Intending migrants will first need to submit an expression of interest and then will need to be invited to apply for one of the new points tested skilled migration visas. Further information about these changes is available.
- C. Skilled migration points test requirements under SkillSelect
  The three points-tested skilled migration visa subclasses (189, 190 and 489) will continue to require intending migrants to pass a points test to be invited to apply for a visa. Factors assessed under the new points test will be similar to the current points test. The main difference is that the points will be based on the applicant's attributes at the time of invitation rather than at the time of application lodgement or decision.
  
  The pass mark is the minimum number of points required to be eligible for a points tested skilled migration visa and is subject to change in response to Australian labour market needs. The current pass mark is 60 points.
  
  Under SkillSelect, the ability to meet the points test mark will not guarantee an invitation to apply. Invitations will be issued periodically to the highest ranking expressions of interest subject to occupation ceilings. An expression of interest is not an application for a visa.
  
  If you are invited to apply, you will have to demonstrate that the claims in your expression of interest are correct.
2. Family Migration Stream

All Visa Options

There are a number of migration options for fiancés, partners, children, parents and other family members of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
- Partner Category: Partners and fiancés of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens may enter and/or to remain permanently in Australia. Partner category migration may apply to:
- Parent: Parents may be able to migrate to Australia if they have a child in Australia who is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
- Child: For dependent children, orphan relatives or adopted children of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
- Other Family: Aged dependent relatives, remaining relatives and carers of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens may apply for visas to come to Australia permanently.
- Humanitarian Program – Split Family Provisions: For the immediate family members of people granted any permanent humanitarian visa (including Protection and Resolution of Status visas) in the last five years. Immediate family members declared at the time of application may be eligible for entry to Australia through the offshore Humanitarian Program.
3. Business/Investors Migration Stream

The Business Skills visa class of Australia's migration program encourages successful business people to settle permanently in Australia and develop new or existing businesses.

Visa Options
- Business visits: For business people to visit Australia for business purposes, for example, to attend a conference or training session, to conduct business with an Australia-based organisation, to conduct business negotiations or for an exploratory business visit.
- Business Development - Provisional: These visas, known as Business Skills visas, are for business people to establish a business in Australia, manage a new or existing business or invest in Australia. All except the Investor Retirement visa offer a pathway to permanent residence.
- Business Development - Permanent: These visas, known as Business Skills visas, are for people who have established the required level of business in Australia while holding a provisional visa. A direct permanent residence visa is also available for high-calibre business people.