Skilled Workers

At Key Migration and Visa Services, we provide a full-service case management for skilled visa applicants. We ensure our clients navigate the various milestones such as skills assessments, state sponsorship, skillselect expressions of interest and employer sponsorship.

Some of the things we do when we handle your skilled visa process for you:

Develop a strategy – we make sure you are applying for the best visa for you and that you will meet the requirements before we begin work on your application
Guidance on skill assessment process if required
Analysis of points calculation to ensure you only claim points that you are able to evidence
Analysis of eligibility and applications for state sponsorship
Analysis of employer sponsorship eligibility
Lodgement of expressions of interest in Skillselect on your behalf
Guidance on police checks, sponsor applications and health checks
Guidance on bridging visas and work conditions on visas
Lodgement of your application on time
Liaise with the Department of Home Affairs on your behalf

In order to apply for an Australian skilled visa, there are number of requirements which need to be met.

The Department of Home Affairs will look at your age, qualifications, work experience and whether your occupation is in the current Skills Occupation List.

There are a variety of skilled migration visas available. Depending on meeting the criteria of the selected visa subclass, you may be eligible to apply for a permanent visa or provisional visa with possible pathway to permanent residency.

If you are considering applying for a visa to Australia based on your skills, there are several options which you may be able to consider. Each one has its own specific and distinct requirements, and each imposes different obligations on relevant parties to the application.

Given the highly complex nature of the migration laws, and the fact that every individual case is different, we recommend that you engage a registered migration agent as they can assess your eligibility and provide you with an up to date information and advice on a pathways that you may be qualified.

Below is the list of all the current visas available under Skilled Migration:

Permanent Skilled visas

Provisional Skilled Visa

Permanent Skilled visas

Skilled Independent - Subclass 189

This permanent visa is for skilled individuals who can demonstrate that they possess qualifications and skills in an occupation that is in demand in Australia. You must pass a point test (currently 65) in the areas such as: age, qualifications, work experiences, English language and receive invitation to apply. This is a direct entry visa and sponsorship is not required.

Skilled Nominated - Subclass 190

A permanent visa requiring nomination by an Australian State or Territory government. To obtain the nomination, your skills and qualifications must be matched to an occupation on the nominating state occupation list and you must pass a point test (currently 65) in the areas such as: age, qualifications, work experiences, English language. You must be nominated by the nominating state and receive invitation to apply.

Employer Nomination Scheme - Subclass 186

This permanent visa allows skilled workers who are nominated by their employer, to live and work in Australia permanently. This visa is also for skilled workers who are currently nominated by their employers in one of the provisional visas (e.g. 457, 482) to be nominated by their employer under Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream and apply for permanent residency.

Distinguish Talent Visa – subclass 124 or 858

This permanent visa allows people who have an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in an eligible field. You must have been prominent in your field during the past 2 years and be nominated by an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident, eligible NZ citizen, or Australian organisation with a national reputation in your field. You must be internationally recognised with a record of achievement in a profession, a sport, the arts or academia and research. There is no age restriction for this visa. You need to have functional English.

Global Talent Independent visa is a branch of Distinguish Talent visa that was launched on 4 November 2019. It is aimed at attracting highly skilled and internationally recognised individuals in one of the following target sectors:

AgTech, Space and Advanced Manufacturing, FinTech, Energy and Mining Technology, MedTech, Cyber Security and Quantum Information, Advanced Digital, Data Science and ICT.

Provisional Skilled visas

Temporary Skilled Shortage (TSS) Visa - Subclass 482

The TSS programme is designed to fill temporary skill shortages in Australia, by allowing employers to sponsor appropriately skilled overseas workers where they are unable to source these skills in the local labour market.

The subclass 482 visa may provide a pathway to a permanent residence through Temporary Residence Transition Stream (TRTS), once the visa holder worked full-time for the sponsoring employer for 3 years.

You need an employer to sponsor you. You need to have at least 2 years work experience in your nominated occupation.

The employer-sponsored visa programme involves a 3-stage application process of Sponsorship, Nomination and Visa Application, all of which must be approved for a successful application.

There is no age restriction but need to have English proficiency unless exempt.

Work Regional visa- Subclass 491

This provisional visa was announced on 16 November 2019 and aims to bring skilled overseas workers to regional parts of Australia to support population growth and economic development in regional communities.

This visa has a 5 years term and is point tested skilled visa. It provides pathway to permanent residency through the Skilled Regional visa subclass 191, which will be introduced from 16 November 2022.

You must be nominated by a state or territory government agency, or an eligible relative must sponsor you.

You must have an occupation on a relevant Skilled occupation list and have a suitable skill assessment for the occupation.

You need to be invited to apply and satisfy the points test (currently 65)

You must be under 45 years old, unless an exemption and have English proficiency unless exempt.

Only holders of either the Subclass 491 or 494 visas will be eligible for the new permanent residence visa. There will be no direct entry provision or eligibility from other visa subclasses.

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional - Subclass 494

This provisional visa was announced on 16 November 2019 and like the subclass 491 and provide a pathway to permanent residence with a new Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa, which will be introduced from 16 November 2022.

This visa has a 5 years term and requires a sponsorship by an employer in regionals. The visa enables regional employers to address identified labour shortages within their region by sponsoring skilled workers where employers can't source an appropriately skilled Australian worker.

You must be nominated to work in an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list and have at least 3 years relevant work experience in your nominated occupation.

You need to have relevant skills assessment and work only for your sponsor or associated entity.

You must be under 45 years old, unless an exemption and have English proficiency unless exempt.