There are a number of skilled work visa options available under the Australian visa program. The employer nominated/sponsored options are outlined in separate sections of our website and include:
Employer sponsored visas make up a significant percentage of annual visas approved, however some individuals may be better placed to pursue a more general and other skilled migration options including:
– Sponsored by an eligible relative: for family sponsored the family member must be an Australian Citizen or permanent resident, a close family member and be living in a postcode designated regional area. In addition family sponsored applicants must have an occupation on a Skilled Occupation List.
– Sponsored/nominated by an Australian State or Territory Government agency.
For Small Business Owners in Queensland, a new Small Business Owners (SBO) pathway was open to applications on 11 December 2019. Please note that the SBO pathway is currently only available to applicants who will be located in designated regional Queensland.
The 491 visa does not grant immediate permanent residency, however a 491 visa holder may be eligible to apply for the new Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) Visa (subclass 191) (open to applications from 16 November 2022).
The above skilled work visa options operate under an Expression of Interest (EOI) process where individuals submit an expression to apply for the relevant visa. Twice a month the Department of Home Affairs provide invitations to apply. Noting this process, we outline the following important considerations if you are considering pursuit of general skilled work visa:
1. Documents to support the claims should be attained and available before submitting the EOI for example:
– Applicants claiming points for English ability must have results from a relevant prescribed test to support these points. This includes applicants from English speaking countries.
– Positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation must be attained.
– Documents to support the previous employment history should be available.
2. An EOI is not a visa application. If you are inside Australia lodging an EOI and your visa is due to expire you are not entitled to a Bridging Visa to remain in Australia while awaiting an invitation to apply.
3. There is no set time frame in which you will receive an invitation to apply nor are you guaranteed to receive an invitation. EOI’s are valid for 2 years and if application for the relevant visa is not made before the EOI expires, a new EOI will need to be re-lodged.
4. You should be confident of supporting the points being claimed in the EOI. The pass mark is 65 points however if 80 points are claimed and on assessment of supporting documents concludes that you can only attain 70 points, the application is likely to be refused. This can occur if claims are made for English ability or employment history and the supporting documents do not support the claims.
5. Skills assessment, English Language and other elements of the criteria are at time of invitation requirements. Even if the skills assessment is positive, if it is attained after the date of invitation the application can be refused.
If you believe you qualify for one of the above visas and want some further information and assistance, please contact us via our online enquiry form.
We were so relieved to find someone who not only knew what they were doing but who also were genuinely interested in our plight to get a visa for my partner to be able to stay in Australia.”
– John & Melinda Ayiku
“We have tried a number of migration agent companies in Australia within the last few years, and Glenn is a breath of fresh air. We’ve had problems with promises made by other agents before, but GW Migration are very open, honest and trustworthy. Glenn’s experience was clear to see right from the initial enquiry and there is no way we would every consider choosing a different agent ever again – Glenn and GW Migration come highly recommended from the team at Bean Media Group”
– Bean Media Group
We highly recommend GW Migration to everybody. Glenn helped us in our application throughout the whole process; always being in touch, suggesting us, providing guidelines, encouraging us and always being positive in a very professional manner. We are glad that we choose GW Migration for us and its affordable not like other money making agencies. We are very satisfied with the results. Thank you so much GW Migration and team.
– Rajju Adhikari
Thank you SO much Glenn and Toni, we appreciate your hard work and support! Highly recommended.
– Katherine Fraser
Glenn and his assistant Liz were very professional and helpful; they answered all of my questions quickly and provided great advice. Very happy with their services and would recommend them to anyone applying for any visa in Australia as the process can feel very overwhelming and intimidating.
– Jessica Engle
My son and I were granted our Regional Sponsored Migration Visas last week and would like to take this opportunity to express our sincerest gratitude for all the guidance and hard work that Glenn put in to our not so straight forward case. Throughout the whole process which at many times can seem so perplexing and intimidating Glenn provided us with sound and concise advise and helped to keep the morale up. The amount of red tape and documentation necessary for this process can seem like a logistical nightmare at times but step by step he got us through it and to the finishing line in the end!
The fact that we were granted our visas will have life-long repercussions for both my son and I and therefore I recommend to anyone out there about to embark on this process to use a reputable and trustworthy immigration agency, such as GW Migration. We have been absolutely elated since hearing the news last week and could not have done it without them.
– Hayley van Tonder
My wife and i chose Glenn Wellburn because we felt he was honest and very professional in his work.Prior to coming to him we met with several migration officers who did not seem clear about our case nor did we feel we could trust our future to them.
I would recommend Glenn to anyone seeking professional advice on matters of migration to Australia. He is solid in his preparation of documentation and is caring in his approach.
Thanks again Glenn!
– Anjali and Greg
After 2 years of trying to organize papers to apply for permanent residency myself, I came to see Glenn to see if he could help. After about 3 weeks, I received notification that my application for a Returned Residents Visa had been approved. They were professional in all that they did and because of their help, mine and my family’s future is now secure and looks a lot more promising.
– Jerome de Thierry
