General Skilled Migration Australia - Visa classes 189, 190, 491/191

General Skilled Migration (GSM)

The General Skilled Migration program comprises of 3 visa subclasses and depending on your nominated occupation you can either apply independently or be nominated by a state or territory government or sponsored by a close relative residing in a designated area of Australia. Places are competitive, and the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and state and territory governments prioritise applicants with appropriate skills and work experience to address employment demand in Australia.

Skilled Independent visa for Australia - subclass 189

The Skilled Independent visa is a permanent GSM visa which is available to applicants whose nominated occupation is on the Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). Invitation rounds are generally held every 6 months and currently occupations in the health and education sectors plus Social Workers are receiving priority. To view past and present invitation rounds please click on the following link - invitation-rounds

Skilled Nominated visa for Australia - subclass 190

The Skilled Nominated visa is a permanent GSM visa which requires you to be nominated by a state or territory government. You must also have a commitment to living and working in the nominating state or territory for 2 years. Successful candidates are awarded an additional 5 points for being nominated.

Skilled Regional Work visa for Australia - subclass 491/191 

The Skilled Regional Work visa for Australia is for applicants who are willing to live in a regional area of Australia (anywhere except Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane) for a minimum of 3 years. You can either be nominated by a state/territory government or sponsored by a close relative settled and residing in a designated area of Australia. If you are sponsored by a relative your nominated occupation must be on the MLTSSL and you will also be subject to invitation rounds. Holders of a subclass 491 visa will become eligible to apply for permanent residence (subclass 191 - Skilled Regional visa) providing they have lived and worked or studied in a designated regional area of Australia for a minimum of 3 out of a total of 5 years. Successful candidates are awarded an additional 15 points for being nominated or sponsored.

SkillSelect and the GSM points test

SkillSelect is the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) online system which enables you to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and claim points for your age, qualifications, work experience, English and partner to determine your points total. Please click here for a full summary of the points test.

To be invited by the DHA to apply for a GSM visa you need to:

• be under 45 years of age at the time of invitation
  
• have received a positive skills assessment in your nominated occupation
• have competent English
• achieve a minimum of 65 points 
• lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI)
• be nominated by a state or territory government if applying under subclass 190 or 491
• be sponsored by a close relative residing in regional Australia (subclass 491)
  
• meet health and character requirements

Invitation to submit a GSM visa application for Australia

If you receive an invitation from the DHA, your application must be submitted within 60 days. Once your documents have been assessed and the claims made in your EOI have been verified by a DHA case officer, you will be instructed to arrange health and character checks to enable your application to be decided.  

Consultations

There is much more to the GSM visa process than having a recognised skill plus 65 points and complex visa legislation and caveats introduced by the state and territory governments in Australia can be difficult to interpret leaving you with more questions than answers. Consultations are conducted by the Registered Migration Agent and will provide an opportunity to make an informed decision about your visa options and seek answers to your questions before starting out on your visa journey. Discussion points during the consultation include:

• Advising which visa pathway offers you the best chance of being invited.
  
• Discussing the skills assessment process based on your qualifications & work experience.
  
• Outling visa options for nomination by state and territory governments in Australia.
  
• Reviewing your potential points score.
  
• Explaining what you need to achieve to receive an invitation.
  
• Whether you should take an English language test.
  
• The procedure for submitting an Expression of Interest.
  
• Confirming the total cost associated with the visa process
  
• Responding to questions that you may not have found answers to during your research.
  

Concept Australia charges a fee of £95 + VAT for a consultation which is deducted from the first stage of our management fee should you appoint us as your migration agent. 

What services can I expect to receive from Concept Australia?

Applying for a skilled visa is not a straightforward process and understanding how the migration regulations and policy will be applied to your application is complex requiring careful interpretation.

Concept Australia has been assisting people since 1991 to obtain skilled visas to reside in Australia and offers a full range of bespoke visa application services tailored to meet your specific requirements. All of our staff including the Registered Migration Agent (9901024) are based permanently in the UK and have previously held positions with the DHA. We work directly with our clients and do not sub-contract work out to other companies or individuals. We take responsibility for the entire management of your application and offer a personal service throughout the visa process so as to ensure that your case runs as smoothly as possible. If you decide to appoint Concept Australia to act on your behalf, a director with more than 20 years experience in skilled migration will take responsibility for managing your application throughout the visa process.

Our services include:

• A consultation to examine your visa options and discuss the visa process
• Completing the skills assessment and visa application forms
• Lodging your EOI once your skills have been recognised for migration purposes
• Ensuring claims made in your EOI can be substantiated and are correct
• Uploading all relevant documents to the online SkillSelect ImmiAccount
• Managing your application until your skilled visa is decided by the DHA
• Discussing any other issues such as health and character

Why should I only use an agent registered with MARA?

Registered Migration agents are managed by the DHA who is responsible for monitoring the conduct of registered migration agents both in and outside Australia. An agent registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) must meet professional standards and is accountable for the advice and information provided to its clients. MARA agents must subscribe to DHA migration regulations and undertake annual professional development activities to ensure they maintain up-to-date knowledge of migration law and procedure. For more information click here.

Making an initial enquiry for a preliminary assessment of your potential eligibility

Seeking advice at an early stage will provide you with a clear understanding of what you have to achieve to be invited to apply for a GSM visa for Australia. When you contact Concept Australia, an experienced staff member will provide you with an honest appraisal of your visa options. If you would like to know more about the GSM visa process for Australia, please complete the Enquiry form below and submit your details to Concept Australia or telephone 0208 315 6700.