Frequently Asked Questions

In most cases, applicants will need formal qualifications in order to pass the skill assessment.

For 40 or 50-point occupation

You will definitely need to hold formal tertiary qualifications to pass the skill assessment.

For 60-point occupation

Formal qualifications or formal training are necessarily required for the following groups:

1. Trades : Minimum working experience of 6 years or more in your trade and completed a formal apprenticeship. Minimum formal training of 900 hours.
2. Managers : If you have been working as a senior level of management in a large company for at least 5 years, you will be qualified for skill assessment as a manager without formal qualifications.
3. IT Professionals : If you have been working in IT line for 6 years or more and have gained similar level of understanding of IT as the holder of diploma in IT through on-the-job learning and private study, you can qualify for skill assessment as an IT professional.

SOL is a list of skilled occupations that are in need in Australia. Each occupation listed on the SOL is allocated a points value for use in the visa assessment process.

For several visa categories, applicants must provide proof of their English language ability.

Yes, you must be under age 45 years before applying.

The cost involved under General Skilled Visa would be approximately AUD$6,000 including skill assessment, state/territory sponsorship and visa application. You will also have to pay for your English test, police clearance & medical examinations.

All depends on which type of visa you are applying for migration. The processing time varies from person to person depending on your personal circumstances and the quality of your supporting documents.

If you are the main applicant, the visa application can include your family. The dependant family unit can include:

1. Spouse (legally married or in de facto relationship)
2. Dependant child (natural, adopted or step child) who is under 18 years of age
3. Other dependants if they are wholly or substantially reliant on you for financial support for their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter and they have been reliant on you for that support for a substantial support.

No. You are not entitled to any social benefit during your first two years in Australia.

The permanent visa will permit you to travel unlimitedly and entry to Australia for 5 years from date of grant and indefinite stay on your arrival provided entry is made before the expiry date. In the case where you travel overseas and return to Australia after the specified date you will need to obtain a 5 year Resident Return Visa (RRV) to renew your permanent residence.

To renew your permanent residency, you must have been lawfully present in Australia for a period of, or periods that total, not less than 2 years in the period of 5 years immediately before the application for the RRV and you were the holder of permanent visa during that time.

The initial entry date (as stated on your visa) is the date by which you must travel to Australia on your visa. If you (and any members of your family who is included in the application) do not enter Australia by the initial entry date, you will breach a condition of your visa and cancellation if your visa will be considered.

You must travel to Australia before the expiry of the initial entry date in order to activate the visa to its full term. Migrant visa holders are not required to migrate / settle permanently to Australia before the expiry of the initial entry date. But you (and any members of your family who is included in the application) must at least make a trip to Australia before the initial entry date your visa is then valid for return travel until the final expiry date.

No. This is expressly forbidden by the Migration Agents Code of Conduct. Any application no matter how strong on your supporting documents can be refused by DIAC. In addition, some of the criteria for the visa application are beyond our control e.g. health condition & character.

Yes, you can still apply. It is possible for you to demonstrate the competencies by referring to your undergraduate professional engineering qualifications and the project/work experience elements of your academic study. Applicants may however find writing the career episodes more challenging without workplace experience from which to evidence the competencies.

Please note that you must provide a certificate copy of an employer reference letter if you have relevant experience of 12 month or more, or if the work experience provides a basis for a Career Episode.

There is provision for Business Skills entry for business owner, senior executives and investors. Business skills entrants will initially on a Business Skills (Provisional) temporary visa for four years and after satisfactory evidence of a specified level of business or investment activity, then may apply for Permanent Residence (PR).

There is also provision for high-caliber business migrants under the Business Talent visa to obtain direct permanent residence if they have high level business attributes and are sponsored by a State or Territory government.

First you must apply for a Business Skills (Provisional) visa, which will be granted for a period of four years. The Business Skills (Provisional) visa category also provides for State/Territory government sponsorship for each visa. State and Territory governments have their own criteria for deciding whom they will sponsor.

After you have been granted a visa in the Business Skills (Provisional) category, you are expected to either establish or buy into a business in Australia or maintain a designated investment for four years.

After you have successfully operated a business for two years or maintained your designated investment for four years, you will be eligible to apply for a permanent Business Skills (Residence) visa which you must apply in Australia.

A direct permanent residence visa, that is, a migrant visa, will still be available for high-caliber business migrants sponsored by State/Territory governments. It is known as the Business Talent (Migrant) Visa.

No for most of the business visas category except subclass 845 and subclass 846. Established Business in Australia category (subclass 845) and Regional Established Business in Australia category (subclass 846) require applicants to score at least 105 points in the points test.

If you are applying for State/Territory Sponsored Business Skills (Provisional) visas or Business Talent (Migrant) visa, you must be under 55 years of age at the time of application.

1. Business owner (Provisional)
2. Senior executive (Provisional)
3. Investor (Provisional)
4. Business Talent (Migrant)
5. Business owner (Residence)
6. Investor (Residence) 

A Business Talent (Migrant) and the Business Skills (Residence) visas are permanent visas allowing permanent stay in Australia with a resident return facility valid for five years from date of grant.

A Business Skills (Provisional) visa is valid for four years. If the visa was granted outside of Australia, the visa is valid for four years from the entry expiry date on your visa label.

The agent fees under business visa will be from AUD$7,000 not including government fees and other charges if required.