1. The process
Processing time
Stream |
75 per cent of applications processed |
90 per cent of applications processed |
Foreign Affairs or Defence Sector |
25 days
|
48 days
|
Postgraduate Research Sector |
49 days
|
74 days
|
Non-Award Sector |
6 days
|
22 days
|
Schools Sector |
43 days
|
77 days
|
Independent ELICOS Sector |
37 days
|
68 days
|
Vocational Education and Training Sector |
61 days
|
82 days
|
Higher Education Sector |
25 days
|
46 days
|
Last updated
16 February 2018 (for month ending
31 January 2018)
Processing times vary.
For more information read
Global visa and citizenship processing times
2. The Document Checklist Tool
Documentary evidence
Check the
Document Checklist tool (
disclaimer) to find out which documents need to be attached to the application.
Enter your country of passport and education provider to get an accurate document checklist.
If you have not yet decided on an education provider, you can choose the option 'I have not
decided on a provider yet' on the tool and receive guidance about the documents you will
need to provide with your visa application.
The Document Checklist Tool is updated twice a year on 31 March and 30 September. Applicants
are encouraged to re-check the document checklist (based on the country of passport and
education provider) after these dates and prior to submitting their application as the
requirements may have changed.
3. Eligibility
Who could get this visa
Before you apply for this visa, you must have:
- been accepted to study full-time at an educational institution in Australia
- organised appropriate welfare arrangements for the duration of your intended stay in
Australia if you are under 18 years of age.
Enrolment
With limited exceptions, you must be enrolled in a course of study that is registered on
the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and courses for Overseas for Overseas Students
(CRICOS).
If you are applying from outside Australia, you must include a Confirmation of Enrolment
(CoE) for each intended course of study with your visa application. A letter of offer
from your education provider will not be accepted.
If you are applying for more than one course in your student visa application, you must include
all Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) codes in the application form or the visa may only
be granted for the CoE provided.
You do not need to provide a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) if you are:
- sponsored by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – provide a
letter of support
- sponsored by the Australian Department of Defence – provide a letter of support
- a secondary exchange student – provide an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange
Student (AASES) form
- a postgraduate research student required to remain in Australia for marking of your thesis
– provide a letter from your education provider.
If you are in Australia, you can apply with one or more letters of offer but you must provide
the CoE/s to be granted the visa.
Students under 18 years of age
If you are under 18 years of age, you need to have welfare arrangements in place while you
are in Australia. More information is available about
Welfare arrangements for students under 18.
Genuine temporary entrant
The
GTE requirement applies to all student visa applicants. The officer assessing the
visa will and consider whether the individual circumstances of the student indicates
that their intention is for a temporary stay in Australia. You must satisfy us that you
have a genuine intention to stay in Australia temporarily.
English language requirements
You might need to provide evidence of your English language skills with your visa application.
Check the
Document Checklist tool (
disclaimer) to find out the evidence you need to provide. You might also be
exempt from providing evidence.
If you are required to provide evidence of your English language skills with your application
and you do not do so, your visa could be refused.
Evidence of English language
If you need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency, there is a minimum
English language test score we will accept.
Financial capacity requirements
You need to have enough money that is genuinely available to you, to pay for your course
fees, and travel and living costs for you and your accompanying family members while
you are in Australia.
You might need to provide evidence of your financial capacity with your visa application.
Check the
Document Checklist tool (
disclaimer) to find out the evidence you need to provide.
If the Document Checklist lists evidence of financial capacity as a requirement, it must
be attached to the visa application form or your visa could be refused without requests
for further information.
If you do not need to provide this evidence with your application, we have discretion to
ask you for this during the application process.
If you are a secondary exchange student, provide a completed Acceptance Advice of Secondary
Exchange Student (AASES) form as evidence of meeting the financial capacity requirement.
If you are sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or the Department of
Defence, provide a letter of support as evidence of meeting the financial capacity requirement.
You will need to provide evidence of financial capacity for accompanying family members.
Evidence of financial capacity
If you need to provide evidence of financial capacity, you will be able to demonstrate this by providing one of the following:
- evidence of funds to cover travel to Australia and 12 months’ living, course and
(for school aged dependants) schooling costs for the student and accompanying family
members
- evidence that you meet the annual income requirement
- an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Students (AASES) form (secondary exchange
students only)
- a letter of support from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade or Department of
Defence.
Subsequent entrants – family members who apply after the primary applicant
has been granted their visa must also provide documentary evidence of financial capacity.
This must be one of the options above.
Twelve months' funds option
Annual income option
Genuine access to funds
Health requirements
You must meet the health requirements.
You might need to undergo health examinations as part of the visa application process.
The health assessment process can take several weeks to complete. To help avoid delays, you
can choose to undertake your health examination prior to lodging your visa application.
More information is available about
My health declarations.
Health insurance
You must have adequate health insurance while in Australia. Students can show this by obtaining
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) which provides medical and hospital insurance.
Character requirements
Everyone who wants to enter Australia must be of good character and will be assessed against
the character requirements.
You must answer a number of character related questions on your visa application form and
the information you provide will be used to assess your character.
You might be asked for more information.
More information is available about
Character and police certificate requirements.
Pre-qualifying visas
If you are applying in Australia, you must hold a current temporary substantive visa, but
not any one of these
visas.
Family members applying to join you
You and your family members can make a combined application or they can apply to join you
later provided you declared them in your student visa application or they became a family
member after the grant of your student visa (such as a newborn baby).
You must have funds to support yourself and all accompanying family members already in Australia
as well as those included in the current application.
More information is available about
How to apply for family members to join you.
English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS)
Student visa applicants can apply to study in ELICOS in Australia. If you are intending to
study standalone ELICOS for more than 12 months, you should provide lots of information
with your application showing how you meet the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement.
There is flexibility to extend the length of ELICOS where it is needed. This will be determined
on a case by case basis.
School students
Students can apply for a student visa to
study at primary or secondary school in Australia, regardless of their country of
citizenship.
4. The visa
What this visa lets you do
This visa is for students who want to come to Australia to study at a registered education
institution.
- You can study a CRICOS registered full-time course in Australia.
- Eligible family members can accompany you to Australia.
How long this visa lasts
This visa allows you to stay in Australia for the duration of your studies, generally up
to five years. The
student visa grant period will depend on the length and type of course.
How long this visa lasts
This visa allows you to stay in Australia for the duration of your studies, generally up
to five years. The
student visa grant period will depend on the length and type of course.
Location
You can apply when you are in or outside Australia.
Packaged courses
You can apply to undertake two or more courses on your Student visa (subclass 500) where
there is clear progression from one course to another. This is known as
course packaging.
You will need to provide a confirmation of enrolment (CoE) or prove that a CoE is not required
for each intended course with your visa application.
The final course that you will undertake as part of your package of courses is your main
(or principal) course of study. Your main course of study will be used to determine your
financial and English language evidentiary requirements.
Visa conditions
You must abide by your visa conditions or your visa could be cancelled. Different
visa conditions apply to you and your family members.
You can check your visa conditions in
Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).
You must comply with the state and territory laws of Australia.
Working while studying
Students must comply with the
work conditions for student visa holders.
Extend your stay in Australia
You need to either leave Australia before your visa expires, or lodge a new visa application.
If your visa expires, contact us immediately. If your visa has expired for more than 28 days,
you might not be able to return to Australia for three years.
You can only extend your stay in Australia if you do not have a 'No Further Stay' condition
(8534 or 8535) on your current student visa or this restriction has been waived. You
can find out if you have this condition by looking in your visa grant information or
through
Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO).
You might be able to extend your stay in Australia for:
- further study
- graduation
- a holiday
- work
- migration.
In general, you can only hold one visa at a time. A new visa (other than a
bridging visa) will generally replace any other visa that you hold and come into
effect as soon as it is granted. You should contact us before lodging a visa application
if you have questions about how a new visa would affect your existing visa.
5. Follow these steps
Gather documents
Documents
Use the
Document Checklist (
disclaimer) to find out the evidence you need to provide with your application.
Prepare your documents
You will need to provide documents with your online application.
- Non-English documents must be translated into English. If you are in Australia,
your translator must be accredited by the
National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. If
you are outside Australia, contact the Australian mission in the country
that issued the documents for a translator.
- Scan all documents – both non-English documents and translated documents.
- Attach scanned copies to your online application when asked.
- Provide certified copies of your documents.
- Submit all documents with your application or your application could be refused
or a decision on your visa could be delayed
Payment
You must pay the application fee when you apply or your application will not be valid.
The following student visa applicants are not required to pay a visa application
fee:
- Students awarded a scholarship funded by the Commonwealth Government of Australia
- Students and family members supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade
- Student and family members supported by the Department of Defence
- Secondary exchange students
- Students affected by education provider default and lodge a new student visa
application within 12 months of the provider default day
- Family members of students enrolled in a postgraduate research course.
More information is available about
how to pay.
Apply
Apply for the visa
You must apply for this visa online.
After you have gathered and scanned the documents that support your application,
create an account and apply for your student visa with our online application
system –
ImmiAccount.
If you do not provide the documents requested, your visa application could be refused.
After you apply
Provide additional documents
After you have applied, any additional documentation you need to submit should be
uploaded into
ImmiAccount. If you provide your documents through any other channel, it
will result in processing delays.
You can be in or outside Australia when a decision is made on your application.
If you apply for this visa from outside Australia, do not make arrangements to travel
to Australia or leave your job until you have received notification from us,
in writing, that you have been granted a visa.
Track and manage your application
A Transaction Reference Number (TRN) is a unique number assigned to each online application. You will need this to:
- track and manage your application
- identify your application when you communicate with us
- check your visa entitlements.
You will need to
login to your ImmiAccount. You can use your account to:
- continue a saved application
- attach documents
- update passport details
- change email and address details
- check progress of your application.
Other things you might need to do
After you apply, we might ask you to:
- attend an interview
- provide additional information
- update passport details
- provide biometric information
- provide police certificates.
Wait for a decision
Most applications will take about four weeks to process. The exact time it will take depends on:
- whether you have provided all supporting documents with your application
- whether we need additional information from you and how you respond to any requests
for this information
- whether you need to undergo health checks or provide biometric information.
Baby born to student visa applicant
If your child is born after you lodge your application but before it is decided, you need to notify us. You must provide:
- a completed
Form 1022 - Notification of changes in circumstances (77 KB PDF)
- a certified copy of the birth certificate
- a certified copy of the passport (if available).
Documents must be attached to your student visa application in ImmiAccount. If your
visa has already been granted, see the Visa Holders tab for further instructions.
Visa expiry before graduation
If your student visa will expire before your graduation, you might be able to apply
for another visa that meets your circumstances such as a visitor visa. You will
need a letter from your education provider which states the date of your graduation.
Visa decision
If the visa is granted, we will let you know:
- the visa number
- any conditions attached to the visa.
If the visa is not granted, we will let you know:
- why the visa was not granted
- your review rights and the time limit for applying for a review (if applicable).
6. Tell us of changes
Withdrawing your application
You can withdraw your application at any time before a decision is made. You can do this
by logging into your
ImmiAccount.
Baby born to student visa holder in Australia
If your child is born in Australia, they are automatically granted the same visa you and
your partner hold at the time of the child's birth. If either parent is an Australian
citizen or Australian permanent resident at the time of the child's birth, the child
might be an Australian citizen by birth.
You will need to
notify us soon after your child is born.
VISAS
Student Dependent Visa
1. Documentary Evidence List
Enrolment
Evidence of your enrolment must be provided to make a valid application.
- If applying outside Australia this must be a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for all
intended courses.
- If applying in Australia this can be a letter of offer or CoE for all intended courses
but a CoE must be provided before the visa can be granted.
Exceptions
You do not need to supply a Confirmation of Enrolment if you are:
- sponsored by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – provide a
letter of support
- sponsored by the Australian Department of Defence – provide a letter of support
- a secondary exchange student – provide an Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange
Student (AASES) form
- a postgraduate research student required to remain in Australia for marking of your thesis
– provide a letter from your education provider.
Welfare arrangements for under 18 year old student
Evidence of accommodation and welfare arrangements in Australia if you are under 18 years
of age must be provided to make a valid application. This can be:
- Form 157N - Nomination of a student guardian in Australia.
- Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter from the student’s
education provider.
- An AAESES form for secondary exchange students only.
- Letter of Support from DFAT or Defence stating that arrangements have been made for the
student’s welfare.
Health insurance
Evidence of adequate health insurance. Your education provider could arrange this. Health
insurance can only be met by Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). You might only need
to provide details in your application or you might be asked for evidence of your policy.
Note: If you are from Norway, Sweden or Belgium, you might not have to obtain OSHC.
Genuine temporary entrant requirement
Evidence to show that you meet the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement for a student
visa. This can include a statement that you intend to genuinely stay in Australia temporarily.
The Department will consider your circumstances, your immigration history if you
are a minor and the intentions of a parent, legal guardian or spouse, and any other relevant
matter.
Identity
Evidence of your identity. This might include a certified copy of your Birth Certificate
or Driver's Licence.
Change of name
If anyone in the application has changed his or her name, certified copies of documents verifying
the name change. This might include a marriage or deed poll certificate or a certified
copy of evidence of the name change.
>
Parental consent
If you have a child under the age of 18 included in the visa application and one or both
parents (or legal guardians) are not applying for an Australian visa, both parents will
need to complete and sign the form 1229 - Consent form to grant an Australian visa to
a child under the age of 18 years. Alternatively, you can provide a letter from each
parent (or legal guardian) that is not included in the application that includes permission
for the child/ren to be in Australia in your care. A copy of the parent (or legal guardian)
Personal Particulars (bio-data) page of their current passport should also be included.
If you have sole custody of the child/ren, provide evidence such as a court order.
Relationship - spouse, de facto partner
Evidence of your relationship with your spouse/de facto partner. This could include a certified
copy of your marriage certificate, Family Book, Household Booklet or other evidence of
family composition.
Employment history
Evidence of current or most recent employment which might include payslips or a contract.
You can also attach your most recent curriculum vitae or résumé. Your curriculum
vitae or résumé should include full employment and educational history,
including dates and positions held for at least the last five years.
Migration Agent - Form 956 Advice by a migration agent/exempt person
Provide a completed and signed
Form 956 Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance
(252KB PDF).
Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient - Form 956A
Provide a completed and signed
Form 956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (251KB PDF).
Evidence of dependent school enrolment
Evidence of enrolment of an accompanying dependent child 5 to 18 years of age at an Australian
school. If any family unit members are 5 – 17 years of age (inclusive) and will
live with the applicant in Australia, documentation confirming their enrolment in an
Australian school.
Closure of education provider
Evidence of closure of your education provider if you are applying for a Student and Student
Guardian Visa because of this reason.
Qualifications – Australian
Evidence of your Australian qualifications. This might include a certified copy of your academic
transcripts, Educational Certificate (Degree, Diploma etc.) or letter/statement from
your Australian Education Institution.
Qualifications – outside Australia
Evidence of your overseas qualifications. This might include a certified copy of your academic
transcripts, Educational Certificate (Degree, Diploma etc.) or letter/statement from
your overseas Education Institution.
VISAS
Temporary Skilled
Shortage Visa
The Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa is is designed to assist Australian companies to fill current skilled staffing shortages in their business.
This is a temporary visa that permits the holder to work full time for their sponsoring employer in a nominated position.
The position to be filled must be an occupation on the Department of Home Affairs list of occupations eligible for this visa. There are three streams available in the visa subclass. The stream applied for will depend on if the occupation is on the Short-Term list or the Medium and Long-Term list.
1. Visa Streams
1) Long Term Stream
A visa may be granted for up to 4 years. This is a renewable visa and offers a pathway to permanent residency. The occupation must be on the list of designated occupations available for long term sponsorship.
2) Short Term Stream
A visa may be granted for up to 2 years. This visa offers renewal only once if the need for ongoing sponsorship can be established. It does not offer a pathway to permanent residency. The occupation must be on the list of designated occupations available for short term sponsorship.
3) Labour Agreement Stream
This stream is available if there is a genuine need for the position and the occupation is not identified on the designated list of occupations eligible for the subclass 482 visa. The sponsoring company must have entered into an approved agreement with the Commonwealth to sponsor applicants under this stream.
Please book a consultation with Migration Services for further information regarding these streams.
2. Steps
There are three steps required for a TSS visa to be approved. This involves three separate applications. Two of these are the responsibility of the sponsoring employer, one of these is the responsibility of the visa applicant. Each application must be approved in order for the next step application to be approved. It is possible to lodge all three applications at the same time.
1) Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS)
The sponsoring business must become an approved Standard Business Sponsor. This requires a sponsorship application to be lodged. The basic requirements for a sponsorship to be approved require the sponsoring business to establish that they are lawfully operating a business with no adverse information against them.
If they have previously obtained approval as Standard Business Sponsor, they must evidence that they have continued to meet the sponsorship obligations in the
most recent years of active sponsorship.
Once granted, the sponsorship is valid for a period of 5 years. This is renewable.
2) Nomination
The sponsoring company must lodge a nomination application for the applicant that identifies the position sought to be filled.
There are several requirements to be filled in order to have the nomination approved.
Labour Market Testing
The position to be filled must have been recently advertised and attempts to fill this position must have been paid. Exemptions may apply.
Market Salary Rate
The employer must evidence that they will be paying their employee a salary that is commensurate with their skills and experience that is comparable to what an Australian citizen or permanent resident would be paid.
The applicant must also be paid above the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) of $53,900.
Training Levy
There have been recent changes to the training requirement for employer sponsored visas. The training levy has now been changed to a payment into the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF). This will be known as the SAF levy. The SAF levy is required to be paid at the nomination stage and will be one of the following:
● Small Business – businesses with less than $10M annual turnover will be required to pay $1200 for each year of nomination.
● Large Business - businesses with more than $10M annual turnover will be required to pay $1800 for each year of nomination.
Genuine Position
The sponsoring company must evidence that there is a genuine need for the position to be filled. They are required to establish that the position has not been created for the purpose of sponsoring the foreign worker.
NOTE: Further requirements may be applicable depending on the occupation and stream. Please contact Migration Services for further assessment.
3) Visa Application
The visa applicant must be able to evidence that they hold the required skills, qualifications and experience required of the role they are nominated to fill. The applicant must be able to evidence a minimum of two years recent work experience in their occupation.
The applicant must evidence that the meet the English language requirement for their stream.
If a skills assessment is required, the applicant must have either lodged the assessment or had the assessment approved at the time the application is lodged.
It is possible to include your family members in this application. All applicants must be able to pass a health and character assessment. Adequate health insurance is required to be held for the duration of your stay.
Applicants nominated for an occupation under the short-term stream must be able to pass a Genuine Temporary Entrant test. This means that they must evidence that they are not using TSS sponsorship as a way to extend their stay in Australia.
All applicants will need to pass the health and character test.
NOTE: Further requirements may be applicable depending on the occupation and stream. Your previous Australian immigration history will need to be considered before applying for this visa. Please contact Migration Services for further assessment
3. Next Steps
Our Registered Migration Agents are happy to assist you with the preparation and lodgment of your TSS application. We will review your documents and ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements before applying.
Please contact us to book an appointment for further information and assessment of your eligibility.
VISAS
Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa
The Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa is designed to assist Australian companies in regional areas to fill current skilled staffing shortages in their business.
This is a temporary visa that permits the holder to work full time for their sponsoring employer in a nominated position. Family members can be included in the application.
The position to be filled must be an occupation on the Department of Home Affairs list of occupations eligible for this visa. The business must also be located in a regional area of Australia. Regional areas are defined as a location outside of the main cities of:
● Melbourne
● Sydney
● Brisbane
Duration
This is a 5 year temporary visa. The visa holder may apply for the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa after 3 years on their 494 visa if eligibility criteria are met. General eligibility criteria for the permanent visa include:
● Abiding by the 494 visa conditions:
○ Working in the nominated position
○ Remaining in the nominated regional area
● Earning a minimum taxable income. This is expected to be $53,900 or more per year.
Employer nomination is not required to apply for the permanent visa.
Skills Assessment
The employee must have a positive skills assessment in their nominated occupation to be eligible for this visa.
A skills assessment is not an exam. A skills assessment is an assessment of the employee’s qualifications and work experience to ascertain if they meet standard of the occupation in Australia.
It is strongly recommended that employers confirm that their employee can obtain a positive skills assessment before proceeding with the nomination process.
In addition to the positive skills assessment, an employee must have a minimum of 3+ years full time employment in their nominated occupation, or closely related occupation.
If the employee cannot pass a skills assessment, or does not have the required work experience, we recommend using the Subclass 482 TSS employer sponsored visa in the interim. The 482 TSS visa can be granted for periods of up to 4 years. This may enable your employee to meet the skills assessment and work experience requirements for the 494 visa.
What are the steps required to apply?
There are three steps required for a 494 visa to be approved. This involves three separate applications. Two of these are the responsibility of the sponsoring employer, one of these is the responsibility of the visa applicant. Each application must be approved in order for the next application to be approved. It is possible to lodge all three applications at the same time.
1) Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS)
The sponsoring business must become an approved Standard Business Sponsor. This requires a sponsorship application to be lodged. The basic requirements for a sponsorship to be approved require the sponsoring business to establish that they are lawfully operating a business with no adverse information against them.
If they have previously obtained approval as Standard Business Sponsor, they must evidence that they have continued to meet the sponsorship obligations in the most recent years of active sponsorship.
Once granted, the sponsorship is valid for a period of 5 years. This is renewable.
Sponsorship Obligations
If approved as a Standard Business Sponsor, the sponsoring company has the obligation to cover reasonable costs associated with a departing ticket from Australia if their employee ceases work and requests for departure assistance. This obligation extends to any dependent family members.
2) Nomination
The sponsoring company must lodge a nomination application for the applicant that identifies the position sought to be filled.
There are several requirements to be filled in order to have the nomination approved.
Labour Market Testing
The position to be filled must have been recently advertised and attempts to fill this position must have been paid. Exemptions may apply.
Market Salary Rate
The employer must evidence that they will be paying their employee a salary that is commensurate with their skills and experience that is comparable to what an Australian citizen or permanent resident would be paid.
The applicant must also be paid above the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) of $53,900.
Training Levy
There have been recent changes to the training requirement for employer sponsored visas. The training levy has now been changed to a payment into the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF). This will be known as the SAF levy. The SAF levy is required to be paid at the nomination stage and will be one of the following:
● Small Business – businesses with less than $10M annual turnover will be required to pay $3000 for the nomination.
● Large Business - businesses with more than $10M annual turnover will be required to pay $5000 for the nomination.
Genuine Position
The sponsoring company must evidence that there is a genuine need for the position to be filled. They are required to establish that the position has not been created for the purpose of sponsoring the foreign worker.
Regional Certifying Body Advice (RBC Advice)
The sponsoring company will need to obtain confirmation of the market salary rate through an application with the local Regional Certifying Body. Your migration agent can assist you with this application.
NOTE: Further requirements may be applicable depending on the occupation and stream. Please contact Migration Services for further assessment.
3) Visa Application
You must be under the age of 45 to apply for this visa. Exemptions apply in limited circumstances.
The visa applicant must be able to evidence that they hold the required skills, qualifications and experience required of the role they are nominated to fill. The applicant must be able to evidence a minimum of three years recent work experience in their occupation.
A positive skills assessment in the nominated occupation is required for this visa subclass. Exemptions apply in limited circumstances. It is recommended that you make yourself aware with the skills assessment requirements and start your skills assessment application as soon as possible. Processing times for some skills assessments are up to 3 months. You will also need to prepare your skills assessment documents. The timeframe to prepare your skills assessment application depends on your level of organisation. If your visa will soon be expiring, we can recommend the Subclass 482 TSS temporary employer sponsored visa in the interim, if eligible. Our migration agents can assist you with your skills assessment application.
The applicant must evidence that they meet the English language requirement for their stream.
It is possible to include your family members in this application. All applicants must be able to pass a health and character assessment. Adequate health insurance is required to be held for the duration of your stay.
NOTE: Further requirements may be applicable depending on the occupation and stream. Your previous Australian immigration history will need to be considered before applying for this visa. Please contact Migration Services for further assessment
Next Steps
Our Registered Migration Agents are happy to assist you with the preparation and lodgment of your 494 Standard Business Sponsorship, Nomination and Visa applications. We will review your documents and ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements before applying.
Please contact us to book an appointment for further information and assessment of your eligibility.
VISAS
Temporary Skilled
Shortage Visa
The Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa is is designed to assist Australian companies to fill current skilled staffing shortages in their business.
This is a temporary visa that permits the holder to work full time for their sponsoring employer in a nominated position.
The position to be filled must be an occupation on the Department of Home Affairs list of occupations eligible for this visa. There are three streams available in the visa subclass. The stream applied for will depend on if the occupation is on the Short-Term list or the Medium and Long-Term list.
1. Visa Streams
1) Long Term Stream
A visa may be granted for up to 4 years. This is a renewable visa and offers a pathway to permanent residency. The occupation must be on the list of designated occupations available for long term sponsorship.
2) Short Term Stream
A visa may be granted for up to 2 years. This visa offers renewal only once if the need for ongoing sponsorship can be established. It does not offer a pathway to permanent residency. The occupation must be on the list of designated occupations available for short term sponsorship.
3) Labour Agreement Stream
This stream is available if there is a genuine need for the position and the occupation is not identified on the designated list of occupations eligible for the subclass 482 visa. The sponsoring company must have entered into an approved agreement with the Commonwealth to sponsor applicants under this stream.
Please book a consultation with Migration Services for further information regarding these streams.
2. Steps
There are three steps required for a TSS visa to be approved. This involves three separate applications. Two of these are the responsibility of the sponsoring employer, one of these is the responsibility of the visa applicant. Each application must be approved in order for the next step application to be approved. It is possible to lodge all three applications at the same time.
1) Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS)
The sponsoring business must become an approved Standard Business Sponsor. This requires a sponsorship application to be lodged. The basic requirements for a sponsorship to be approved require the sponsoring business to establish that they are lawfully operating a business with no adverse information against them.
If they have previously obtained approval as Standard Business Sponsor, they must evidence that they have continued to meet the sponsorship obligations in the
most recent years of active sponsorship.
Once granted, the sponsorship is valid for a period of 5 years. This is renewable.
2) Nomination
The sponsoring company must lodge a nomination application for the applicant that identifies the position sought to be filled.
There are several requirements to be filled in order to have the nomination approved.
Labour Market Testing
The position to be filled must have been recently advertised and attempts to fill this position must have been paid. Exemptions may apply.
Market Salary Rate
The employer must evidence that they will be paying their employee a salary that is commensurate with their skills and experience that is comparable to what an Australian citizen or permanent resident would be paid.
The applicant must also be paid above the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold (TSMIT) of $53,900.
Training Levy
There have been recent changes to the training requirement for employer sponsored visas. The training levy has now been changed to a payment into the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF). This will be known as the SAF levy. The SAF levy is required to be paid at the nomination stage and will be one of the following:
● Small Business – businesses with less than $10M annual turnover will be required to pay $1200 for each year of nomination.
● Large Business - businesses with more than $10M annual turnover will be required to pay $1800 for each year of nomination.
Genuine Position
The sponsoring company must evidence that there is a genuine need for the position to be filled. They are required to establish that the position has not been created for the purpose of sponsoring the foreign worker.
NOTE: Further requirements may be applicable depending on the occupation and stream. Please contact Migration Services for further assessment.
3) Visa Application
The visa applicant must be able to evidence that they hold the required skills, qualifications and experience required of the role they are nominated to fill. The applicant must be able to evidence a minimum of two years recent work experience in their occupation.
The applicant must evidence that the meet the English language requirement for their stream.
If a skills assessment is required, the applicant must have either lodged the assessment or had the assessment approved at the time the application is lodged.
It is possible to include your family members in this application. All applicants must be able to pass a health and character assessment. Adequate health insurance is required to be held for the duration of your stay.
Applicants nominated for an occupation under the short-term stream must be able to pass a Genuine Temporary Entrant test. This means that they must evidence that they are not using TSS sponsorship as a way to extend their stay in Australia.
All applicants will need to pass the health and character test.
NOTE: Further requirements may be applicable depending on the occupation and stream. Your previous Australian immigration history will need to be considered before applying for this visa. Please contact Migration Services for further assessment
3. Next Steps
Our Registered Migration Agents are happy to assist you with the preparation and lodgment of your TSS application. We will review your documents and ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements before applying.
Please contact us to book an appointment for further information and assessment of your eligibility.
VISAS
Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
A temporary graduate visa allows international students to live, study and work in Australia after finishing their studies.
This visa is a temporary visa that lasts up to 4 years, depending on the stream and qualification achieved. You can include your family members in your application.
General eligibility requirements for this visa include:
• Under 50 years of age
• Completed your studies within the past 06 months (may be 12 months if you are offshore during the COVID concession period)
• Have not applied for a 485 visa before as the primary applicant
• Have achieved the required English score
• Have studied for 92+ weeks in Australia, in a minimum of 16 calendar months
There are 2 different streams of the temporary graduate visa. The stream applied for will depend on your level of qualification and your previous study experience in Australia.
This information sheet is not conclusive and is designed to provide a basic overview of the visa subclass only. Please contact your migration agent for an assessment of your eligibility and for further assistance.
Temporary Graduate Visa
There are two streams of this visa. It is important that you apply for the correct stream, depending on your circumstances.
1. Graduate Work Stream- 18 months
This is for international studies who have graduated from a degree, diploma or trade qualification in Australia. This visa lets you live, study and work in Australia temporarily. It allows you to stay in Australia for up to 18 months after grant. You can include immediate family in your application.
In addition to the general eligibility requirements, you must have completed a course of study related to an occupation on the Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List and have a skills assessment in that occupation.
2. Post Study Work Stream- 2-4 years
This stream is for international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution. This visa lets you live, work and study in Australia temporarily. It allows you to stay in Australia between 2 and 4 years, depending on your qualification. You can include immediate family in your application.
You may be eligible for a second 485 Post Study Work visa if you:
• Completed studies in a regional area of Australia
• Remained in a regional area of Australia after graduation
If you held a student visa prior to 05 November 2011, you are not eligible for this stream and must go through the Graduate Work Stream.
Benefits of the Temporary Graduate Visa
This visa provides you with the opportunity to gain valuable Australian work experience in your industry that can assist you to find work when you return overseas, or help you to meet the requirements for a further skilled visa in Australia.
If you have an occupation on the department skills shortage list, you may qualify for a future Australian work visa. Two years of full-time work experience in your occupation permits you to apply for employer sponsorship, if you have an employer willing to sponsor you.
You may also use this visa to meet the work experience requirements to pass a skills assessment for a visa under the General Skilled Migration program. Australian work experience in your occupation also provides you with additional points for the General Skilled Migration program.
Next Steps
Our Registered Migration Agents are happy to assist you with the preparation and lodgment of your 485 application. We will review your documents and ensure that you meet the eligibility requirements before applying.
Please contact us to book an appointment for further information and assessment of your eligibility.
VISAS
Training Visa – Subclass 407
This visa is offered to applicants who which to engage in workplace training at an Australian business or organisation. There must be a workplace training plan in place. If you do not have a training plan in place, we can refer to an agency to develop a plan compliant with immigration requirements.
It is not for those who wish to work or study in Australia. There are separate subclasses that are for those who wish to work or study in Australia.
This visa is a temporary visa with a maximum of two years validity. There are three separate applications related to this visa subclass:
1) Sponsorship – The proposed business or organisation must become an approved sponsor.
2) Nomination – the proposed business or organisation must nominate the visa applicant to engage with their organisation.
3) Visa – the applicant must make a valid visa application in association with the sponsorship and nomination applications.
It is possible to lodge the sponsorship, nomination and visa applications at the same time; however, one cannot be granted before the other.
These steps are outlined below.
Step 1 – Sponsorship
The sponsoring business or organisation must have an approved sponsorship in place for the nomination and visa to be approved. This is called a ‘Temporary Activities Sponsorship’. A business or organisation must become an approved sponsor to nominate potential visa applications.
This sponsorship remains valid for up to five years.
Documents required for the sponsorship vary according to the business specifics of each proposed sponsor. Migration Services will tailor the document checklist to each proposed sponsor’s unique needs.
Immigration Fees $420
Step 2 - Nomination
Once the sponsorship has been lodged, the nomination application may be lodged. An approved sponsorship must be in place for the nomination to be approved. An approved nomination is required for grant of the visa.
A separate nomination must be lodged for each visa application.
Each nomination must evidence that the applicant will be receiving the salary equivalent of an Australian employee in the same position. If there will be no remuneration, both the applicant and sponsor must sign specific statements identifying that no remuneration will be received. Please note that the applicant must evidence sufficient funds to support themselves during their stay in Australia. Most employers pay their trainees a salary.
Evidence must be provided that the visa applicant will be engaging in a specific work-based training program. A training plan must be in place.
There are three different nomination streams for the Subclass 407 Training Visa.
Nomination Streams:
Note – The workplace based training must be for at least 30 hours a week. Not more than 30percent of this can be classroom based.
1) Workplace-based training required for registration
For applicants who require training to meet registration requirements in either Australia or overseas.
This training must be supported by the relevant registration authority.
2) Structured workplace-based training to enhance skills in an eligible occupation.
For applicants who wish to improve their skills in a specific occupation. This occupation must be on a list of occupations approved by the Department of Home Affairs.
To be eligible, the applicant must have recent employment or study experience equivalent to 1 year full time in the past 2 years.
3) Training which promotes capacity building overseas
For applications who skills learnt skills in Australia will enhance their current or future employer overseas; or who’s training promotes international capacity building. There are three sub-streams under this nomination stream.
• Overseas Qualification – the training in Australia is required as a part of their course of study overseas. E.g., internship, practical experience, research, observation
• Government Support – Training is either supported by government agency in Australia or applicant’s home country. E.g. humanitarian, political, financial, environmental, etc.
• Professional Development – Training enhances skills and expertise of the applicant and the employing business or organisation.
Training Plan Requirements
A training plan for the Subclass 407 Training Visa should include at a minimum:
• Outline of objectives and work activities involved.
• Curriculum details and training tasks to be completed in the program
• Location of the training activities with details of all components
• Details of the draining duration and timeframes for each task
• Details of all supervisors, trainers and assessors. This should include their qualifications and experience.
• Learning outcomes and how they will be monitored and assessed.
• 30 hours a week of training with at least 70 percent completed in the workplace.
The tasks involved in the training program should increase in difficulty and complexity. It should show the visa applicant’s progression to a higher skill level.
Documents required for the nomination vary according to proposed training activity. Migration Servicers will tailor the document checklist to the nomination’s unique needs.
Immigration Fees $170
Step 3 – Visa Application
The applicant must evidence functional English. In each case, the applicant must have the appropriate qualifications and career history. It is possible to include family members in the application, though they must also meet certain criteria.
The visa application may be lodged after the nomination has been lodged. It can only be approved with an approved sponsorship and nomination.
The applicant must meet health and character requirements.
Immigration Fees from $285
Next Steps
Our migration agents are available to assist you with this visa subclass. Note that a training plan that meets immigration requirements must be in place. If your company does not have a training plan, please notify your migration agent for referral.