GSM Visas
General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visa
GSM subclass 189, 190, 491
The GSM visa is unique of its kind with number of opportunities to work and settle in Australia. This visa typically issued to applicants who with special skills are willing to settle in Australia. We provide tailor made solution to your current professional status by providing competent consultation, assessment, and visa services for this visa. This visa is also applicable to candidates who can get a sponsorship from an Australian employer.
All you need is to prepare your documents as per the check list provided for a particular GSM subclass, and we will help you in consolidating your documents and preparing an application for the visa. You need to have a positive outcome from the relevant Australian assessment authority in order to be qualified to apply for the GSM visa. Once you have your skill assessed, you lodge an expression of interest (EOI) on the SkillSelect page. The EOI can be submitted for with subclass 189 (independent) or 190 (state nominated – a 2-year state dependant) permanent residency (PR). If your qualification are enough to make the minimum points required for a particular subclass, you need to have an English test completed with minimum “competent” level.
Following visas are offered under GSM category.
- Skilled Independent Visa – subclass 189
- Skilled Nominated Visa – subclass 190
- Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa – subclass 491
Point calculation for GSM visa
Here are minimum point requirement for GSM visa
| Visa | Points |
|---|---|
| Skilled – Independent (subclass 189) | 65 |
| Skilled – Sponsored (subclass 190) | 65 |
| Skilled – Regional Sponsored (subclass 491) | 65 |
Age
Your age must be in the following age group at the time of application.
| Age group (years) | Points |
|---|---|
| 18 – 24 | 25 |
| 25 – 32 | 30 |
| 33 – 39 | 25 |
| 40 – 44 | 15 |
| 45 – 49 | 0 |
English language ability
| English ability | Points |
|---|---|
| Superior English – person has a score of 8 or more in the English Language Testing System (IELTS) in each of the four test components | 20 |
| Proficient English – person has a score of 7 or more in the English Language Testing System (IELTS) in each of the four test components | 10 |
| Competent English – person has a score of 6 or more in the English Language Testing System (IELTS) in each of the four test components | 0 |
Skilled employment
Only 20 points can be awarded for any combination of overseas and Australian skilled employment. Points for Australian Employment in nominated skilled occupation or a closely related occupation
| Skilled employment in Australia | Points |
|---|---|
| At least eight and up to 10 years (of past 10 years) | 20 |
| At least five but less than eight years (of past 10 years) | 15 |
| At least three but less than five years (of past 10 years) | 10 |
| At least one but less than three years (of past 10 years) | 5 |
| Skilled employment outside Australia | Points |
| At least eight and up to 10 years (of past 10 years) | 15 |
| At least five but less than eight years (of past 10 years) | 10 |
| At least three but less than five years (of past 10 years) | 5 |
| At least one but less than three years (of past 10 years) | 0 |
Qualification
| Qualification | Points |
|---|---|
| Doctorate from an Australian educational institution or other Doctorate of a recognized standard | 20 |
| At least a Bachelor degree, including a Bachelor degree with Honours or Masters, from an Australian educational institution or other degrees of a recognized standard | 15 |
| Diploma or trade qualification or other qualification completed in Australia, or qualification or award of recognized standard | 10 |
Australian Study Requirements
| Study | Points |
|---|---|
| One or more degrees, diplomas or trade qualifications awarded by an Australian educational institution and meet the Australian Study Requirement | 5 |
| You can receive five points for credentialed community language at the time you are invited to apply. Credentialed community langue is accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) | 5 |
| You can receive five points if you meet the Australian Study Requirement to have lived and studied in regional Australia or a low population growth metropolitan area at the time you are invited to apply | 5 |
You can also receive points for Study in Regional Australia or a low population growth metropolitan area (excluding distance education)
Points for partner skill qualifications
You can receive five points if your partner meets requirements at the time you are invited to apply relating to the following:
| Particular for partner |
|---|
| Single (10 points) |
| English Language Ability 6.0 in each component (5 points) |
| A suitable skills assessment in a nominated occupation on the same Skilled Occupation List used for your application (5 points) |
You cannot receive these points if your partner is not included on your visa application, or if they are an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident.
Points for Professional Year in Australia and other points
You can receive five points for having completed a Professional Year in Australia in the four years before you are invited to apply.
| Australian Study and other points | Points |
|---|---|
| Your Professional Year course must have been in your nominated skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation. The course must have lasted for a period totalling at least 12 months | 5 |
| Nomination by a state or territory government under a State Migration Plan, for the purposes of a subclass 190 application | 5 |
| Nomination by a state or territory government under a State Migration Plan, or sponsorship by an eligible relative, to a regional area for the purposes of a subclass 491 application | 15 |
Points for Nomination by State or Territory Government or Sponsorship by an Eligible Family Member, to reside and work in a specified/designated area (visa subclass 491 only)
Points for Nomination by State or Territory Government or Sponsorship by an Eligible Family Member
Note: If your points are 65 and you have a positive skilled assessment in your nominated occupation you can apply for 491 visa and if you can claim 65 points or above, it will make you eligible for 189,190 visas. More points you can score, more are your chances of an early invitation and getting ahead in the queue.
Skilled Independent Visa – subclass 189
This visa allows you to work anywhere in Australia. It is granted solely on point-based system. You need to submit an EOI in Skill Select, and you could be invited by the Department of Home Affairs. The invitations are given based on the points you have claimed in the Skill Select.
You must lodge your application within 60 days of invitation, otherwise you have to submit a new EOI. There is extensive paper work required for this visa, so make sure you have prepared all of your documents well before submitting the EOI, otherwise delays will occur in processing your application if the case office ask for further documents. You do not require a sponsorship for applying this visa.
Applying the Visa
You can lodge the application of this visa either in or outside Australia. You will be granted a Bridging Visa A if you apply visa subclass 189 in Australia, with the option of applying Bridging Visa B or C.
Criteria
In order to qualify for this subclass 189, you would need to:
- Lodge EOI in SkillSelect in order to get invited
- Meet the pass marks (point) in the skilled migration test
- Be of age between 18 and 45 years
- Have positive skill assessment by the relevant Australia assessment authority
- Have at least competent English (IELTS 6 or equivalent PTE) or higher
- Meet the health requirements
- Meet the character requirements
Including family members
You can also include your family members in your visa application. The family members could be as following:
- Spouse
- De-facto partner
- Same sex partners
- Dependent children
- Other family members such as your parents who will live with you and you can financially support them
It is important to note that the other family members can only be included in the application at the time of lodgement. The partners or children can be included after lodging the application.
Duration of visa and conditions
Subclass 189 is a permanent visa that allows you to remain in Australia indefinitely with complete work rights. If you have granted the visa while you are overseas, you and members in the application who also granted the visa must enter Australia prior to the expiry of health and police clearance certificates.
Skilled Independent Visa – subclass 190
This visa replaces both the subclass 176 (offshore skilled – sponsored) and subclass 886 (onshore) visas. Subclass 190 is a permanent visa that requires you to be nominated by the State or Territory Government.
This visa allows you to work anywhere in a State or Territory who nominated you for a period of two years of visa granted. You need to submit an EOI in SkillSelect including selecting the State or Territory you want to be nominated from. You could be invited by the Department of Home Affairs once your nomination is successful. Each State and Territory has their own criteria to grant a nomination. There may be specific requirements in terms of work experience, English language ability or specialised skills.
There is extensive paper work required for this visa, so make sure you have prepared all of your documents well before submitting the EOI, otherwise delays will occur in processing your application if the case office ask for further documents. You do not require a sponsorship for applying this visa.
Applying the Visa
You can lodge the application of this visa either in or outside Australia. You will be granted a Bridging Visa A if you apply visa 190 in Australia, with the option of applying Bridging Visa B or C.
Criteria
In order to qualify for this subclass 190, you would need to:
- Lodge EOI in SkillSelect in order to get invited
- Be nominated by a State or Territory Government
- Meet the pass marks (point) in the skilled migration test
- Be of age between 18 and 45 years
- Have positive skill assessment by the relevant Australia assessment authority
- Have at least competent English (IELTS 6 or equivalent PTE) or higher
- Meet the health requirements
- Meet the character requirements
Including family members
You can also include your family members in your visa application. The family members could be as following:
- Spouse
- De-facto partner
- Same sex partners
- Dependent children
- Other family members such as your parents who will live with you and you can financially support them
It is important to note that the other family members can only be included in the application at the time of lodgement. The partners or children can be included after lodging the application.
Duration of visa and conditions
Subclass 190 is a permanent visa that allows you to remain in Australia indefinitely with complete work rights. You would be expected to stay for two year in the State or Territory which nominated you for this visa. You can request to move within states if you would be unable to find the job in the relevant state, and if you have a job offer from other eligible state. If you have granted the visa while you are overseas, you and members in the application who also granted the visa must enter Australia prior to the expiry of health and police clearance certificates.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) – subclass 491
This is a five-year provisional visa that requires the visa holder to live and work in a regional area to get permanent residence. To qualify for this visa, you would need be sponsored by either a relative living in a designated area or a State or Territory Government.
You need to submit an EOI in SkillSelect to the Department of Home Affairs.
There is extensive paper work required for this visa, so make sure you have prepared all of your documents well before submitting the EOI, otherwise delays will occur in processing your application if the case office ask for further documents. You do not required a sponsorship for applying this visa.
Applying the Visa
You can lodge the application of this visa either in or outside Australia. You will be granted a Bridging Visa A if you apply visa 491 in Australia, with the option of applying Bridging Visa B or C.
You can apply for a Subclass 491 visa if you are sponsored by a relative living in a Designated Area. The relative must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or Eligible New Zealand Citizen. The following relatives can sponsor for the Subclass 491 visa:
- Parents
- Brothers and sisters
- Uncles and aunties
- Nephews and nieces
- First cousin
- Grandparents
The applicable occupations list if sponsored by a relative is the same as the list for the Skilled Independent visa. If you are sponsored by a relative, you will need to live for three years and work full time for three years and have a taxable income at or above a specific income threshold while living in regional or low population growth area to qualify for permanent residence through the Skilled Regional Subclass 191 visa.
Criteria
In order to qualify for this subclass 491, you would need to:
- Lodge EOI in Skill Select
- Be sponsored by a relative living in a Designated Area or nominated by a State or Territory Government
- Meet the pass marks (point) in the skilled migration test
- Be of age between 18 and 45 years
- Have positive skill assessment by the relevant Australia assessment authority
- Have at least competent English (IELTS 6 or equivalent PTE) or higher
- Meet the health requirements
- Meet the character requirements
Including family members
You can also include your family members in your visa application. The family members could be as following:
- Spouse
- De-facto partner
- Same sex partners
- Dependent children
- Other family members such as your parents who will live with you and you can financially support them
It is important to note that the other family members can only be included in the application at the time of lodgement. The partners or children can be included after lodging the application.
Duration and Conditions
Results in the grant of a permanent visa with full work and study rights in Australia. Travel facility is valid for five years.
Temporary Graduate Visa – subclass 485
The Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa is work visa for international students who have completed two years of study in Australia. The duration of this visa could be between 1.5 and 4 years depending on your situation.
This visa is one of the ways to extend your stay in Australia to improve your chances of becoming eligible for a permanent or provisional skilled visa.
Eligibility Streams
There are three eligibility streams for the Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 Visa:
- Post Study Work Stream: commonly referred to as the Post Study Work Visa (PSWV). This eligibility stream was introduced in March 2013 for students applying for their first student visa after 5 November 2011
- The Graduate Work Stream: criteria are similar to the 485 Graduate Skilled visa as it was prior to March 2013
- Second Post-Study Work Stream: This visa is for holders of a first Temporary Graduate visa in the post-study work stream who graduated with a degree from an Australian institution located in a regional area.
General Criteria
There are a number of criteria which are common to both the PSWV (Post Study Work) stream and the Graduate Work Stream:
- Age: The main applicant must be under 50 at the date of lodgement
- English: The main applicant must demonstrate their English language ability, either through holding certain types of passport or by undertaking an English test.Evidence of threshold English must be provided at date of lodgement
- Study in Australia: You must meet the 2-year study requirement and have completed qualifications within six months of applying for the visa.
- Points Test: The Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa is not points-tested.
Apply the visa
The primary applicant must be in Australia when they make their application for a 485 visa, and must have held an eligible student visa within the 6-month period prior to lodgement.
Including family members
You can also include your family members in your visa application. The family members could be as following:
- Spouse
- De-facto partner
- Same sex partners
- Dependent children
If you already hold a 485 visa, you can apply for family members to join you in Australia on 485 visas.
Duration and Conditions
Duration of the 485 visa will depend on your circumstances. (Under the new announcements PSW will be granted for 3 years and Graduate Work Stream will be granted for 2 years until further notice by the DHA)
Graduate Work stream visas are valid for 18 months from the date of grant of the application.
Duration of the PSWV depends on which qualification has been completed in Australia as follows:
- 2 years: completion of Bachelor Degree, Bachelor with HonoursMasters by Coursework or Masters (Extended)
- 3 years: Masters by Research
- 4 years: Doctorate
Whilst on a 485 visa, you have unrestricted work rights in Australia.You must maintain private health insurance whilst on a skilled graduate visa.
- Skilled – Recognized Graduatesubclass 476
The Skilled – Recognized Graduate subclass 476 visa is an 18-month work visa for recent engineering graduates.
This visa is one of the ways to extend your stay in Australia to improve your chances of becoming eligible for a permanent or provisional skilled visa.
Criteria
The main criteria are as follows:
- Age: The main applicant must be under 31 at the date of lodgement.
- English: You must provide evidence of your English language ability at date of lodgement by showing one of the following:
- Hold a passport from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada or New Zealand; or
- IELTS (Academic or General Training): overall average of 6 and at least 5 in each band; or
- Occupational English Test (OET): B Pass in each band; or
- Pearson (PTE Academic): overall average of 50 with at least 36 in each band; or
- TOEFL iBT (Internet Based Test): total score of 64, with at least 4 in Listening and Reading, and at least 14 in Writing and Speaking; or
- Cambridge (CAE): 169 overall average with at least 154 in each band.
- Qualifications: You must have completed a qualification at most 2 years prior to lodgement. The qualification must be:
- In the engineering field
- At the bachelor level or higher
- Completed at an institution which offers courses accredited through the Washington Accord, or an institution specified by Immigration.
- Points Test: The Recognized Graduate subclass 476 visa is not points-tested.
Apply the visa
Unless the main applicant is an NZ citizen, all applicants must be outside Australia when the visa application is granted. You can be in Australia when the application is lodged but must depart Australia for visa grant. As a result, no bridging visa is issued in general.
Including family members
You can also include your family members in your visa application. The family members could be as following:
- Spouse
- De-facto partner
- Same sex partners
- Dependent children
If you already hold a 476 visa, you can apply for family members to join you in Australia on 485 visas.
Duration and Conditions
Valid for 18 months from the date of first entry to Australia. You must maintain private health insurance whilst on a recognized graduate visa.
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