What Are The Requirements For Permanent Residency in Australia?

A Permanent Resident of Australia (or the Australian PR status) is not the same as Australian citizenship. You cannot have an Australian passport, vote in elections, join the Australian Defense Force, work for the Australian Government, cannot enter Australia from overseas after the travel validity of your visa expires, and cannot access student loans. Still, if you get a permanent visa to Australia, you can stay, work and study in Australia for an indefinite period of time, enrol in the Medicare scheme, take loans from banks to buy property, travel to and from Australia until your travel validity is valid, have consular protection, and can sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence in the country.

Eligible permanent residents of Australia can also apply for the citizenship of Australia.

The most common visa options to gain the Australian PR status are the permanent visas for skilled workers and family. Irrespective of which option you choose, there are certain PR requirements that you must meet when you first apply for the permanent Australian visa.

What are the requirements for PR in Australia?

While Australia PR requirements differ for different visa options, there is one eligibility criterion that is part of each of the routes that lead to the completion of the Australian permanent residency process – meeting the health requirement.

Australians are quite conscientious about their health and are cautious about granting a visa to someone who has a disease or a health condition that can be a threat to their public health standards. Since they offer Medicare or free healthcare to their permanent residents, it’s natural they do not want to invite someone to a country whose medical expenses become a burden on their economy.

Thus, meeting the health requirements is a crucial part of the Australian immigration and PR process.

Besides you and your family members migrating to Australia, you may also have to present the results of health assessments of the family members who are staying back in your home country.

It is imperative that the health examinations you undertake are done by a MOC (Medical Officer of the Commonwealth). If the MOC advises so, you might have to sign a health undertaking where you either have to take private health insurance (to cover your future medical expenses) or show that you have enough money to pay for the treatments you might have to undergo later.

Most Common Visa Options for Australian PR

There are many visa routes to becoming a permanent resident of Australia, which includes family-stream visas, work-stream visas, business or investment-stream visas, and other options (such as Retirement Pathway for eligible retirees). However, work-stream PR visas are the most popular visa options for skilled workers sponsored by Australian employers or workers with skills that are in short supply in Australia.

According to Visa2Immigration visa and immigration consultants, the top visa categories that make it easier for you to gain the Australian PR status are:

• Visa subclass 186 or Employer Nomination Scheme Visa: where you need to have the required skills for the job for which you are nominated by the Australian employer. You can stay and work in Australia permanently on this visa.
• Visa subclass 187 or Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa: where you need to be nominated by an approved Australian employer for a job in designated regional areas of Australia. This visa allows you to stay and work in regional Australia permanently and hence, gain the PR status of the country.
• Visa subclass 189 or Skilled Independent Visa: where you don't need a sponsor. You receive the invitation to apply for the visa if your skills are what Australians are looking for. You are allowed to live and work anywhere in Australia permanently on this visa.
• Visa subclass 190 or Skilled Nominated Visa: where you need to win a nomination from the Australian government (state or territory). This visa allows you to study, work and live in Australia; sponsor your relatives for Australian PR status; and eventually, become a citizen of Australia if you meet all the required criteria.

Besides these permanent visas, there are two popular temporary visas that can help you gain the PR status in Australia with time. These are:

• Visa subclass 482 or Temporary Skill Shortage Visa: where you need to be nominated by an Australian employer for a job for which he or she cannot find a suitably skilled Australian. You need to have proper skills for the job and meet the English language requirements for it. You can stay and work for the employer for a maximum of four years but the work experience in Australia you get on this visa can ultimately make it easier for you to meet the PR visa requirements of Australia.
• Visa subclass 489 or Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa: where you can stay and work in Australia for up to four years if you pass the points test (under the Invited Pathway); or as long as the visa of your family member sponsoring you is valid (under the Subsequent Entry Pathway). Here also, the work experience you earn during your stay in Australia can help you gain the permanent residence in Australia easily.

It is crucial that you follow the visa rules and conditions judiciously to meet the Australian PR visa eligibility.

Step by Step Process for Australian PR

Australia’s PR application process is simple:

1. Choose an appropriate visa option
2. Choose an appropriate occupation from the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)
3. Arrange the key documents (including the skill assessment and English language test results)
4. Submit the EOI (Expression of Interest) through the online SkillSelect system
5. Meet the Health and Character requirements

To discuss which visa option is best for you, what are the requirements of the visa you choose, and how to boost the score of your points test, talk to our Visa2Immigration consultants now.

Processing Time of Australian PR and Immigration process

Visa processing times differ for different visa options. Visa 186 usually takes 10 months to 16 months to get processed while visa 187 may take as many as 21-22 months to get processed. Visa 189 and Visa 190 have a shorter processing time - usually around 7 to 9 months.

The visa processing time is much shorter for temporary visas. Visa 482, for example, has a processing time of 29 days to 3 months depending on the stream under which you apply for the visa. Visa 489 usually takes 7 months to 9 months to get processed.

The processing time gets delayed when you miss out on providing certain information or fail to present all your documents in order. Immigration authorities may also ask you to present proofs to support certain claims you make – and if you fail to do so in time, your PR visa processing may get delayed.

Our immigration agents have years of experience in helping all those who are interested in migrating to Australia and can help you at every step of the visa and PR process. Discuss your situation with them to know what they can do for you.