How Can I be eligible for a Skilled Independent Visa 189?

Do you want to apply for a Skilled Independent Visa but don’t know the eligibility criteria? If yes, then here’re the most important things you need to know.

Living and working in Australia can be a wonderful experience. Skilled migrants choose Australia for better living and career opportunities. Australia is a well-developed country. It’s economically strong and has a high employment rate. It provides various opportunities to skilled workers from all over the world.

If you’re a skilled employee who wants to work in Australia, then visa 189 is a great option. In this guide, we’ll provide detailed information on Visa 189 and its eligibility criteria.

Skilled Independent Visa 189

Skilled Independent Visa is for international workers with skills that Australia needs. It’s a permanent visa. You can live and work in Australia with visa 189 permanently. 189 visa is a points-tested stream. Therefore, you’re required to complete a skills test to qualify for visa 189.

Once you get an Australia visa 189, you become a permanent resident of Australia. While applying for visa 189, you must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). You can submit EOI through SkillSelect. The purpose of submitting EOI is to let Home Affairs know that you want to apply for visa 189.

You must provide the supporting documents to support your claims in EOI. Home Affairs will process your application if it’s filled correctly. You must show that you meet the eligibility requirements of visa 189.

Eligibility Criteria of Visa 189

The Department of Home Affairs has set particular requirements for visa 189. If you want to be eligible for a Skilled Independent Visa, you must:

• Be invited by the Department of Home Affairs to apply for visa 189
• Satisfy the points-test by scoring at least 65 points
• Submission of Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect
• Provide a suitable skill assessment for your occupation
• Have an occupation relevant on the Skilled Occupation List
• Be under 45 years of age.
• Have competent English at least.
• Meet the health and character requirements. If your family members are also applying for visa 189, they also have to meet the visa conditions.
• Not owe money/debts to the Australian Government. It is your responsibility to arrange resources to pay back the money you owe.
• Sign the Australian Values Statement to verify that you’ll respect the Australian laws and way of living.
• Not have had a visa application canceled before

Make sure you meet the eligibility criteria to obtain visa 189. As if you fail to meet this criteria, Home Affairs will refuse your application.

How long does a 189 Visa take to Process?

If you’ve submitted visa application, you need to wait for Home Affairs to process your application. The Department of Home Affairs generally takes:

• 53 days to process 25% of applications
• 6 months to process 50% of applications
• 22 months to process 75% of applications
• 36 months to process 90% of applications

It should be noted that processing time may vary and depend on individual circumstances. If you fill the application correctly with complete documents, it’ll process fast. On the other hand, Home Affairs may take longer to process your application if you don’t include supporting documents in the application.

Home Affairs might contact you for further information in the application. You must respond to them as soon as possible. The processing time depends on how long Home Affairs takes to receive additional details from external agencies. It also depends on how long you take to respond to Home Affairs.

Documents for Skilled Independent Visa 

There’re certain documents that you must submit to support your application. Before you apply for visa 189, you must submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect. Then you need to gather all documents to prove the claims you made in your EOI.

Documents required for a Skilled Independent Visa include:

• National identity card
• Proof of change of name such as a marriage or divorce certificate
• Relationship documents to show if you’re married, widowed, divorced, or permanently separated
• Australian Police Certificate if you’ve spent a year or more in Australia in the last 10 years since you turned 16.
• Proof of English language proficiency by providing competent English documents
• Your partner’s documents
• Expression of Interest (EOI) documents

Double-check all these documents before submitting your visa application. If you don’t provide these documents, Home Affairs will not process your application.

How much does a 189 Visa Cost?

The cost of a Skilled Independent Visa is AUD 4,115 for the main applicants. There’re separate charges for each family member who applies with you. You might also have to pay an additional fee for any applicant under 18 and have less than functional English.

This is the second installment. You must submit it when the Department of Home Affairs asks for it. You’ve to pay AUD 4,885 for your second installment.

Final Words!

A Skilled Independent Visa 189 is a pathway to PR in Australia for international workers. You can be in or outside Australia when you apply for visa 189. If you successfully obtain visa 189, you can live, study and work in Australia on a permanent basis.

Though, you must meet the eligibility criteria to get this visa. As a single mistake can lead you to visa refusal. Home Affairs doesn’t approve applications which aren’t submitted properly. Therefore, you must consider the documents and meet visa conditions to avoid visa cancelation.