The 189 visa in Australia is a type of visa that is addressed only to foreign persons who qualify as skilled workers. The visa is also known as the skilled independent visa and the procedure to obtain it is separated by 3 main streams: 1 – the points test stream, 2 – the New Zealand stream and 3 – the Hong Kong stream.
In this article, our Australia migration lawyer will present the basic information one should know about this visa; for further details as well as for legal advice, our lawyer remains at your service.
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How can one obtain 189 visa in Australia under the New Zealand stream?
New Zealand and Australia have a close connection on diplomatic, economic, social levels. Thus, the law on immigration in Australia prescribes specific types of visas for New Zealand nationals.
This is also the case of the 189 visa, which has a separate stream for New Zealand citizens who have become Australian permanent residents. Below, you can find out few details concerning the issuance of the document:
- in order to obtain the 189 visa in Australia, the New Zealand citizen must have arrived here under the New Zealand Special Category visa (Subclass 444);
- at the moment of the application, the person must make proof of living in Australia starting with 19 February 2016 or before this date;
- thus, the applicant must show evidence on residing here for more than 5 years;
- according to the Department of Home Affairs, the processing fee of the visa is AUD 4,115;
- the visa fee is paid in 2 installments – 20% at the moment of the application and 80% before the issuance of the document.
What is the points-tested stream in Australia?
This is a common visa assessment for immigration in Australia, that is applied to numerous visa types. In the case of the 189 visa in Australia, the applicant must obtain at least 65 points in order to be eligible.
This is one of the basic requirements, amongst numerous others. For instance there is an age limit, of maximum 45 years old. An advantage of the visa is that the foreigner can bring his or her family here.
Please mind that the application fee is the same, of AUD 4,115, but the price can increase if there are additional family members, to AUD 4,885. If you have family members above the age of 18 years who do not speak good English, you may need to pay an extra fee.
What is the processing time for the 189 visa in Australia?
The processing time for this visa can vary based on numerous factors. The submitted papers can represent one of these factors and this step must be handled with a lot of attention.
This is why we recommend you to address to our immigration lawyer in Australia for legal representation. The duration of the visa processing can also be influenced by the visa stream selected.
Most of the applicants will choose the points-tested visa stream, as the other visa streams are available only for New Zealand and Hong Kong nationals. For the points-tested stream, the shortest amount of time is of 53 days.
However, this is generally achieved in the case of just 25% of the applications, while the majority of the applications, of 90%, are processed in a period of 36 months.
Although for the points-tested stream the visa processing fluctuates a lot, for the New Zealand stream, the process for immigration in Australia is more unitary.
Here, the 189 visa in Australia can be issued in a period that ranges from 16 months to 20 months (the shortest period of time is attributed to 25% of the applications, and the longest, for 90% of the applications).
If you want to find out more details, as well as the documents you must prepare for this visa, we invite you to contact our Australia migration lawyer for in-depth legal advice and representation.
Since the 189 visa is a document that is issued on a permanent basis, it implies that the visa holder can remain here on an indefinite basis, if the person chooses to do so.
This also implies that the visa holder will have the right to apply for citizenship in Australia, if the residency requirements are maintained along with other minimum conditions for citizenship.
Persons interested in other visa options that grant the right to residence in Australia on a permanent basis may also want to check out the conditions applicable to the Subclass 187 – Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa, Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme visa or the Subclass 887 – Skilled Regional Visa.
There are also other visa options for skilled employment which are issued for 4 or 5 years.
