As Australia’s economic recovery continues, the Government is making it easier for highly skilled migrants to remain in the country and continue working in critical sectors.  

As a result, the government has announced that holders of Sponsor Visas (482 or 457) involved in the post-pandemic economic recovery could enjoy Pathways to Permanent Residency 

“This is a special concession recognizing those highly skilled migrant workers who chose to stay in Australia throughout the pandemic while continuing to address Australia’s acute shortages. This allows them to stay here, with a pathway to Australian citizenship” Minister for Immigration – Alex Hawke said. 

These visa changes will improve access to permanent residence for: 

• Existing Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa holders in the short-term stream 
• Legacy Temporary Work Skilled (subclass 457) visa holders who no longer meet the age requirement. 

Before these changes, unlike Medium-Term TSS 482, which has its own PR pathway to 186 visas, the short-term stream has been specifically designed to have no direct pathway to permanent residency, to reinforce its “short” term. 

The new change allows access to the Temporary Residence Transition stream of the ENS 186 visa from 1st July 2022 for short-term stream TSS 482 visa holders who: 

• Spent a (cumulative) period of 12 months or more in Australia between 1 Feb 2020 and 14 Dec 2021 
• Employed by a suitable employer in Australia at the time of application, meaning hold a TSS 482 Visa at the time of application 

These changes improve the situation for a large number of TSS 482 visa holders in the short-term stream, who may have been working towards permanent residency under programs, or expecting to need to return home.  

We hope this will help Australia to capture some skills shortages for the long term. 

Requirements 

To be eligible you must: 

• Have been employed, in Australia for a minimum of 12 months between 1 February 2020 and 14 December 2021. 
• At the time of visa application, is employed by a person actively and lawfully operating a business in Australia. 
• Have worked in the nominated occupation for three years full time in the four years immediately prior to lodgment. The total period may include Covid-19 reduced work periods. 

The top Short Term Skilled occupations that may now qualify for the new 482 Visa Changes in 2022. 

Hospitality Industry: 

• Accommodation and Hospitality manager (141999 – ANZSCO) – VETASSESS. 
• Other hospitality occupations such as Cafe and Restaurant Manager. 

• Cook/ Baker: Chefs are in great demand in Australia, however, only bakers and cooks are on the Short-Term Skilled Occupations list, so there was no pathway for cooks with TSS 482 visas. The good news is that now you are possibly eligible for the Temporary Residency Transition 186 Visa (Permanent Residency) under the new legislation. 

Professional occupations: 

• Finance Broker 
• Marketing/Advertising Specialist 
• Graphic designer 

ICT Occupations 

• ICT Sales Representative 
• ICT Customer Support Officer 
• ICT Support Engineer 

Relevant links

Useful links to get the ball rolling

Study Commercial Cookery 
The Ultimate Trade – Study Pathways 
Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa – Subclass 482
Employer Nominated (ENS) Visa (Permanent) – Subclass 186 

We are here to help:

Our website is jam packed with useful information about various visa options and common questions that answer most of our visitors’ doubts, but if you’re still not sure and would like a personalised migration plan with a step by step road map, then schedule a consultation with one of our Registered Migration Agent.

Find your migration plan: 

It is important for you to know the different types of visas available from the Australian government, the main requirements, process duration and costs. In order to decide the best pathway for you and your parents.  

Parent visas in Australia 

If your parents are inside of Australia, you will be able to apply for the following visas: 

1. Parent Visa (Subclass 103);

2. Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173);

3. Contributory Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 143).

If your parents are outside of Australia, you will be able to apply for the following visas: 

1. Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804);

2. Contributory Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 143);

3. Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 884);  

4. Contributory Aged Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 864).

What are the basic requirements for a parent visa application? 

All the visas above have certain eligibility criteria depending on whether your parents are inside or outside Australia. However, the main requirements for all parent visas are: 

1. The child must be a permanent resident or Australian citizen.
2. The child has been living in Australia for 2 years before lodging the application.
3. Meet the requirements of the Balance of Family Test, which means half of your parent’s children or more must live in Australia rather than another country.

What is the best visa option for my parents? 

It would depend on different aspects such as time and the amount of money you will be able to spend on this process. 

To know which one is more convenient check the following requirements for each parent visa in Australia.  

• Parent Visa (Subclass 103) (Permanent Resident visa) 

1. Your parents are applying outside of Australia.

2. Your parents want to become permanent Australian residents.

However, this visa is subject to a “capping and queueing” system, which means that the Australian Immigration Authorities will only grant a certain amount of parent visas every year and the rest will be postponed to the next Migration Program year.  

Based on the current queue time, some cases may take up to 30 years! 

This is a low-cost parent visa option but the duration to be granted makes it less common among applicants.  

Visa Price:   

Main applicant: $3.945 AUD 

Dependent applicant: $1.975 AUD 

Processing Times: up to 30 years. 

• Contributory Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 173) (Temporary resident) 

1. Your parents are applying outside of Australia.

2. Your parents want to live in Australia for up to 2 years. 

3. You and your parents are prepared to pay the visa application charges (around $31.980AUD for each parent) to optimize the processing time.

This visa takes approximately 3 to 3.5 years to process, and your parents will be granted a 2 years visa. This visa can be taken as a pathway to apply for the visa Subclass 143 to become permanent residents. 

You can apply for the visa subclass 173 for temporary residence and before this visa expires, you can apply for the visa subclass 143 which is a permanent residency visa. Applying for a temporary subclass 173 visa before the permanent subclass 143 visa lets you minimize the impact of the high costs of your parent’s migration over a number of years. 

Visa Price:   

Main applicant: $2.540 AUD 

Dependent applicant: $1.270 AUD 

Payment of 2nd visa application charge: $19.420 per applicant. 

Processing Times: 12 – 18 months. 

• Contributory Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 143) 

1. Your parents are applying either inside or outside Australia.  

2. Your parents want to become permanent Australian residents. 

3. You and your parents are prepared to pay the visa application charges (around $43.600 AUD for each parent).

This visa takes 3.5 to 4.5 years to process and is a permanent resident visa, the initial application fee is $4,225AUD for the first applicant and $1,425 for the second applicant. However, the second instalment for each applicant is $43,600.  

This visa is one of the most expensive options for parent visas however the fastest pathway to bring your parents to Australia. The applicants will have to pay this amount to compensate for the rights that are granted to the visa holder under the permanent residence to which they have not contributed throughout their lives as ordinary Australians have by way of taxes. 

Visa Price:   

Main applicant: $3.770 AUD 

Dependent applicant: $1.270 AUD 

Payment of 2nd visa application charge: $46.600 per applicant. 

Processing Times: 3 – 4.5 years.  

• Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804) (Permanent residency) 

1. Your parents are applying inside of Australia.  

2. Your parents want to become permanent Australian residents. 

3. Your parents meet the age requirement (Minimum age of 63 to 65 years old).

There is currently a long queue in processing this particular visa. waiting times can get up to 13 years before this visa is approved.  

Applicants of this age can also apply for a Contributory Aged Parent visa, however, that visa will incur a larger application fee and an Assurance of Support bond will be required under this stream. 

Visa Price:   

Main applicant: $3.945 AUD 

Dependent applicant: $1.975 AUD 

Processing Times: 13 years or more. 

• Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 884)

1. Your parents are applying inside of Australia.  

2. Your parents want to live in Australia for up to 2 years. 

3. Your parents meet the age requirement (Minimum age of 63 to 65 years old). 

This visa takes approximately 1.5 to 2 years to process and your parents will be granted 2 years of temporary visa.  For this visa, the Assurance of Support (AoS) is also part of the fees you have to consider. For two applicants the bond price is currently $14,000 AUD. 

Visa Price:   

Main applicant: $3.770 AUD 

Dependent applicant: $1.880 AUD 

Payment of 2nd visa application charge: $29.130 AUD per applicant. 

Processing Times: 12 – 18 months.  

• Contributory Aged Parent (Resident) Visa (Subclass 864) 

1. Your parents are applying either inside or outside Australia.  

2. Your parents want to become permanent Australian residents. 

3. Your parents meet the age requirement (Minimum age of 63 to 65 years old). 

This visa takes approximately 2.5 to 4 years to process and is a permanent visa. For this visa, you will also have to pay a contribution of $43.600 AUD for each applicant and the Assurance of Support is also compulsory.  

Visa Price:   

Main applicant: $3.770 AUD 

Dependent applicant: $1.880 AUD 

Payment of 2nd visa application charge: $43.600 AUD per applicant. 

Processing Times: 2 – 3 years.  

Relevant links

Useful links to get the ball rolling

Study Commercial Cookery 
The Ultimate Trade – Study Pathways 
Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa – Subclass 482
Employer Nominated (ENS) Visa (Permanent) – Subclass 186 

We are here to help:

Our website is jam packed with useful information about various visa options and common questions that answer most of our visitors’ doubts, but if you’re still not sure and would like a personalised migration plan with a step by step road map, then schedule a consultation with one of our Registered Migration Agent.

Find your migration plan: 

If you are an engineer in Australia and are seeking permanent residence in your profession, there are different pathways you can explore depending on your profile. We will explain to you the basics while we help you save some money for the first consultation with any migration lawyer and actually understand the whole process. 

You may need to follow 2 main steps to apply for a permanent residency visa in Australia as an Engineer. 

1. Apply for an accreditation or skill assessments under the relevant pathway (Washington Accord, Sydney Accord, Dublin Accord, Qualification is non-accredited/ non- Accord) We will talk about those later, no worries!. 

Step 1:

Accreditation of your professional title with Engineers Australia (EA). 

If your purpose is to obtain permanent residency in Australia, either through the points system or through the sponsorship of a company, you must accredit your degree.  

For engineers, the skill assessing authority is Engineers Australia (EA). EA has different skills assessment pathways depending on your qualification.  

Basically, what they did was to separate different agreements between bodies responsible for accrediting engineering degree programs from different countries, these pathways are different depending on your nationality. 

• Washington Accord: This agreement allows Australia to recognize accredited qualifications to engineers from Korea, Russia, Malaysia, China, India, Sri Lanka, etc. The full list can be found here.

To be eligible, the qualification must be recognized by the representative body of the signatory country and the qualification must be equivalent to an Australian 4-year Bachelor’s degree. 

• Sydney Accord: This agreement allows Australia to recognize accredited qualifications to engineers from Canada, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Ireland, Korea, NZ, South Africa, UK, USA and Malaysia. You can look at the list here.

To be eligible for the Sydney Accord pathway the qualification must be equivalent to an Australian 3 years Bachelor of Technology degree in engineering. 

• Dublin Accord: This agreement allows Australia to recognize accredited qualifications to engineers from Australia, Canada, Ireland, Korea, NZ, South Africa. See the full list here. 

To sum up and not make things more complicated… Depending on your nationality you can apply for different pathways. However, as you noticed some of the countries are part of 2 international agreements. If that is your case you can apply depending on the type of certification you have obtained after checking if your home country is part of any accord. 

• If you are a professional Engineer apply to the  Washington Accord 
• If you are an Engineering Technologist apply to the Sydney Accord 
• If you are an Engineering Associate apply to the – Dublin Accord 

What happens if my country is not on the accord lists? 

If none of the above applies, you would have to apply for a skill assessment under the Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) or a non-accredited/ non- Accord pathway. 

Qualification is non-accredited/ non- Accord 

Part of the CDR pathway includes preparing a report which must include: 

• Demonstrate professional development after you have graduated 
• 3 Career Episodes highlighting your engineering education and /or work experience 
• Summary Statement there are competency units and elements that must be met to be recognized as an engineer. 

Step 2:

Apply for a visa in Australia

Almost all the engineering occupations are on the medium and long-term strategic skills list. This list is a list of occupations on-demand in Australia and gives you the opportunity to apply for migration purposes.  

Once you have the accreditation of your career and depending on your profile, you can choose to apply between skilled visas and Employer-Sponsored Visas: 

Skilled Visas for engineers in Australia: 

• Subclass 189  Skilled Independent Visa:

  This visa is one of the most competitive among applicants because it allows you to live, work and study in Australia permanently, the points for engineers to apply and be invited are now 100 or more, that is why this visa is no longer an option for many candidates. But it depends on your profile and it is totally up to you if you want to apply and give it a try. 

• Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated Visa:

  Similar to the Subclass 189 visa, this visa allows you to live, work and study in Australia permanently too. It is also a point tested visa.  Candidates move to a regional area to apply for this visa looking for a state who is willing to nominate them. 

• Subclass 491  Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa:

  Although this visa is not permanent. It can lead to a permanent visa (Subclass 191 – Skilled Regional Visa). The Subclass 491 visa allows you to live, work and study in a designated regional area of Australia. To be nominated by the state, you must check the state’s occupation list and meet all the state’s requirements. 

All skilled visas are based on the Australian points system. 

Points will be given to you based on the following: 

• Age 
• Educational Qualifications 
• Points for Professional Year 
• Points for NAATI- Credentialled Community Language 
• Points for 2 Year Study 
• Points for English 
• Points for Regional Study 
• Points for Work Experience 
• Points for Partner 

Employer-Sponsored Visas: 

• Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer-Sponsored Regional (Provisional Visa):

  To be eligible for this visa, you must have at least 3 years of working experience in your nominated occupation and have a relevant skills assessment. With this visa, there is a requirement that you must work for the employer who is sponsoring you. 

• Subclass 191 -Permanent Residence Skilled Regional Visa  

  This visa is for people who currently have a Subclass 491 visa or Subclass 494 visa who have lived, worked or studied in the designated regional area for at least 3 years with a taxable income at or above $53,900. This visa will allow you to live work and study in Australia permanently. 

• Subclass 186 – Employer Nomination Scheme Visa:

  This visa is permanent and will allow you to live, work and study in Australia indefinitely. To be eligible for this visa, you need to have at least 3 years of working experience in your nominated occupation and a positive skills assessment. Alternatively, if you are a holder of a Subclass 457 or TSS visa, you can apply for Subclass 186 after working for an employer for at least 3 years. 

That was a lot of information, right? Well, we just saved you around $300 AUD in any consultation with a migration lawyer, now you have the information for free and we are happy to help.  

What is the next step?  

We recommend you start doing your skill assessment as soon as possible, after completing your accreditation, looking for better visa options would be easier for you.  

You can also check the list of occupations here and see if any of those can apply to your work experience and you can have any other alternative to engineering, for example, you can be an Industrial Engineering with work experience as Engineering Manager, you should check the eligibility options for that occupation in case you do not meet the requirements to apply for an Industrial Engineering occupation. 

Confusing? 

Well, now is the time to book a consultation with real questions you can take advantage of. 

Relevant links

Useful links to get the ball rolling

Study Commercial Cookery 
The Ultimate Trade – Study Pathways 
Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa – Subclass 482
Employer Nominated (ENS) Visa (Permanent) – Subclass 186 

We are here to help:

Our website is jam packed with useful information about various visa options and common questions that answer most of our visitors’ doubts, but if you’re still not sure and would like a personalised migration plan with a step by step road map, then schedule a consultation with one of our Registered Migration Agent.

Find your migration plan: 

The Australian Government has announced changes that benefit migrants holding skilled, temporary graduate visas and those working in critical sectors. Have a look! 

 2022 started with good news for international students in Australia since they have been allowed to work up to 40 hours a week as a temporary measure to cope with the labour shortage.  

Along with that, the Government released new adjustments to welcome more overseas students and skilled professionals. 

Related article:
Check your eligibility for General Skilled Migration and calculate your likely score with our online Immigration Points test. 

Let’s get through them: 

1. More PR pathways for skilled migrants working during the pandemic 

While many migrants left Australia when the COVID-19 pandemic started (500.000 according to the Parliamentary Committee on Migration), the remaining stayed to support the economy by working for critical sectors such as health and hospitality. 

For those of the second group, the Government will extend visas for skilled regional (provisional visa) holders (subclass 489, 491 and 494) in recognition that this cohort has been adversely affected by COVID-19 related travel restrictions.  

“Current and expired skilled regional provisional visas will be extended, providing additional time to meet regional work requirements for permanent residence,” said Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alex Hawkey. 

“There are currently around 9,000 skilled regional provisional visa holders overseas. These visa holders can enter Australia from the 1st of December 2021, and they will also be eligible for an extension of their visa,” he added. 

2. Length of postgraduate visa (485) extended 

In yet another significant decision, the Government will also increase the length of stay on the 485 visas from the current two to three years for Masters by coursework graduates, matching that of Masters by research graduates. 

Related article:
Know the benefits you will get after your Postgraduate Visa (485) is approved 

The new visa settings will also extend existing measures for students and temporary graduates to recognise time spent online studying to qualify for a temporary graduate visa. 

3. Australian borders opening and further support for students 

To encourage overseas students to return, the Government will: 

• Allow Temporary Graduate visa holders who have been unable to travel to Australia due to COVID-19 international border restrictions to apply for a replacement visa. 
• Simplify the requirements for Temporary Graduate visa applicants for VET sector graduates. 

4. Better options for migrants living in regions 

From the 16th of November 2022, there will be benefits for people who have lived, worked and studied in a designated regional area on a previous, eligible visa. “It’s a pathway; you have to be on a 494 visa for three years and then apply for the 191,” the Minister assured. 

5. Changes: Visa refusals and cancellations 

Skilled migrants in Australia are also temporarily being given the opportunity to apply onshore for three skilled migration visa subclasses following a change to section 48 of the Migration Act. 

Section 48 bar applies to applicants who have had a visa refused or cancelled since their last entry into Australia.  

On the 13th of November, Mr Hawke agreed to temporarily include the following visa subclasses in the list of exempted visas: 491, 494 and 190.  

“You have enormous subsets of people in Australia who are on bridging visas waiting for a migration hearing, which can take five years,” Mr Watt said. 

Read more:
What should I do if my visa was cancelled or refused?  

Are you planning to stay in Australia?
Talk to our team TODAY!   

Sources:
Australia Home Affairs website
SBS Australia 

Relevant links

Useful links to get the ball rolling

Study Commercial Cookery 
The Ultimate Trade – Study Pathways 
Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa – Subclass 482
Employer Nominated (ENS) Visa (Permanent) – Subclass 186 

We are here to help:

Our website is jam packed with useful information about various visa options and common questions that answer most of our visitors’ doubts, but if you’re still not sure and would like a personalised migration plan with a step by step road map, then schedule a consultation with one of our Registered Migration Agent.

Find your migration plan: