The aim for many overseas visa applicants is to become a permanent resident of Australia. There are many benefits to being a permanent resident.
Benefits of being a Permanent Resident include being able to:
– Remain in Australia indefinitely
– Work and study in Australia
– Access Medicare
– Apply for loans to buy property
– Sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence
– Apply for Australian citizenship (if eligible)
– Travel to and from Australia (dependant on the validity of your travel facility on your visa)
– Work in New Zealand
How do you apply for permanent residency?
The main streams that lead to permanent residency are the family stream and the work and business / investor streams. Each of these streams has a list of visa options available. There are also other less common options for obtaining permanent residency.
Family Stream
Family visas are available to partners, children, parents or dependant relatives of Australian citizens, permanent residents of Australia or eligible New Zealand Citizens. Children who are being adopted or in the process of being adopted outside of Australian and carers who need to move to Australia to provide long-term care for an approved relative are also eligible for family visas.
Family visas that are available are:
– Partner Visas (Subclasses 309, 100, 820 and 801)
– Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300). This is a temporary visa but holders of this visa can apply for a subclass 820 or 801 to obtain permanent resident status.
– Parent Visa (Subclass 103)
– Contributory Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 864)
– Contributory Parent Visa (Subclass 143)
– Aged Dependant Relative Visas (Subclasses 838 and 114)
– Remaining Relative Visas (Subclass 835 and 115)
– Carer Visas (Subclasses 836 and 116)
– Orphan Relative Visas (Subclasses 837 and 117)
– Aged Parent Visa (Subclass 804)
– Dependent Child Visa (Subclass 445)
– Child Visa (Subclasses 101 and 802)
– Adoption Visa (Subclass 102)
Work and Business / Investor Stream
Work stream visas are available to workers who have an Australian employer sponsoring them to work in Australia. In most cases, an applicant will need to have an occupation that is on the skills shortage list, or in the case of the Business / Investor Stream, be able to operate a business or invest in an Australian State or Territory.
Work, business and investor stream visas that are available are:
– Business Innovation and Investment Visa (Subclass 888)
– Business Owner Visa (Subclass 890)
– State or Territory Sponsored Business Owner (Subclass 892)
– State or Territory Sponsored Investor (Subclass 893)
– Investor Visa (Subclass 891)
– Business Talent Visa (Subclass 132)
– Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)
– Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
– Skilled nomination Visa (Subclass 190)
– Skilled Regional Visa (Subclass 887)
– Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
Advanced Pathways
Holders of other visas such as student visas can also be eligible for permanent residency. As an example, a student visa holder may apply for a graduate visa or temporary skills shortage visa (TSS) once they have completed their studies. Once the graduate visa or TSS is no longer valid they may wish to apply for a skilled or employer sponsored visa which offer permanent residence. Of course, eligibility criteria apply for any of the subsequent visa applications.
Other Pathways
There are other less common pathways to permanent residency. These include:
– The Retirement Visa Pathway
This pathway is available to retirees who, on 8 May 2018 held a Retirement visa (Subclass 410) or an Investment Retirement visa (Subclass 405). Eligible retirees who are long-term residents and have contributed to and have established themselves in their community can apply for either a Parent visa or a Contributory Parent visa (Subclass 143).
– The Former Resident Visa (Subclass 151)
This visa allows former permanent residents and certain people who served in the Australian Defence Force to live in Australia permanently.
– Distinguished Talent Visa (Subclasses 124 and 858)
These visas are available to people with an internationally recognised record of exceptional and outstanding achievement.
– Refugee and Humanitarian Visas
These visas are for people who are subject to persecution in their home country.
There are many options available when it comes to permanent residency. Consulting with a registered migration agent such as Visa Solutions Australia will ensure you choose the right option for you.
To learn more about obtaining permanent residence in Australia or any other aspects of migration, contact the Visa Solutions team on 1800 828 008.
