PERTH – Australia is fast becoming a top hotspot for education and work primarily because of being an English-speaking country that offers opportunities to Asians as well as other citizens.
One of its visas, the subclass 190 visa is amongst the sought-after visas as it offers multiple benefits. Here’s a detailed guide on this visa and what is required of applicants to get this visa.
Duration of Australian subclass 190 visa
The biggest advantage of this visa type is that one can stay permanently in Australia under this visa. With this visa, successful candidates can work and study anywhere in Australia. They are also eligible to sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residence.
If the applicant is eligible, they can become an Australian citizen in the long run and so this explains why more and more people are preferring this visa type.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this visa type, one must have an occupation on the relevant ‘skill list‘ and have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation.
Another major eligibility benchmark is that you must be aged under 45 when the authorities invite you to apply for the visa; however, you can still apply for the visa if you turn 45 after you are invited to apply.
In special cases, if you turn 45 after you submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) but before the authorities invite you to apply, you will not be invited to apply.
Moreover, one should be invited to apply for this visa and satisfy the points test to be eligible for this visa type.
Regarding the points needed to get this visa, it must be clarified that when you submit your EOI in SkillSelect you will be given an indicative points score based on the claims you have made.
As far as the benchmark is concerned, if you do not get a score of 65 points you will not be invited to apply for this visa. Points are awarded for factors such as age, work experience, educational qualifications, English language proficiency etc.
In case the Australian authorities invite you to apply for the visa, your invitation will state the number of points that you must score when the authorities assess your application for grant of the visa (this score may be higher than 65 points, depending on your claims in the EOI).
It must be mentioned that when you lodge your application you must provide evidence to support your claims.
In case you want to calculate your own points, you can simply navigate to this link and find the points you can achieve.
There are also some requirements regarding the competence of the English language and those who clear the following tests are eligible:
| Test | Required Score |
| International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic or General Training) | At least 6 for each of the 4 components |
| Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) | At least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking |
| Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | At least 50 for each of the 4 components |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | At least B for each of the 4 components |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced test | At least 169 in each of the 4 components |
How to Apply
To apply for this visa, one must navigate to SkillSelect which is the Australian Government’s online application system for professionals wanting to express interest in applying for a skilled migration visa, to live and work in Australia.
Through SkillSelect, the Australian Government and state and territory governments invite a number of skilled workers to make visa applications.
The first step in migrating to Australia is to start with an Expression of Interest. The applicant must first complete and submit a free Expression of Interest (EOI) and through an EOI, they can be invited to apply for this visa. The EOI can be submitted here.
When the applicant receives an invitation to apply for a skilled visa, they should apply in ImmiAccount by uploading all documents to ImmiAccount. It should be kept in mind that for applying keep in mind the requirements regarding English language proficiency.
An important aspect of this visa is that an invitation to apply for the visa is sent to those who fall in the eligible occupations list and submit an EOI that meets or exceeds the points criteria; However, there is no guarantee that you will receive an invitation to apply for a visa, even if you meet the minimum points criteria.
Overall, the process goes like this: If you have your skill on the occupation list and you have 65 points then you submit the Expression of Interest in Skillselect. You will then wait for the invitation to apply. You should then gather your documents and finally apply for the visa within 60 days of the invitation.
Cost of the Visa
The Australian subclass visa 190 cost starts from AUD4,640.00 for the main applicant.
It must be kept in mind that you might have to pay an extra charge for any applicant 18 years old or older who has less than functional English and applying with you as a family member. This charge is called the second instalment but the applicant has to pay it if asked by authorities.
The advantage for an accompanying family member is that the Australian authorities ask for the charge only if they are going to grant the visa. The second installment charge for family members is AUD4,885.
One must also know that you might also have to pay other costs for health checks, police certificates and biometrics but the major cost is what we mentioned above.
It must be kept in mind that the Australian authorities will not refund the application charge if they refuse your application.
Processing time
The Home Affairs Department of Australia says that 25% of applications are processed within 70 days while 50% of applications are finalized within 86 days. The department states that 75% of applications are winded up in 4 months while 90% of applications are decided within 7 months.
The authorities have clarified that you can travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want for 5 years from the date this visa is granted. After 5 years, the visa holders will need a Resident Return (RRV) visa (subclass 155 or 157) to re-enter Australia as a permanent resident.
The Decision on your visa
The Australian authorities say that if they grant you a visa, they will tell you your visa grant number, the date your visa starts, and your visa conditions, if applicable and in case you are denied the visa, you will be informed about the reason and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.
