Australian Visas

Visas are a legal form of document that gives a person permission to enter a country different than their own country of citizenship, or passing through a foreign country.

To obtain an Australian visa, you must first determine what kind of visa that you are eligible to apply for (whether an Employer Sponsored Visa, Student Visa, Partner Visa etc) before applying.

It is important that you understand the full costs and process involved with applying for an Australian Visa, which is why we recommend using an experienced and registered migration agency, such as AMALSA, to ensure you have greater chances of a successful application and that your money is also well spent.

For more information on each visa type or subclass, please click the headers or individual visa links below, or feel free to contact us to arrange an appointment to discuss.

We also recommend visiting our FAQs page for general information.

Employer Sponsored Working Visas

For people looking to live and work in Australia, there are several forms of working visas available, each with their own set of conditions and restrictions.

Some of these visas can be a pathway for acquiring permanent residence status in Australia, through either the Employment Nomination Scheme (ENS) or the Regional Skilled Migration Scheme (RSMS).

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) Visa Subclass 187

The Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) Subclass 187 allows employers in regional or low population growth areas of Australia, to sponsor employees who are foreign nationals for a permanent visa to work in Australia.

Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa Subclass 186

The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Subclass 186 Visa allows Australian employers to sponsor employees who are foreign nationals for a permanent visa to work in Australia (Direct Entry Stream).

Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa Subclass 482

Before you can apply for a TSS visa, your proposed employer will need to lodge a nomination application for you. They will only be able to do this if they are an approved sponsor or have at least lodged an application to become a standard business sponsor. If your employer is still an approved 457 sponsor then they can sponsor you for a TSS (Subclass 482) under that existing sponsorship.

General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visas

In Australia, there are a range of visa options available for skilled people who are interested in living in working in the country. These are known as General Skilled Migration (GSM) Visas.

For skilled applicants who do not currently have an Australian employer who will sponsor them for a visa, then these visa subclasses may be appropriate.

For GSM Visas there are both temporary and permanent options available, each with varying eligibility criteria.

Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485

The Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 Visa is a temporary visa for International students, who have recently graduated from an Australian educational institution.

Skilled Regional Visa Subclass 489

The Skilled Regional Visa allows skilled workers to live and work in specific regional area of Australia for up to 4 years.

Skilled Nomination Visa Subclass 190

The Skilled Nomination Visa Subclass 190 is a permanent visa, which allows skilled workers to live in Australia, based on nomination by an Australian State or Territory Government.

Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189

The Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 is a permanent visa which allows skilled workers to live in Australia.

Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa Subclass 476

The Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa (Subclass 476) is a temporary visa which allows recent engineering graduates, from recognised and eligible Universities and Institutions, to attain up to 18 months of skilled work experience.

Business and Investor Visas

For people with a successful background in investment or business ownership, there is a range of visas available for those wishing to move to Australia.

Business Talent – Venture Capital Entrepreneur Stream Subclass 132

The Venture Capital Entrepreneur Stream is a Permanent Residency Visa for applicants who have sourced venture capital funding of at least $AU1m from a member of The Private Equity Australian Venture Capital Association Limited.

Business Talent – Significant Business History Stream Subclass 132SBH

The Significant Business History Stream Visa is a Permanent Residency Visa for business owners or part owners wishing to do business in Australia and willing to make a business investment of $AU1.5m to $5m or higher.

Entrepreneur Stream Subclass 188E

The Entrepreneur Stream 188E Visa is a temporary visa for applicants who are willing to make an ongoing investment commitment in Australia, starting with a business investment of $AU1.5m into government bonds for 4 years.

Significant Investor Stream Subclass 188C

The Significant Investor Stream 188C Visa is a temporary visa for applicants who are willing to invest at least $AU5m in Australia, with the intention to continue to maintain investment activity after the original investment matures.

Investor Stream Subclass 188B

The Investor Stream 188B Visa is a temporary visa for applicants who are willing to undertake ongoing investment activity in Australia, starting with a $AU1.5m investment in Government bonds for 4 years.

Business Innovation Stream Subclass 188A

The Business Innovation Stream Visa is a temporary visa for applicants who are willing to either establish a new business or buy into an existing business in Australia, and willing to live in Australia while undertaking a role running the business.

Partner Visas

AMALSA can assist with visa applications for all relevant partner and spouse visa subclasses, including Prospective Marriage Visas, Spouse Visas and De Facto Partner Visas.

De-Facto Relationship Visa

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) offers a variety of visa subclasses subject to different criteria, which are made available to family members of permanent residents, Australian citizens and eligible New Zealand citizens.

Prospective Marriage Visas

Prospective Marriage Visas allow fiancés of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens, to enter Australia for 9 months to marry their fiancés. These are temporary visas only.

Partner Visa

If you are in a relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, then you may be eligible for a Partner Visa on the basis of their sponsorship.

Student Visas

Student Visa

A Student Visa allows the holder to live in Australia to study full-time, in a recognised educational institution.

Family Visas

If you have family members (child, partner, parent, brother, sister, grandparent, aunt, grandchild, uncle, niece, nephew or step relative) in Australia and you want to immigrate there, you can apply for one of the few Australian Family visas, but your Australian relative (Australian citizen, eligible New Zealand citizen or permanent resident) must be your sponsor in all cases.

Apart from being sponsored by a family member in Australia, the general requirement for most family visas are that you must meet the health and character criteria.

You are released from the usual required skills test for the Business and General skilled migrants and excessive knowledge of the English language.

Depending on the relation with your relative in Australia and the type of visa you wish to apply for you must lodge the appropriate supporting documents. Most Family visa applications can be lodged in or out of Australia.

Based on your current circumstances there are various types of permanent visas that you can apply for, including:

Remaining Relative Visa

Remaining Relative Visas are for remaining near relatives (family members) of an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who wishes to sponsor them.

Aged Parent Visa

Aged Parent Visas are for parents who are older than 65 years, and who have a child that is either an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who wishes to sponsor them.

Parent Visas

Parent Visas are for parents who have a child that is either an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen who wishes to sponsor them.

Visa Appeals

If a Visa is refused or canceled, in most circumstances applicants are able to lodge an appeal to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) decision.

As of 1st July 2015, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) is the single body responsible for hearing migration appeals.

Visit the link in the header above to find out more information, or contact us for an appointment to discuss.

Visa Eligibility Assessment

The assessment takes only a few minutes to complete. It is a step by step process and you will receive your results almost instantly.

Visit the link in the header above to take the assessment, or contact us for an appointment to discuss.

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