Skilled migration

Note: This content was correct at the time of writing. However, as laws are liable to change, please treat this information as general in nature and not as advice.

To qualify for Australian permanent residence under the General Skilled Migration category, international students generally need to meet a number of requirements. The essential requirements include that the graduating student:

be under 45 years of age
pass a skills assessment for their nominated skilled occupation (applicants must select an occupation from the "Skilled Occupations List" and have their skills assessed for that occupation by the relevant skills assessing authority)
pass a "points test" (applicants are awarded points for various factors including their skills, age, English skills and other factors)
have good English language skills

Visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website www.immi.gov.au for full details on requirements.

When applying for Australian permanent residence under the General Skilled Migration category, students must nominate whether they are making an onshore application (in Australia) or an offshore application (outside Australia). A valid onshore application will automatically entitle a student to remain in Australia during processing of the permanent residence application, whereas an offshore application will not.

Some visa options if you are in Australia

Skilled - Independent (Residence) visa

A permanent visa for eligible international students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) years study. Applicants must pass a points test.

Skilled - Sponsored (Residence) visa

A permanent visa for eligible international students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) years study. For applicants not able to meet the Skilled-Independent pass mark, who have either a relative in Australia to sponsor them or a nomination from a state/territory government. Applicants must pass a points test.

Skilled - Regional (Residence) visa

A permanent visa for eligible provisional visa holders who have lived for at least two (2) years and worked at least one (1) year in a Specified Regional Area in Australia.

Skilled - Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa

A 3 year provisional visa for eligible international students who can meet the lower pass mark for this visa. Applicants must either be sponsored by a relative living in a designated area of Australia or a nominated by a state/territory government. After living for two (2) years and working for at least one (1) year in a Specified Regional Area, applicants can apply for a permanent visa..

Skilled - Graduate Temporary visa

An 18 month temporary visa for international students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) years study. Allows applicants who are unable to pass the points test to remain in Australia for 18 months to gain the skills and experience needed to apply for a permanent General Skilled Migration visa. No points test applies.

Before you start the process

It is a good idea to check whether you are likely to meet the necessary requirements. Checking with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) on your eligibility for the above visa categories is a logical place to begin. All applications for extending a stay in Australia must be considered by DIAC, and students are well advised to contact the Department for further information. Contact details are available on the DIAC website.

If you don’t appear eligible

If you don’t believe you qualify, you may still be able to change your visa from a temporary student visa to another type of temporary visa. If you feel that you have grounds for doing this, you should contact the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) office, who will advise you whether this is possible, and what action you should take.

Before students are allowed to lodge their General Skilled Migration application, they must first get their skills assessed for their nominated occupation. This can take two or more months, depending on the occupation nominated.
Once the skills assessment result has been received and the visa application has been validly lodged, the visa application will be processed. In some periods it may take approximately 4–6 months to process onshore applications, and approximately 12 months or more to process offshore applications.