Seeking job opportunities abroad has become the prime focus of young-professional aspirants. The reason for this being availability of well-paid jobs, improved lifestyle, physical security and a bright future for the family.

Australia is one such continent that many specialists intend to migrate because of its increasing needs in professional necessities. Though migrating to Australia is not easy and it calls for clearance of certain stages in order to acquire the Australian Visa.

Therefore, here are some important things to know about Australian PR Visa (Permanent Residency Visa).

What is Australian PR Visa and how can one acquire it?

In simple terms, an Australian PR Visa is a document of authority for an individual and/or his family to reside in Australia permanently. Once immigrated to Australia, the permanent resident and his family experience all of the rights of an Australian citizen except vote casting rights.

The process of acquiring the Australian PR begins with a candidate checking his occupation on the skilled occupation list on the Australian government website of immigration. Upon finding a relevant occupation that matches his qualification and work experience, the candidate can go ahead and submit his documents for Skill Assessment.

Skill Assessment is a document verification process conducted by appropriate assessing authority of Australia. These assessing authorities can either be Vetassess, ACS, TRA, Engineer Australia, AIM, AIMS, CPA, Medical board, etc.

Upon finding a relevant occupation requirement in a particular occupation list, the concerned assessment body requests the candidate to apply for an EOI (Expression of Interest) on the online SkillSelect Immigration Programme. Expression of Interest consists of candidate’s personal details, choice of occupation, skills, and qualifications.

SkillSelect conducts the evaluation of Expression of Interest, awards the nominee with points and ranks them against intending migrants.

If the candidate ranks higher and if demands are available in the nominated profession, an ITA (Invitation to Apply) for PR Visa to Australia is received. After obtaining the ITA, the candidate has 60 days of time to submit their final application under IMMI account to process the PR Visa.

Check the listing of occupation demand in Australia here.

Australian PR Subclasses

The Australian PR is divided into two most important Subclasses (Subclass 189 and Subclass 190) that candidates typically look forward to. These subclasses are offered to the candidate on the basis of points secured by him through his EOI assessment.

Once the candidate scores 60 or more points, he is eligible for both Subclass 189 and 190. In case, a candidate manages to score 55 points, he is granted 5 more points which makes him eligible for Subclass 190.

The only difference between these two aforementioned Subclasses is that a Subclass 189 candidate enjoys all the benefits presented by the Australian PR and is able to reside and work anywhere in Australia while a Subclass 190 candidate enjoys identical benefits as that of Subclass 189 but is restricted to reside and work in a particular state of Australia.

Occupations listed under Medium and Long-Term Skilled Strategic Skills List are applicable for candidates falling under Subclass 189 and 190. Moreover, Occupations listed under Short-Term Occupation List is only applicable for candidates falling under Subclass 190. The candidate’s Visa in Subclass 189 and 190 valid for 5 years but the candidate can be naturalized after 3 years of stay in Australia.

Apart from these two major Subclasses, the Subclass 489 is also taken into consideration by few candidates. In case, a candidate is unable to score 60 points in Subclass 189 but manages to score 55 points for Subclass 190, he is then awarded 5 extra points which get him qualified for Subclass 489.

The Subclass 489 restricts the candidate to reside and work in a certain region of an Australian state. Occupations listed under Medium and Long-Term Skilled Strategic Skills List are also applicable for candidates falling under Subclass 489. The candidate’s Visa in Subclass 489 is Valid for 4 years.

Requirements to apply for Australian PR

The Australian PR Visa requires a candidate to score 60 points to be eligible to apply for PR Visa. The SkillSelect Immigration Programme decides the eligibility of candidate based upon the points secured.

These points are bifurcated and are explained in detail below:-

• Age: The candidate ought to be among 18-44 years during the time of receiving the ITA for the PR Visa. A candidate can score a maximum of 30 points through his age.
• Qualification: The candidate should have a relevant qualification in his field of expertise. An applicable Bachelor’s degree is must in order to claim the minimum points. More points can be claimed if the candidate holds a Masters degree or above. A candidate can score a maximum of 15 points from a relevant educational background.
• Occupation: The candidate should hold relevant professional work experience in his field of expertise. A candidate can score a maximum of 15 points from his relevant work experience.
• PTE/IELTS English Exam Score: A candidate seeking migration to Australia will also need to face an English competency exam. A candidate can score a maximum of 20 points from English competency examination.

Learn more about PTE here: Everything You Need to Know About PTE Academic – Test, Preparation & More

Learn more about IELTS here: Everything You Need To Know About IELTS

Learn the difference between PTE and IELTS here: IELTS Vs PTE – All You Need To Know About Them

In case, the candidate falls short of scoring the required points, certain points-scoring factors can come to his aid. These factors can include the inclusion of candidate’s spouse, who fulfills the eligibility of scoring points using their age, qualification, and work experience.

There are certain requisites that the candidates should meet like medical clearance and police clearance from the concerned authorities to be eligible to apply for PR to Australia.

Privileges of the Australian PR Visa

The Australian PR permits the candidate and his family to live and work in Australia for an indefinite time period. The candidate can study at any grade of learning, be it school, graduation, post graduation or vocational education at standard Australian scholar rates.

He shall also be receiving healthcare facilities, unemployment fund (in case the candidate is unemployed after one year of working) from the government of Australia. The candidate will also be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship after spending three years in Australia.

Moreover, the candidate will also be able to sponsor his family members for permanent or temporary residence in Australia.

Benefits of Australia PR: Unemployment Benefits for Australian Permanent Residence Holders

Healthcare Insurance and Medicare in Australia for PR Holders and Immigrants

Child Care Benefit for Australian Permanent Residence Holders

Cost of an Australian PR Visa

A candidate will have to pay a sum of $3,600 AUD in the PR process. If the candidate wishes to include his or her spouse with them, an additional $1,800 AUD is charged. In case, the additional applicant is below the age of 18, a sum of $900 AUD is charged.

The candidates approaching Visas Abroad for the same need to pay a sum of 1,20,000 Rs + 18% GST as the consultancy charges