Australia offers several immigration options to foreigners who wish to travel and work in the country. This includes skilled visas, for workers who are qualified to work or train in an eligible skilled occupation.
In any case, before starting a visa application, it is important to assess the eligibility and the application requirements.
190 visa
Who is eligible for skilled visa in Australia?
The subclass 190 (“Skilled Nominated Visa”) is a skilled visa. It enables foreign workers to live and work in the country as permanent residents.
To be eligible for a 190 visa, the applicant must meet certain requirements, which include:
- Be 45 years old or under
- Satisfy the minimum points for nomination
- Have an English language proficiency equivalent to at least competent English
How to get a skilled work visa for Australia?
First, the worker must complete an expression of interest (“EOI”). Then, they will receive a nomination for this visa category by an Australian state. Once the applicants received the nomination, the state invites them to apply for the 190 visa.
As for the selection process, each Australian states – or local government agency – evaluates candidates according to their own criteria. Specifically, when submitting the EOI, the candidate will obtain an indicative points score based on their personal and professional profile. If they reach the minimum score of 65 points, they are eligible for the visa.
The worker’s job must also be on the relevant Skills Occupation List. Furthermore, the candidate must demonstrate they have the skills and experience necessary to perform the nominated occupation. To prove this, they must undertake a skills assessment, within 60 days from the invitation.
If you think that you are not eligible for a 190 visa, check our article on Australian skilled work visas.
What is the age limit for 190 visa in Australia?
The applicants must be 45 years old or under, by the time they receive the invitation. However, they can still apply for the visa if they turn 45 after they received the invitation.
On the contrary, if they turn 45 after they submitted their EOI but before they received the invitation, they will not be eligible.
How long is the Australia 190 visa valid for?
The subclass 190 is a permanent visa, which lets you stay in Australia indefinitely.
However, the visa itself has a validity of 5 years. During the 5 years validity, the worker can travel in and out of Australia without limits. After the 5 years, they will need to apply for a Resident Return (RRV) visa. This enables them to re-enter Australia as permanent residents.
Which skills are in demand in Australia?
To apply for a 190 visa, the job must be on the Skilled Occupation List, updated regularly by the government.
It can happen that the authorities remove an occupation from the list after the applicant already filed for the visa. This does not usually impact pending visa applications. At the same time, if one already holds a skilled visa, a removed occupation won’t impact them negatively.
However, there may be impacts if the visa holder changes occupation or employer or if the occupation is no longer on the combined list of eligible occupations.
What are the “character” requirements?
To apply for an Australian visa, the applicant must meet the so-called “character” requirements. This is defined by section 501 of the Migration Act 1958. It is mainly to check the applicant’s criminal conduct, whether they have any charges or convictions in any country. If the applicant has committed serious criminal offences, it is unlikely that they will receive the visa.
Moreover, the applicant must meet the health requirement. In fact, Australia enjoys some of the best health standards worldwide. To maintain such standards, most visa applicants must meet minimum health standards.
Last but not lease, the applicant must have adequate means to support themselves (and any family members) while in Australia.
190 visa application
The applicant will receive the visa digitally, there is no visa sticker.
How to apply subclass 190 visa Australia
The application must be filed within 60 days from the date of the invitation.
Application is online, through the ImmiAccount. The worker can either be outside the country or already in the country. If already in the country, they must make sure to stay lawful while the 190-visa application is being processed.
In details, when they apply for the visa, they will receive a Bridging visa A (“BVA”). If the current visa expires before the authorities have issued their decision, the BVA will come into effect. So, the applicant can remain in Australia on the BVA during the new visa application processing. In this instance, it is important not to request to have the previous visa cancelled. Otherwise, the BVA will cease, and the applicant will be considered illegally staying in the country.
After the visa application
After the visa application, the authorities may ask for biometrics. Also, they may ask the applicant to provide more information.
For what concerns family members, one can add them on the application even after submission. In any case, one must add them before the authorities issue a decision.
When the authorities make a decision on the visa, they will inform the candidate in writing. In case of refusal, the communication will include information on the reason for refusal and whether the candidate has a right to a review of the decision.
What documents do I need for a 190 visa?
The documents to be provided include documents confirming the applicant’s identity, “character”, skills, work experience, health and English language proficiency.
The applicant must provide a translation into English for all non-English documents. They must attach both the original and the translated documents into the application. The documents don’t have to be certified.
The translation requirements change according to whether the translation takes place in Australia our outside the country. In fact, translators in Australia must be accredited by a national authority (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters). Translators outside Australia do not have to be accredited but, on each translation, they must include their full name, address and phone number, qualifications and experience in the language they are translating.
Moreover, all documents (English and originals) must be scanned in color.
How long does 190 visa take?
The Australian government has a processing time guide for each visa type, as it may vary a lot according to the type of visa applied. There is no standard processing time.
Currently, on average 90% of 190 visa applications is processed within 21 months.
It is possible to check the status on one’s application on the ImmiAccount. The applicant will be contacted when the process is finalized. Of course, the visa can take longer if the application is incomplete.
190 visa fee
Application costs
The application costs are AUD 4,770.00 for the main applicant. There is also a fee for each family member who is included in the application.
In addition to the fee, it may be necessary to pay an extra charge for any applicant 18 years old or older who has less than functional English. This charge, called “second instalment”, is equal to AUD 4,885.00. The second instalment is due only when asked for by the authorities. They usually ask for this extra charge only if they are going to grant the visa.
Health insurance
Last but not least, authorities recommend to take out an health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment the visa holder may need in Australia.
In fact, in case of no reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia, the visa holder will be personally liable for all the healthcare costs while in the country. So, the insurance can help to limit one’s financial liability.
Are 190 visa holders eligible for medicare?
Italy and Australia have signed a reciprocal agreement for healthcare. Accordingly, Italians may access Australian medicare for up to 6 months.
To know more, we invite you to check our article on how the Italian-Australian healthcare agreement works.
