Bookmark Print

Australian Skilled Sponsored Visa

The Australian Skilled Sponsored Visa entitles you to permanent residence in Australia based on a combination of your skills, your work experience and sponsorship from a family member who is already a permanent resident of Australia.

You may live anywhere in Australia and the processing time for this visa is approximately 18 months.

To be eligible for this category you must:

Meet the Basic Requirements as detailed earlier;
Nominate a skilled occupation from the SOL;
Have a sponsor. You or your spouse must be related to the sponsor;
Have an assurer; and
Pass the Points Test.

A successful applicant is given a 5 year multiple entry visa to live and work in Australia. You need only to live in Australia for 2 of the 5 years to have the visa reissued for a further 5 years, or spend 2 consecutive years in Australia to be eligible for citizenship.

If you choose not to gain citizenship then you must apply for a Resident Return Visa before the original one expires in order to travel to and from Australia.

Do You Qualify For An Australian Skilled Sponsored Visa?

Your Assurer

If you wish to apply for a Skilled Sponsored Visa, you are required to have an assurer who can provide an Assurance of Support (AoS). An assurer is a person who is able to provide a financial guarantee on behalf of the migrant for the first 2 years of residence in Australia.

Other Options for Skilled Applicants

If you fail to meet the pass mark for the Points Test and are under 45, have vocational English and a degree, diploma, or trade qualification you may still be able to lodge an application and register for the Skill Matching Database.

Once on the database you may be nominated by a State/Territory government under the State and Territory Nominated Independent category or sponsored by an employer under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (see entry on Skill Matching).

If you are under 45 and have vocational English, a degree, diploma, or trade qualification and have a relative, as distant as a first cousin, living in a Designated Area in Australia you may wish to consider:

Skilled-Designated Area Sponsored category. Your relative must be willing to sponsor you and provide financial support. This category is not points tested; or
If you believe you can score 110 points on the Points Test, you may be eligible to lodge an application for a Skilled Independent Regional (Provisional) Visa.