Australian State Sponsored Visa: Skilled - Nominated (Provisional) Visa (subclass 489)

Visa Bureau is not affiliated with the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and is a website specialising in visa and immigration information to Australia. Visas are available from the Australian Government at a lower cost when you apply with them directly as we charge a professional fee for the service we provide as migration agents.

Australian Skilled Migration Visas

Skilled workers who wish to apply for permanent migration to Australia can apply through the Australian General Skilled Migration Program. The program aims to meet current skills shortages by attracting skilled migrants.

Click Here to Complete the Free Online Australian Skilled Migration Visa Assessment

Australian Visa Bureau's free online Skilled Migration Visa assessment will provide you with your points score on completion and you will be given the option at that stage to request a free telephonic or email consultation with an experienced migration consultant specialising in evaluating eligibility for migration to Australia. As part of this initial free consultation, the consultant will discuss the options open to you and provide you with guidance on what visas are suitable and practical to you situation.

You are not obliged to use our services at any point and we encourage you to take the free online assessment to assess your eligibility. Should you choose to use our services, your application will be handled by a MARA-registered migration agent initially and you will be assigned a personal caseworker who will guide you through every step of the process, from confirming your eligibility and gathering documents to checking your final application before lodging it to the Australian government.

The Skilled - Nominated (Provisional) visa (subclass 489) is an Australian state sponsored visa for skilled people wishing to live and work in a regional or low population growth area in Australia.

You must score at least 60 points (the pass mark) on the Points Test to be eligible for this visa.

Applying for the Skilled - Nominated (Provisional) Visa (subclass 489)

To be able to lodge a valid application for this visa you need to first submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect. You can do this in or outside Australia.

If you secure sponsorship from an eligible relative and meet the basic requirements for this visa, you will then receive an Invitation To Apply.

To apply for this visa you must:

be invited to apply;
be younger than 50 years of age when you are invited to apply;
nominate an occupation that matches your skills and qualifications and is on the relevant Skilled Occupation List (SOL);
have your skills assessed by the relevant assessing authority as suitable for your nominated occupation;
have at least competent English;
score at least 60 on the Points Test; AND
meet the health and character requirements.

Visa Sponsorship by a State or Territory Government

The success of a visa application will be based on a combination of skills, work experience and nomination by a State/Territory government.

Once the Provisional visa has been granted, the holder must retain that visa for at least two years to be eligible to apply for a permanent Regional visa.

Australian State Sponsored Visa Application Process

The Skilled - Nominated Visa (Provisional) (subclass 489) is based on a three stage application process.

Stage 1

The first stage of the application process involves completing a skills assessment with the relevant government body. Your skills assessment enables the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) to judge if you have the required level of skill in your chosen occupation to practice in Australia.
Stage 2
Once you have received a positive skills assessment, you will need to submit an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect. You can do this in or outside Australia. You will then also need to apply for state sponsorship with an Australian state / territory. This will require that you meet the sponsorship requirements and have work experience in a position listed on one of their State Migration Plans.
Stage 3

Once you have been issued an Invitation To Apply (ITA), you can continue to the DIBP stage of the application, where you can submit your final, complete application to be approved by DIBP so your visa can be granted. Priority processing arrangements apply to this visa. They determine the order in which the department considers applications regardless of when they have been lodged.

Moving from a provisional visa to a permanent visa

Through a two stage visa process, Skilled - Nominated (Provisional) (subclass 489) visa holders must live and work in or a low population growth metropolitan area

Having lived in regional Australia for at least two years; and
Having been employed (including self employed) for at least 12 months in regional Australia;

may apply for the following permanent residence visas:

Skilled - Regional (subclass 887)

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