Australia has sped up the processing times for the Points-tested stream of the permanent Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa.
Applications for the Points-tested stream of the subclass 189 visa will now take as little as 74 days to be processed by the Australian government.
Previously, applications for the permanent subclass 189 visa needed as much as two years to be processed by Australia’s Department of Home Affairs. This lengthy processing period led to significant backlogs of immigration applications – particularly after Covid-related border closures and travel restrictions.
Currently, the processing times for the Points-tested stream of the subclass 189 visa are listed as follows:
- 25 per cent of applications: 74 days
- 50 per cent of applications: 80 days
- 75 per cent of applications: 88 days
- 90 per cent of applications: 3 months.
The subclass 189 visa is one of the most popular pathways for permanent skilled migration to Australia, as it grants applicants Australian permanent residency the day the visa is issued.
In addition to allowing skilled applicants to move to Australia as permanent residents, the subclass 189 visa also provides a pathway to Australian citizenship and an Australian passport.
With the subclass 189 visa, skilled migrants can move to Australia and live, work and study anywhere in the country as permanent residents.
Holders of the subclass 189 visa can also sponsor eligible family members to join them in the country as immigrants.
The benefits of Australia’s Skilled Independent visa include:
- Living, working and studying in Australia as permanent residents of the country;
- Enrolling in Australia’s public health care scheme for residents – Medicare;
- Sponsoring eligible relatives for Australian immigration;
- Travelling to and from Australia freely for five years;
- Applying for Australian citizenship and an Australian passport, if eligible.
To apply for skilled migration to Australia through the Points-tested stream of the subclass 189 visa, applicants must:
- Belong to an occupation on Australia’s skilled occupation list and have 65 points;
- Submit their Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect;
- Wait to be invited to apply for the visa by the Australian government;
- Prepare the necessary documents; and
- Apply for the visa within 60 days of being invited.
