The General Skilled Migration visa program, which is also abbreviated as GSM, offers a perfect opportunity to those professionals who lack sponsorship from an employer and have a set of skills for specific occupations needed in Australia. It is known as the most common type of migration to Australia. There are an array of visa options for the professionals to apply as an independent immigrant and also for those who have been sponsored by a relative, or even nominated by the government of particular territory or state.
In order to apply for a skilled migration visa to Australia, all applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:
o nominated an occupation which is on the relevant Skilled Occupation List.
o A suitable skills assessment for the occupation.
o must be under the age of 50 at the time of application.
o Fulfill the English language needs.
o Recent employment in the skilled occupation, or completion of two years study in Australia.
In addition, some GSM subclasses also demand the applicant to achieve the applicable passing mark in the GSM points test. Due to this, GSM visas are often called as points tested visas.
Following are the subclasses of GSM visa program:
Skilled Independent (Permanent) visa (Subclass 189) – This is a permanent visa for points-tested workers with required skills, who don't have sponsorship from an employer or family member, or nomination from the government of a state or territory.
Skilled Nominated (Permanent) visa (Subclass 190) - This permanent visa is for points-tested skilled applicants, who are nominated by a state or territory government agency.
Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491) - The points-tested skilled workers who are sponsored by an eligible family member residing in a designated area, or nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency are acceptable for this visa.
Skilled Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 485) - This is a temporary work visa for those international students who have studied for 2 years in Australia. It can last from 18 months to 4 years in accordance with the situation of a student.
Skilled Recognised Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 476) - Recent graduates of selected overseas universities are eligible for this temporary visa. They can have skilled work experience up to 18 months in the demanded occupations.
Workers who are interested for Australian migration have to record all their details in order to get themselves considered for a skilled visa with the help of an Expression of Interest (EOI). From 1 July 2012, all those who have interest in skilled migration on the points basis have to submit an EOI and receive an invitation for lodging a visa application.
At 2Oceania, we completely understand that it can be difficult to choose the apt visa for your situation, as there are an assortment of factors of eligibility to focus on. The registered agents at our office in Sydney specialises in Skilled Migration applications and have served a plethora of clients in Sydney and other international applicants. For more information, you can contact us at our office.
