General visa information

Broadly speaking migration made up of three streams: humanitarian, family and skilled.

Skilled migration makes up approximately two-thirds of migration to Australia and includes both temporary and permanent migration.

Temporary migration

Temporary migration is not capped by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.  Temporary migration visas include (but not limited to):

• Employer sponsored temporary long-stay business (subclass 457);
  
• Business Skills (Temporary);
  
• Student;
  
• Tourist; and
  
• Working Holiday Makers. 

Permanent migration

Permanent migration options may be capped by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.  Broad categories of permanent migration visas include:

• Family;
  
• Refugee and Special Humanitarian Program;
  
• Employer Sponsored (including Employer Nomination Scheme - subclass 121/856, Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme - subclass 119/857, and Labour Agreements subclass 120/855);
  
• Business Skills (Permanent); and
  
• General Skilled Migration (GSM) not sponsored by an employer.

General Skilled Migration visas include:
175 – Skilled – Independent;
176 – Skilled – Sponsored;
475 – Skilled – Regional Sponsored;
476 – Skilled – Recognised Graduate;
485 – Skilled – Graduate;
487 – Skilled – Regional Sponsored;
885 – Skilled – Independent;
886 – Skilled – Sponsored; and
887 – Skilled – Regional.

Exactly which visa you need to apply for depends on your individual circumstances, including  occupation, age, whether or not you have a job in Australia, whether or not you have family in Australia, and whether you will apply for your visa in Australia or overseas.  Information about visas is available from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and is subject to change by the Department. As such these details should be used for information purposes only.

State sponsorship

The Government of Western Australia sponsors two visa schemes, the Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa and the Skilled Sponsored Visa.  Visa categories available for State Sponsorship include:
176 – Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant);
886 – Skilled - Sponsored (Residence);
475 – Skilled – Regional Sponsored; and
487 – Skilled – Regional Sponsored.

The Western Australian skilled migration occupation list shows occupations in demand in Western Australia.

Skilled Migration WA also functions as a regional certifying body (RCB) for employer nominations for Regional Skilled Migration Scheme (RSMS) for the following regions:

• Pilbara;
  
• Goldfields-Esperance; and
  
• Wheatbelt.

Employer nominations under the RSMS from other regions of Western Australia are generally certified by a Regional Development Commission. 

Main skilled migration pathways that are available to use for temporary and permanent migration to Australia

• Subclass 457 (usually up to four years);
  
• Labour Agreements (including Enterprise Migration Agreement and
• Regional Migration Agreement);
  
• Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS);
  
• Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS); and
  
• Skilled Independent/State or Australian Sponsored.

The two main pathways available for skilled migration are: 

Processing of Skilled Migration visas by Department of Immigration and Citizenship

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship currently processes visas in the following order:

1st priority       Employer Sponsored
2nd priority      State Sponsored
3rd priority      Occupations on the Skilled Migration List
4th priority      All other occupations

This means that skilled migrants who are nominated by an employer or a region have their visa processed first, enabling Australian companies to hire overseas workers as quickly as possible. 

Skilled workers who wish to migrate to Australia independently and seek employment when they arrive are able to through the Independent Skilled Migration Program. 

A higher priority is provided to those applicants who receive sponsorship from the State of Western Australia.

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship regulations and policy guidelines regarding visa application requirements are subject to change on a regular basis. As such it is recommended that for more specific information about visas and visa applications please visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website at immi.gov.au