If you are currently in Australia and

• have an Australian qualification (Trade Certificate, Diploma or University degree), gained as a result of the equivalent of 2 years full-time study at an educational institution in Australia
• are less than 50 years old
• hold an eligible student visa
• have an IELTS score of at least 6.0 in all four components, and
• have applied to have your skills assessed in your nominated 50- or 60-points occupation,

you may be eligible for one of the 4 current ONSHORE visas -

• a Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 885)This is a PERMANENT visa which does not require any sponsorship, but you need a Points Test score of 120. Click for details.,


• a Skilled Sponsored Visa (Subclass 886)This is also a PERMANENT visa, but it has a lower Points Test pass mark. However, you must be sponsored by an eligible relative living in Australia, or obtain nomination from a participating State or Territory government agency. Click for details.,


• a Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa (Subclass 487)This is a TEMPORARY (or "PROVISIONAL") visa which leads to a Permanent visa. It has the same Points Test pass mark as the Skilled Sponsored Visa, but the pass mark is easier to reach. It then gives you 3 years to meet the requirements for a permanent visa which will not be Points-Tested. You must be sponsored by an eligible relative living in Australia or obtain nomination from a participating State or Territory government agency. Click for details. or


• a Skilled Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)This is also a TEMPORARY (or "PROVISIONAL") visa leading to a Permanent visa, which is available to you if you don't qualify for any of the other Onshore Visas. It gives you 18 months to meet the requirements for a permanent visa. Click for details.

Click on any of these visa titles for further information.

Some international students currently in Australia may feel frustrated because they have invested a substantial amount of money, time and effort in several years of study in Australia, in the hope of settling here on completion of their studies, only to find that they are only eligible to apply for the Skilled Graduate Visa (Subclass 485), which allows them to stay in Australia for a further 18 months with full work rights, but without a pathway to permanent residence under the onshore General Skilled Migration Program. If you are one of these students, you should be aware that here may be other pathways to Permanent Residence, including -

• Employer Sponsorship
• Further Studies, and in some cases
• an Offshore Recognised Graduate Visa

If you are considering applying for a Subclass 485 Visa and want to explore whether you can gain a Permanent Visa in another way, send an email to this special address with an explanatory note and with your Curriculum Vitae or Resumé as an attachment. Or call AMES on 61 8 8410 6262 to make an appointment.