An Australian Permanent Residence Visa refers to a visa which allows a person who is not a citizen of Australia yet, but they can reside in the country indefinitely or alternatively apply for Australian Citizenship after some period of living on Permanent Residence Visa.
Holders of Australian permanent resident visas are entitled to live, work and study in Australia on a permanent basis and can enjoy many of the rights and privileges of citizens, including access to free or subsidized legal and health services and education.
Some regional states in Australia allow permanent residents from the Commonwealth of Nations to vote on local and State government elections.
Ways of obtain a Permanent Residence Visa
There are multiple programs under which an applicant can become a permanent resident of Australia.
One of them is the ‘General Skilled Migration Program’, which is mainly for skilled migrants looking for a job in Australia, while the ‘Humanitarian Program’ is mainly for refugees seeking permanent residency.
Permanent Residence Visas can also be obtained with sponsorship from family members and sponsorship for parents and dependent children.
Some of the most common types of work and family visas that provide Australian permanent residency are:
Skilled Independent/Sponsored Visa
The skilled independent visa is a type of visa for workers with skills and qualifications required in the Australian labor market. In most cases, applicants must congregate a pass mark via Point Test, must have a certain level of English Language knowledge, and their occupation must be on the Skilled Occupations List (SOL List).
The SOL List applies to all Point Based Skilled Migration Applications and it changes from time to time depending on the Australian Market Demands.
Individuals who have the qualifications but cannot pass the mark to obtain a Skilled Independent visa may be eligible for Skilled Sponsored Visa.
Parent/Aged Parent Visa
The Parent visa or Aged parent visa allow parents to migrate to Australia permanently to join their children living in Australia.
The Aged Parent visa allows aged parents who are already in Australia on a valid temporary visa to remain permanently through sponsorship from an eligible Australian or New Zealand child settled in Australia.
Both permanent residence visas for parents require sponsorship from an eligible child in Australia.
Employment Visas
There are numerous types of employment visas that can be a pathway for obtaining Australian Permanent Residency. The Australian Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) is a permanent residence visa for overseas workers who are sponsored by an Australian employer.
For more information on the most common Employment Visas, please visit our Employment Visas Page.
Remaining Relative Visa
An Australian Remaining Relative Visa allows close relatives of Australian citizens or permanent residents who do not have any other near relatives than those living in Australia to be reunited with their families.
Partner Visa
The Partner visa allows Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents or eligible New Zealand Citizens to bring their partner from a different country in Australia as permanent residents on the basis of their relationship status.
The relationship can be either a marriage, or a de-facto relationship for more than 12 months.
Same sex relationship partners can also be eligible for applying under the Partner Visa.
Before becoming an Australian Permanent Resident, the partner visa is granted on temporary basis for 2 years, and further processing is required after that period.
There are several ways for obtaining a permanent residency status in Australia, and most applicants have unique cases based on their current situation.