The Australian Permanent Residency (PR) is a dream of thousands of international students studying in Australia. It offers various benefits and the process to apply for a PR is a tad bit tedious. Firstly, there are various pathways to obtaining an Australian Permanent Residency. In this blog, we will look at the benefits of obtaining a PR, the process and selection criteria and the three main pathways to PR for students already living in Australia on a Student Visa (500) or a Graduate Visa (485).
Benefits of an Australian Permanent Residency
There are many benefits to be reaped when you obtain an Australian PR. Some of these benefits are:
- Stay in Australia indefinitely
- Enrol in Australian national health scheme i.e., Medicare
- Eligible to apply for Australian Citizenship
- Apply for bank loans to purchase property
- Can sponsor eligible relatives for permanent residency
Eligibility Criteria
The requirements to meet the eligible criteria for applying a permanent residency are:
- Age less than 45 years
- Secure at least 65 points towards permanent residency
- Occupation is listed in MLTSSL list
- Skillsassessed by respective authoritative bodies (Engineers Australia, ACS etc) based on education and work experience
- Have a successful Medical and Character assessment
Pathways to Permanent Residency
There are various pathways to obtaining a permanent residency such as skill, business, work visas etc. In this blog, we will be looking at the three most popular pathways for international students. These pathways are:
- Skilled Independent Visa (189)
- Skilled Nominated Visa (190)
- Skill Work Regional Visa – Provisional (491)
Steps to follow to apply for PR
- Choose occupation from SOL list
- Meet points requirement
- Lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI)
- Once successful, you will receive Invitation to Apply (ITA)
- Submit application
- Get Medicals and Police clearances
Receive Permanent Residency
