Australian migration, from visa strategy to grant

Employer Sponsored · Skilled Migration · Family Visa · ART and Complex Cases. We start by working out which visa actually fits.

Employer Sponsored Visa

Subclass 482 · 186 · 494

The main work-based migration pathway. An Australian employer sponsors you, and the role can lead through to permanent residence.

Skilled Migration

Subclass 189 · 190 · 491 · 191

Points-tested independent migration, state nomination and regional pathways that lead to permanent residence without employer sponsorship.

Family Visa

Family and Partner Visas

Partner · Parent · Child

The pathways to living in Australia with your family, from spouse and de facto partner visas through to parent, child and other relative visas.

ART and Complex Cases

ART Review and Complex Cases

Tribunal Review · Ministerial Intervention

A refusal or cancellation is not always the end. We handle applications to the ART and the difficult waiver cases that sit outside the usual process.

What are my options in my occupation?

Your occupation code matters more than the visa subclass, and it comes first. We have set out the pathways and the common obstacles for chefs, nurses, engineers, IT professionals, trades and students.

See pathways by occupation

What do I need to prepare?

The documents required differ by visa, but the items below are common to most applications. Checking them in advance makes the process considerably faster.

Documents that have to be obtained from overseas, such as police certificates and qualification verifications, take the longest, so start with those.

Identity and personal documents

Passport copy (biographical page, with sufficient validity remaining)
Birth certificate or family relation certificate (with certified English translation)
Passport-style photographs
Documents relating to any change of name
The grant notice for your current visa

Qualifications and employment

Final qualification certificate and academic transcript (in English)
Employment references stating position, dates of employment, principal duties and type of engagement
Payslips or tax withholding records supporting your actual employment
Trade certificates and licences, where the occupation requires them
Skills assessment outcome letter

English language

Test results from an accepted provider such as IELTS, PTE Academic or TOEFL iBT
Results have a validity period, so check them against your intended lodgement date
Check whether you fall within an exemption, such as holding a passport from an English-speaking country

Health and character

Health examination results from a panel physician
Australian police check (AFP Police Check)
Police certificates from every country you have lived in for 12 months or more since turning 16
Military service documents, where applicable

Relationship evidence (partner and family visas)

Marriage certificate or relationship registration certificate
Joint accounts, utility bills, tenancy agreements and other evidence of shared finances and housing
Photographs together, travel records and message history showing the relationship is continuing
Statutory declarations from family and friends on both sides (Form 888)
Joint insurance policies, wills and beneficiary nominations showing mutual commitment

Employer documents (sponsored visas)

Business registration (ABN · ACN) and financial statements
Evidence the business is genuinely operating (transaction records, contracts, website)
Position description and organisational chart
Draft employment contract
Labour Market Testing (LMT) advertising evidence, where required

The list above is a general guide. We will give you an individual list of what your case actually requires at the consultation, and check whether documents you already hold can be used.

Migration terms worth knowing

Visa documents and correspondence all arrive in English. Knowing the recurring terms in advance makes both the consultation and the assessment process much easier.

ANZSCOOccupation classification: The occupation classification system used jointly by Australia and New Zealand. The code you apply under determines the qualifications and experience required and which visas are available, which is why it is the first thing settled in any migration plan.
Skills AssessmentSkills assessment: The process by which a designated authority assesses whether you hold the qualifications and experience for your chosen occupation code. A different authority handles each occupation, and assessment can take several months.
EOIExpression of Interest: Registering your score and details in SkillSelect. An EOI is not itself a visa application; you must receive an invitation before you can apply.
Points TestPoints test: The assessment method that converts age, English language ability, work experience, qualifications, partner attributes and state nomination into points and totals them. The central gate for skilled visas.
NominationNomination: The process by which an employer or state government nominates a particular applicant or position. It is a separate application from the visa, and if the nomination is refused the visa cannot proceed.
LMTLabour Market Testing: The requirement to advertise a position in a prescribed way to demonstrate that an attempt was made to fill it from within Australia. There are conditions on the medium, duration and content of the advertising.
Bridging VisaBridging visa: A temporary visa granted for the assessment period where you lodge your next application before your current visa expires. Work and travel rights differ by type, so the conditions need checking.
Condition 8503No Further Stay: A visa carrying this condition prevents you from applying for another visa within Australia. A waiver can be sought, but the grounds are strictly applied.
Schedule 3Schedule 3 criteria: Additional criteria that apply to an onshore application made while you are unlawful. They are only waived where exceptional circumstances are accepted.
PIC 4020False or misleading information: A ground of refusal that applies where false or misleading information or documents were provided during an application. Where it applies, further applications are barred for a period.
ARTAdministrative Review Tribunal: The body that reviews visa refusal and cancellation decisions made by the Department. It replaced the former AAT in October 2024, and applications are subject to strict time limits.
RFIRequest for Information: A notice from the case officer requesting further material needed to decide the case. There is a deadline to respond, and if you do not, a decision is made on the material already held.