Visas for migrating to Australia as a skilled person
| Applicant in Australia at time application is lodged |
Applicant outside Australia at time application is lodged 1 |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low Risk* | High Risk* | Low Risk | High Risk | ||
| General Skilled Migration (GSM) 2 | 6 months | 6 months | 12 months | 15 months | |
| Skilled – Regional Subclass 887 3 | 5 months | 5 months | n/a | n/a | |
| Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 487 | 5 months | 5 months | n/a | n/a | |
| Skilled – Regional Sponsored Subclass 475 | n/a | n/a | 7 months | 7 months | |
| Skilled – Graduate Subclass 485 | 5 months | 5 months | n/a | n/a | |
| Skilled – Recognised Graduate Subclass 476 | n/a | n/a | 7 months | 7 months | |
1 Applicants applying for an Offshore General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa can be either in or out of Australia at time of lodgement though must be offshore at time of grant. Exceptions apply for holders of a Special category Visa (Subclass 444), who can be in or out of Australia at time of grant for an Offshore GSM visa.
2 This includes the following permanent GSM visas:
- Skilled – Independent (Residence) visa (Subclass 885) (Onshore)
- Skilled – Independent (Migrant) visa (Subclass 175) (Offshore)
- Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) visa (Subclass 886) (Onshore)
- Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) visa (Subclass 176) (Offshore)
3 The Skilled – Regional (Subclass 887) visa is only available to holders of the following provisional GSM visas:
- Skilled – Independent Regional (Subclass 495)
- Skilled – Designated Area Sponsored (Subclass 496)
- Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Subclass 487) (Onshore)
or - Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Subclass 475) (Offshore)
See: Workers
* Low risk applies to nationals from countries which issue Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) eligible passports. A list of these can be found on the department's website. High risk countries are those which are not ETA eligible.
See: http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/