General Skilled Migration definitions
- Australian permanent resident
- A non–citizen who, being usually a resident in Australia, is the holder of a permanent visa.
- Bridging visa
- A type of temporary visa that provides lawful status for certain non–citizens who would otherwise be unlawful. For example, applicants whose visas have ceased and who are waiting for a decision on an application for another substantive visa. A bridging visa can only be granted in Australia.
- Centrelink
- Australian Government agency that delivers social security payments and related services in Australia.
See: www.centrelink.gov.au - Complete application
- An application that provides all of the information and documentary evidence required to decide the visa application, at the time of lodgement.
- Date of completion
The date of completion of an Australian qualification is the date on which the institution publicly notifies a student that they have met the requirements for the award. This notification can be made by:
- letter
- online
- publication in a newspaper
- bulletin board at the institution.
It is not the date that the award is conferred on the student, such as a graduation ceremony.
- Dependant
- A person who is wholly or substantially reliant on another person for financial support to meet their basic needs for food, shelter and clothing; or wholly or substantially reliant on their family member for financial support due to being incapacitated for work because of the total or partial loss of bodily or mental functions.
- Dependent child
- A dependent child is the natural, adopted, or step-child, of the main applicant, the main applicant's spouse or interdependent partner. They must have legal responsibility for the child. The child must:
- not be married, engaged to be married or in a de facto relationship and
- be under 18 or
- if they have turned 18, are wholly or substantially reliant on the main applicant, the main applicant's spouse or interdependent partner for their basic needs, or are incapacitated for work.
- Designated Area
- If you are applying for the Skilled – Regional Sponsored visa subclasses 475 or 487, on the basis of being sponsored by an eligible Australian relative, your sponsor must also usually reside in a designated area of Australia, as specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing. A list of Australia's designated areas is available.
See: Designated areas of Australia - Eligible New Zealand citizen
An 'Eligible New Zealand citizen' is a person who:
- held a Special Category (subclass 444) visa on 26 February 2001
- held a Special Category (subclass 444) visa for at least one (1) year in the two (2) years before 26 February 2001
or - as a certificate under the Social Security Act 1991 that states the citizen was, for the purposes of the Act, a resident in Australia on a particular date. While certificates of residence previously obtained from Centrelink are satisfactory evidence of this, these certificates are no longer available. Applications for these certificates closed on 25 February 2004.
If your sponsor is an Eligible New Zealand citizen, they may be required to undertake medicals and provide police clearances.
- Interdependent partner
- A partner who is mutually dependent on you. This is usually a same–sex relationship.
- Interdependent relationship
- A relationship in which a couple have a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others. The relationship between them is genuine and continuing, and they live together, or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis. This is usually a same–sex relationship.
- IELTS – International English Language Testing System
- This is the testing system accepted by the department to assess your English language ability for migration purposes.
See: IELTS - Migrate
- Applicants applying from outside Australia will be applying to migrate. Applicants applying from within Australia will be applying for permanent residence. In the context of General Skilled Migration information, the term 'migrate' covers both scenarios.
- OET – Occupational English Test
- In some professions, applicants are required to pass this test as part of the skills assessment process.
See: Australian Skills Recognition Information - Paper application
- A visa application that is not lodged online and is either posted or couriered to the department for consideration.
- Pass mark
- The total number of points you must score to pass the points test. You must reach the pass mark in effect on the day you lodge your application for your application to proceed.
See: What is the points test? - Permanent visa
- A visa permitting a non–citizen to remain in Australia indefinitely.
- Points Test
- For some General Skilled Migration categories, you must pass the points test. The pass mark for this test changes from time to time.
See: What is the points test? - Pool mark
- If you do not achieve the pass mark, the pool mark is the minimum number of points you must score if your application is to be held in reserve. Your application may be held in reserve for up to two (2) years after it is assessed. If you are unable to reach the pass mark during this period, your application will be refused.
See: What is the points test? - Provisional visa
- A temporary visa granted to persons who will be applying for a permanent visa but are not yet able to satisfy the requirements for the permanent visa. The holder is given a period by which time they must satisfy the criteria for the permanent visa. If they are unable to do so, or cannot satisfy the requirements for any other visa, then they would be required to depart Australia.
- Regional Australia/low population growth metropolitan areas
- A list of areas in Australia for the purposes of awarding points for studying and residence in regional Australia. It is where you must live and work or study if you are granted a Skilled – Regional Sponsored(subclass 475 or 487) on the basis of a nomination from a State or Territory Government. A list of Regional Australia/low population growth metropolitan area postcodes is available.
See: Regional Australia/Low Population Growth Metropolitan Areas - Secondary Applicant
- Includes the spouse or interdependent partner, and dependent children of the main applicant; dependent children of the main applicant's spouse or interdependent partner; and other dependent relatives of the main applicant, and their spouse.
- SOL – Skilled Occupation List
- If you are intending to apply under one of the General Skilled Migration categories, you must nominate an occupation which is on the Skilled Occupation List at the time you lodge your application.
See: Do you have a skilled occupation? - Sponsor
- Some General Skilled Migration categories require sponsorship. Unless you have been nominated by a State or Territory Government, to be granted a Skilled – Sponsored visa (subclass 176 or 886) or Skilled – Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 475 or 487) you must be sponsored by an eligible relative who meets all of the following:
- aged 18 years or over
- usually resides in Australia
- is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.
- Spouse
- A married or de facto relationship between a couple where they have a mutual commitment to a shared life as husband and wife to the exclusion of all others, the relationship between them is genuine and continuing, and they live together, and do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis.
- Substantive visa
- Any visa other than a Bridging visa or a Criminal Justice visa.
- Temporary visa
- A visa permitting a person to enter and/or remain in Australia temporarily.
- The Department
- The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)
- Two (2) years study in Australia or 'Two (2) year study requirement'
- To meet this requirement an applicant must have completed one or more degree, diploma or trade qualification for award by an Australian educational institution as a result of at least two academic years study in Australia. The study must have been completed in a total of no less than 16 calendar months on a visa that allowed study.
- Visa
- Permission to travel to, to enter and/or to remain in Australia for a period of time or indefinitely.