Here are the tips to help you apply for Australian Residency (PR)

Are you an international student who is completing your degree soon and looking to live in Australia? Are you also wondering what visa options are available to international students after graduation?

In this article we will cover some key features of the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189). This visa is for Points-tested skilled workers who are not sponsored by an employer or family member or nominated by a state or territory government. It allows you to live and work in Australia as a resident and is the most popular visa option for international students to live permanently in Australia after completing a degree here!

To apply for most of these permanent residency visa, you need to follow a point based immigration system. The point based immigration system of Australia determines your eligibility for PR Visa based on the points you score for key selection factors (e.g. age, language proficiency, education, etc.)

The general requirement is that once you have acquired the minimum point of 65, you can then submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). To accumulate this point, you can refer to the immigration Points Table. However, acquiring 65 points does not guarantee success as there is usually a limit of how many visas can be granted in a year which you can refer to the Invitation Round. In summary, your chances increase when you acquire more points. From our research, it shows that you need a minimum of 75 points to stand a good chance to be at the top of the queue.

As you can see in the table above, from July 2017 until June 2018 a total of 15600 applicants have been granted a visa. This is probably only 30% of the total applicants whom have submitted an application. 

What should I study now to be eligible to apply for PR?

The thing to remember here is that not everything you study in Australia will enable you to apply for residency. As with most countries, the government often have soft spots for various skills in need to boost the economy. These are usually skills that are insufficient to meet the demands and it is reviewed annually. To be eligible to apply for PR, you will need to complete a degree which falls under the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).

What should I study in the MLTSSL list?

Technically speaking, all programs inside the MLTSSL list will enable you to apply for PR, however some programs are easier than others. As mentioned above, applicants will need a minimum of 65 points to be eligible to lodge an application, but there is also a quota system in place where the Australia Immigration has set a cap on how many visa grants are allowed each month/year. By considering both factors, there are certain skills which you should avoid studying as you will need at least 85 points to stand a chance.

The immigration regularly provide updates on which skills are not favourable to apply for PR. As you can see from the table above, if you are completing an Accounting degree you will need 85 points to stand a chance. Through deep analysis we highly recommend students to study the following program which we think will have the least obstacle to apply for PR

1. Child Care Degrees
2. Actuary Degrees
3. Teaching Degrees
4. Architecture Degrees
5. Nursing Degrees

I am already studying Accounting, IT and Engineering. What else can I do to increase my points?

All is not doom & gloom if you are completing an Accounting, IT and Engineering degree. There are various ways to get bonus points to attain that 80 – 85 points to apply for PR. Below we cover some of our favourite ways to achieve those precious points.