South African Visa For Australia

Australia’s migration program offers a wide range of temporary and permanent residence visa options designed to suit different goals and needs for applicants seeking to migrate from South Africa to Australia. These include skilled visas, which are aimed for applicants who possess a specified minimum level of skills, qualifications and employment experience to competently perform selected skilled occupations in Australia. Business visa options are targeted for applicants who are seeking to establish or invest in a business or investment activity in Australia. Student visas are often a good choice for younger applicants who wish to study at one of Australia’s internationally recognised and highly regarded educational institutions. With the right information and advice, you can assess your eligibility to apply for an Australia visa for South Africans from the numerous available options, and plan a pathway to migrate from South Africa to Australia that is in line with your personal situation, goals and needs.

What Types Of Visas Are Available?

Some of the options on offer to South African citizens are temporary residence visas, which allow you to reside in Australia for a specified period, and others which provide automatic permanent residence for Australian immigration from South Africa. It is also often the case that a temporary visa may provide a pathway to permanent residence at a future date, subject to meeting specified requirements at that time. A temporary visa is often a good way to experience the Australian way of life for a shorter, limited period (for anywhere from a few months to several years) before deciding on whether you would like to eventually settle permanently in Australia. Temporary visas are also generally decided in a shorter time compared to permanent residence visas and may therefore be an attractive option if you are seeking a quicker entry to Australia. Once you are onshore as a temporary visa holder, there may be options for you to then apply for permanent residence, subject to satisfying all relevant visa grant requirements (and remain onshore during the processing period).

What Do You Need To Know Before Applying For a Visa To Australia?

The crucial point to remember here is that with the right information and advice, you can plan ahead with a view to eventually settling in Australia permanently. You can tailor a pathway that is based on your individual circumstances and which is in line with your needs and goals. Depending on your personal situation, you could apply for a permanent residence visa immediately from South Africa. Alternatively, you could take a more extended pathway, by applying for a temporary visa to Australia from South Africa, but with a view to eventually applying for permanent residence in Australia. Each case is different, and you will need to make a plan that achieves the best outcomes for you.

With this in mind, we make a very important point – each visa class has been designed to serve a particular purpose and must not be used to achieve visa outcomes that are inconsistent with these stated aims (which are incorporated into visa lodgement and grant requirements). If you are found to have breached such a requirement, apart from a visa refusal, this could also result in serious consequences arising which can affect future Australian visa applications South Africa that you seek to lodge with the Department of Home Affairs (the Department). This means that, for example, you should not apply for a series of short temporary visas for the purpose of prolonging your stay in Australia. Each visa has a specific purpose, and you must not apply for a visa if your intention is not in accordance with this purpose.

We illustrate with the following example: if you apply for a Student Visa, you must satisfy a Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement. This is concerned with ensuring that your intention in applying for a Student Visa is to study a selected course in Australia for a temporary period only. Therefore, applying for a series of student visas one after the other, for the purpose of remaining in Australia, rather than for genuine education purposes in accordance with the GTE requirement, is likely to lead to a visa refusal and potentially the imposition of a 3-year exclusion period for any future visa applications. It is the Australian Government’s position that students must not come to Australia intending to migrate permanently. It is thus vital that you plan your pathway with the correct information and advice, thus avoiding potential complications arising.

Your dependents, such as your spouse and children, are also normally able to accompany you to Australia, provided they meet the dependency requirements (note if your children are aged 18 to 23, they will need to meet specified conditions to apply as your visa dependent). Age criteria can be a ‘time of decision’ visa grant requirement, meaning that Immigration will assess your dependent’s eligibility for visa grant at the processing stage (rather than the date when you lodge the application). Based on current estimates, it can take years for certain permanent visa applications to be processed. It is therefore advisable if you have a dependent who is getting close to the 18-year age mark (in their mid-teens), that you start putting a plan in place as soon as possible. Otherwise, your dependent may need to seek an alternative pathway to residence in Australia and lodge a separate application from your family unit.

As you consider your own visa options and plan your pathway for Australia immigration from South Africa, it is vital that you rely on the most up-to-date and accurate information in making your decisions. Australia’s migration laws are complex, and this has been further complicated in recent years with constant changes to the laws being enacted by the Federal Government. Things can change with very little notice provided, and you must be aware of these developments as you consider your own situation. To ensure that you gain the best and most effective result based on your individual circumstances, it is important that you have an in-depth understanding of how these laws apply in practice as well as how the latest developments affect your application. Due to the complexity involved, you may consider seeking expert advice from a migration agent or immigration lawyer. These are trained professionals in Australia’s migration laws and are available to assist you with all aspects of your application.

In this article, we provide an overview of the visa options and pathways most relevant for South Africans migrating to Australia. We include a discussion of the key features of the various visa options available, requirements for visa grant and what the various options will enable you to do once you are in Australia.

Note that this is an introduction only designed to help guide you in this process. Therefore, we recommend before you apply for any visa, that you make the proper further enquires to ensure that you are fully informed about the visa grant requirements and how they apply to you based on your personal situation. This will give your application the best chance of a successful outcome and avoid unnecessary processing delays or a potential visa refusal. It also means that you achieve an outcome that is the best one for you and your family, and which is in line with your goals and needs.

Which Type Of Visa Should You Apply For?

The first step in this process is to determine which class of visa is most suitable for you based on your individual circumstances. This requires an examination of the visa grant requirements that apply to each relevant visa class that you are interested in applying for, and your ability to satisfy them. Another important factor is to determine what a successful application will mean for you and your family, and whether this is in line with your goals and future plans. For example, will the relevant visa allow you to reside in Australia temporary or permanently? What type of restrictions will apply, such as work rights? Will you be required to live in a certain area of Australia, and for how long? It is important that you address all your questions as part of this process and that you are fully informed about your rights and obligations as a visa holder. If your application is successful and you are granted a visa, you must abide by the specific conditions attached to your visa. Failing to abide by these conditions can result in serious consequences, which can impact on your future Australian visa application South Africa. It is therefore very important that you are aware of all the facts and make your decisions on this basis.

So let us now turn to some of the main Australia visa for South Africans options on offer.

Skilled Visas

This class of visa is based on your skill set and ensuring that you are qualified to competently perform an occupation which is in high-demand in Australia. There are several Australia visa for South Africans options within this visa class, and each one has its own specific requirements and obligations. These broadly fall into two categories, as outlined below.

General Skilled Migration (GSM)

Summary of key features and requirements

• Points-based with a minimum score of 65 points required to apply
• You must lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) and can only apply for the visa upon receipt of an invitation
• You must be under 45 years of age at the time the invitation is received
• A positive skills assessment is required
• You must have Competent English
• Your skilled occupation must be listed on a specified list of skilled occupations, and you must possess minimum qualifications and/or employment experience as specified for the occupation
• Independent, State Sponsored, Family Sponsored and Regional options are available
• Temporary, provisional and permanent residence visa options are available (temporary visa options may provide a pathway to permanent residence in the future)

Visa subclasses

• Subclass 189 Skilled (Independent) Visa
• Subclass 190 Skilled (Nominated) Visa
• Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa

Employer Sponsored And Nominated Visas

• Your proposed employer must meet specified requirements to receive approval as a Sponsor/ Nominator and for your nominated position (requiring separate applications to be lodged by the employer)
• You must lodge a separate visa application
• Your skilled occupation must be listed on a specified list of skilled occupations, and you must possess minimum qualifications and/or employment experience as specified for the occupation and per visa grant requirements
• You must meet a minimum English competency level
• A positive skills assessment may be required
• An age-based limit may apply
• Temporary, provisional and permanent residence visa options are available (temporary visa options may provide a pathway to permanent residence in the future)
• Regional location option is available

Visa subclasses

• Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa
• Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa
• Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa

You will note from the above discussion that the visa subclasses contained within each category share some common features. But there are also some important differences. We discuss below some of the factors which are specific to each subclass.

Subclass 189 Skilled (Independent) Visa

The subclass 189 visa is an independent, points-based visa which grants automatic permanent residence in Australia.

A successful application will allow you to reside in Australia indefinitely, with nil visa conditions imposed. You will not be restricted to where you can live. You will be permitted to work and study and enrol in Medicare. You will also be granted a 5-year travel facility, which will allow you to freely depart and re-enter Australia for this period. Thereafter, you may have the option to extend your permanent residence rights or apply for Australian Citizenship.

Subclass 190 Skilled (Nominated) Visa

This is also a permanent residence, points-based visa, but with the added requirement that you must receive nomination approval by a State or Territory Government. This nomination will grant you an additional 5 points towards your points score. You will need to apply for nomination approval usually at the same time as you lodge your EOI.

If your visa application is successful, you will have the same rights as those that apply to the subclass 189 visa, but with one important difference: you will be subject to additional obligations to your sponsoring State or Territory. These requirements differ for each jurisdiction but can include the following:

• Reside in the nominating State or Territory for a specified minimum period
• Advise your address details
• Complete surveys
• Provide other information as requested

We refer you now to our article on the General Skilled Migration Visa Options for further information about the nomination process.

Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa

This option provides a pathway to permanent residence 3 years following visa grant via the Subclass 191 Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa, subject to meeting certain requirements at that time. You will need to submit an EOI and apply for State or Territory Government nomination approval. Alternatively, you may have the option to be nominated by a specified relative living in a designated area. This visa will grant an additional 15 points towards your points score.

This visa will allow you to live and work in Australia for up to 5 years, but the location will be restricted to a specified regional area.

Our article titled General Skilled Migration Visa Options which has been referred to above also provides useful information for the subclass 491 visa.

Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa

This is an employer sponsored temporary visa which permits you to live and work in Australia for up to 2 or 4 years, depending on your nominated occupation. It may also provide a pathway to permanent residence via a Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa.

Both the subclass 186 and 187 visas consist of a Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream, which allow a subclass 482 visa holder to transition to an employer nominated permanent residence visa 3 years following grant of the temporary visa, subject to meeting specified requirements. There is also a Direct Entry (DE) stream, for applicants who are eligible to apply immediately for permanent residence, as well as a Labour Agreement stream. See the discussion below for further information about the ENS program.

The subclass 482 visa application involves 3 separate applications. Your proposed sponsoring employer must lodge Sponsorship (SBS) and Nomination applications, and you are required to lodge a Visa application on your behalf. All 3 applications must be approved for a successful application. Note that an SBS application will only be required if your proposed sponsoring employer is not already an approved sponsor for this purpose (the sponsorship term is 5 years).

This visa is made up of the following streams:

• Short-term stream – applies where a nominated occupation is listed on the Short-term Skilled Occupation list (STSOL);
• Medium-term stream – applies where a nominated occupation is listed on the Medium-term Skilled Occupation list (MTSOL);
• Labour agreement stream – applies if your proposed sponsoring employer has entered into a labour agreement with Immigration.

If your application is successful, you will be granted a subclass 482 visa for a period of between 1 and 4 years, depending on your nominated occupation, the visa stream that you apply under and your individual circumstances.

As part of the subclass 482 nomination requirements, your sponsoring employer will also be subject to a SAF Skilling Australia Fund levy (SAF Levy). Please refer to our article on the SAF Skilling Australians Fund Levy for further information:

Your sponsoring employer is also required to demonstrate that there is a genuine need for the nominated position in their business. Please refer to our article on Employer Sponsored Visas for further information regarding this requirement:

Note that this visa subclass imposes specific conditions regarding your employment obligations to your sponsoring employer for the visa period. You will also be free to travel to and from Australia for the duration of the visa.

Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) Visa

The subclass 186 visa is a permanent residence visa requiring nomination by an employer. The process requires lodgement of 2 applications – a nomination application which is lodged by the employer, and a visa application lodged by the visa applicant. Both applications must be approved for a successful application.

The Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is an important factor when it comes to applying for an employer nominated permanent residence visa.

Keep in mind that you will have an obligation to remain employed in the nominated position for a period of 2 years following visa grant.

The subclass 186 visa will allow you to reside in Australia indefinitely, with nil visa conditions imposed. You will be permitted to work and study and enrol in Medicare. You will also be granted a 5-year travel facility, which will allow you to freely depart and re-enter Australia for this period. Thereafter, you may have the option to extend your permanent residence rights or apply for Australian Citizenship.

Further information about Skilled Visas

You can learn more about applying for a skilled visa in our article on the Australian Skilled Migration Visa List, where we provide an outline of the main types of skilled visas available, key features and requirements of the various skilled visa options, important points related to skilled migration and provide links to more information if you are looking at applying for a Malaysian working in Australia visa.

Our Do I need a skills assessment? article provides further information about what a Skills Assessment is, and when one may be required for a skilled visa.

For an outline of the minimum English language competency level required for skilled visas, please see our English requirements for skilled visas article.

We also recommend that you refer to our South Australian State Nomination Program article to learn about the South Australian state sponsored visa options that are currently available.

Business Visas

This class of visa is aimed for applicants who are seeking to establish a business, commercialise a product or invest in a business or investment activity in Australia. It consists of multiple business and investor visa types, designed to suit different goals and needs, and each has its own specific requirements and obligations. These broadly fall into two categories:

Business Innovation and Investment Subclass 188 Visa

Summary of key features and requirements

• Temporary residence visa (may provide a pathway to permanent residence in the future)
• Designed for applicants seeking to establish and manage a new or existing business, invest in a business or investment activity, or develop a new innovative product or service to be commercialised in Australia
• You must lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) and can only apply for the visa upon receipt of an invitation
• You must also apply for, and receive approval from, an Australian State or Territory Government agency
• Age-based limits may apply
• A points test may apply

Visa streams

• Business Innovation
• Investor
• Significant Investor
• Premium Investor
• Entrepreneur
• Business Innovation Extension
• Significant Investor Extension

Business Talent Subclass 132 Visa

Summary of key features and requirements

• Permanent residence visa
• For applicants with a proven successful business history who seek to establish a new business or develop an existing business in Australia
• You must have a genuine and realistic commitment to continuously maintain an ownership interest and daily participation in management of the business.
• You must lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) and can only apply for the visa upon receipt of an invitation
• You must also apply for, and receive approval from, an Australian State or Territory Government agency.
• Age-based limits may apply
• You may be subject to a review 2 years following visa grant

Visa streams

• Significant Business History
• Venture Capital Entrepreneur

We have prepared a series of articles to provide you with further information about some of the above and provide links below for your reference.

Our article on Business and Investor Visas provides an overview of the business and investor visa programme, including a case study about what qualifies as a business for this purpose.

For a detailed outline on the Business visa options available, see our Comprehensive Guide to a Business Investment Visa article.

And to learn about the South Australian state sponsored Business visa options, please refer to our articles on the South Australian State Nomination Program and 188c Visa Eligibility.

See also our article on Which Business Visa? for a real-life example about how to select the right Business Visa

We have also developed a business visa eligibility test calculator to help you to assess your eligibility for a business or investor visa.

We now discuss some of the factors which are specific to each subclass within the business and investor visa programme.

Subclass 188 Business Innovation And Investment Visa

A successful application will allow you to reside in Australia indefinitely. You will also be permitted to carry out your proposed business activity in accordance with your visa obligations. You will be permitted to work and study and enrol in Medicare. You will also be granted a 5-year travel facility, which will allow you to freely depart and re-enter Australia for this period. Thereafter, you may have the option to extend your permanent residence rights or apply for Australian Citizenship. You will need to abide by the obligations imposed by your nominating State or Territory Government.

Student Visas

A Student Visa will allow you to study a wide variety of selected courses from specified education providers across Australia. You can find a course to suit your needs and goals and package a series of courses that you are interested in studying. Available courses of study cover a large range of options, including vocational, higher and postgraduate education courses, English language and non-award courses. There are also student visa options to allow your children to attend School in Australia.

In addition to furthering your education, studying in Australia will provide you with the opportunity to experience what the Australian lifestyle has to offer as you can travel in your spare time and during course breaks. You will also have limited rights to work in Australia, thus enabling you to experience another facet of Australian life.

A Student Visa is a temporary visa which is granted for the duration of your course, extended for an extra period, depending on the time of year when your course is due to be completed.

Applying for a student visa can also provide a potential pathway to permanent residence in the future, depending on your course of study and your personal situation. Potential future visa options include a Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 Visa, which would allow you to work in Australia upon completion of a specified course. A Skilled Visa is another option that may be available to you at some stage in the future. This is where planning is crucial – it is important to ensure that you are fully informed on all the facts regarding the various study options, nominated occupations and other requirements for visas classes which you may be able to apply for in the future. The important point to be aware of is that there are certain things that you can do to increase your chances of obtaining a permanent visa at the end of your course. Keeping in mind that outcomes can never be guaranteed and that migration laws can (and often do) change, having the right information and advice from the start of the process is the best way to ensure that you make a plan that will have the best chance of achieving an outcome that is in line with your personal goals and needs.

Consider also our discussion in the introduction to this article – that students must not come to Australia with the intention of migrating permanently. A Student Visa is only for applicants who are seeking to reside in Australia temporarily to study a specified course. We recommend seeking professional advice to ensure that you formulate a pathway that is in accordance with all requirements, and thereby avoid potential complications arising.

Some of the key requirements for Student Visa grant are outlined below:

• Your must meet a Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement – this is concerned with ensuring that you intend to reside in Australia temporarily for the purposes of completing your course of study
• You must meet a minimum Financial Requirement – to ensure that you have the financial resources required to cover course fees, costs of travel to/from Australia, and for your living expenses in Australia
• English language requirements also apply

Get More Information About The Student Visa

We refer you now to the following articles which we have prepared for further information about some of the above and provide links for your reference.

Our article on International Student Visa Requirements outlines the key features and requirements for Student and Graduate Visas.

For some helpful tips on choosing a course with a view to potentially applying for a permanent residence visa in the future, please see our article on What course should I study to get PR? 

See our No further stay condition on Student Visas article for information about visa condition 8534, a ‘No Further Stay’ condition which restricts your ability to apply for a further onshore visa in Australia.

And our article on Extending Student Visas provides an outline of the requirements for extending your visa to study another course in Australia.

For an outline of the eligibility criteria and how you can apply for a Student Visa, see our article on the Student Visa.

And for some of the benefits of studying in Australia, please refer to our Is Australia the best place to be an international student article.

Get More Information About The Temporary Graduate Visa

For a further discussion on the subclass 485 visa, we recommend that you refer to the following articles which we have prepared to assist you to understand how the subclass 485 visa application works, and the issues you need to be aware of when considering applying for this visa.

International Graduates Continue to Get Caught Out on Graduate Visa

What are different temporary graduate visa streams and how to qualify for these streams

Qualification criteria for Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa

Occupation lists – what are they and how do they apply to graduates?

Australian Graduate Visa FAQs

Comprehensive Guide to Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 Visa

Top 5 Graduate Visa Tips AND How to spend your time on a graduate visa wisely

Most common refusal reasons for graduate visas

Visitor Visa

If you would like to travel to Australia for a short-term period, you might consider a Visitor Visa.

A Subclass 600 Visitor Visa is designed for people who are seeking to travel to Australia for tourism, business or to visit family and friends. It is temporary and can be granted for up to 3, 6, or 12 months.

Family Visas

The Family Visa stream is a visa class which is especially designed for human relationships. There are visa options for romantic partner/spouse relationships, child and parent relationships.

Partner Visa

One type of family visa is the Partner visa, which is for South African citizens who are in a married or de facto relationship with an Australian partner or eligible New Zealand citizen. A Partner visa provides a pathway to a permanent residence visa for Australia immigration from south Africa.

To apply in Australia, you will need to lodge a Subclass 820/801 Partner Visa Australian visa application South Africa The equivalent offshore application is the Subclass 309/100 Partner Visa.

Prospective Marriage Visa

Another visa option available is for South African citizens who are engaged to marry their Australian partner (or eligible New Zealand citizen). If you qualify for this visa, you will need to submit a Subclass 300 Prospective Marriage Visa, which you need to apply for outside Australia.

You can read more about the Partner or Prospective Marriage visa in our article on Partner Visa Sponsor Approval.

Other Family Visas

There are a range of other Family visas which you may be interested in, including a Child or Parent visa.

You can find more information about these other family visas in our article on Sponsoring a family member.

Skills Assessments

To meet the visa grant criteria for certain skilled visas, you will need to apply to a specified skill assessing body to have your skills assessed as being suitable for your nominated occupation. This is called a ‘Skills Assessment’ and you must receive a positive assessment result for visa application purposes.

The aim of a Skills Assessment is to have your skills, qualifications and employment experience assessed by an independent body, to confirm whether you are sufficiently qualified to perform your nominated occupation in Australia. Examples of skills assessing authorities include Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council Limited (ANMAC) and VETASSESS.

Each assessing authority sets its own requirements to determine when an applicant is deemed to be suitably qualified for this purpose. Such an assessment will principally be based on your work experience and qualifications, but may include other skills assessment methods, such as completing a test, submitting written works or examples of work you have performed in your occupation.

You might also need to meet an English language requirement, which may be different to the Immigration requirements in this regard. In such a case, you would need to achieve the higher specified minimum results that apply to the skills assessment.

There are also specific requirements regarding the date and timing of a Skills Assessment result. A skills assessment is valid for a limited period only, being either 3 years from the date of issue, or on a date earlier if specified in the skills assessment. Once the relevant validity period has passed, it will be deemed to have expired and will no longer be valid for visa purposes.

If you are seeking to apply for a skilled visa where an invitation to apply is required, your skills assessment must have been issued either on or before the date when you receive the invitation.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)

The relevant skill assessing body will assess your South African qualifications against the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) to determine whether they are equivalent to an Australian qualification. We refer you to the table below to demonstrate the method for assessing higher education and vocational qualifications obtained in South African compared with the Australian standards.

Higher Education

Assessment notes

1. Institutions that are not included in the list of institutions must be registered with the Department of Education and the program must be listed on the South African Qualifications Authority database.
2. Qualifications that require a Bachelor Degree for entry are assessed on a case-by-case basis.
3. This guideline also includes the Baccalaureus Technologiae
4. This guideline is for Bachelor Honours Degrees where the program was an additional research-based year after a Bachelor Degree. It does not cover Bachelor Degrees awarded “with Honours” where the designation applies to academic achievement. The Bachelor Honours Degree programs may be specialised and have a thesis requirement. However, their outcomes may not be comparable to those of Australian Honours Degrees. It’s up to the educational institution, assessing authority or employer to determine the level of the qualification based on their expert knowledge of the field of study.
5. This includes qualifications from unlisted institutions awarded before the introduction of South African Qualifications Authority and the National Qualifications Framework in 1995.

Vocational Education and Training

Assessment notes

1. Qualifications at NQF levels 1-3 are below Certificate IV level which we do not assess. If the qualification is in a trade field, it is more appropriately assessed by Trades Recognition Australia or by Australian state or territory trade authorities. If it is not in a trade field, recognition should be sought through Recognition of Prior Learning.

To demonstrate how the AQF framework is applied in the assessment of South African qualifications, we refer you to the ‘Higher Education’ section. The first entry lists the South African qualification titled ‘National Certificate.’ Under the AQF, this is deemed to be equivalent to a Diploma level qualification in Australia. The ‘Assessment Notes’ provide additional information relevant to the assessment of this qualification. If you refer to ‘Assessment Note A’ below the table, you will see that a further requirement applies regarding registration of the educational institution and course program.

Similarly, we now refer you to the ‘Vocational Education and Training’ section. The first entry shows that a Certificate (NQF level 1-3) is equivalent to a qualification in Australia that is at a lower level than a Certificate IV. In the Assessment notes below the table, ‘Assessment Note A’ provides additional information about assessing such a qualification.

Each nominated occupation will have its own minimum qualifications and work experience requirements for skills assessment purposes. As a guide, trade occupations generally require that you have 3 years’ work experience in addition to a relevant qualification. For general occupations, one year’s work experience completed after your qualification will usually be the minimum required, but this will depend on your occupation, with specific requirements applying to each.

Our article on Do I need a skills assessment? which has been referred to earlier in this article also provides some further useful information about what a Skills Assessment is, and when one may be required for skilled visas.

To give yourself the best chance of a successful result, you should be fully informed about the specific requirements that apply to your nominated occupation. If you do not apply in accordance with the skills assessing body and Immigration requirements, your application will be refused. You may also incur longer processing times, and the loss of valuable time and money if complications arise. It is thus very important that you are fully across the relevant, most up-to-date information, as it applies to your personal situation. We recommend that you seek professional advice in this regard to ensure that you receive tailored advice that is based on your individual circumstances and explains what you need to do to comply with the skills assessment requirements and ensure that you lodge a complete and correct application.

Book a consultation with us today for immigration assistance and a comprehensive skills and visa assessment. PAX Migration Australia is a leading immigration advice service based in Adelaide. We can prepare and lodge all relevant applications for you, ensuring that you submit complete and correct applications with the required supporting documentation, and thereby giving you the best chance of a positive result. Give us a call!

English Language Requirements

You may be required to achieve a specified minimum English language competency standard as part of the visa grant requirements. As a South African national, you will in most cases need to complete a specified English language test (for example, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)). If you have spoken English throughout your life, you should not find it difficult to meet the minimum English requirements. You will have a choice in selecting which English test you complete from a specified list, and resources are available to help you to prepare for your test (including practice tests and coaching programmes). Keep in mind also that you can also sit the test as many times as you like.

Our article on English requirements for skilled visas referred to earlier in this article provides some further useful information regarding the minimum English language competency level required for skilled visas.

Application Processing Times

As a final point, it is also important for you to be aware of the average processing times that you can expect in relation to your application.  In most cases, this process can take a significant amount of time, and you should factor this into your decision-making as you plan your visa pathway (particularly if you are applying for a visa with age-based limits).

In addition to visa processing times, you also need to consider how long it will take for other matters related to your application to be completed, such as the likely time to receive an invitation once you have lodged an EOI, skills assessments and English language tests, and State Sponsorship approval, etc.

All of this information is publicly available, and we would recommend that you check this as your plan your application. Processing times also often change periodically, but it is still useful to check this information so that you have an idea of what to expect in this regard.

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In conclusion, we note that the above provides an overview only of the types of visa options which are most relevant for South Africans migrating to Australia. As you can see, there are a vast array of potential visa programmes that may potentially be available to you, dependent on your personal situation. There are also many alternative ways in which to arrive at your final desired outcome. As noted, you could plan a pathway that achieves permanent residence at the first stage in the process. Or, you might formulate a plan which involves applying for a series of temporary visas (e.g. starting with a student visa, then moving onto a temporary graduate visa and ultimately permanent residence with a skilled visa – keeping in mind that you apply with the correct intention for each visa).  The important point to remember is that you need to tailor a pathway that is the right one for you – this will be different for everyone, based on individual circumstances, goals and needs.

Given the highly complex nature of the migration laws, and the fact that every individual case is different, we recommend that you engage a migration agent or immigration lawyer who will be able to provide you with detailed advice about the visa grant requirements and your eligibility to apply, and who will work with you to formulate a plan to achieve your desired outcomes. Being fully informed about the application process and eligibility requirements will help you to select the most appropriate visa pathway based on your personal situation.

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