Studying and migrating to Australia has been a powerful driver of growth for the country, with significant impact across the economy, lifestyle, employment and culture. With Australia’s higher education sector consistently ranking among the world’s best, more and more Chinese students have chosen to study in Australia in recent years to complete their undergraduate and master’s qualifications. Many of these students go on to settle in Australia through migration.
Migrating to Australia has also become an increasingly popular pathway in China. Australia is well known as a high-welfare nation, with government benefit programmes available to everyone from the elderly to young children. The Australian lifestyle and natural environment have long appealed to people in China — compared with the high-pressure, fast pace of life in China, life in Australia is genuinely more comfortable and pleasant. On top of that, Australia’s migration policies offer multiple pathways, with options suited to virtually every age group.
So what are the main pathways to migrate to Australia?
1- Skilled migration
2- Employer-sponsored migration
3- Business and investor migration
4- Family (partner / parent / child) migration
1- Skilled migration
Skilled migration visas are designed for applicants who qualify entirely on the basis of their own professional skills, with no sponsorship required — they are independent skilled migration permanent visas. The main subclasses in this category are Subclass 189, Subclass 190 and Subclass 489. There are clear requirements around what counts as “professional skills”: to apply for skilled independent migration, the applicant’s nominated occupation must appear on Australia’s Skilled Occupation List (SOL); otherwise the visa criteria cannot be met. Beyond the SOL, applicants must also satisfy other requirements, including a positive skills assessment, EOI points, English language proficiency (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL etc.), qualifications and work experience.
For more details, please see the dedicated guides below:
– Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent
– Subclass 190 — State-Nominated Skilled
– Subclass 489 — Skilled Regional (Provisional)
– Skilled Occupation List (SOL)
– Consolidated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL)
– Skills Assessing Authorities
– Skilled Migration State Nomination
2- Employer-sponsored migration
Australian employer-sponsorship visas are a group of visa categories established by the Australian government to address skill shortages in the local labour market. They allow Australian businesses to sponsor a range of overseas professionals or skilled workers to come to Australia for work or settlement. These visas do not use a points test — provided the applicant meets the basic criteria, the nominated occupation appears on the Consolidated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL), and an eligible employer is willing to sponsor them, an employer-sponsorship visa application is possible. Spouses and dependent children can also accompany the applicant to Australia.
Employer-sponsored migration falls into three main categories: Subclass 457, Subclass 186 and Subclass 187.
For more details, please see the dedicated guides below:
– Subclass 457 — Employer-Sponsored Work Visa
– Subclass 457 — Self-Sponsored Work Visa
– Subclass 186 — Employer Nomination Permanent Visa
– Subclass 187 — Regional Employer-Sponsored Permanent Visa
– Consolidated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL)
3- Business and investor migration
Australian business and investor migration has long been one of the most popular migration pathways for Chinese citizens. It is designed for applicants who hold significant assets and meet a range of other criteria, allowing them to obtain permanent residency in the destination country through investment.
The main Australian business and investor visas include: Subclass 188A, Subclass 188B, Subclass 188C, Subclass 188E, Subclass 888 and Subclass 132.
For more details, please see the dedicated guides below:
– Subclass 188A — Business Innovation (Provisional)
– Subclass 188B — Investor (Provisional)
– Subclass 188C — Significant Investor (Provisional)
– Subclass 188E — Entrepreneur (Provisional)
– Subclass 888 — Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent)
– Subclass 132 — Business Talent (Permanent)
4- Family (partner / parent / child) migration
Family migration applies where an applicant who already holds Australian citizenship or residency wishes to bring family members from China — partners, children or parents — to Australia for permanent settlement. The main family migration streams in Australia fall into three groups: onshore/offshore partner migration, offshore parents joining their Australian children, and offshore children joining their Australian parents. Each group is further divided into specific subclasses depending on individual circumstances.
For more details, please see the dedicated guides below:
– Subclass 820 — Onshore Partner (Provisional)
– Subclass 309 — Offshore Partner (Provisional)
– Subclass 300 — Prospective Marriage (Fiancé) Visa
– Subclass 143 — Contributory Parent (Permanent)
– Subclass 173 — Contributory Parent (Temporary)
– Subclass 103 — Parent (Permanent, Queued)
