In our day-to-day consultations, applicants from overseas consistently express a strong preference tomigrate directly to Sydney or Melbourneas their destination. The main reasons are consistent: a large existing Chinese-speaking community makes it easier to settle in; job opportunities are more plentiful; and for many, close family and friends already live in Sydney or Melbourne.

Sydneyhas consistently ranked among the world’s most liveable cities by the UN Human Settlements Programme. Sydney boasts a highly developed financial, manufacturing, and tourism sector — home to the headquarters of leading multinational corporations and major domestic and international financial institutions.
Melbourneis celebrated for its refined urban environment, having received the UN Human Settlements Award. It has topped the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index for multiple consecutive years, and is widely recognised as Australia’s cultural capital — a city of global renown in fashion, art, music, television, film, and dance.

The main pathways available for overseas applicants to migrate directly to Sydney or Melbourne are:
1. Skilled migration
2. Employer-sponsored migration
3. GTI Global Talent visa
4. Business and investor migration

Skilled Migration

Subclass 189 & State Nomination

Australia’s skilled migration programme was introduced to attract overseas talent and support a balanced, growing Australian labour market. It is open to both skilled workers abroad and international students studying in Australia, and remains one of the most popular pathways to permanent residency.

There are three main categories of skilled migration visa: the Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, the Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa, and the Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional visa (noting that Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane metropolitan areas do not qualify as regional areas),all of which operate under the points-based system.In principle,the higher your points score, the better your chances。

Subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa — requirements:
1. Applicant must be under 45 years of age;

2. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band;

3. Nominated occupation must be on the medium and long-term occupation list (contact our consultants for details), and a positive skills assessment is required;

4. EOI points score must meet the minimum threshold of 65 points.

Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa — requirements:
1. Applicant must be under 45 years of age;

2. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band;

3. Nominated occupation must appear on the medium and long-term or short-term occupation list, with a positive skills assessment;

4. EOI score must meet the minimum of 65 points; base score requirement is 60 points, with 5 bonus points awarded for state nomination.

Employer-Sponsored Migration

Subclass 186 — Direct PR

The Australian employer-sponsored visa is a suite of visa categories introduced by the Australian Government to address skill shortages in the local labour market. It allows Australian businesses to sponsor overseas professionals or skilled workers to work and settle in Australia. Applicants must meet the basic eligibility criteria, their occupation must appear on the Australian nominated occupation list, and a qualifying sponsor employer must be willing to nominate them. Spouses and dependent children can also be included in the application.

Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa
Employer-sponsored visa requirements:
1. Applicant must be under 45 years of age;

2. English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band;

3. Nominated occupation must be on the medium and long-term occupation list with a positive skills assessment;

4. At least three years of full-time work experience in the nominated occupation;

5. Must have a full-time job offer from a qualifying Australian sponsor employer.
Direct PR — approved in as little as 6–9 months! Popular occupations including IT and accounting, available to overseas applicants too

Have questions about the Subclass 189, state nomination, or employer-sponsored migration?

Contact our consultants below.

GTI

No Skills Assessment · No Language Requirement · No Points Test

The GTI (Global Talent Independent) visa is an Australian Government initiative designed to attract the world’s best and brightest to migrate to Australia. Through this programme, the Government aims to recruit exceptional global talent to strengthen Australia’s capabilities and boost the national economy.

GTI Visa — Eligibility Criteria

1. The applicant must be a specialist in one of ten designated target sectors(contact our consultants for the full list)；

2. Must have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their field (significant contributions, exceptional ability, or equivalent recognition);

3. Must be nominated: the nominator must be an Australian citizen, Australian PR holder, an Australian organisation, or a New Zealand citizen working in the same field (we can assist with referrals);

4. Must meet the income threshold: currently AUD 158,500 gross per annum (may be waived in certain circumstances).

A great opportunity may be emerging for overseas applicants — invitations issued today, with wait times under 3 months! Here’s what’s changed for GTI this financial year…

Business & Investor Migration

Older Applicants with Capital

The final pathway is the business and investor migration programme. From July 2021, the Australian business and investor migration visa suite was consolidated to: 188A, 188B, 188C, and 188E — four distinct visa streams tailored to different applicant profiles and backgrounds.

188A
1. Main applicant must be under 55 years of age; accompanying children must be under 21;

2. Combined net assets of the main applicant and spouse must be at least AUD 1.25 million;

3. In at least 2 of the past 4 financial years, the business must have had an annual turnover of at least AUD 750,000;

4. In at least 2 of the past 4 financial years, the main applicant and/or spouse must have held at least 30% equity in the business (or at least 10% if listed on a stock exchange); (if two businesses are used, any business with less than 51% ownership must have a turnover of at least AUD 400,000);

5. Business Innovation and Investment EOI score must be at least 65 points.

188B
1. Main applicant must be under 55 years of age;

2. EOI score of at least 65 points;

3. Combined net assets of the main applicant and spouse must reach AUD 2.5 million in the most recent 2 financial years (previously AUD 2.25 million);

4. At least 3 years of successful investment experience with a demonstrable investment return;

5. In at least 1 of the 5 financial years prior to application, must have managed a business with at least 10% ownership or investments totalling AUD 2.5 million (previously AUD 1.5 million);

6. Must invest AUD 2.5 million into designated complying investments, as follows:

1) 20% invested in venture capital funds (AUD 500,000)

2) 30% invested in small to medium enterprise (SME) listed equity funds (AUD 750,000)

3) 50% invested in balanced investment funds (AUD 1.25 million)

188C
1. Combined net assets of the main applicant and spouse must be at least AUD 5 million;

2. Must invest AUD 5 million into designated complying investments, as follows:

1) 20% invested in venture capital funds (AUD 1 million) — previously 10%

2) 30% invested in SME listed equity funds (AUD 1.5 million)

3) 50% invested in balanced investment funds (AUD 2.5 million) — previously 60%

188E
1. Main applicant must be under 55 years of age;

2. Main applicant must demonstrate English proficiency equivalent to IELTS 6 in each band;

3. Must be planning or have already commenced a complying innovative business activity in Australia. The activity must involve an innovative concept and must either commercialise Australian products or services, or contribute to the development of an existing Australian business or enterprise. Specifically excluded are: 1) residential real estate; 2) labour hire; 3) the purchase of an existing business or franchise.

There are many migration pathways for overseas applicants — one will be right for you. Every journey starts with a first step, and taking that step is the most important move towards success. If you have any questions after reading this article, feel free to add our WeChat and we will put together a tailored migration plan just for you.

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Reply: 005 → Student entrepreneur and investor migration

Reply: 006 → Parent migration visas

Reply: 007 → Employer-sponsored visas

Reply: 008 → Subclass 485 Graduate Work visa

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Reply: 014 → Visitor and tourist visas

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Reply: 016 → TAFE programmes

Reply: 017 → Canada migration for Australian international students

Reply: 018 → Subclass 407 Training visa

Reply: 019 → Subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa

Reply: 020 → New Zealand migration

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