What is Australia PR visa process timeline?

Australia is a good option if you are thinking of permanent residency in another country. It offers many visa sub-categories to applicants with specific eligibility requirements. The advantages of getting a PR visa in Australia are:

• You have the freedom to work and live in any part of the country
• Your family members will get permission to move in with you
• Your children are eligible for free education up to a certain age
• You can Apply for Australian PR for your relatives
• You and your family can get work and health benefits
• You can apply for citizenship after a few years of PR status
• Freedom to travel within the country
• Unrestricted movement in and out of Australia in the first five years

The PR visa applications are assessed on a points-based immigration system.  Your application is assessed based on your score under various eligibility criteria that include age, education, language proficiency, work experience etc. The General Skilled Migration or GSM program is the most popular way to Apply for a Australia PR visa.

The GSM program which is again based on a points-based system offers three visa categories:

• Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189
• Skilled Nominated Visa 190
• Skilled regional (provisional) Subclass 489

Out of these the first two visas are permanent visas while the third one is a temporary visa with a validity of four years. You can later convert to a PR based on certain terms and conditions.

Processing time:

The processing time for the PR Visa in each subclass is based on data gathered in the past months of 2019 are:

Factors affecting the processing time:

Many factors can affect processing time. The time can vary every month because of factors such as the number of applications coming in, seasons which see a higher number of applications, a higher number of complex cases or incomplete applications. Other reasons that impact processing times include:

• Incorrect applications
• Lack of supporting documents
• Time is taken to answer any queries raised by immigration officers
• Demand for the applicant’s occupation
• Inadequate points scored by the applicant in the SkillSelect online system
• Delay in the background verification process
• Time is taken to receive information from external agencies about health or character
• Number of places available in the migration program

Getting your PR visa processed on time:

To ensure that your Australian PR Visa Application is processed on time do not submit an incomplete application. For the smooth processing of your application, make sure you meet the key requirements of the visa application process.  Here are the details of the key requirements:

Include the key documents:  Your application must have two key documents which are:

1. The Skills Assessment Report from the relevant Skill Assessing Authority
2. The results of your IELTS test

Select the right visa category to apply: Analyze each visa category and choose the category that you feel is suitable.

Select the right occupation for the Skilled Occupation List (SOL):  After you choose the relevant visa category to choose an occupation from the SOL which is relevant to you.

Make an application in the point-based system: Follow these steps to make your application:

1. Submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) online in the SkillSelect system of Australia where you must give details like your age, occupation, work experience, education, etc.
2. You will be awarded points for each criterion.
3. You must score at least 65 points to be eligible for a PR visa. A higher score will increase your chances of getting the invitation to Apply for a PR visa to Australia.

Ensure you meet the health and character requirements:  For this, you need to be certified as medically fit and good in your character. You should include the relevant certificates in your application.

Check the progress of your application:

After you have submitted your application, you can check on its status on the ImmiAccount page in the official webpage of Immigration and Citizenship of the Australian Government.

The timeline for your Australian PR Visa application depends on many factors.  If you follow the process diligently, select the right visa category and submit all the required documents, your application will be processed within the timeline mentioned earlier. So do your homework, pay attention to details and be diligent in your submission.

To work out the complex requirements of Australian PR visa application, talk to an immigration expert who can help you with all the aspects and increase your chances of getting it approved within the timeline.