Australia is a popular choice for people who want to move permanently to another country. Moving here promises a better quality of life. Moving to Australia on a PR visa provides many benefits. The visa has a validity of five years. With a PR visa, you can move into Australia along with your family and you can apply for citizenship after living in Australia for three years with a PR visa.
It is no wonder many migrants aspire to move to the country on a PR visa. At the end of last year, the government of Australia made changes to its immigration system which indicate a positive outcome for PR applicants.
Changes were made to its points-based system which will impact the number of points a PR applicant can accumulate in his application:
- 10 points to applicants who do not have a spouse or a partner.
- 10 points for applicants with a skilled spouse or partner
- 15 points for applicants who are nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by a family member residing in Australia
- 10 points for applicants for STEM qualifications
- 5 points for applicants who have a spouse or partner who has competent English. The spouse or partner need not go through a skill assessment if this is the case
To encourage immigrants to settle down in regional areas, the government has decided to award extra points to applicants of regional visas by giving 10 to 15 additional points.
The validity of the regional visas has now been extended to five years instead of the earlier four years.
Apart from this the government introduced two new regional visas last year.
Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa: This visa was introduced to replace the Subclass 491 visa. 14,000 places will be allocated per year on this visa. This visa is a skilled migration visa. To be eligible for this visa requires nomination by the state government or sponsorship from an eligible family member who is settled in that designated regional area. Applicants must be under 45 years and have a positive skills assessment.
If you apply for this visa, the benefits include:
- Opportunity in 500 eligible occupations which is 70 more compared to non-regional areas
- These visa applications will undergo priority processing
Subclass 494 Skilled Employer Sponsored: This was introduced to replace the RSMS visa and will have 9000 places allocated every year. Eligibility conditions are sponsorship by the employer in a job with a validity of five years. Applicants must take a skills assessment and have a minimum work experience of three years. The maximum age limit for this visa is 45 years.
If you apply for this visa, the benefits include:
- Opportunity in 700 occupations which is 450 more than what is allocated in non-regional areas
- Priority processing of visa applications
With these changes, things have only got better for PR visa applicants. Regional visa applications will get priority processing. Immigrants who have moved to a regional area can apply for a PR visa after staying in the place for three years. There will be priority processing of regional visas. These are enough incentives to settle down in regional areas.
These changes award more points to Subclass 491 visa applicants. It opens a broader range of occupations for PR applicants using non-regional pathways.
With these changes, the chances of getting your PR visa approved look bright. However, there are chances that your visa application could be rejected. In that case, find out the reasons for rejection. This will help you discover what went wrong or the mistakes in your application so that you can avoid them in your next attempt to get a PR visa. Combined with the changes in the immigration system, you can hope for a positive result.
Based on our experience in helping clients in the Australian PR visa process, here are eight common reasons why PR visa applications can be rejected.
1. Application for the wrong visa type
The Australian PR visa has three subclasses
- Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189
- Skilled Nominated Visa Subclass 190
- Skilled Regional (provisional) Subclass 491
The application process for all the subclasses are the same. However, the qualifying criteria differs.
Your PR application can be rejected if you apply for a visa category but do not satisfy the criteria for that visa. So, consider the criteria for each subclass and choose the category that you are most likely to qualify.
2.Violation of conditions of your previous visa
You may be disqualified for the PR Visa if your previous records show that you overstayed on a temporary visa or failed to adhere to the conditions of a previous visa.
The authorities could reject your visa application if they feel that you might misuse the privileges of a PR visa as you did with other Australian visas.
3. Incomplete or inconsistent information in your visa application
Your visa application can be rejected if you submit false information or if the authorities find that you have not provided complete information. To avoid this, check your application before submitting it. Ensure that you give all the required details and information. submit all the proofs and documents to support the information in your application. It will be closely scrutinized for any discrepancies. For instance, if your application for partner visa does not have the supporting documents to prove your relationship, then your visa can be rejected.
You must provide consistent information in your application. The immigration department will cross-check the information you provide and check your previous visa applications for any inconsistency. Any discrepancies can be a ground for rejection.
4. Failure to meet health requirements for the visa
Your application can be rejected if you require treatment for any health conditions that the Australian authorities feel will be a financial burden on their medical system. PR visa applications are rejected if the applicant suffers from medical conditions such as HIV, cancer, heart conditions or mental health issues.
5. Failure to meet the character requirements
Australia is wary of allowing immigrants who have a criminal record. Applications are scrutinized on an individual basis and the visa application can be rejected if applicants have :
- A criminal record
- History of harassing others
- Association with a criminal organization
6. Lack of enough funds
Before entering the country on a PR visa, Australian authorities wish to ensure that applicants have enough funds to support their stay in the country. So, you will have to provide proof of your financial status with supporting financial statements. Applicants for visa 190 are sometimes unsure if a province will ask them for financial documents. In the process they fail to provide enough proof which may lead to their rejection of their application.
7. Inability to score the required level in English language proficiency test
If you don’t score the required levels in your English language proficiency test your PR visa can be rejected. Australia is strict in terms of language proficiency and you should have the required score levels to qualify for a visa.
8. Failure to clear the visa verification process
There are chances of your visa application being rejected at the last stages if you are unable to clear the verification of your medical or character requirements or other important information in your application.
The Australian immigration authorities are careful in their verification process. They insist on thoroughly checking the documents you submit. If it is discovered that you have submitted false information, you can be debarred from entering the country for a certain number of years.
Before submitting your documents thoroughly check for any discrepancies or better still get it verified by a professional consultant so that the authorities can find no fault.
What can you do when your application is rejected?
If your application is rejected, you can find out the reasons from the department of immigration. You must make an appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal but in the prescribed time. They will review the decision and give you reasons for the rejection.
A review will also give you an opportunity to give an explanation to the points raised in the review document and provide any missing information or documents.
You must take care to follow the deadline for a review otherwise you will lose the opportunity to get a visa. Take care to submit your appeal on time and submit a thorough review application and you will still get an opportunity to secure your PR visa.
Take the help of an immigration expert to apply for an Australian PR visa. They will provide you the required guidance and help so that you can make a foolproof application which is unlikely to be rejected so that you get your visa.