Student Visas

International students should apply for a single Student visa (subclass 500) regardless of their chosen course of study:

• independent ELICOS (English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students)
• schools (primary and secondary)
• secondary school exchange program
• vocational education and training (VET)
• higher education
• postgraduate research
• non-award courses
• international students sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs or Defence.

Student guardians should apply for the Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)

National Innovation visa

The National Innovation visa (subclass 858) (NIV) is a permanent visa for exceptionally talented migrants from across the world. These migrants will help create jobs and drive productivity growth in key sectors of the Australian economy.

The NIV is for​ established and emerging leaders with high-calibre talent and skills who can make significant contributions that will benefit Australia’s future prosperity.

This includes:

• global researchers
• entrepreneurs
• innovative investors
• athletes and creatives

Global Talent Employer Sponsored program

The Global Talent Employer Sponsored (GTES) program allows employers to sponsor overseas workers for highly-skilled niche positions that cannot be filled:

by Australian workers through other standard visa programs - in particular, the Skills in Demand (SID) visa. Before the Department enters into an agreement, businesses must be able to demonstrate that they cannot fill the position through existing skilled visa programs.

You will then be able to sponsor workers for a SID visa under the GTES.

The GTES is designed to benefit Australia and Australian workers.

It aims to bring globally mobile, highly-skilled and specialised individuals to Australia who can act as 'job multipliers' in Australian businesses. This helps them to hire more local staff and fill critical areas of need.

Any position filled through a GTES agreement must provide opportunities for Australians by, for example:

creating new jobs for Australians transferring skills and knowledge to Australian workers. You must demonstrate how you realise these opportunities throughout the GTES agreement period.

Temporary Work Visas

A temporary work visa allows applicants to work in Australia on a temporary basis. There may be specific conditions associated with your visa that only allow certain types of work or work under a certain employer. You may be able to apply for a permanent visa related to your provisional visa.  

List of temporary work visas available:

• Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) – Sponsorship required
• Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) – Graduate work
• Skilled Recognised Graduate visa (subclass 476)
• Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)

New regional temporary work visas

From 16 November 2019, two new categories of skilled regional provisional visas were made available for skilled migrants and dependent family members seeking to live and work in regional Australia.

• Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – for individuals nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by an eligible family member to live and work in regional Australia.
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494) – for individuals sponsored by an employer in regional Australia.

Permanent skilled migration visas

Visas for skilled migrants to live and work anywhere in Australia.

• Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) – Sponsorship required
• Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) – Points-tested stream
• Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) – Sponsorship required
• Skilled Regional visa (subclass 887)

Family and partner visas

You may wish for your partner or family overseas to join you temporarily or permanently in Australia.

How you do this will depend on whether you yourself are already visa holder and which visa you currently posses. Please see the lsit below for all relevant visa categories:

• Adoption visa (subclass 102)
• Aged Dependent Relative visa (subclass 114)
• Aged Dependent Relative visa (subclass 838)
• Aged Parent visa (subclass 804)
• Carer visa (subclass 836)
• Carer visa (subclass 116)
• Child visa (subclass 101)
• Child visa (subclass 802)
• Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
• Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)
• Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
• Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)
• Dependent Child visa (subclass 445)
• New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (temporary) visa (subclass 461)
• Orphan Relative (subclass 117)
• Orphan Relative (subclass 837)
• Parent visa (subclass 103)
• Partner (Provisional and Migrant) visa (subclass 309 100)
• Partner visa (subclass 820 801)
• Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
• Remaining Relative visa (subclass 115)
• Remaining Relative visa (subclass 835)
• Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)