What is the Australia PR process timeline in 2020?

Australia is a popular destination for those interested in migrating overseas. One of the most common queries related to Australia that visa and immigration consultants receive on an almost daily basis is as to the Australia PR process timeline.

However, before we move on to the process timeline, let us get a general overview of migration to Australia.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), for the year ending March 31, 2019, the net overseas migration to Australia was estimated to be 249,700. This was about 11,700 people or 4.9% more than the estimated net overseas migration for the year ending March 31, 2018.

There are many reasons for heading to the Land Down Under.

Top 5 reasons for migrating to Australia

While there are many reasons to move to Australia, here we shall consider the Top 5.

Good career opportunities

Australia is regarded as one of the best countries for an expat to work and live in.

Prominent cities in Australia – Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane, and Canberra – are regarded as the ideal places for a migrant looking for good employment opportunities.

Welcoming stance towards migrants

Australia is generally perceived to have welcoming immigration policies. People from all over the world are accepted into the country, making a multi-cultural and diverse, yet cohesive, whole.

No language barrier

With Australia being an English-speaking nation, immigrants do not have to deal with any language barrier as is present in the case of countries like Germany or Austria.

Laidback lifestyle

Australia is known for being laidback and easygoing. Generally, Australians are friendly and accommodating of migrants.

High quality of life

Despite Australia being a vast country, the population is quite sparse. Add to it low pollution levels and beautiful natural surroundings, and you have a very good reason for settling down in Australia.

What are the pathways to Australian permanent residency?

With an Australian PR, you can remain in Australia indefinitely. Eventually, you can also apply for Australian citizenship, if you are eligible for the same.

An overseas-born individual can become a permanent resident of Australia in many ways. These include –

Serial No.	Pathway
1	Work stream permanent visa
2	Family stream permanent visa
3	Business or investor stream permanent visa
4	Retirement Visa Pathway
5	Former Resident Visa
6	Distinguished Talent Visa
7	Refugees and humanitarian visas

Of all the pathways to Australian PR, three, that is – family stream permanent visa, business or investor stream permanent visa, and work stream permanent visa – are more common.

Many of the migrants that head towards Australia go with work overseas on their mind. Such migrants often seek the skilled migration route to Australian PR.

General Skilled Migration (GSM) program is considered to be most popular among migrants. A majority of the people that wish to settle in Australia apply through the GSM program.

What are the most popular visas available under GSM and their timeline in 2020?

Three main visa categories come under the GSM program –

Visa Name	For	Candidate must	What can you do on the visa?	Timeline in 2020
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)	Workers invited with skills needed in Australia can live and work permanently anywhere throughout Australia.	Have occupation on skilled occupation list; possess a skills assessment; be invited to apply; and get the needed points.	Stay permanently; work and study; enroll in Medicare; sponsor relatives; travel to and from Australia for 5 years; become citizen of Australia (if eligible).	90% of applications take about 20 months for processing;   75% of applications take 12 months for processing.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)	Allows a nominated skilled worker to live and work in Australia as a permanent resident.	Have occupation on skilled occupation list; possess a skills assessment; be invited to apply; and get the needed points.	Stay permanently; work and study; enroll in Medicare; sponsor relatives; travel to and from Australia for 5 years; become citizen of Australia (if eligible).	90% of applications take about 10 months for processing;   75% of applications take 9 months for processing.
Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)	Skilled workers that wish to live and work in regional Australia.   If you have this subclass 489, you can apply for Skilled Regional (Permanent) visa (subclass 887).	Three pathways come under this – Invited Pathway [closed to new applications]   Extended Stay Pathway   Subsequent Entry Pathway   For Extended Stay pathway –candidate must hold subclass 475/487/495/496.   For Subsequent Entry pathway – be a member of family unit of visa holder of subclass 475/487489/495/496.	Extended Stay – stay in Australia for 4 years from date of grant of subclass 475/487/495/496; live, work and study in regional Australia in specified regions; travel to and from Australia as many times as needed, provided visa is valid.   For Subsequent Entry pathway –stay in Australia till visa valid; live, work and study in regional Australia in a specified region; and travel to and from Australia as many times as needed, provided visa is valid.	No standard processing times available.

If you are interested in settling down in Australia, there is no better time to apply than now!

With 2020 just around the corner, it is advisable to seriously start thinking of beginning the process now if you want to migrate to Australia in 2020.

Embark on your Australia PR journey by getting your score from our Australia Skilled Immigration Points Calculator.

For more details, get in touch with us today!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also read

• How many points are required for Australia PR in 2020?
• What is the easiest way to get Australia PR in 2020?
• How to apply for Australia PR from India in 2020?
• What are the eligibility requirements for Australia PR in 2020?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate Overseas, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No. 1 Immigration & Visa Company.

If you found this blog engaging, you may also like…

Changes to the state nomination rules of South Australia