Permanent Residency is the dream of most international students that are studying in Australia. A PR visa is a right for permanent residence in Australia for immigrants. There are many options to get PR in Australia for students.
The visa for PR in Australia for students is valid for 5 years. With this visa, you can move to Australia with your family. After four years on an Australia PR visa, you can seek citizenship. A permanent resident of Australia differs from an Australian citizen. A permanent resident has a PR visa but is not a citizen. However, a permanent resident is free to live, work, and study in Australia.
The most common way to get PR in Australia for students is to get a post-study work visa after completing their studies. Then they can apply for General Skilled Migration to achieve PR.
PR in Australia for students
Many students come to Australia for studies and when they live there they like the lifestyle and want to continue living in the country. A student can apply for permanent residence in Australia after 2 years for a post-study work visa, subclass 485.
Australian PR process varies from application to application and on other factors. Students should consider all the prospects and chances of obtaining a permanent visa when selecting their course of study.
Previously, you can look at the occupation listings to determine which list and visas you come under and how they can benefit you in the future. One important thing to keep in mind is that while your occupation may be on the list at the present time, it can be removed from the list in the future. It’s difficult to figure out your chances of permanent residency and what should be your next step.
The currently active list is the combined list of eligible skilled occupations. Using this list, you can learn about the skill level of jobs, the qualifications, and the experience needed for each occupation.
Pathway to PR in Australia for Students
International students can choose from a variety of options. Many factors, like your educational background, English proficiency skills, work history, and other prerequisites, will determine which one is best for you. Some most common visa options are below.
Post Study Work Visa
You are not immediately eligible for a permanent residence in Australia after completing your studies. This could be because of many reasons. Following your studies, a Post Study Work Visa (subclass 485) is an appropriate visa to get PR in Australia for students .
It is typically a two-year visa with unrestricted employment rights, which can help gain PR in Australia for Students. It is open to applicants who have completed two years of full-time study in Australia with the purpose of receiving a specific qualification. This type of visa can take 3-6 months to process.
General Skilled Migration
It is a permanent visa program that doesn’t require an employer to sponsor you and is based on your talents and work experience. There are several prerequisites, including skill and English language requirements, as well as a points test, that must be met.
You will be awarded points for skilled migration depending on characteristics such as your age, English proficiency, employment history, and educational background. To add the points to your application, you may need to get a state government nomination. It can take 6-8 months to process your visa.
Employer-Sponsored Visa
These visas could be an alternative pathway for you to get PR in Australia. When a candidate can’t meet the standards for skilled migration, the next best alternative is employer sponsorship. Which has different requirements than skilled migration and is easier to meet.
This entails first getting a temporary visa (Subclass 482) and then working towards a permanent visa, after working for your sponsoring employer for at least three years. Sometimes, you can also apply for PR (Subclass 186). This type of visa takes 1-2 months to process and get PR in Australia for students.
Factors affecting the PR process
There are many factors that affect your chances of getting PR in Australia after your studies. These can be
- English Language ability
- Submission of your documentation kit
- Application profile
- Field of study
- Your response to any additional information requests
- The number of applications received by the immigration department.
- How many spaces are available under the migration program
General Factors
The general factors which can affect time for PR in Australia for students are:
PR visa Category
The visa category is really important when you want to get PR in Australia. If you have applied for PR in Australia in the parent’s category, it can take 1-3 years for the results, while it can take shorter for some visa subclasses.
| Visa Subclass | Processing time |
| Subclass 489 Subclass 485 Subclass 190 Subclass 189 |
7-9 months 7-9 months 9-12 months 8-12 months |
There are other visa subclasses too that take different timings.
Highest Priority points
The Australian immigration process works in a way that different visa subclasses have different priority points based on which they are processed earlier and then the other subclasses follow. For example, SkillSelect visa applications for subclass 489 visas will be prioritized first, followed by subclass 190 visa and subclass 189 visa applications.
Also read: Top courses to study in Australia for International Students in 2022
Submitted Application and document
The time to complete your application and papers is mostly determined by the application and documents you submit. As a result, double-check that your application and documentation are complete and accurate in every way. If your application is not complete or if you haven’t submitted, all of your documents or if some kind of error is present in your documents, then it will waste your time and your visa process can take longer than it would have taken if things were normal.
A minor error or omission can cause your Australia PR application to be delayed. If you are not confident in your ability to handle the immigration process, seek the help of a reputable immigration consultancy. StudyWise is one such organization that can help you with your Australian visa-related queries and help you throughout the process.
Tips to enhance chances of getting PR in Australia for students
- Apply for a post-work visa after completing your studies in Australia.
- Work experience before the study is really important for PR in Australia.
- Choose a course with the best possible outcomes of occupation in a combined list of eligible skilled occupations.
- Keep improving your English proficiency score.
- If you complete 2 years of study on a regional campus, you will receive 5 extra points.
Benefits of a PR visa after studies
With a PR visa in Australia, you can enjoy the following benefits:
- Live and travel anywhere in the country
- Pursue higher studies in Australia
- Become eligible for Social Security benefits
- Sponsor the PR of your relatives
- Apply for government jobs with a PR visa
- Travel to New Zealand and apply for a visa there.
What you should choose?
Each visa choice and path has its benefits and drawback. There are several things you need to consider before deciding which one is ideal for you. It’s also worth noting that Australian Visa restrictions are subject to change regularly. We advise you to seek the services of StudyWise, a registered professional study visa consulting company. Download the StudyWise App to get the list of courses you can choose from. We can provide you with the best options that will guarantee you a successful visa process and ultimately help to get PR in Australia for students.