Usually refers to skilled migration permanent residency visas — especially:
Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent)
Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated — state-sponsored)
Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional, a regional-skilled pathway with PR after meeting certain residency/work conditions)
These are the main routes Indian skilled workers use to get PR in Australia. There are other categories (family, employer sponsored, etc.) but costs/times differ.
Here are the steps you’ll go through. Each involves time + cost components.
| Step | What you do | Approx Time | Approx Cost & Other Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Determine Eligibility & Choose Occupation | Check if your occupation is on the relevant Skilled Occupation List. Then see if you meet minimum points (age, English, qualifications, work experience). | A few days to a week | Mostly zero cost (you may pay for document collection or verifying credentials) |
| 2. Skill Assessment | Submit your credentials & work experience to the relevant assessing authority (e.g. ACS for IT, Engineers Australia, VETASSESS, etc.). | 4-8 weeks (≈ 45-60 days) is common. | Cost depends on assessing body & occupation. Roughly AUD 250 – AUD 4,000 (~INR 13,000-2,20,000) for many professions. |
| 3. English Language Test | Take an approved test (IELTS, PTE, etc.) and get required score. | 2-4 weeks (including preparation + result waiting) | Tests cost in India: approx INR 15,000-20,000 depending on test & center. |
| 4. Expression of Interest (EOI) via SkillSelect | Submit EOI, wait for invitation. If applying under subclass 190 or 491, might also seek state/territory nomination. | Can take 2-4 months depending on points, occupation demand, state requirements. | Usually no fee for EOI itself. If nomination required, there may be “state nomination” fees. Some states charge AUD 300-500. |
| 5. Receive Invitation to Apply (ITA) | Once invited, you prepare and lodge full visa application. | After EOI + nomination (if needed). The invitation wait is included in the EOI period. | |
| 6. Visa Application Submission + Supporting Documents | Lodge visa application, provide all required docs; also medical checks, police/character checks. | The visa decision processing time (after submission of full application) is often 6-12 months for many skilled visas. | Cost: see below. Also cost of medical exams, police clearance, etc. |
| 7. Visa Grant & Move | Once visa is approved, you get PR status. Need to fulfill travel (if offshore), meet any other obligations like first entry. | After grant, travel & settling can take additional weeks for logistics. |
Here’s a breakdown of the main cost heads (in both AUD & rough INR), for the Indian scenario (exchange rate fluctuations apply).
| Expense Head | Primary Applicant | Additional Applicant (age 18+) | Child / Minor Dependent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa Application Fee (Government) | ~ AUD 4,640-4,770 (for skilled visas like 189, 190, 491) | ~ AUD 2,320-2,385 | ~ AUD 1,160-1,195 for under 18s |
| Skill Assessment | AUD 250 to AUD 4,000 depending on occupation & assessing authority. | If spouse or dependent’s skills also assessed (in some cases) similar costs. | Not always needed depending on visa subclass. |
| English Test Fee | Approx INR 15,000-20,000 (varies by test) | If spouse/dependent needs to take test, similar cost. | — |
| Medical Examination | Varies; maybe AUD 300-500 per person (~INR 15,000-30,000) depending on clinic & tests required. | Similar for others. | Lower for children perhaps (if fewer tests) |
| Police Clearance / Character Checks | In India, cost is relatively small (INR ~500-1,000 per certificate). But there could be administrative / translation fees. | Same for dependents. | Same or lesser depending on age. |
| Other costs | Document translation, notarization, postage / courier, state nomination fees (if applicable), agent/consultant fees (if using one). |
Putting all together, for a single applicant (no dependents), skilled visa PR route, you might expect:
Visa processing fee: AUD 4,640-4,770
Skill assessment: AUD ~250-4,000
English test + exam costs: maybe INR 15,000-20,000 (or equivalent in AUD)
Medical + police checks: AUD few hundred + small local fees
Converted roughly, many sources estimate INR ₹2.5-3.0 lakh (~AUD 4,500-5,000 at current rates) just for the visa + basic assessments etc. Depending on dependents, occupation, state, could go higher.
Here are typical timeframes for different visa subclasses, from India. Note: actual time depends a lot on completeness, your occupation, demand backlogs, and document correctness.
| Visa Subclass | Approx Processing Time (after submitting full application) | Total Time Including Prior Steps (skill-assessment, EOI, invitation etc.) |
|---|---|---|
| Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) | ~ 8-12 months | Total often 9-14 months (from eligibility → grant) |
| Subclass 190 (State Nominated) | ~ 6-9 to 10-12 months | Total ~ 8-12+ months |
| Subclass 491 (Regional Skilled) | ~ 8-14 months in many cases | Total with prior steps maybe 10-16 months |
| Other (Family, Employer-sponsored etc.) | Can vary a lot; some family/partner visas take 12-24 months+ depending on backlog & verification needs. |
Here are what to watch out for:
Document completeness & correctness: Missing or mismatched documents (job experience, proof of English, qualifications) significantly delay.
Health / character checks: Delays in medical reports or police clearances affect timeline.
Occupation demand / backlog: If your field is highly in demand, or if there are many applicants, wait for EOI invitations can be longer.
State nomination criteria (for subclass 190/491): Some states have extra requirements; delays come from state-level steps.
Currency fluctuations: Can affect your budget if converting to AUD.
Policy changes: Immigration law / skilled occupation lists / visa subclass rules sometimes change, affecting time & eligibility.
Suppose you (an Indian skilled professional) want to apply under Subclass 189. Here’s a plausible timeline:
Week 1-2: Check occupation list + eligibility, gather documents.
Weeks 3-8: Skill assessment (say 6 weeks). Meanwhile prepare for English test.
Week 9: Sit English test, get result.
Weeks 10-15: Submit EOI & wait for invitation. (Could be faster if your points are high and occupation is in demand.)
After invitation (~Week 15-16): Collect remaining docs, medical, police clearance etc.
Submit full visa application: then等待 visa processing (say 8-12 months).
Grant: once approved, plan travel etc.
So total ~ 9-14 months from starting eligibility check to visa grant, if everything goes smoothly.
Check the latest Skilled Occupation List — some occupations get removed or added; this changes what skill-assessing authorities accept.
Confirm current visa application fees on Department of Home Affairs site; sometimes government fees adjust.
Exchange rate fluctuations matter since many costs are in AUD but paid from India.
State nomination streams (190 / 491) may have changed criteria or quotas.
Be mindful of any delays in medical checks or document verifications especially post-COVID or during busy periods.
Rough cost for single applicant via a skilled visa PR route: ~ AUD 4,600-5,000 + assessments, test & associated costs → overall around INR 2.5-3 lakh (could be more with dependents).
Processing time: Typically 6-12 months after full application; overall from start to grant more like 9-14 months depending on visa subclass and profile.
Extra time & cost for dependents, state nomination, or occupation specific processes.
