Australian permanent residency pathways

If you're currently on a 485 visa and aiming for PR, there are several potential pathways depending on your cicumstances. If your occupation is in demand and you still have time left on your visa, you may be eligible to apply through the skilled migration program for visas such as the Subclass 189, 190, or 491 visas.

Alternatively, if you're working in an occupation related to your qualifications and have an employer who is willing to sponsor you, you can explore employer-sponsored visa options. If you don’t have much time left on your Subclass 485 visa, employer-sponsored visas may be your best option rather than skilled migration, as skilled migration program takes time. The most suitable visa will depend on your qualifications, work experience, and your salary.

If you're on a SC482 visa, you're already on an employer-sponsored pathway. After completing two years of work in your nominated occupation, you may be eligible to apply for the Subclass 186 visa under the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream, which leads to PR. 

Recent changes to the regulations mean you no longer need to have worked for the same employer for the full two years—you can meet the requirement even if you've worked for different employers, as long as it's in the same nominated occupation. 

Additionally, if you still have time left on your 482 visa, you can also consider applying for skilled migration visas like the  SC 189, SC 190, or SC 491 visas.

If you're currently on a student visa, it's important to assess whether your qualifications can lead you to PR before applying for a Subclass 485 visa, because once you apply for an SC 485 visa, you generally can't return to a student visa as per the new regulations. So if you realise while you are on your SC 485 visa that you don’t have a guaranteed PR pathway then it would be late as your options will be limited. 

If your occupation has a pathway to PR, you may consider applying for the skilled migration program or pursuing employer sponsorship. The SC 485 visa typically gives you sufficient time to work towards skilled migration. 

If you're on a student visa, recent regulation changes may make you ineligible for the Subclass 485 visa, especially if you're over 35 at the time of application, as the current age cap is 35. If you're unable to apply for the 485 visa due to age or other restrictions, your options for staying and working in Australia become more limited. In such cases, the Subclass 407 Training visa could be a strong alternative. It's an employer-sponsored visa with less burden on the employer compared to the 482 visa, and it does not require prior work experience, you can be eligible based on your educational background alone.

If you're on a temporary visa and have an Australian partner who is a permanent resident or an Austrlaian citizen, you may be eligible to apply for a partner visa. If you're currently in Australia, you can apply for the onshore partner visa. This visa is processed in two stages: first, you'll be granted a temporary partner visa, and after two years if the relationship hasn’t broken down, you will be eligible for the permanent partner visa (PR).

If you're on a SC 491 or SC 494 visa, your pathway to PR is through the SC 191 visa. To be eligible, you must not have breached any of the conditions attached to your SC 491 or SC 494 visa.