Frequently Asked Questions

You should research which test option suits your individual situation best. If you are not certain which level of English proficiency you are required to prove, engage the services of an Australian Registered Migration Agent and ask them to confirm it with you before you book a test.

General information is provided in the link below. Please note that information, rules, criteria and requirements change frequently; the information provided is current as at 22 July 2026.

Specified language tests for Australian visas

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

There is no single best visa. Home Affairs publishes a Visa Finder tool that filters options by purpose of travel, intended length of stay and personal circumstances, and every subclass has its own criteria set out in the Migration Regulations 1994.

Many criteria must be satisfied both at the time you apply and at the time a decision is made. Circumstances that change between lodgement and decision, such as ageing past a limit or a skills assessment expiring, are a recurring cause of refusal.

Choosing the wrong subclass generally means a refusal and the loss of the application charge. An initial consultation with an Australian Registered Migration Agent is the safest way to confirm which criteria you can actually satisfy before you lodge.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Only a Registered Migration Agent (RMA), an Australian legal practitioner, or an exempt person may lawfully provide immigration assistance under Part 3 of the Migration Act 1958. Providing immigration assistance while unregistered is an offence.

RMAs are regulated by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) and are bound by a Code of Conduct. Australian legal practitioners practise under their legal practising certificate and are not required to hold a MARN.

Be cautious of consultants and education agents who offer visa advice without being registered or admitted; counselling on visa options can cross into unlawful immigration assistance.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Home Affairs does not commit to processing timeframes. It publishes a global processing guide showing how quickly recently decided applications were finalised, and that guide is expressly a guide only, not a prediction for any individual application.

No migration agent can lawfully guarantee a processing time, so treat any guaranteed timeframe in marketing as a red flag. Complete, accurate and well documented applications are decided faster; missing documents and incorrect information cause delay and can lead to refusal.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Generally, no. The Visa Application Charge is refundable only in the limited circumstances prescribed in the Migration Regulations 1994, and a refusal is not itself a ground for a refund.

With charges having risen again on 1 July 2026, the cost of a preventable refusal is significant, which strengthens the case for getting professional advice before you lodge.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Most subclass 500 holders are subject to condition 8105: no work before the course of study commences, and no more than 48 hours per fortnight while the course is in session. The condition defines a fortnight as the 14 day period starting on a Monday, not a rolling 14 day window.

Work is unlimited during scheduled course breaks, and students who have commenced a masters by research or doctoral degree are not subject to the cap. All paid work counts across all employers, including work on an ABN and gig work.

Breaching a work condition is a ground for visa cancellation. Information current as at 25 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The Genuine Student requirement replaced the Genuine Temporary Entrant test on 23 March 2024. The decision maker must be satisfied that you genuinely intend to stay temporarily for the purpose of education, having regard to your circumstances, your course choice and its value to your career, and your immigration history. It is assessed through targeted questions inside the application form.

Financial capacity is a separate criterion. Home Affairs sets minimum amounts for living costs for you and any family members, on top of tuition and travel costs. Check the current amounts on the Home Affairs website immediately before lodging, as they are updated from time to time.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Eligibility for assessment of the permanent visa (subclass 100 or 801) generally begins two years after you applied for the temporary partner visa. The two years run from the date of application, not from the date of grant.

Some applicants are assessed for the permanent visa without the two year wait, for example where the relationship is long standing or there are dependent children. Note that if the permanent visa is refused, you no longer hold the temporary partner visa.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

You must notify Home Affairs of the change, and your sponsor may withdraw sponsorship at any time before the permanent visa is decided.

Do not delay disclosure. Failing to disclose a material change can engage Public Interest Criterion 4020 (false or misleading information), which carries an exclusion period and is far harder to recover from than a relationship breakdown.

Where a relationship has ended because of family violence, the family violence provisions in the Migration Regulations 1994 may still permit grant of the permanent visa. Seek advice promptly if this applies to you.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The Skills in Demand (SID) visa replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024. The subclass number remains 482. It has three streams, Core Skills, Specialist Skills and Labour Agreement, and is generally granted for up to four years. There is no age limit for the 482 itself.

From 1 July 2026 the temporary skilled migration income threshold, commonly called the Core Skills Income Threshold, is AUD 79,423. The Specialist Skills stream requires income at or above the higher Specialist Skills Income Threshold. Salary must also meet the annual market salary rate for the role; the thresholds are floors, not targets.

Thresholds are indexed each July, so material published before July 2026 is likely to be out of date. Information current as at 25 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The usual route is the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186), Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream. You must have worked in the nominated occupation for at least two years with an approved work sponsor, while holding a 482 (or predecessor TSS or 457) visa, and the employer that nominates you must be your current sponsoring employer. From 29 November 2025, under subclauses 186.227(1) and (2) of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994, as amended by the Migration Amendment (Skilled Visa Reform Technical Measures) Regulations 2025, work undertaken during any period when the employer was not an approved work sponsor does not count towards the two years, even where the work was lawful, full time and in the correct occupation. A great deal of published material still describes the old position.

No skills assessment is required in the TRT stream, unlike the Direct Entry stream. The standard age requirement is under 45 at the time of application, with exemptions for certain applicants including high income earners, regional medical practitioners and senior academics.

Beware of advice describing a general under 50 age limit. That applies only to transitional arrangements for certain people who held or had applied for a subclass 457 visa on or before 18 April 2017.

This information is current as at 28 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The pass mark for the points tested skilled visas (subclasses 189, 190 and 491) is 65 points, claimed through an Expression of Interest in SkillSelect after a positive skills assessment in a nominated occupation.

Reaching 65 points makes you eligible to be invited; it does not entitle you to an invitation. Invitations are issued in competitive ranked rounds, and many professional occupations are in practice invited well above the pass mark. An invited applicant has 60 days to lodge the visa application.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) visa is points tested, needs no sponsor or nominator, and is permanent on grant. The subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated) visa requires nomination by a State or Territory government, which adds 5 points, is permanent on grant, and carries a commitment to live and work in the nominating State or Territory. The subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)) visa requires State or Territory nomination or sponsorship by an eligible relative, adds 15 points, and is a five year provisional visa requiring you to live, work and study in a designated regional area.

The 491 leads to permanent residence through the subclass 191 visa, which requires having held the 491 for three years and meeting a minimum taxable income requirement for the relevant years. Plan for those obligations before choosing the 491 for its extra points.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Usually not. Under section 48 of the Migration Act 1958, a person in Australia without a substantive visa, whose visa application has been refused or visa cancelled since last entering, can only make a further valid onshore application in prescribed classes. These include Partner, Protection, Medical Treatment, Child, Resolution of Status and Bridging visas, and, since November 2021, subclasses 190, 491 and 494.

Lodging a review application does not lift the bar, and departing and re-entering on a Bridging Visa B does not reset it. The bar usually affects the whole family unit, so seek advice on status planning quickly after any refusal.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Condition 8503 makes any further application for a substantive visa while you are in Australia invalid, with a protection visa the recognised exception. The Minister may waive the condition, but only where compelling and compassionate circumstances have developed since the visa was granted, beyond your control, resulting in a major change to your circumstances.

Departmental policy expressly treats marriage or a new de facto relationship with an Australian, pregnancy, and failing a subject as not beyond your control. A waiver must be granted before any new application is lodged, it does not extend your visa, and a refusal to waive is not reviewable by the Administrative Review Tribunal.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Merits review of reviewable migration decisions is conducted by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in October 2024. Your refusal or cancellation notification states whether the decision is reviewable and the deadline that applies.

Time limits are statutory, run in calendar days from notification, vary by decision type, and generally cannot be extended. A missed deadline is usually fatal, so read the decision letter immediately and act on the deadline it states rather than any general figure found online. Beyond the ART, judicial review is limited to jurisdictional error; a court cannot re-decide the merits of your application.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Citizenship is governed by the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. Under the general residence requirement you must have been living in Australia on a valid visa for the four years immediately before applying, and have held a permanent visa for the last 12 months of that period.

You must not have been absent from Australia for more than 12 months in total across the four years, nor more than 90 days in the 12 months immediately before applying. The 12 months as a permanent resident, rather than the four year rule, usually sets the earliest application date, so count from the grant of permanent residence, not from arrival. Most applicants aged 18 to 59 must also pass the citizenship test and meet the good character requirement.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Yes. Every applicant must meet the health requirement under Public Interest Criterion 4005 or 4007, assessed by a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth against the expected cost of health care and community services and access to services in short supply.

PIC 4007, which applies to visas including the 482, 186, 494 and partner visas, permits a health waiver in some circumstances; PIC 4005 does not. Family members can be assessed even if they are not migrating, and one person failing can cause refusal of the whole application. If you receive a natural justice invitation about a health opinion, the response window is short and the waiver submission is evidence intensive, so get professional help at that stage.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Yes. Changes such as a new passport, a new address, relationship changes or a new child must be notified, generally through ImmiAccount, with Form 1022 used for substantive changes under section 104 of the Migration Act 1958. The obligation continues while an application is undecided and applies to everyone included in the application.

This is a statutory obligation, not a courtesy. Undisclosed or inaccurate information can engage Public Interest Criterion 4020, which can mean refusal and an exclusion period affecting future applications.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Not on a Bridging Visa A, which has no travel facility. If you depart Australia on a Bridging Visa A it ceases, and you may be unable to return. To travel and return you must be granted a Bridging Visa B before departing, and you must return within the travel period it specifies.

Re-entering on a Bridging Visa B does not reset a section 48 bar. Check your position in VEVO, and make sure the Bridging Visa B is granted, not merely applied for, before you book travel.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

You become an unlawful non-citizen, which has serious consequences for your current situation and for future applications. A Bridging Visa E may be available to regularise your status while you make arrangements or pursue any remaining options.

Even a single day without a valid visa breaks the four year lawful residence period for citizenship. Options narrow quickly once you are unlawful, so the most valuable step is to get advice immediately, before the visa expires if at all possible.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

A visa condition is a specific rule or restriction that sometimes MUST be imposed and sometimes CAN be imposed upon a visa holder, depending upon the class and subclass of visa. Each visa condition has a four-digit number.

Examples of visa conditions are:

• 8607 Must only work in nominated occupation
• 8503 No further stay
• 8105 Work limitation

Please note that visa conditions can vary from brief in nature and compliance requirement, through to complex with very careful consideration required to ensure compliance with the visa conditions.

Breaching a visa condition is a ground for visa cancellation under section 116 of the Migration Act 1958, and a visa breach or visa cancellation history can seriously affect future applications.

Most visa breaches are not deliberate; the visa holder simply did not know the visa condition existed or assumed it was a guideline rather than a legally required obligation to comply with.

Visa conditions are listed in all visa grant notifications, and visa conditions can be checked by a visa holder at any time in VEVO.

If you have been granted a visa for Australia, read your visa grant notification, make sure you know which visa conditions apply to your visa, and if any condition is unclear, get professional advice from an Australian Registered Migration Agent before acting rather than after.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) is a free online system provided by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.

It allows visa holders, employers, and other registered organisations to check current Australian visa status, expiry dates, and visa conditions like work or study rights.

VEVO can only provide current visa information about visa holders whose details are available in the Department of Home Affairs systems. You may not have a searchable record if you migrated to Australia before 1990 and have not travelled out of Australia. If this applies to you, you may need to request an electronic record of your permanent visa from the Department.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL) is the occupation list for the Core Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and the Direct Entry stream of the subclass 186 visa. It contains 456 occupations, is set by legislative instrument, and can change; the Specialist Skills stream of the Skills in Demand visa does not use an occupation list.

The full list of all 456 occupations and their ANZSCO codes is provided in the link below. Please note that information, rules, criteria and requirements change frequently; the information provided is current as at 28 July 2026.

All occupations on the Core Skills Occupation List (CSOL)

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Not every applicant. Under the Migration (IMMI 18/039: Mandatory Skills Assessment, Subclass 482 Visa) Instrument 2018, a skills assessment is mandatory where the nominated occupation is one of 24 specified occupations and the applicant holds a passport issued by a country specified for that occupation.

The 24 specified occupations are:

• Automotive Electrician
• Baker
• Cabinetmaker
• Carpenter
• Carpenter and Joiner
• Chef
• Cook
• Diesel Motor Mechanic
• Electrician (General)
• Electrician (Special Class)
• Fitter (General)
• Fitter and Turner
• Fitter-Welder
• Joiner
• Metal Fabricator
• Metal Fitters and Machinists nec
• Metal Machinist (First Class)
• Motor Mechanic (General)
• Panelbeater
• Pastrycook
• Program or Project Administrator
• Sheetmetal Trades Worker
• Toolmaker
• Welder (First Class)

The specified passport countries vary from occupation to occupation, and include China, Fiji, Hong Kong, India, Macau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. Always check the combination that applies to your own nominated occupation and passport.

Exemptions apply in limited cases, including for applicants who already hold a subclass 457 or 482 visa granted as the primary applicant and who are working in Australia in the nominated occupation, and for certain overseas employees nominated by the same company or an associated entity of their overseas employer.

Even where a skills assessment is not mandatory, the Department of Home Affairs delegate deciding the application retains the right to request a skills assessment of any applicant, regardless of country of passport. So while a skills assessment is not mandatory for all applicants, the delegate can require one, and this is where a properly prepared and evidenced visa application can make all the difference.

Talk to an Australian Registered Migration Agent about preparing your 482 visa application

This information is based on the compilation of the instrument in force from 14 December 2024, and is current as at 28 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The English language requirements for the Core Skills and Specialist Skills streams of the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) are set by the Migration (English Language Test Requirements for Subclass 482 Visas) Instrument 2025, in force from 10 September 2025. Unless an exemption applies, the applicant must have taken an approved English language test and achieved the required score in every test component; there is no overall score requirement.

The eight approved tests, and the minimum score required in each component, are:

• CELPIP General: 5 listening, 5 reading, 5 writing, 5 speaking
• IELTS Academic: 5.0 in listening, reading, writing and speaking
• IELTS General Training: 5.0 in listening, reading, writing and speaking
• LANGUAGECERT Academic: 41 listening, 44 reading, 45 writing, 54 speaking
• Michigan English Test (MET): 49 listening, 47 reading, 45 writing, 38 speaking
• Occupational English Test (OET): 220 listening, 240 reading, 200 writing, 270 speaking
• PTE Academic: 33 listening, 36 reading, 29 writing, 24 speaking
• TOEFL iBT: 8 listening, 8 reading, 9 writing, 14 speaking

Two practical rules in the instrument help applicants: if you miss the required score in one component, you may re-sit that component on a later day and combine it with your original test, and the test day must be no more than 3 years before you provide the evidence.

Some applicants are exempt from the test requirement, including holders of certain passports, and English requirements for the Labour Agreement stream can differ. Check whether an exemption applies to you before booking a test.

This information is based on the instrument as in force from 10 September 2025, and is current as at 28 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Eligible occupations for the points tested stream of the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) are those on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), which contains 212 occupations and is set by legislative instrument. A suitable skills assessment in the nominated occupation is also required.

The full list of eligible occupations and their ANZSCO codes is provided in the link below. Please note that information, rules, criteria and requirements change frequently; the information provided is current as at 28 July 2026.

All eligible occupations for the subclass 189 visa

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Eligible occupations for the Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) are those on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL), a combined 427 occupations set by legislative instrument. State and Territory governments also apply their own nomination criteria, and a suitable skills assessment is required.

The full list of eligible occupations and their ANZSCO codes is provided in the link below. Please note that information, rules, criteria and requirements change frequently; the information provided is current as at 28 July 2026.

All eligible occupations for the subclass 190 visa

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

A skills assessment for migration purposes is a formal assessment of your qualifications and experience carried out by the relevant assessing authority specified for your occupation under Australian migration law, such as Trades Recognition Australia, VETASSESS, Engineers Australia or the Australian Computer Society. The outcome is used to satisfy a visa criterion: the points tested visas require one before points can be claimed, and some employer sponsored applicants need one, for example under the mandatory skills assessment rules for the 482 visa.

Any other assessment of your skills is not a skills assessment for migration purposes. Employer skills testing, recognition of prior learning, qualification recognition for study or work, and trade licensing assessments do not satisfy a visa criterion that requires a skills assessment, no matter how thorough they are, unless they were carried out by the specified assessing authority under the migration program. Holding an Australian qualification or an Australian licence does not by itself satisfy that criterion.

The reverse is also true, and catches many people. A positive skills assessment for migration purposes is not a licence to work in your occupation. Licensed and registered occupations, such as electricians, plumbers, teachers and health practitioners, still require registration or licensing in the State or Territory where you will work. Migration skills assessment and occupational licensing are separate systems run by different bodies, and you may need both.

Each occupation has its own specified assessing authority, different visas and streams can require different assessment types or none at all, and for the points tested visas the assessment must generally be no more than 3 years old, or any shorter period the authority specifies. Confirm the authority and the assessment type required for your visa before you pay for any assessment; see also who is required to undergo a skills assessment for a 482 visa, or book an initial consultation if you are not certain which requirement applies to you.

This information is general in nature and is current as at 28 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Member of the family unit (MOFU) is defined in regulation 1.12 of the Migration Regulations 1994. For most visas, the members of your family unit are your spouse or de facto partner, and children or step-children of you or your partner who meet the age and dependency rules.

A child or step-child is a member of the family unit if they are under 18; or if they are 18 but under 23 and financially dependent on you or your partner; or if they are 23 or older and dependent because a physical or cognitive incapacity prevents them from supporting themselves. A dependent child of such a child can also be included.

Three points catch people out. A child of any age who is married, engaged or in a de facto relationship is not a member of the family unit. A child aged 18 or over must genuinely be financially dependent, and that dependency must be evidenced, not assumed. And the criteria are assessed at time of decision as well as time of application, so a child approaching 23, or approaching financial independence, needs careful planning before you lodge.

Some visas, including certain humanitarian visas, use broader definitions, and evidence requirements differ between visa subclasses. If your family includes an adult dependent child, or the dependency is not straightforward, book an initial consultation before you lodge.

This information is general in nature and is current as at 28 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Member of the family unit (MOFU) is a legal definition, not a general description of your family. It is defined in section 5(1) of the Migration Act 1958 and regulation 1.12 of the Migration Regulations 1994, and it decides who can be included in your visa application as a secondary applicant.

For most visas, a member of the family unit of the primary applicant (the family head) is:

• a spouse or de facto partner of the family head; or
• a child or step-child of the family head, or of their spouse or de facto partner, who is not engaged to be married and does not have a spouse or de facto partner, and who is either under 18, or aged 18 to under 23 and dependent on the family head or their partner, or aged 23 or over and dependent because of a disability as defined in the Regulations; or
• a dependent child of a child who meets the description above.

Points that catch people out: parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives are not members of the family unit for most visas, no matter how close the family is or whether they live in the same household. A child who marries or enters a de facto relationship stops being a member of the family unit. Dependency is a test that must be evidenced, not assumed, and it is assessed against the definition in the Regulations rather than what the family regards as dependency.

The definition is not identical for every visa. Some visa classes have their own version of the rule, for example student visas, and protection, refugee and humanitarian visas use a broader definition that can include other relatives. Always check the definition that applies to the visa you are applying for.

Because family members must meet this definition at the time of application and, for many visas, at the time of decision, changes in your family circumstances during processing can affect who can be granted the visa with you. If you are not certain whether a family member meets the definition, book an initial consultation before you lodge.

This information is general in nature and is current as at 28 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

No, not for all visas, and the answer depends on the visa you hold and the conditions attached to it rather than on any single rule.

Many temporary visas carry visa condition 8501, which requires the holder to maintain adequate arrangements for health insurance for the whole of their stay in Australia. Where that condition is attached, health insurance is a legal obligation, and letting cover lapse is a breach of a visa condition rather than simply a personal risk. Your conditions are listed in your visa grant notification and can be checked in VEVO; see also what a visa condition is and what it is for.

Some common positions, always subject to the conditions on your own visa:

• Student visa holders are generally required to hold Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of their student visa, with limited exceptions.
• Temporary skilled workers, including Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa holders, are generally required to maintain adequate health insurance while in Australia.
• Visitors are not usually subject to a health insurance condition, but they have no access to Australia public health system and travel insurance is strongly advised.
• Permanent residents can enrol in Medicare, and a permanent visa does not carry a private health insurance condition. Private cover remains a personal and tax decision rather than a visa obligation.

Australia has reciprocal health care agreements with a number of countries, which can give visitors from those countries limited access to Medicare for medically necessary treatment. Being covered by such an agreement does not automatically satisfy a visa condition that requires health insurance, so check both questions separately.

Do not confuse health insurance with the health requirement. The health requirement is about medical examinations and whether a condition would result in significant costs to the Australian community; see can I be refused a visa because of a medical condition. Health insurance is a separate obligation about maintaining cover while you are here.

If you are not certain whether a health insurance condition applies to you, read your visa grant notification, check your conditions in VEVO, and book an initial consultation if anything is unclear. This information is general in nature and is current as at 28 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

It is worked, not employed, and the difference decides the date you become eligible.

The Temporary Residence Transition stream requires at least 2 years of work in the nominated occupation with an approved work sponsor. The criterion counts work actually performed. Being on the payroll for 2 years is not the same as having worked for 2 years, and the regulations expressly exclude any period of unpaid leave from the calculation.

For example, a worker employed continuously for 25 months who was away from work for 2 of those months has not accrued 2 years of work in the nominated occupation. Their eligibility date is not their employment anniversary; it is the date on which the work itself reaches 2 years. Applying on the employment anniversary is a straightforward way to have an application refused.

Two related points that catch people out. The work must have been undertaken while the employer was an approved work sponsor, so periods when the sponsorship had lapsed do not count even if the work was lawful and in the correct occupation. And the employer that nominates you for the subclass 186 visa must be your current sponsoring employer.

Keep records that evidence the work, not merely the employment: payslips, timesheets, position descriptions and a statement of service that identifies periods of leave. If you are close to the 2 year mark, have the date checked before you lodge rather than after; see how to move from a 482 visa to permanent residence, or book an initial consultation.

This information is general in nature and is current as at 28 July 2026.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

There is no single eligibility test. New Zealand runs several separate pathways, and which one fits you depends on your occupation, qualifications, work experience, English language ability, health and character, and whether an employer is willing to support you.

The main routes are:

Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) – New Zealand’s main employer-sponsored work visa. You need a full-time job offer from an employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand, and the role must pass a Job Check.

The Green List – around 205 occupations in critical shortage. Tier 1 roles can apply for residence immediately on a qualifying job offer. Tier 2 roles work in New Zealand for 24 months in the occupation first, then apply for residence.

Skilled Migrant Category – the main points-based residence pathway for skilled workers. Two new pathways open on 24 August 2026, one aimed specifically at trades and technician occupations.

Partner and family visas – where you have a New Zealand citizen or resident partner, or a qualifying parent or dependent child relationship.

Active Investor Plus – for investors meeting the investment thresholds.

Student and visitor visas – some qualifications carry post-study work rights.

Eligibility is rarely a simple yes or no. The more useful questions are which pathway is realistic for you, how long it takes, and whether it leads to residence or only to temporary work rights.

Please note that information, rules, criteria and requirements change frequently; the information provided is current as at 25 July 2026. You should seek advice from a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser before acting.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

New Zealand publishes its shortage occupations on the Green List, currently around 205 roles. Being on the list matters because it changes the pathway available to you, and Green List roles are exempt from advertising and labour market testing at the Job Check stage.

The list has two tiers. Tier 1 roles can apply for residence straight away on a qualifying job offer. Tier 2 roles work in New Zealand for 24 months in the occupation, then apply.

Tier 1 – Straight to Residence

1. Medical Practitioners, GPs and specialists
2. Registered Nurses, most specialisations
3. Midwives
4. Civil Engineers
5. Mechanical Engineers
6. Electrical Engineers
7. Software Engineers and Developer Programmers
8. ICT Security Specialists
9. Secondary School Teachers
10. Primary School Teachers

Tier 2 – Work to Residence

11. Diesel Motor Mechanic, including Heavy Vehicle Inspector
12. Automotive Electrician
13. Motor Mechanic (General)
14. Electrician (General)
15. Plumber (General)
16. Gasfitter
17. Drainlayer
18. Welder and Pressure Welder
19. Metal Fabricator
20. Fitter (General), Fitter and Turner, and Fitter-Welder

Being on the list is not the same as qualifying. Each role carries its own conditions: recognised qualifications, occupational registration in some cases, and a wage threshold. Some Tier 2 trades must be paid well above the standard threshold for the work to count towards residence. A Welder, for example, needs 1.3 times the median wage, which at the median applying from 9 March 2026 is about $45.50 an hour.

Please note that information, rules, criteria and requirements change frequently; the information provided is current as at 25 July 2026. The Green List is revised regularly, and occupations are added and removed. Substantial changes to the Skilled Migrant Category take effect on 24 August 2026, including two new residence pathways and new Red and Amber occupation lists that will restrict eligibility for some roles. You should seek advice from a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser before acting.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

For work visas, generally yes. For some other visas, no.

You need a job offer for:

The Accredited Employer Work Visa, which requires a full-time offer from an accredited employer for a role that has passed a Job Check. This is the route most skilled workers take.

Green List Tier 1 Straight to Residence, which requires a qualifying job offer even though you apply for residence directly.

Skilled Migrant Category in most cases, which requires skilled employment or an offer of skilled employment in New Zealand.

You do not need a job offer for:

Partner and family visas, which are based on your relationship rather than employment.

Active Investor Plus, which is based on qualifying investment.

Working Holiday visas, if you are eligible by nationality and age.

Student visas, though some study leads to post-study work rights afterwards.

The employer must be accredited before they can support your visa, and accreditation is the employer’s responsibility, not yours. An offer from a non-accredited employer will not by itself get you a work visa.

Please note that information, rules, criteria and requirements change frequently; the information provided is current as at 25 July 2026. You should seek advice from a New Zealand Licensed Immigration Adviser before acting.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

It depends on your passport. Australian citizens need neither a visa nor an NZeTA. Passport holders from visa waiver countries, Australian permanent residents and cruise passengers must request a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA) before boarding; it is valid for up to 2 years and Immigration New Zealand asks travellers to allow up to 72 hours for processing. Everyone else must apply for a Visitor Visa before travelling.

Most international visitors also pay the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy at the same time; check the current amount on the Immigration New Zealand website, as out of date figures circulate widely. Both the NZeTA fee and the levy are non refundable.

Only request an NZeTA through the official app or the Immigration New Zealand website. There is a substantial industry of unofficial NZeTA websites charging inflated fees, and INZ explicitly warns against them.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The general rule when INZ assesses a visitor visa application is that the visa should not allow more than 9 months in New Zealand in the 18 month period counted back from the proposed expiry date. A different rule applies at the border: a visa waiver traveller granted entry on arrival is limited to 6 months in the preceding 12 months. The two rules are frequently confused, and INZ has issued specific clarifying guidance.

Longer stays are possible in limited cases, such as genuine tourists needing up to 3 more months to finish an itinerary, and these can take the total to 12 months, after which the person must spend 12 months outside New Zealand before a further visitor visa may be approved.

Any extension must be applied for before the current visa expires. If the visa expires while the application is being processed, an interim visa is normally granted.

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No. From 10 March 2025 the median wage requirement was removed for Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) and Specific Purpose Work Visa roles. Employers must instead pay at least the New Zealand minimum wage, and must pay migrant workers the New Zealand market rate, meaning the pay a New Zealander or resident would receive for the same work.

A pay range is approved at the Job Check stage and the actual rate is set at visa stage. Be careful with older material: many websites still present superseded median wage figures as current AEWV pay requirements.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

From 9 March 2026 the median wage used for immigration purposes is NZD $35.00 per hour. It no longer sets a pay floor for the AEWV itself, but it drives many other settings: Green List roles without a role specific threshold, Skilled Migrant Category income points and the definition of skilled employment, partner support thresholds, advertising exemptions for roles paid at least twice the median, and maximum stay rules for some lower skilled roles.

If you already hold a visa and a threshold rises, you do not need to meet the new rate on that visa, but you will on your next application.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The AEWV is employer led and runs through three sequential gates that cannot be skipped: the employer becomes accredited, the employer obtains a Job Check approving the specific role, its pay range and in most cases labour market testing, and only then can you apply, using a job token the employer issues. Without a token you cannot apply.

You must meet the generic work visa requirements, hold a qualifying employment offer of generally at least 30 hours a week, be suitably qualified by training and experience, meet the minimum skills threshold, and, for roles assessed at skill level 4 or 5, meet a minimum standard of English.

A common misconception is that the worker can start the process; the employer controls the first two gates, and the employer must pay all recruitment costs, including accreditation and Job Check fees.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Up to 5 years of maximum continuous stay for higher skilled roles. For roles assessed at skill level 4 or 5 the maximum is generally 3 years unless an exception applies, such as a Green List role, pay of at least 1.5 times the median wage, or an eligible care workforce role.

Once you reach your maximum continuous stay you must spend 12 months outside New Zealand before another AEWV, unless you are on a residence pathway. Time on other temporary visas, such as a Post Study Work Visa or Working Holiday Visa, does not count towards AEWV maximum continuous stay.

The applicable rules differ depending on when your first AEWV was applied for, so always check the settings that apply to your own visa start date rather than relying on a general answer.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Yes, through a Job Change application. Your new employer must be an accredited employer holding a valid Job Check for the new role, and must give you a job token for the same visa type you hold. A Job Change is faster and cheaper than a fresh AEWV, and it does not change your visa expiry date.

A Job Change may not be needed where the core function and tasks are unchanged and there is no change of employer or location, such as a promotion within the same team.

Do not start work for the new employer, or at the new location, before the Job Change is granted. That is a condition breach with deportation liability for you and accreditation consequences for the employer.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Under the current settings you need 6 skilled resident points, must be aged 55 or younger, and must hold or be working in skilled employment with an accredited employer, as well as meeting health, character and English requirements. You submit an Expression of Interest and, if selected, are invited to apply.

You claim 3 to 6 points from one skill category only, being New Zealand occupational registration, qualification, or income, plus up to 3 further points for skilled work experience in New Zealand. Points cannot be combined across skill categories.

The old 160 point system was replaced in October 2023, so any source quoting a points tally in the hundreds is out of date. Changes to the Skilled Migrant Category have been announced to take effect from 24 August 2026, including new pathways; check the current settings with Immigration New Zealand before lodging an Expression of Interest, as the right timing differs from person to person.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The Green List identifies occupations where New Zealand has critical shortages, and gives access to residence without the Skilled Migrant Category points assessment. Tier 1, Straight to Residence, lets you apply for a resident visa immediately with a qualifying full time job or job offer from an accredited employer in a Tier 1 role, if you are aged 55 or younger and meet health, character and English requirements. Tier 2, Work to Residence, requires 24 months working in New Zealand in the qualifying role first.

Green List roles with no role specific pay threshold must pay at least NZD $35.00 per hour from 9 March 2026.

The usual bottleneck is not the job title but the match between your qualifications, registration and actual duties and the listed occupation. Check the specific occupation and its current requirements in the INZ Green List search tool rather than relying on third party summaries.

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For residence, you must satisfy INZ that you have been living together with your supporting partner in a genuine and stable relationship for at least 12 months at the time you apply. Living together means sharing the same home; marriage alone is not sufficient evidence. The 12 months does not have to be unbroken, but any significant separation must be explained and evidenced.

Couples with less than 12 months together generally apply first for a partnership based work or visitor visa. Partnership based work visas carry open work conditions, meaning any employer and any role.

Two traps that are discovered too late with depressing regularity: the New Zealand supporting partner must not have supported more than one previous successful residence application, and stand down periods can apply. Evidence quality decides these applications far more often than relationship length.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

It depends on your occupation and pay. From 9 March 2026 the partner support thresholds are NZD $28.00 per hour for occupations at skill levels 1 to 3, and NZD $52.50 per hour where the higher multiple applies. Dependent children are assessed against a separate income requirement.

A supported partner is generally granted an open work visa, letting them work for any employer in any role.

Threshold settings vary by occupation and change with the median wage, so confirm the exact figure for your occupation against the current INZ wage rate table before planning around it.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

The Parent Boost Visitor Visa, open since 29 September 2025, is a multiple entry visitor visa letting parents of New Zealand citizens and residents visit for up to 5 years. It is a visitor visa, not residence: it carries no work rights and no publicly funded healthcare.

You must apply from outside New Zealand and be offshore when it is granted, be sponsored by an adult child who is a New Zealand citizen or resident, meet character requirements and the residence standard of health with no medical waivers available, and meet one of three financial tests based on sponsor income, your own income, or your personal funds. The financial thresholds were updated on 30 April 2026, and much online material still quotes the superseded launch figures, so check the current amounts with Immigration New Zealand.

You must hold and maintain acceptable insurance covering emergency medical care for the whole stay; letting it lapse can lead to cancellation and can bar a future Parent Boost or Parent Resident Visa. The Parent Category Resident Visa is a different product with different requirements; the two are routinely conflated.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

From 3 November 2025, eligible tertiary and secondary students can work up to 25 hours a week during the semester. This applies automatically to student visas granted from that date, even where the application was lodged earlier.

If you already hold a student visa with a 20 hour limit, the extra 5 hours are not automatic: you must apply for a variation of conditions or a new student visa. A student who works 25 hours on a 20 hour visa has breached their conditions. Most student visas allow full time work during scheduled breaks.

Not every student visa carries work rights, and your visa conditions govern, not the policy headline, so check the conditions on your own visa.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Only if you hold an interim visa that carries work rights. If you apply for your next temporary visa before your current one expires, INZ will normally grant an interim visa so you remain lawful while the application is decided. You cannot apply for one, there is no form or fee, and there is no guarantee.

The interim conditions depend on the visa you hold and the one you have applied for. Broadly, a work to work application for the same employer, position and location carries employer specific work conditions, but some combinations carry no work rights at all. Read the actual interim visa notice rather than assuming your conditions carried over, and note that interim visas generally cease if you leave New Zealand.

If your visa expires before you lodge the new application, no interim visa arises and you are unlawfully in New Zealand immediately. There is no grace period.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

You are unlawfully in New Zealand and liable for deportation from the moment the visa expires. There is no grace period. You also lose the ability to make an ordinary visa application and to request reconsideration of a declined temporary visa, both of which require you to be lawfully in New Zealand.

If no deportation order is in force, a request may be made under section 61 of the Immigration Act 2009 for a visa in absolute discretion. INZ is not obliged to consider it or give reasons, and there is no appeal against a refusal. Separately, an appeal against deportation liability on humanitarian grounds generally must be lodged with the Immigration and Protection Tribunal within 42 days of first becoming unlawful.

These routes interact, and acting in the wrong order can forfeit the appeal, so get professional advice immediately rather than choosing between them at leisure.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

It depends on the visa type and where you are. For a temporary visa declined while you are onshore and still lawful, you can request reconsideration within 14 days of notification, and a different, equally senior or more senior officer reconsiders. For a declined residence application, you can appeal to the Immigration and Protection Tribunal, generally within 42 days, on the grounds that the decision was not correct under the applicable residence instructions or that special circumstances warrant an exception; you can plead both.

Requesting reconsideration does not stop your current visa expiring, which still catches people. There is no right of review where an Expression of Interest does not result in an invitation, or where a section 61 request is refused.

The deadlines are strict, short and interact with each other, and done in the right order an onshore reconsideration can preserve a later humanitarian appeal. Of all the questions on this page, this is the one where self managing does the most damage; get advice immediately.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Both let you live, work and study in New Zealand indefinitely. The difference is travel. A resident visa carries travel conditions, commonly valid for 2 years; once they expire you can remain in New Zealand but cannot re enter as a resident. A Permanent Resident Visa (PRV) has no conditions and allows travel in and out indefinitely.

To apply for a PRV you must have held a resident visa for at least 2 years in a row, have met any conditions on it, be of good character, and show commitment to New Zealand in one of five ways, most commonly by spending 184 days or more in New Zealand in each of the two 12 month periods.

People who travel believing their first resident visa is permanent residence are the ones who get locked out, so be precise about which visa you hold. Neither visa is citizenship, and section 49(1) conditions attached to some resident visas must be met or cancelled before a PRV or citizenship application.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Citizenship by grant generally requires entitlement to reside indefinitely, meaning a residence class visa with any section 49(1) conditions met or cancelled, physical presence in New Zealand as a resident for at least 1,350 days in the 5 years immediately before applying with at least 240 days in each of those five 12 month periods, the ability to hold a basic conversation in English, good character, and an intention to continue living in New Zealand. You do not need a Permanent Resident Visa.

The 12 month periods run from your visa grant anniversary rather than calendar years, which is a common source of miscalculation.

Section 49(1) conditions on some resident visas can run for 5 or 10 years and must be removed by INZ, on written request, before a citizenship application. Citizenship is administered by the Department of Internal Affairs, not INZ, so confirm the current requirements with DIA before applying.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

You can apply yourself, with help from INZ. But anyone else who gives you immigration advice must be licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority or exempt, whether they are in New Zealand or offshore. Exempt persons include New Zealand lawyers with a current practising certificate; employers, recruiters, education providers and travel agents are not exempt. If an unlicensed, non exempt adviser is named on an application, INZ will refuse to accept or will decline it.

Licensed advisers are bound by a Code of Conduct requiring, among other things, a written services agreement signed before work begins, disclosure of conflicts of interest and commissions, confirmation of material advice in writing, itemised invoices, and timely lodgement so you keep lawful status. Complaints go to the Immigration Advisers Authority, and serious matters to a disciplinary tribunal that can order refunds, fines, and suspension or cancellation of a licence.

Verify any adviser on the public register maintained by the Immigration Advisers Authority before engaging them, or book a consultation with our licensed team if you would like professional help.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Everyone that has undergone an initial consultation with either one of the Skilled Migration Group Australian Registered Migration Agents or Licensed New Zealand Immigration Advisers, and who meets the criteria for a visa class with work rights, is invited to create a candidate profile at no charge.

It is a free service provided at the sole discretion of Skilled Migration Group.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

There is currently a major system upgrade taking place and a new system is going live soon.

All currently registered candidates are going to be notified by email when the new system is live.

A new registration system is going to be available on the upgraded site for candidates that are not yet registered.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

Only a Registered Migration Agent (RMA), an Australian legal practitioner, or an exempt person may lawfully provide immigration assistance under Part 3 of the Migration Act 1958. Providing immigration assistance while unregistered is an offence.

RMAs are regulated by the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) and are bound by a Code of Conduct. Australian legal practitioners practise under their legal practising certificate and are not required to hold a MARN.

Be cautious of consultants and education agents who offer visa advice without being registered or admitted; counselling on visa options can cross into unlawful immigration assistance.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

You can apply yourself, with help from INZ. But anyone else who gives you immigration advice must be licensed by the Immigration Advisers Authority or exempt, whether they are in New Zealand or offshore. Exempt persons include New Zealand lawyers with a current practising certificate; employers, recruiters, education providers and travel agents are not exempt. If an unlicensed, non exempt adviser is named on an application, INZ will refuse to accept or will decline it.

Licensed advisers are bound by a Code of Conduct requiring, among other things, a written services agreement signed before work begins, disclosure of conflicts of interest and commissions, confirmation of material advice in writing, itemised invoices, and timely lodgement so you keep lawful status. Complaints go to the Immigration Advisers Authority, and serious matters to a disciplinary tribunal that can order refunds, fines, and suspension or cancellation of a licence.

Verify any adviser on the public register maintained by the Immigration Advisers Authority before engaging them, or book a consultation with our licensed team if you would like professional help.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.

This answer is general information only and is not advice about your individual circumstances. Read the full disclaimer.