This is an initial three year temporary/provisional visa for applicants who do not qualify for permanent 'points test' migration. This Subclass 475 visa following grant allows a holder to apply for the subclass 887 permanent resident visa while in Australia after meeting certain criterion, such as:

• resident for 24 months in the same designated Australian area his/her sponsor resides in
• for at least 12 months was employed full-time for remuneration in any occupation (not a skill-listed occupation)
• complied with 475 visa conditions and intentions

This visa presents a good path for those people who do not meet the points test and have an eligible Australian relative willing to sponsor, supported by an assurance of support (either from the sponsor, relative(s), or eligble Australian(s)). Priority processing applies for this program.

Subclass 134 (skill matching) visa

This subclass of visa is designed to aid in the use of the DIAC Skills Matching Database introduced in November 1996. The operation of the database has been described by the Minister (MPS 41/98, 14 April 1998) as follows:

The Skill Matching Database is designed to give employers in participating states and regions who are trying to address critical skill shortages direct access to highly skilled potential migrants. … The Database contains the education and employment profiles of Independent category applicants. It is made available to State and Territory Governments who can then make the information available to employers. When a match is identified between an employer and a potential migrant on the Database, the employer may nominate the skilled applicant under the RSMS. State and Territory Governments can also nominate applicants from the Database on the basis of identified skill shortages.

Applicants for this subclass of visa do not have to satisfy the points test.

Applicants however must satisfy the minimum age and English language requirements and have their skills assessed against a nominated skilled occupation prior to applying for the visa. As for a subclass 475 visa, they must have been employed at least 6 months of the previous 12 in a skilled occupation for which 60 points are available, or 12 months of the previous 18 for occupations for which 40 or 50 points are available. The additional requirement at the time of application is that they must have provided information for inclusion in the Skills Matching Database.

Applicants for the 134 visa must be supported by a nomination from a State or Territory government agency, for which interested applicants must directly contact.

Please note: securing nomination can be difficult, time consuming, and relatively uncertain. Instead, Subclass 175 (skilled - independent) and Subclass 176 (skilled - Australian-sponsored) are the preferred categories to pursue.

Back to top