Destination Guide
Australia, one category at a time.
Australia's skilled and family migration programs run through several distinctly numbered visa subclasses. This page organizes them the way people actually think about it — starting with the destination, then the category, then the specific subclass.
Application categories for Australia
Each category below links to the full guide for Australia. Where Australia's own system has named, distinct programs — rather than one general category — we break that out underneath.
Visitor Visa
Full Visitor Visa guide →Visiting Australia generally requires a Visitor visa (subclass 600), though passport holders from certain eligible countries may instead apply for a free eVisitor (subclass 651) or Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601). Australia does not have a dedicated digital nomad visa; limited remote work for an overseas employer is generally tolerated on a visitor visa, but this is not a separate visa category and doesn't authorize working for an Australian business.
Business Visitor
Full Business Visitor guide →Short-term business visits to Australia are generally covered under the Business Visitor stream of the Visitor visa (subclass 600), or through eVisitor or ETA for eligible passport holders taking short business trips.
Study Visa
Full Study Visa guide →The Student visa (subclass 500) allows enrolment in a registered course in Australia and requires a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), proof of financial capacity, and meeting the Genuine Student requirement.
Work Visa
Full Work Visa guide →Australia's main pathway for skilled workers is employer-sponsored: the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) for temporary sponsored work, with the Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) available for eligible workers seeking permanent employer sponsorship.
Australia's main sponsored work visa, the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), runs through three distinct streams with different salary thresholds and requirements, rather than one uniform test.
Core Skills stream
For occupations meeting the standard Core Skills salary threshold, sponsored by an approved Australian employer.
- Applicants with an eligible occupation and an approved sponsoring employer meeting the Core Skills salary threshold
Specialist Skills stream
For highly specialized roles meeting a significantly higher salary threshold than the Core Skills stream, intended for niche or highly skilled positions.
- Applicants in a specialized role meeting the higher Specialist Skills salary threshold
Labour Agreement stream
For roles covered by a formal labour agreement negotiated between an employer (or industry body) and the Australian Government, used where standard visa settings don't fit a sector's specific needs.
- Applicants sponsored by an employer operating under an approved labour agreement
Working Holiday
Full Working Holiday guide →Australia runs two working holiday visas: Subclass 417, open to passport holders from a set of long-standing partner countries, and Subclass 462, open to a separate list of partner countries, several of which are capped and allocated through an annual ballot. Both allow extended work to fund travel, generally for applicants aged 18–30 (up to 35 for some nationalities).
Permanent Residence
Full Permanent Residence guide →Australian permanent residence is available through skilled visa categories (subclass 189, 190, and the 491-to-191 pathway), employer nomination (subclass 186), family and partner permanent visas, and business/investment streams.
Australia's points-tested skilled migration pathways run through several distinct visa subclasses, each with its own sponsor requirement (or none) and points threshold — there's no single 'skilled visa,' and which subclass applies depends on whether you have a state nomination, an employer, or neither.
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
The most direct skilled pathway — no employer sponsor and no state or territory nomination required. Applicants are ranked by points and invited from the pool once they meet the current threshold.
- Applicants with an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list and a competitive points score
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
Requires nomination by an Australian state or territory government, which adds to your points score, in exchange for a commitment to live in that state or territory.
- Applicants willing to commit to a specific state or territory in exchange for nomination points
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
A provisional (temporary) visa requiring state, territory, or family nomination for a regional area. After a qualifying period of regional living and meeting an income threshold, holders can apply for permanent residence.
- Applicants willing to live and work in a designated regional area for the qualifying period
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
Permanent residence granted directly through nomination by an Australian employer for a specific role, rather than through the points-tested general skilled pathway.
- Applicants with a genuine, ongoing job offer from an employer willing to nominate them
Family Sponsorship
Full Family Sponsorship guide →Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens can sponsor a spouse or de facto partner through the Partner visa program (onshore subclass 820/801 or offshore subclass 309/100), or sponsor parents through a dedicated Parent visa category.
Australia's family migration program splits into a small number of genuinely distinct visa types, each with its own sponsor, evidence, and (for parents) balance-of-family requirements.
Partner visa
For the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen. Runs as a two-stage temporary-then-permanent process (subclasses 820/801 onshore, or 309/100 offshore).
- Spouses or genuine de facto partners of an Australian citizen or permanent resident
Parent visa
For the parent of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen who meets the 'balance of family' test. Includes both a standard, long-waiting pathway and a faster contributory pathway with a substantially higher fee.
- Parents meeting the balance-of-family test, sponsored by their Australian child
Child visa
For the dependent child of an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen to join their parent permanently.
- Dependent children being sponsored by an Australian-based parent
Parent & Grandparent Visa
Full Parent & Grandparent Visa guide →Australia's Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa allows eligible parents of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or eligible New Zealand citizens to stay for extended periods — up to five years at a time — sponsored by their child.
Refusals
Full Refusals guide →Refusal letters from the Department of Home Affairs state the reasons relied on under the Migration Act, and some visa refusals carry review rights at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) within a set time limit — others don't, and a fresh application is the only option.
Australian Citizenship (by Conferral)
Australian citizenship by conferral is a separate, later step after permanent residence — it requires a specific period of lawful residence immediately before applying, alongside character and testing requirements.
- Be a permanent resident (or eligible New Zealand citizen) at the time of application
- Have been lawfully resident in Australia for the 4 years immediately before applying, including the last 12 months as a permanent resident, with no more than 12 months total absence in that period (and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months)
- Meet the character requirement and pass the citizenship test
Citizenship eligibility rules, the residence-requirement calculation, and test requirements are set by the Department of Home Affairs and can change. Covalyn Migration does not guarantee approval and does not calculate residence eligibility or test readiness on your behalf — use the Department's official tools and guidance directly for your own calculation.
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