For information on visas or migration to Australia for academics or research and training within Universities Contact Us.

Permanent Residence Visas:

The main routes for Academics and Graduates seeking migration to Australia with Permanent Residence Visas are to apply for a Visa based on their qualifications and work experience or to be sponsored by an employer. Note: Academics and Researchers are one of only a few exceptional circumstances where the maximum age requirement of 50 may be waived where sponsored by an approved employer.

Independent Skilled Visa Independent Skilled Visas (189, 190) are available for occupations in demand. They are offered following a points-based assessment relating to the skills and characteristics of the individual applicant. Applicants are required to submit an Expression of Interest, applicants with the highest number of points (or other criteria) will be invited to apply for a visa. To see whether you meet the points criteria check the Points Calculator. The pathways and priorities to skilled visas are constantly changing. Until 2012 it had become difficult for academics to obtain a sufficient number of points to apply for skilled visas. Prior to these changes this discrepancy was recognised by the Minister for Immigration who noted that the system favoured hairdressers and cooks with 92 weeks training and 1 years experience whereas a Harvard qualified scientist with three years relevant work experience could fail to meet the points test. The reasons for this include that previously overseas qualifications were not eligible for points. Further due to the required additional years in education to obtain their skills academics subsequently found themselves in a negative feedback loop where in gaining additional points for increased experience they equally lost points for increased age.

Employer Sponsorship under visa subclasses 186 and 187