FAQ - Sponsoring your relatives for skilled migration to Australia
Select link to listen to : Canberra Radio interview of Amin Rahman 4th August 2008
Requirements for a sponsor and the sponsored
Q I am in Australia
and want to sponsor a relative from Bangladesh for migration. Can I do that?
A To be able to sponsor a relative under the Australian General
Skilled Migration (GSM) program, both you as a sponsor and your
applicant as a GSM visa applicant have to meet certain conditions.
Q For what type of visa can I sponsor my relative?
A: There are two types of relative sponsorship visas. One is Skilled Sponsored (migrant) visa. This is a permanent visa. The other is Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisiona) visa. This is a 3-year temporary visa.
What are the eligibility requirements for me as a sponsor.
A To be a sponsor, first of all you have to be an Australian citizen,
Permanent Residen of Australia, or an eligible New Zealand
citizen, usually resident in Australia.
Q What are the eligibility requirements
for my relative whom I want to sponsor ?
A
Your relative that you want to sponsor, like all other GSM visa applicants, must meet the following
criteria.
1. Must be 18 or over and under 45
2. If a professional or manager,
must have competent English ( score at least 6 in each of
the four components
in the IELTS test or if a tradesperson must have vocational English
(score at
least 6 in each of the four components in the IELTS test)
3. Must nominate an occupation
from the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and get a positive
skills assessment
from the relevant assessing body
4. Must have at least 12 months
work experience in the last 24 months in any occupation
in the SOL.
The basics about the two sponsored visa types
Q How many points does my relative need to score for the Skiled Sponsored (migrant) visa?
A 100 points.
Q: How many points does my relative need to score for the Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) visa?
A: 100 points.
Q: How do I know how many points my relative will score?
A: You may ask your relative to go thorugh the FAQ - GSM Offshore and calculate his/her points. You may guide them, if necessary.
Q: What are the visa subclasses for these two visas?
A: The Skilled Sponsored (migrant) visa is subclass 176 visa. The Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) visa is subclass 475 visa.
Q What are the main differences between the Skilled
Sponsored (migrant) visa and Skilled Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa?
A: Skilled Sponsored (migrant) visa is a 5 year permanent visa. The
holders can live and stay anywhere in Australia. They are entitled to
free medical and educational facilities for the family at state/territory institutes ike Australian citizens and other permanent visa holders. After
two years of stay in Australia
they become eligible for social security benefits. They can buy property,
both for living and for investment purposes.
A Skilled Sponsored (Provisional) visa is a 3 year temporary visa.
The holders of this visa have to reside in the designated area where their sponsoring relatives
live. After two years, if they can show that either the applicant or
their spouse has worked for 12 months (does not have to be continuous) then they may
apply for a permanent resident visa. While on a temporary visa they may
not be entitled to free medical and free education at state/territory schools for
children unless the host state gives them special consideration. They have to get a permission to buy a
property for living and cannot buy a property for investment.
Skilled Sponsored (migrant) visa:
Q: Is there any difference between Skilled Independent (migrant) visa (subclass 175) and Skilled Sponsored (migrant) (siubclass 176) visa as far as rights of stay and entitlements.
A: Not really. Both visa holders (subclass 175 and 176) get five year permanent visas. On first arrival in Australia, they are entitled to medical and educational facilities like citizens and can stay and work anywhere in Australia. After they have completed the required stay periods and met other criteria, they are entitled to social benefits and can apply for Australian citizenship.
Q: If there are no differences between the Skilled Independent (migrant) visa and the Skilled Sponsorred (migrant) visas then why does the 176 visa require 100 points instead of the 120 points required for the Skilled Independent (migrant) visa?
A: To start life in a new country independently is difficult. First of all one needs to be employable in Australia. So only those with occupations in demand who get more points for Skills can score 120 points to be eligible for the Skilled Independent (migrant) visa. But beside the high demand occupations, there are skill shortages in other occupations also. It is expected that if you are an Australian or a permanent resdient, and you bring to Australia your relative, you will be able to help and guide your sponsored relative in looking for work and settling quickly. It is also hoped that because of having a relative in Australia you will be less home sick, will be happier, will be moe productive and thus help in developing the Australian economy. That is why those who have relatives in Australia are allowed into Australia with less points.
Q Does my relative get any additional points if I sponsor him/her?
A Your relative will not get any sponsorship points for the Skilled
Sponsored (migrant) visa. But they have to score 100 points
instead of 120 points required for a Skilled Independent (migrant) visa.
But if
your relative applies for the Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) visa they will
get 25 sponsorship points. On their own your relative will need to score only
75 points for the provisional visa.
Q Whom can I sponsor for the Skiiled Sponsored (migrant) visa?
A You can sponsor your or your
spouse's following relatives for the subclass 176 visa (permanent).
(a) child
(b) parent
(c) brother or sister
(d) nephew or niece
(e) uncle or aunt
Q Can my spouse be a sponsor of my nephew in Bangladesh, whom we
want to bring into Australia
under the GSM program?
A Yes. If your spouse is an eligible sponsor he/she can sponsor
your nephew.
Q I want to sponsor my younger sister living in Bangladesh.
As she does not work, she may not meet the basic eligibility criteria.
But her husband is a Marketing specialist and will meet the four eligibility
criteria. Can I sponsor my sister and her family?
A Yes. You can sponsor your sister’s spouse.
Q I want to sponsor my young sister and her family and when they
come to Australia,
initially I want them to stay with us until they are settled. But my wife
does not seem to like the idea of their staying with us or even their coming to
Australia.
Can I still sponsor them?
A In the sponsorship form your wife will have to sign her consent that she agrees with the arrangements you have mentioned in the form regarding
providing accommodation and other support. I think you will have a
problem sponsoring your sister. Try to convince your wife that the
proposed arrangement is only temporary.
Q I have been in Australia
for the last 10 years on a medical practitioner visa (subclass 422). Can
I sponsor my eligible relative under the GSM program?
A No. Subclass 422 is a temporary resident visa. Temporary residents
cannot sponsor their relatives under the GSM program.
Q What documents does my relative, the
visa applicant, have to submit to prove their relationship with me?
A Your relative must provide documentary
proof to show their relationship to you. For example, if you are sponsoring
your brother, your brother should provide certified copy of both his and your
birth certificates. Both birth certificates should show the names of both
parents in them. The names of parents must be same in both
birth certificates. The applicant should also submit a family tree diagram
showing the relationship.
Q What will be my obligation to my relatives as
a sponsor?
A You have to give an undertaking in the
sponsorship form that you agree to provide adequate accommodation and financial
assistance required for 2 years, if necessary, to your relatives whom you are
sponsoring. You are also expected to advise and help your relatives to
settle quickly in Australia
and advise on employment opportunities and how to look for jobs.
Q Recently I sponsored one of my nephews who
had completed his studies from UTS in Sydney.
Now I want to sponsor my younger brother, his wife and one child, who are in Bangladesh
now. Is there any restriction on the number of persons I can sponsor or do
I have to wait for period of time before I can sponsor a second relative.
A There is no restriction on the number of relatives you sponsor. Nor
do you have to wait for a period of time before you can sponsor another
eligible relative. As long as you are able to provide the required
assistance to your relatives you may sponsor them.
Q I want to sponsor my nephew in Bangladesh. Currently he scores 95 points. Is there
any way he can increase his points score to become eligible for the Skilled
Sponsored (migrant) visa?
A He can try one of the
following to improve his points score:
(a) Raise his English level from competen75t to
proficient. He will get 10 extra points for having
proficient English.
(b) Sit and pass the NAATI translator's test to translate
either from Bengali to English or
English to Bengali. He will get 5
points for that.
(c) If he is married and if his wife is working then if
she meets the four basic eligiblity criteria of
(i) age, (ii) English, (iii)
Skill assessment for an occupation
in the SOL and (d) 12
months work experience, then he will get 5 spouse points
(d) Try to become eligible for a higher point (60-point)
occupation.
Skilled Regional Sponosred (Provisional) visa:
Q I want to sponsor my nephew living in Bangladesh. On
his own he scores only 90 points. Can I sponsor him for the Skilled
Sponsored (provisional) visa?
A If your nephew scores at least 75 points then you can sponsor him for the
Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) visa if you live in a place which is defined as
"designated area" for the purpose of this visa. Being sponosored by a relative living in a designated area, he will get 25 extra points.
Q Whom can I sponsor for Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) visa?
A You can sponsor your or your
spouse's following relatives for the subclass 475 provisional visa .
(a) child
(b) parent
(c) brother or sister
(d) nephew or niece
(e) uncle or aunt
and also
(a) first cousin
(b) grand child
Q Which places are defined as designated areas for the Skilled Sponsored
(provisional) visa?
A The designated areas are: whole of (Victoria,
South Australia, Northern
Territory, Tasmania and ACT),
anywhere in Queensland except Brisbane
metropolitan area, anywhere in Western Australia
except Perth metropolitan area and all areas of
NSW except Sydney, Newcastle
and Wollongong.
Q If I want to sponsor one of my relatives for a provisional GSM visa, does
the applicant, the relative I am going to sponsor, still have to meet the basic
eligibility criteria?
A Yes. The relative that you are planning to sponsor still has
to meet the requirements for (a) age, (b) English, (c) Skills assessment for a
skill in the SOL and (d) work experience. He has to score 75 points on
his own. He will get 25 more points for receiving sponsorship. Seee
the page on FAQ for Migration to Australia for more details.
Q: For Skilled Regional Sponsored (provisional) visa does my relative need to have competent or vocational English?
A: Normally if your relative is a professional they will need to have competent English and if they are tradesperson they will need vocational English. However, if your relative does not have the required level of English, but has Concessional Competent English (overall band score of 6) then they will be eligible if the state or territory where you live has faciilty for English language training and your relative pays the fees for that training.
Q If I sponsor my cousin on a Skilled
Regional Sponsored (provisional) visa, what documents do I have to provide to prove that
I stay in a designated area?
A You have to provide at least four
acceptable documents showing that you are living in a designated area like
telephone or utility bills, rental or purchase agreement of the place where you
are staying, driving license etc. The
documents must have your name and address on them..
Q I am an Australian and live in Perth.
My nephew will not get enough points for Skilled Sponsored (migrant) visa but will be OK
for the Skilled sponsored (provisional) visa. Can I sponsor him?
A No. You can only sponsor a relative for the Skilled sponsored
(provisional) visa, if you have been living in a designated area for the last 12
months. Perth
is not a designated area for the purpose of this visa.
Q
Where can I get more information?
A You may go through the page on FAQ - GSM Offshore on this website. It has many questions and
answers, which you may find useful. You
may also download Immigration Department’s Booklet 6. If you still have specific queries you may
consult a registered migration agent.
NOTE: The above questions and answers mainly deal with your sponsoring
a relative who is currently overseas. If the relative you want to sponsor
is in Australia
on a student visa, then instead of Skilled Sponsored (migrant) and Skilled
Regional Sponsored (provisional) visa they will apply for the equivalent onshore
visas. Requirements are same except those who apply within six months after
completing their degrees, diplomas or certification in Austarlia get a waiver for the 12 month
work experience crtierion.
Select following link to listen to Canberra radio interview of Amin Rahman on 4th August 2008
© Amin Rahman MARN 0322761
Last updated 24/11/2009