Applying for Australian PR in Your 40’s

Life begins at 40. This old saying still rings today especially for people who are seeking more to life. If you’re one of many who have reached definite milestones and possess skills and professional experiences, you can venture into a new country like Australia for a better quality of life. 

The first question that may boggle your mind right now is, “how do I get there especially with my age?” By applying for an Australian permanent residency visa, you can begin a new chapter in your life or retire there for good. With enough information and professional help, you can definitely obtain permanent residency in this beautiful country even in your 40s.

Else way, if you have a family member living in Australia, they can sponsor your visa so that you can work there permanently or travel around.

Whatever suits your situation, there are things you should know when you want to get an Australian permanent residency status. 

Australian Permanent Residency in your 40’s

Through the Department of Home Affairs, Australia strictly conforms with a point-based system that distributes points to the aspirants based on factors like age, work experience, educational attainment, English proficiency, etc. The aspirants with the most promising top score are chosen by the government to be invited to apply for the said visa. Generally, you need to score at least 60 points in order to secure your spot for an Australian permanent residency in your 40s. 

Age Factor in Emigrating to Australia

Due to the fact that Australia considers a point-based system, the highest point-taker in this factor will be ages grouped between 25 and 33 years old based on statistics. Ages past this group or lower than this would typically get lower points, specifically, an aspirant for Australian permanent residency within at least 40 and 45 age group can only get up to 15 points. However, don’t fret because you can still apply for Australian permanent residency given that you should make up for the missed points by having improvements on other key factors.

Visas Available for You

The points test is a process of deciding whether an applicant’s suitability to get a visa is probable. Thanks to the recent changes in Australia’s immigration point system last 2019, you can get a better chance of emigrating to Australia in your 40s. The changes apply to the GSM category. Check out below the visas available for you:

The General Skilled Migration (GSM) Category

Skilled Independent visa – subclass 189 

This visa allows invited workers who have the skills to live and work in Australia permanently and enjoy all the benefits an Australian PR can have. Sponsor or nominator is not required, but you need an invitation for the application. This type of visa usually takes 20 to 24 months to process. To apply for a subclass 189 visa, you must:

  • be 45 or fewer years old

  • be suitable for employment on the listed relevant skilled jobs

  • have a skills assessment applicable for the occupation

  • fulfill the points test

Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) 

This visa allows you to stay permanently, study and work in Australia, enroll in their public health care system, sponsor relatives to go to Australia, plus you can travel to and from Australia for 5 years. If eligible, you can be an Australian citizen. This type of visa usually takes 10 to 12 months to process. To apply for a subclass 190 visa, you must:

  • be 45 or fewer years old

  • be suitable for employment on the listed relevant skilled jobs

  • have a skills assessment applicable for the occupation

  • have an invitation to apply for this visa

  • fulfill the points test

Regional Provisional Skilled Work visa – subclass 491 

This visa is a provisional one. It only applies to skilled workers who are eager to live and work in the country. It allows you to stay for 5 years in a regional area in Australia and travel to and from as much as you want as long as the visa is valid. Plus, you can apply for a permanent residency visa after 3 years from the time they grant your visa​. There is no standard processing time available for this visa. To apply for a subclass 491 visa, you must:

  • be 45 or fewer years old

  • have been nominated to apply by a territory/state government agency or a relative eligible enough to sponsor you

  • be suitable for employment on the listed relevant skilled jobs

  • have a skills assessment applicable for the occupation

  • have an invitation to apply for this visa

  • fulfill the points test

The Partner Visas Category 

Otherwise, you can opt to choose this visa. This visa is available for applicants who are willing to join their partner or spouse in Australia, especially for those over 45 years old. Considering the name of this visa category, this is only for married couples or de facto partners. Your sponsor must be a citizen or a permanent resident of Australia. In this category, the visas available are:

The Permanent Partner Visa – subclass 801

This visa allows you to live, work, study, and fulfill your dreams of moving to Australia for good. You may also travel in and out of the country freely. You are also given the chance to enroll in Medicare (Australia’s healthcare program), sponsor relatives in emigrating to Australia, and afterward apply for citizenship. The processing time for this type of visa usually takes 11 to 20 months. To apply, you must:

  • remain to be married or in a de facto relationship with your sponsor

  • have the temporary partner visa – subclass 820

The Temporary Partner Visa – subclass 820

This visa permits emigrating to Australia temporarily before you can apply for a permanent partner visa. As the name suggests, this visa permits the de facto partner or spouse of a qualified sponsor in moving to Australia for a time being, but it entitles you to live, study, or work in the country while waiting for your permanent visa. Plus, you can travel in and out of the country and attend free English language courses while your visa lasts. The processing time for this type of visa usually takes 23 to 28 months. To apply for this visa, you must:

  • meet the requirements for health, security, and character

  • be in Australia for the application

  • be in a legitimate relationship with your sponsor, either your spouse or de facto partner

In order to facilitate married couples, you are required to be fit for the following:

  • both of you must be at least 18 years old or older

  • both of you must be married legally under the Australian law

  • both of you must be in the same house permanently

In order to facilitate facto partners, you are required to be fit for the following:

  • both of you must be at least 18 years old or older

  • both of you must at least be 12 months of being in a de facto relationship 

  • both of you must bet not be married to each other

  • both of you must live together or be with each other regularly

  • both of you must not be blood-related

Important Points to Remember

After you submit your expression of interest (EOI) online, applicants must garner at least 60 points to be invited for an application for a visa. If you are a skilled worker, you can apply for the mentioned visas above that are available for people who are in their 40s under the GSM category.

Otherwise, if you have a permanent resident partner in Australia, choose from the partner visas category to facilitate your moving to Australia. The points awarded for the key factors are based on age, skilled occupation, Australian study, English language competence, and qualifications. Other factors may also be required such as your partner’s qualifications, skills, or study in an Australian region. 

Each category considers relevant point distribution and most have scales conditional to factors like your age group or English language proficiency level or qualification.

Need any help? Let UIS Australia assist you

Emigrating to Australia in your 40s might be a hassle for you considering all the processes that are involved. With that, higher chances await you in getting approval if the documents you are about to present are complete and in-strict compliance with the needed requirements. Especially that immigration officers are highly accurate in checking the documents. 

Therefore, as an applicant, you must be certain that the documents you present are valid while providing any legitimate evidence for your sponsor if any. Attempting to fake your documents is a big no-no since the officials in charge will usually notice these kinds of things, eventually. As a result, your application will get denied or you will be banned at all.

To avoid these problems, you need to have excellent and competent help through an esteemed company that offers visa services for moving to Australia so that you can enjoy a hassle-free application. Through the professional assistance from immigration experts at UIS Australia, you will get the following convenience:

  • You’ll be assisted in the step-by-step process on how to accurately provide the requirements and fill out any type of application and documents to increase your chances of getting a visa approval.

  • You can get the least possible processing time in getting your visa.

  • You will have a better understanding of the regulations and standards of Australia.

  • You will know all of your options for Australia immigration

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you complete your plans of emigrating to Australia.

Ron Ford

Ron Ford immigrated with his family to Australia in 2005 to work as a social worker. Following their difficult immigration process, he slowly turned to blogging and creating content about immigration: "…As a family of 5, we struggled to make ends meet. I was working around the clock and Clarissa was working in housekeeping any time she could spare. The move to Australia completely changed our lives, but it cost us a lot of money, time, and tears. Ever since I've wanted to help others on their journeys the way I wished someone had helped us".

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