Skilled Independent (subclass 175)

Overview

The Skilled - Independent (subclass 175) visa is the preferred visa for those who wish to immigrate to Australia and do not have a family member or Australian state or territory government to sponsor them.

This visa replaced the Skilled - Independent (subclass 136) visa and the Skilled - Independent New Zealand Citizen (subclass 861) visa on 01 September 2007. New Zealand citizens can apply and wait for a decision about this visa category whether they are outside or within Australia.

The offshore Skilled - Independent visa is assessed on a points based system, with 120 points required to pass and 100 points required to be placed within a reserve pool. Those who are granted a Skilled - Independent visa can live and work in any part of Australia and take up any employment they wish.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for a Skilled - Independent (subclass 175) visa, applicants must meet certain requirements.

The person applying must be under 45 years of age.

Applicants must meet the English language requirement threshold of:

• competent English; or
• vocational English if the applicant's nominated occupation is a trade

The applicant must nominate an occupation listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and have a suitable skills assessment from the relevent assessing authority for the nominated occupation.

The person applying must have either:

• been employed for 12 out of the last 24 months in an occupation listed on the SOL; or
• met the two year study requirement in the last six months with Australian qualifications closely related to the nominated occupation

The applicant must meet the points test threshold of 120 points and pass all health and character requirements.