Since July 2020, the Australian Government has introduced a number of measures for students, temporary graduates and skilled workers who hold Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passports, and want to live, work and study in Australia. Specifically, these include that:
- Skilled workers are offered 5 year visas, with a pathway to permanent residency through two Hong Kong specific pathways;
- Students will be eligible for a 5 year Graduate (Subclass 485) (Graduate) visa from the conclusion of their studies, with a pathway to permanent residency through two Hong Kong specific pathways;
- Two pathways to permanent residence apply for Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders who obtain one of the visas noted above.
These are in addition to the standard pathways to Australian permanent residence and citizenship available to all passport holders (see here for other options).
What does this mean for temporary skilled visa holders / applicants?
Applicants for the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) (SID) visa will be eligible for a 5 year visa, provided they hold a Hong Kong passport or a British National (Overseas) passport.
These visa holders will also have pathways to permanent residence without the support of their employer (see point 3, below).
What does this mean for students?
Current Department policy is that applicants who hold Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passports can obtain five year Graduate visas irrespective of the stream they have been granted. This is a significantly longer stay period than the usual period granted to other Graduate visa holders. Further, if the applicant holds a Hong Kong passport or a British National (Overseas) passport, they can obtain a Graduate visa when they are less than 50 years old (unlike other nationalities, who can only obtain a Graduate visa if they are under 35 years old). Applicants will still need to pass all other standard eligiblity criteria for the visa.
These visa holders will also have non sponsored pathways to perament residence (see point 3, below).
What are the two pathways to permanent residence for Hong Kong
Two “Hong Kong streams” have now been introduced to the Subclass 189 and Subclass 191 visas respectively.
Importantly, Hong Kong passport or British National (Overseas) passport holders who hold one of the above visas can apply for this program and will not be required to meet any:
- occupational or skills assessment requirements;
- age limitations;
- ongoing sponsorship nomination; or
- points tested invitation.
What differs between the two pathways is the location of their work, and how long they have stayed in Australia. A summary of the requirements is below:
Subclass 189 (Hong Kong stream)
Subclass 191 (Hong Kong stream)
Any questions?
If you are a Hong Kong passport or British National (Overseas) passport holders, feel free to contact us for a confidential discussion regarding your pathways to permanetn residence by email at [email protected] or phone +61 3 9016 0484.
