If you are a skilled Chef looking at options to live and work in Australia then this article is for you!..

Option 1-

If you meet all the criteria for an employer to sponsor you and you are working or willing to work in a regional postcode you could get a 494 visa which is an Employer Sponsored visa, this is valid for 5 years, and has a pathway to PR after 3 years! Department of Immigration is allocating 10,000 places for this visa per year and it is the visa with the highest priority processing.

So what are the main criteria for the 494?

You must have competent English, have a skills assessment, and can prove at least 3 years full time work experience.

Option 2–

You have sufficient points and are currently working in your occupation in a regional postcode. You see you are on the relevant state “regional nominated list” and after lodging an EOI (expression of interest) and meeting their criteria and being invited, you can then lodge a 491 visa! Once granted, this is not tied to an employer but does require you to live and work in a regional area.  This visa is valid for 5 years, and has a pathway to PR after 3 years. (Plus you will be eligible for medicare once its granted!).

So what are the main criteria for the 491?

You need to have enough points which are allocated based on different aspects of your profile – such as age, education level, relevant skilled work experience, level of English and whether you have a partner or not (and whether your partner has competent English or a skilled occupation too). You will need a skills assessment and a minimum English score of competent, but ideally if you can score proficient you can be given 10 points towards your profile.

Option 3 –

You may also have the option to lodge a 482 (employer-sponsored) This is the most well known visa, and it replaced the 457 visa back in 2018. This visa can be granted for up to 4 years (if your occupation is on the main skilled list such as Chef, whereas a Cook is on the shortlist, so would only get a 2 year visa – which can be extended if needed). This visa has a pathway to PR after 3 years (if you are on the main skilled list).

So what are the main criteria for the 482?

You will need to prove you have at least 2 years work experience plus the relevant level of qualification (which for Chef is a certificate IV) OR at least 3 years experience without a formal qualification. You will also need competent english. Some applicants may need a skills assessment depending on their country of passport and qualification, contact us if you would like to check whether you would need one.

What about PR visas? Can I get one without having to wait to transition?

Yes, there are three main options.

• The 190 visa which is a points based visa and requires nomination by a state, which has a similar process to the 491 visa.

• The 189 visa, which is also points based, but independent and very competitive and would require a very high score to be in with a chance of invitation to lodge a visa (usually 90 points or more).

• The 186 (Employer-sponsored PR) could be an option if you find an Employer willing to sponsor you for Direct entry to PR, which will ultimately depend on your skills and experience.

*The 3 PR visa mentioned above all require a skills assessment*