Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189 (New Zealand Stream)

Satisfy the income requirement

Your taxable income, as shown on your Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Notice of Assessment, must be at least the minimum income threshold. We will list this in the relevant regulatory instrument for that income year. The legislative instrument specifies the income thresholds and exemptions.

We can’t accept amounts below the threshold unless you show us evidence of an exemption.

If you applied on or after 1 July 2021

You must have met the minimum income threshold for at least 3 completed financial years in the 5 years immediately before you apply. One of these years must be your most recently completed financial year.

If you applied before 1 July 2021

You must have met the minimum income threshold for each of the 4 completed financial years before you apply.

Claim an income exemption

If you want to claim an exemption from the income requirement, you must still submit your ATO Notices of Assessment.

Family Court/parenting plan exemption

You can claim an exemption from the income requirement if you can’t leave Australia because the Family Court of Australia has given you primary care of a child and you are not allowed to take the child out of the country.

Compensation claim exemption

You can claim an exemption to the income requirement if you:

are being compensated for an injury that prevents you earning the income threshold, and
the compensation (or your rehabilitation) would cease if you returned to New Zealand

Parental or carer’s leave waiver

You can claim an exemption to the income requirement if you:

are on approved parental or carer’s leave, and
earned no less than the income threshold immediately before you went on leave, and
have (or are going to) resume earning an income no less than the income threshold

COVID-19 income exemption

You can claim an exemption to the income requirement if you:

can prove that your income for the 2019-20 financial year was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This could be by giving us documents that show:
- you received JobSeeker/JobKeeper during the 2019-20 financial year
- you can show evidence that your employment and/or income was reduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic

Income exemptions you can’t claim

We can’t consider other exemption claims

The grounds for an income exemption are set by legislation we cannot consider a request for an exemption on any other grounds than those set out above. Examples of ineligible claims include but are not limited to:

Salary sacrifice arrangements
Part time work arrangements associated with child care or other carer responsibilities
Resigning from work in lieu of taking approved leave
Combining incomes to satisfy the income threshold
Injuries and associated time off of work that are not linked to a compensation claim
Financial hardship including self-employment
Redundancy

Have a Suitable skills assessment

For your application to be valid, you must declare that you have a suitable skills assessment at the time of invitation.

You will need to provide a copy of this skills assessment with your application.

For medical and legal practitioners, we also accept the following as proof of a skills assessment:

full or unconditional or general medical registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency
conditional specialist registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. This only allows you to practise in your speciality. You need no further training or supervision
admission to practice law in the relevant state or territory

Your skills assessment must have been obtained in the 3 years before the date of your invitation. If the assessment was for a shorter period, that period must not have passed.

If your skills were assessed on the basis of a qualification you got in Australia when you held a student visa, the qualification must be from studying a course registered on CRICOS.

Have this visa

You must hold a New Zealand Special Category (subclass 444) visa, for your visa application to be processed.

For their visa applications to be processed, your family members in Australia must hold one of the following visa types when they lodge their application.

a substantive visa
subclass 010 Bridging A visa
subclass 020 Bridging B visa
subclass 030 Bridging C visa

When you lodge your application, your family members outside Australia don’t need to hold a visa.

Meet our health requirement

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement. Family members not accompanying you to Australia may also need to meet the health requirement.

Meet our character requirement

You and family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa with you must meet our character requirement.

We will also need other family members not accompanying you to Australia to meet the requirement.

Lived in Australia for 5 years

You must have been usually resident in Australia for a continuous period of at least 5 years immediately before the date of your application.

The place that a person is ‘usually resident’ in is assessed by taking into account their physical residence (where the person eats, sleeps, has a home) and the person’s intention to make that place their home.

The continuous period of usual residence in Australia must have started on or before 19 February 2016.

If COVID-19 related travel and border restrictions have affected you, tell us about this in your application. You will need to supply supporting documents.

Sign the Australian values statement

If you are 18 years of age or older, you must:

have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia and
sign an Australian Values Statement that confirms you will respect the Australian way of life obey Australian laws.

Have paid back your debt to the Australian Government

If you owe the Australian Government money, you must have paid it back or have a formal arrangement to pay it back.

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia. Check if visa cancellation affects your eligibility.

You can be in or outside Australia when we decide your visa application. We will let you know our decision in writing.

If we grant your visa, we will tell you:

your visa grant number
the date your visa starts
your visa conditions, if applicable

Keep a copy of the decision.

If we refuse your visa, we will tell you:

why we refused the visa
whether you have a right to a review of the decision

We will not refund the application charge if we refuse your application.

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COST

COST

WITH THIS VISA

Satisfy the income requirement

Claim an income exemption

Family Court/parenting plan exemption

Compensation claim exemption

Parental or carer’s leave waiver

COVID-19 income exemption

Income exemptions you can’t claim

Have a Suitable skills assessment

Have this visa

Meet our health requirement

Meet our character requirement

Lived in Australia for 5 years

Sign the Australian values statement

Have paid back your debt to the Australian Government

Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused

Organise health exams

Getting help with your application

Provide accurate information

Identity documents

Residence documents

Income documents

Income exemption documents

Character documents

Relationship documents

Partner documents

Dependants under 18 documents

Parental responsibility documents

Dependants over 18 documents

Tell us you are getting help

Prepare your documents

For online transactions

Translate

Scan or photograph

Provide accurate information

Apply for this visa online in ImmiAccount

What will happen after you apply

Status updates

Travel after you apply

Health exams

Biometrics

Attach more documents

Stay lawful

Pay the second instalment

Add family

Newborn child

Mistakes on your application

Help with your application

Tell us if things change

Start your migration journey today

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I Need To Pay For The Application As A Lump Sum?

2. Does This Visa Need An Expression Of Interest (EOI)?

Do You Have Any Further Questions?

We understand that you may have specific questions about your own unique situation, so if there is anything you need to know that is not addressed on this website, do not hesitate to contact us.

Why choose us?

At Carevisa Australia, we make sure that our clients are looked after. We will manage your visa case with the highest level of care, and guide you throughout every step of the process. We are here to help you in any way, and assist you with any Australian migration related queries you may have.