GENERAL SKILLED MIGRATION to Australia

Living and Working in Australia - 189, 190 & 491 visas

Are you considering expanding your employment opportunities, in a country with stunning beaches, wide open spaces and a high standard of living?

The General Skilled Migration Programme is designed to bring skilled workers to Australia, meeting skills shortages in certain industries or locations and boosting the workforce.

Visas in this programme – 189 Skilled Independent, 190 Skilled Sponsored and 491 Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) – are highly competitive. Choosing the right strategy is the key to success. 

Whether you are opting for the ‘high points’ strategy or a state or family sponsorship strategy, getting the right advice before you start, is critical to success.

At Aspire Australia, we believe in straightforward advice, to get you results. We will be honest with you about your prospects and what you need to do to improve your chance of selection – and eventually achieve your visa.

Your situation demands a unique strategy

Before getting started, consider the following questions: 

      ✓ What is your time frame for settling in Australia?

      ✓ Where do you want to live? Are you flexible?

      ✓ How committed are you? Will you work to build points?

Your answers to these questions will help us guide you to a strategy that will meet your priorities.

Visa Options

189 Skilled Independent

If your occupation is on the MLTSSL, Australia is your oyster. Gaining points based solely on your own attributes, once a visa is granted, you may live and work anywhere across Australia. 

491 - Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)

If you are willing to live in a regional area of Australia, gaining a state or family sponsorship may help you achieve this five-year temporary visa with a pathway to permanent residence.

190 Skilled Sponsored

If you have an occupation on the STSOL or an occupation on the MLTSSL but want a points or strategic advantage, this category provides permanent residence via a state sponsorship. Visa holders are sponsored by a state or territory and agree to live in a specific geographical area of Australia for two years.

485 - Graduate

International students graduating with a degree from Australia or who have a specific occupation may obtain this post-graduate visa for up to three years. The visa provides the opportunity for work and can be a useful tool to move towards a further GSM residence visa.

gsm guidebook aspire australia

Not sure where to start? Start here

Download your Aspire Australia guidebook Bring Your Skills Down Under under and receive bonus material that will walk you through the process, step-by-step including our latest webinar – Understanding Australia’s General Skilled Migration Programme.

✓ Compare visa pathways
 ✓ Understand the criteria
✓ Discover the costs and timeline
   ✓ Learn how a migration agent can help

The Way We Do Things

Aspire Australia goes a step further than most migration agencies.

That’s because we’re not migration agents…we’re Migration SuperHeroes!

At least that’s what we’re told!

From the initial appointment to the celebration of visa grant, we will guide you through the visa process from beginning to end. We will determine the best strategy for approval and take the pain out of the paperwork, ensuring that your application is lodged approval-ready.

We know you’re eager to get here as soon as possible, to begin the next stage of your life. Let us guide you towards your goal of living and working in Australia by finding the best pathway based on your personal attributes.

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT

Good News Stories from our Clients

Working with Aspire Australia: Above and Beyond What Others Provide

Tiago didn’t believe he needed help from a Migration Agent – his appointment with Sarah showed him she was an asset he needed on his…

Read their story now

Our Happy Clients

Sarah and her team have been an absolute delight to work with, I wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to recommend Aspire Australia to anyone in need of visa assistance. Sarah walked me through all available options for permanent residency and provided a comprehensive action plan to get the most desirable results. We were successful in achieving the 189 Skilled Independent visa in such a short timeframe, I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. I look forward to working with the Aspire Team next year for the final step of citizenship in my journey to life in Australia. Thank you Sarah!

Heather Neary

Aspire Australia made my dream come true
They are a well experienced and professional migration consultants.Thank you Sarah ,Carol and all the team members of Aspire Australia.Highly recommend

Sajan Sharma

Sajan Sharma

Sarah and her team from Aspire Australia are thorough professionals and will always give authentic advice when it comes to your migration problems. They are patient to answer any of your questions and will take fear and ambiguity out of the process. They will stay with you from start to finish in your entire migration process. They have guided me in my migration journey and I am extremely happy with their services and I would highly recommend them for any type of Australian migration services. Thank you Sarah, you truly are a migration superhero! 🙂

Radhika Kulkarni Dutt

Radhika Kulkarni Dutt

I am really excited and happy. Thank you so much for all your help with my permanent residency. You made us stress free and you helped us explain each stage of the visa process. Sarah are very professional and very hardworking team. I appreciate all you have done and would certainly recommend you to everyone I know. Service beyond expectations.

Usama Khalid

GSM to Permanent Residency

Hope you are doing well, I had the best 3 months of my life spending time with my brother after 7 years, today morning he flew back to India. Thank you for all your support.

Smita Sharma

Thank you Sarah and team really appreciate the good work everything was smooth and professional 👍

Milton

Very happy with the service and outcome. Thank you so much Sarah and the team. You are an expert in your field and would definitely recommend to others.

Safar Ali

Safar Ali

Thank you Sarah, Toni and team. Your attention to detail ensures that every project goes off without a hitch. I admire and appreciate such a high level of precision. Thank you again

Kirandeep and Harpratap

Attention to Detail

Australian 189 visa granted! Thank you for your assistance Aspire Australia.

Wagner Silva

Wagner Silva

Sarah and her team from Aspire Australia are thorough professionals and will always give authentic advice when it comes to your migration problems. They are patient to answer any of your questions and will take fear and ambiguity out of the process. They will stay with you from start to finish in your entire migration process. They have guided me in my migration journey and I am extremely happy with their services and I would highly recommend them for any type of Australian migration services. Thank you Sarah, you truly are a migration superhero!

Radhika Dutt

The best agency we could ask for! 🙂

Mariana Carvalho

Mariana Carvalho

Cannot thank Sarah and Toni ENOUGH for their outstanding support throughout my journey from applying permanent residency to Australian citizenship From 2021 -2025

From the very beginning, they provided clear guidance, consistent updates, and exceptional professionalism. Every question I had was answered with patience and care, and they made the entire process feel smooth and stress-free.

Their expertise and dedication truly made a difference, and I’m incredibly grateful for their role in this life-changing milestone. I highly recommend their services to anyone looking for honest, reliable, and experienced migration support.

Hrpratap Kang

Common Questions

Where do I start?

Understanding the different pathways and deciding on the one that suits your circumstances is the first step. 

For an overview of your options, download our guidebook: How to Live and Work Down Under.

Then, book your appointment.

The earlier you seek advice on the best visa option for your family and what evidence you will need for sponsorship – the better decisions you can make. Getting advice is the key first step.

Do I really need a migration agent?

We are biased, but yes!

Migration law is complex and subject to Government changes. A migration agent provides advice, prepares applications and liaises with the Department of Home Affairs on your behalf.

We believe that rules show us the pathway to what’s possible. Keeping on top of the current rules means that we offer the right advice.  

Why Aspire Australia?

Here at Aspire Australia we go above and beyond to ensure an approval ready visa. 
Over 25+ years in the industry we have built a 7-Step Proven Pathway to lead our clients to success.

1. We will create and deliver your personalised MAP: Migration Action Plan to achieve the outcome your business needs. We will help you understand what’s possible and give you a guide for what’s next.

2.  We’ll provide you with a tailored Start-up Kit to help you gather the data and documents we need to prepare an approval-ready application.

3. We will then work closely with you to ‘close the gaps’ and make sure all the key pieces of evidence are ready.

4. Our specialist lodgement staff will carefully collate your material to submit to the Department of Home Affairs. Our attention to detail means a quicker outcome for you.

5. We don’t stop at lodgement. We represent you through the whole process, liaising with the Department of Home Affairs and other bodies on your behalf.

6. It’s time to celebrate. We will let you know the outcome of your application – it’s our favourite part of our job.

7. We will make sure you have everything in place to be 100% compliant. We make sure you don’t get caught out.

This means you always know where you stand, what you have to do next and why.

We will be with you every step of the way.

Start by booking your appointment with us today.

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT

LATEST FROM THE BLOG

Contact the Aspire Australia team and
take the first step in your journey.

GET IN TOUCH

Stay in touch

Subscribe to Aspire Australia newsletters and receive visa guides, immigration news and visa information.