What Are Your (Skilled) Visa Options If You Are Over 45 Years Old?

It may be challenging for mature, skilled applicants to obtain an Australian visa. Most permanent visas have an age limit of 44 years of age, and even though there are exceptions to this rule, satisfying relevant requirements may not be within everyone’s reach.

There are a few temporary and permanent visas that allow mature applicants to live and work in Australia. Here is a recap of some of these visa options:

Student visas (temporary)

The student visa program facilitates the lawful entry and temporary stay of genuine international students.

There is no age limit to apply for a student visa in Australia; however, the applicant’s age is taken into consideration by the Department when assessing the ‘genuine temporary entrant’ (GTE) requirement. Mature applicants may need additional documentation to justify their application and provide solid evidence that they intend to stay in Australia temporarily.

Employer-sponsored visas (temporary & permanent)

There are different visa options for skilled workers who have an eligible sponsor, and the Temporary Skill Shortage TSS visa (Subclass 482) is the most popular of all. The TSS visa enables employers to address labor shortages by bringing in skilled workers. Subclass 482 is a temporary visa, but some of its streams may lead to permanent residency. There is no age limit to apply for the TSS visa; however, applicants who intend to apply for permanent residence with the same sponsor must be under 45 years of age at the time of their permanent residency visa application unless an exception applies. Age exceptions are available for academics, regional medical practitioners, scientists, transitional 457 workers under 50, Subclass 457/482 workers earning a high income, or Subclass 444/461 workers (under the Direct Entry stream).

In some cases, under the Labour Agreement stream, Subclass 482 visa holders may also have access to permanent residency if they are under a certain age, generally under 50 or 55, or they have applied under the Global Talent Employer-Sponsored program (GTES).

Other short-term employer-sponsored visas do not have an age limit, including the Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (Subclass 400) or the Temporary Activity visa (Subclass 408). These are temporary visas that do not have a direct pathway to permanent residency.

Talent visas (permanent)

Australia offers permanent residency to worldwide exceptionally talented individuals. An example of this is the Global Talent Visa Program, designed to attract highly skilled individuals at the top of their field and job multipliers in the Australian economy. Candidates may be up to 55 years of age; however, older applicants may also be considered if they can demonstrate exceptional economic benefit to Australia.

The program uses the well-established Distinguished Talent Visa (Subclass 858), which also offers permanent residency with no age requirement to applicants with an “internationally recognized record of exceptional and outstanding achievement”.

Business visas (temporary & permanent)

The Business Innovation and Investment program is designed to foster innovation, increase entrepreneurial talent, and diversify business expertise in Australia. The program targets individuals with a demonstrated history of business success who can significantly contribute to the Australian economy.

In general, business visas do not have an age limit and, in brief, include the following options:

Business Innovation & Investment (Subclass 188). This visa is for investors and business owners who wish to establish business operations in Australia. The visa is valid for four years and has a pathway for permanent residency via Subclass 888 after holding the 188 provisional visas either for two years in the Business Innovation stream or four years in the Investor stream.

Business Talent (Permanent) visa (subclass 132). This is a permanent visa for high-caliber business owners who have a genuine intention to manage a new or existing business in Australia and for entrepreneurs with a high-potential business idea