A Registered Migration Agent is engaged to provide advice on immigration and visa applications and citizenship, helping you find the best options for you to come to Australia as a temporary or permanent resident. They also help you prepare and lodge your visa application.
Keystone Visa and Migration Services is a professional business that has many years of experience with a high success rate. Based in North Western Sydney, we service clients from all over the world. Our principal Migration Agent is fully registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARN: 1573795), and all cases are dealt with in the business solely by the Migration Agent.
Keystone Visa and Migration Services take pride in their commitment to their clients, and continuously seek feedback to ensure they can continue to provide the very best of service. In response their clients have recommended their services to family and friends, and also left very positive reviews both on Google and Word of Mouth about their service.
You should ensure you are engaging a fully Registered Migration Agent that is registered with the Office of the Migration Registration Authority (OMARA).
They must act in an ethical and professional manner and have your best interests at heart. Looking at previous testimonies/reviews, and researching the company is advised.
In addition, you can search the MARA website to verify your Agents registration.
Australian citizenship is a certificate that proves you are a lawfully recognised national of Australia and have the right to live in the country. To become an Australian citizen (by conferral), you will have to be an Australian Permanent Resident, apply and sit an Australian Citizenship interview and pass the Australian Citizenship test.
Alternatively people born overseas to a parent who is, or was, an Australian citizen, and for Australian parents to register a child born overseas, citizenship by decent can also be applied for.
There are specific requirements to be met, and a Registered Migration Agent can assist in detailing what these are.
You should use a Registered Migration Agent as it is their profession to know the visa application process. This will help you have a hassle-free application process and ensure you lodge the application correctly.
Visa refusals can be devastating for applicants; resulting in restricting applicants applying for another visa, and often results in the applicant having to depart Australia. The Department of Home Affairs does not refund visa application fees, and as a result a poorly applied application, or an inappropriate application can cause financial and personal stress that a properly constructed appropriate application can alleviate.
We offer visa consultations for the following visas:
- Partner visa (Subclass visas 820 and 801)
- Marriage visa (Subclass 300 visa)
- General Skilled Visa
- Australian Employer Nomination Visa (subclass 186 visa)
- Student visa
- Business visa
- Visitor Visa
- Parent Visa
- Resident Return Visa
We also assist companies to obtain Standard Business Sponsorship (SBS) and nominate applicants for various visas, as well as assist Australian Permanent Residents applying for Australian Citizenship.
Our Principal Registered Migration Agent has over 25 years of experience in business management. Holding a Bachelor of Science, a Masters of Business Administration, and a Graduate Certificate of Australian Immigration Law and Practice, he has years of experience helping clients with their visa matters. He is Registered with the Ofice of Migration Registration Authority (OMARA), a member of Migration Institute of Australia and a member of Migration Alliance.
Our registered office is in North-West Sydney , NSW, Australia. We have assisted clients from all over the world succesfully apply for an Australian visa. Some clients have not been to our offices as they have been located overseas and all communications were handled electronically.
We use direct phone calls, Skype, WhatsApp, Messenger, or what ever our clients find easiest to use, if they cannot visit with us in person.
Your visa application processing time can differ. There is no set time as all visa’s and cases are different. It can differ from weeks to years depending on circumstances. A Registered Migration Agent can advise based on your individual circumstances and the visa type you are intending to apply for.
A partner visa, allows partners in a de facto relationship or a marriage, or registered relationship with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or New Zealand citizen to reside in Australia to live with your partner.
The requirement for a partner visa (820 visa) is to be in a de facto relationship or married, or have your relationship registered, to an Australia citizen, Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen. The applicant must also be lawfully in Australia when they apply for the subclass 820 (i.e. on a substantive visa or bridging visa). You must have been in your de facto relationship for twelve months or longer prior to the application. You must be in an exclusive relationship to the exclusion of all others.
Note: For the subclass 309 partner visa, you must be outside of Australia when applying and when the visa is determined.
There is no determined processing time as all cases can be different. Average processing of partner visas are currently being published on the Department of Home Affairs website as:
- 75% of applications: 21 months
- 90% of applications: 28 months
If you apply in Australia for a partner visa you will be granted a Bridging Visa which will become active when your current visa expires, to allow you to remain in Australia until your partner visa is determined.
To apply for a partner visa, you do not have to be married; you can also be in a de facto relationship with your partner that has been ongoing for at least 12 months, or have your relationship Registered in a State of Australia that allows relationship registration.
You need to be able to demonstrate a mutual comittment to the exclusion of all others. You must be either in a defacto relationship (for at least 12 months) or have your relationship Registered in a State of Australia that accepts partner registrations or be married. You must also be able to demonstrate that you live together or that circumstances apply that prevent you living together.
The partner visa (820 visa) is an onshore temporary visa allowing the applicant to remain in Australia with their partner. Two years after the subclass 820 visa is applied for, the applicant can re-submit their information for the determination of the Subclass 801 permanent residency partner visa. Applicants who apply for the Subclass 820 visa will be granted a Bridging Visa to allow them to remain in Australia while their subclass 820 is determined after their current visa has expired.
The Employer Nomination Scheme Visa, also known as the 186 visa, is a visa that is provided to an employee who is nominated for a full-time job by an Australian employer in an occupation that is on the Medium to Long Term Skilled Shortage Occupation List (MLTSSL).
Requirements for the Employer Nomination Scheme Visa (186 visa) is that the employer is lawfully operating in Australia, have the need for a paid employee to fill the position, and have a record of compliance with workplace laws that is satisfactory. The employer, if compliant, then Nonminates you for this visa.
The employee themselves must be under the age of forty-five, must have at least competent English , having an approved employer nomination, being able to prove that they have the necessary qualifications and experience for the occupation plus any licencsing requirements, and meeting certain character and health requirements.
A Registered Migration Agent can assist in helping with ensuring all requirements are met.
The average processing time can differ depending on the case. The Department of Home affairs publish processing times, however the overall time varies as the Employer must Nominate you for the visa and you then must apply for the visa. This can be done at the same time or after teh Nomination has been approved. A Registered Migration Agent can give an approximation, however times can vary.
There are three different streams for the Employer Nomination Scheme (186 visa):
- Temporary Residence Transition for applicants currently on a Subclass 457 visa or subclass 482 (TSS) visa.
- Direct Entry Stream
- Agreement Stream
Visit our Employer Visa page for more information.
The Employer Nomination Scheme, or 186 visa, is a permanent residence visa.
A General Skilled Visa is a working visa for individuals who are in a skilled profession that is in demand in Australia.
To get a Skilled Visa in Australia, you have to:
- Have functional English
- Be under the age of forty-five (45)
- Have the skills and qualifications that match the list of eligible skilled occupations on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List MLTSSL list.
- Obtain a skills assessment from a relevant authority
- Achieve, at the least, the minimum points test score (65)
A Registered Migration Agent can assist you to understand your points test and ascertain your eligability.
The average processing time for a Skilled Visa is different for each person depending on your circumstances. As these are points tested visas, you will be required to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) to be invited to apply for the subclass 189 visa or Nominated for the subclass 190 visa. Expressions of Interest can take a significant amount of time depending on your individual points score as invitations are given to applicants with the highest number of points, and whilst the minimum points required are 65, some occupations which are applied for in high numbers the points need to be as high as 80 – 85, hence this can delay or prevent applicants with lower points being invited. It is very important to discuss your points scores, and how to improve upon your score if required, with a Registered Migration Agent.
There are two types of permanent Skilled Visa subclasses. The first is the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189): this visa doesn’t require the individual to be nominated by an employer or family member. The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) is a visa suitable for an individual who has been nominated by a state or territory government agency. Both visas allow the individual to live and work permanently in Australia.
There are both Temporary Skilled Shortage Visa’s as well as permanent Skilled visas. The temporary visa may be 2 years duration up to 4 years duration. It is important to understand what the different types of visas are available, given your individual circumstances. Having a discussion with a Migration Agent can assist you in understanding your options.
