Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Bella Tian is a Registered Migration Agent (MARA 1791631), legally authorised to provide immigration assistance in Australia. Every consultation and application is handled or supervised by a registered agent.

It is a short online questionnaire about your situation. Our AI then prepares a preliminary assessment of your likely visa pathways and sends it to your email. It is general guidance only, not migration advice — if you want advice on your specific circumstances, book a consultation with our registered agent.

A 30-minute consultation with our MARA registered agent costs $150 + GST. You choose a time online and pay securely when you book. We review your situation, explain your options and answer your questions.

Our professional fees are tailored to each case based on its complexity and the services required. Before any work begins, we provide a written breakdown of all government and professional fees, so you know exactly what you are paying. Government fees are set by the Department of Home Affairs and change on 1 July each year.

Yes. We are based in South East Queensland and serve Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ipswich, the Sunshine Coast, Logan and Toowoomba. We also offer remote consultations for clients across Australia and overseas, including the Philippines, China, India, Malaysia and Singapore.

Yes. We serve English and Chinese-speaking clients with equal expertise, so you can discuss your case in the language you are most comfortable with.

Since 7 December 2024, you need at least 1 year of full-time (or equivalent part-time/casual) work experience in your nominated occupation or a closely related field, gained within the 5 years before you apply. This was reduced from the previous 2-year requirement.

For nominations lodged from 1 July 2026, the Core Skills Income Threshold (CSIT) is $79,423 and the Specialist Skills Income Threshold (SSIT) is $146,576. The salary must also meet the market rate for the role. Nominations lodged before 1 July 2026 are assessed under the previous thresholds.

Yes. After 2 years of full-time work in your nominated occupation, you may be eligible to apply for 186 permanent residence through the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream. This 2-year period is now portable across approved sponsors, so changing employers does not reset the clock.

Direct Entry is for skilled workers who have not necessarily held a 482 visa but meet the skills, qualification and experience requirements. Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) is for people who have worked for their sponsoring employer on a 482 visa and are transitioning to PR.

Many postcodes across South East Queensland — including parts of Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast — fall within the designated regional area. Whether a specific location qualifies depends on its postcode, so we check your exact address and employer against the current Department list.

No. By law, the sponsoring employer must cover certain sponsorship and nomination costs, including the Skilling Australians Fund (SAF) levy, and cannot ask you to pay or reimburse them. If an employer tries to recover these costs from you, that is a breach of the sponsorship rules.

Your business first needs to be approved as a Standard Business Sponsor. In general, it must be lawfully operating in Australia, able to pay the market salary and superannuation, and have a genuine skilled position it cannot fill locally. The employer then lodges a nomination for the role, and the worker applies for the visa.

You need a minimum of 65 points to submit an Expression of Interest, but in practice invitation cut-offs for many occupations are significantly higher and change with each invitation round. We calculate your realistic score and advise on how to maximise it.

The 189 is a permanent visa with no sponsor. The 190 is a permanent visa nominated by a state (+5 points). The 491 is a provisional regional visa nominated by a state or eligible family member (+15 points) that leads to permanent residency through the 191 visa.

Each occupation is assigned to a specific assessing authority. For example, most trade occupations go to TRA, management roles to VETASSESS or AIM, and engineering to Engineers Australia. We identify the correct body for your occupation.

Processing times vary by assessing body and individual circumstances. Most assessments take between 4 and 16 weeks. We recommend starting as early as possible, as it is often the longest step in the process.

For most employer sponsored and skilled visas, yes. Your spouse or de facto partner and dependent children can generally be included in your application and, for permanent visas, receive permanent residency alongside you.

Yes. De facto partners are eligible provided the relationship has existed for at least 12 months before applying (with some exceptions, such as where children are involved). You will need to provide evidence of your genuine relationship.

Processing times vary. The onshore 820/801 pathway currently takes approximately 24–36 months for the permanent stage, and the offshore 309/100 pathway can take 12–24 months. Times change regularly, so we give you a current estimate for your case.

For most families, the most practical approach is to lodge a subclass 870 Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa so your parents can live in Australia for 3 or 5 years, and at the same time lodge a subclass 143 Contributory Parent visa to join the queue for permanent residency, which is currently very long.

No. The subclass 600 visitor visa does not permit you to work in Australia. Working without authorisation is a serious visa breach and can result in cancellation and future bans.

A refusal is recorded on your Australian immigration history and can negatively affect future visa applications, including employer sponsored and skilled migration visas. This is why correct preparation from the start is so important.

No. Your permanent residency does not end just because the travel facility expires. However, you cannot re-enter Australia as a permanent resident from overseas without a valid travel facility — which is what a Resident Return Visa renews.