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    New permanent residency pathways for Hong Kong nationals

    Update: 4 November 2021

    From 5 March 2022, two new permanent resident visa streams will be available for Hong Kong SAR and British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders. In line with the announcement made by Minister for Minister for Immigration, the streams will be:

    Subclass 189 – the Hong Kong stream — for primary visa holders who were usually resident in Australia for a continuous period of at least four years immediately before applying, and who held the qualifying visa during that period.

    The new legislative instrument, specifies the following requirements for subclass 189:

    • The primary applicant must hold a HKSAR or a BNO passport, and
    • the application must be made by the primary visa holder of a SC 457, 482 or 485 visa covered by the Hong Kong concessions (valid until 8 July 2025 or for five years), and
    • have held that visa for 4 years and
    • have been usually resident in Australia for 4 years, and
    • both primary and secondary applicants meet Public Interest Criteria 4007

    Subclass 191 - the Hong Kong (regional) stream — for primary visa holders who were usually resident in Australia for a continuous period of at least three years immediately before applying and who lived, worked and studied exclusively in a designated regional area for that period, while holding the qualifying visa.

    The requirements for the new Subclass 191 Hong Kong stream include:

    • the primary applicant must hold a HKSAR or a BNO passport, and
    • the application must be made by the primary visa holder of a SC 457, 482 or 485 visa covered by the Hong Kong concessions, and
    • must have lived, worked or studied exclusively in a designated regional area for the 3 years immediately before applying, and
    • has held that visa while meeting the regional requirements for 3 years (unless SC 457 transitional concessions apply), and
    • have been usually resident in Australia for a continuous period of 3 years immediately before applying
    • both primary and secondary applicants meet Public Interest Criteria 4007.

    If you are a Hong Kong SAR or BNO passport holder and you want to understand your eligibility for PR under these new pathways, please contact AMES Skilled Migration Service and speak to one of our Registered Migration Agents.