Perth, Western Australia is a destination of choice among international students and skilled migrants in the country and with reason. The booming economy, the fact that its university is ranked among the best in the world, affordable cost of living as compared to other states in the east, and a clear road to permanent residence with state nomination makes Perth a truly attractive option to individuals who desire to have a permanent future in Australia.
However, you must not risk going through the Australian education system, and visa structure simultaneously, without professional advice as to which your future may be at stake. In Asia Pacific Group (APG), your Perth office will have MARA-registered migration agents and QEAC-registered education counsellors working under the same roof, which will provide you with a fully integrated service that will ensure that your study decision coincides with your long-term migration ambitions the very first day.
To book your free consultation today visit us at Level 1, 156A/22 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000, call 08 8318 6300, or email perth@asiapacificgroup.com.
Why Perth is One of Australia’s Best Cities for Education and Migration in 2026
Perth has always been one of the most habitable cities in the world and in 2026, it is expected to receive higher populations of international students and skilled migrants than ever before. The following is what makes Perth unique:
A Thriving, Diverse Economy — Western Australia has an economy that is powered by mining, resources, construction, healthcare and technology. These industries are enjoying a long-term need of talented labor which directly converts into good job prospects of international graduates and sponsored laborers.
Reduced Cost of Living Rent, transport and daily living in Perth is much cheaper than in Sydney or Melbourne and both students and new migrants can comfortably settle down without the strain of the most expensive cities in Australia.
World-Class Universities and Vocational Institutions – Perth boasts of the following universities, Vocational institutes – University of Western Australia (UWA), Curtin University, Edith Cowan University (ECU), Murdoch University, Notre Dame Australia, and a comprehensive network of TAFE WA – undergraduate degrees through to trade qualifications.
WA State Nomination Programs Western Australia has its own skilled migration nomination programs available on the Subclass 190 and 491 visa streams which are not open to individuals residing and working in most other states. This also provides a huge benefit to Perth students and employees in their permanent residency process.
Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs) — WA currently implements DAMA agreements where regional employers can sponsor a worker in an occupation that is not listed in the national skilled occupation lists. This creates open migration doors, which otherwise are not found elsewhere in Australia.
Good Post-Study Work Opportunities – Perth industries are actively hiring graduates, especially in the fields of nursing, engineering, IT, construction and accounting. Together with the Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485), Perth provides graduates with a real work experience in their professional life that enhances their future migration applications.
Our Education Consulting Services in Perth
Making the correct choice in Australia is not as easy as picking what you like. The level of your course, the institution you study in, the length of your course, and even whether your major is included in the lists of skilled occupation directly influence your ability to receive a visa, your right to work and your further chances of obtaining permanent residence. Our Perth education counsellors can assist you in making this base decision correct.
Course Selection and University Placement
Each student is individually counselled by our QEAC-qualified counsellors to determine their academic background, English language skills, career goals and long-term migration aspirations. Then we will suggest CRICOS-registered courses and institutions that will truly benefit your educational and migration interests, not just the providers who will give the biggest referral commissions.
We work with Perth institutions across all levels, including:
- University of Western Australia (UWA) — Number 100 in the world, with world-leading programs in medicine, law, engineering, and business.
- Curtin University — This is one of the largest universities in Perth, and its programs are industry oriented like resources engineering, business, health sciences and information technology.
- Edith Cowan University (ECU) — The university is especially strong in the field of nursing, education, psychology, and creative industries, and the levels of employment of new graduates are high.
- Murdoch University — Provides a variety of access to business, law, information technology and veterinary sciences.
- TAFE Western Australia — Offers certificate and diploma level vocational qualifications in the fields of trade, community services, business and technology – many of which are directly related to the lists of skilled occupations in WA.
Student Visa (Subclass 500) Application Support
After you have confirmed your course, our team helps you with the entire Student Visa (Subclass 500) application process. We write your Authentic Student statement, assess your financial documents, confirm your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and ensure that all your documents match the current Department of Home Affairs (DHA) requirements before they are lodged. We do not make applications until they are decision-ready.
Scholarship Identification and Applications
Most of the international students do not know that they have a chance to get a scholarship offered by Australian universities, the Australian government and state-based programs. Our counsellors can assist in finding the scholarship opportunities that you can be eligible and assist you in preparing a solid application which can save you a lot of money in studying.
Student Visa Compliance and Course Change Guidance
When you already have a student visa to Australia and are planning to switch course or institution or change your study load, our Perth team reviews the implications of visa compliance before you do it. Making a change to a lower AQF-level course or switching the provider of your principal course in the first six months of your visa may have severe implications on your visa status. We make sure that all changes are done properly.
Our Migration Consulting Services in Perth
To most of the people who visit Perth to study or work, the end result is to have Australia as their home. Our migration agents in Perth are registered by MARA and have extensive knowledge in all of the recent major visa streams whether it is the points-based skilled migration or employer sponsorship, partner visa or family reunification.
Points-Based Skilled Migration — Subclass 189, 190, and 491
The points-based skilled migration scheme of Australia entails that the candidates should place an Expression of Interest (EOI) upon SkillSelect and are invited to apply to obtain the visa. The calculation of your points depends on the age, English language proficiency, work experience, qualifications and other aspects. The better the score, the more competitive your application.
The three main points-based visa streams our Perth team advises on are:
- Subclass 189 — Skilled Independent Visa — A permanent residency visa which does not need any nomination by states or employer sponsorship. This is the most competitive stream because your score in the points is based on your points against other applicants.
- Subclass 190 — Skilled Nominated Visa — It needs nomination by a state or territory government. WA nomination will give you 5 points of your score and make this stream much more accessible to the individuals working and living in Western Australia
- Subclass 491 — Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa — A five year provisional visa granted to skilled workers who are ready to live and work in regional Australia including most of WA. This is also one of the easiest avenues available to lower-scoring applicants as it provides 15 points to your score with state or family nomination. Three years later, three-year holders have the option of applying to the permanent Subclass 191 visa.
Our migration representatives will evaluate your existing points total, determine what points you are lacking and recommend what you can do (such as increase your English test score, have more work experience, or seek nomination by the WA state) will have the most practical effect on your EOI ranking.
Employer Sponsored Visas — Subclass 482, 186, and 494
One of the most direct ways of working and living permanently in Australia is through employer sponsorship. The high mining, construction, healthcare, engineering, and hospitality sectors in Perth ensure that there is a steady demand of overseas skilled labor and employer sponsorship is a highly effective route to many applicants.
- Subclass 482 — Skills in Demand Visa — A temporary work visa where an approved Australian employer may sponsor an overseas worker to work in Australia up to a maximum of four years with a permanent residence opportunity under some of the streams.
- Subclass 186 — Employer Nomination Scheme — A permanent residency visa offered to those workers who are sponsored by a recognized employer and satisfy the appropriate criteria. The streams of Direct Entry and Temporary Residence Transition have various eligibility criteria.
- Subclass 494 — Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa — A five-year provisional visa of employer-sponsored workers in the regional areas, including parts of WA. This visa provides an opportunity to permanent residency under the Subclass 191 after three years of working in the area.
The Perth agents assist workers and employers through the sponsorship process – not just in accreditation and labour market testing of the employer, but also in lodging a visa and the subsequent compliance requirements.
Temporary Graduate Visa — Subclass 485
The Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) is a permit that enables international students who have just finished an eligible Australian credential to reside and work in Australia temporarily upon their graduation. This visa is a very essential link between your studies and your work experience required to enhance a permanent residency application.
There are two streams of the visa, the Graduate Work stream and the Post-Study Work stream with varying eligibility, duration and occupation needs. Our Perth team will guide you on which stream you qualify under, and how best to utilise your time on the visa to score more points, and what you want to do during this time to stand a chance of securing a permanent visa.
Partner and Family Visas
Should you be interested in having your spouse, partner or family members accompany you to Perth, our migration agents can guide them on the most suitable visa pathway to take, depending on their situation. We deal with applications under all the major family visa streams, such as:
- Partner Visa (Subclass 820/801) — To de facto partners and spouses of Australian citizens, permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens.
- Partner Provisional Visa (Subclass 309/100) — This is an offshore visa granted to applicants when they are offshore.
- Family Sponsored Visas — Visas to include child visas, parent visas and remaining relative visas to eligible family members.
Why an Integrated Education and Migration Strategy Matters
A mistake that international students commit most frequently and makes them spend the most money on is selecting a course that they like or that is affordable, but they do not think about how that particular course will help them achieve their long-term migration objectives. A student who takes two years to complete a diploma in an area not covered in the skilled occupation list of WA graduates with a qualification that does not help him/her in the permanent residency.
In Asia Pacific Group, the education counsellors and migration agents collaborate on each case. At the time we assist you in choosing a course, we are also determining whether the occupation you are planning to pursue is listed on the applicable skilled occupation lists, whether WA will state nominate the occupation, and what your points score would be expected to appear like by the time you graduate. Such a comprehensive strategy implies that each aspect of your Perth experience, including the day you open your books to study, to the day you are given a permanent residency permit, is a part of one logical, thought-out plan.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Education and Migration Consultants in Perth
Using Unregistered Agents — Migration advice can only be charged to a fee by the Registered MARA-registered migration agents in Australia. With a non-registered agent – regardless of how persuasive they might sound – your application and your future are at stake. You should always confirm the MARA number of your agent in the OMARA site.
Choosing a Consultant Who Only Does Education or Only Does Migration — When your education consultant is not knowledgeable about migration, he or she will put you in a course that lacks a viable PR pathway. When your migration agent fails to comprehend education, he or she may file a student visa without a well-crafted Genuine Student statement. A combined team to work on both is much safer and more efficient.
Applying Without a Thorough Document Review — Incomplete documents, improperly formatted financial evidence, or an OSHC policy that does not cover the entire duration of the course are some of the most frequent reasons of delays and refusals. Each document is reviewed by our team prior to lodgement.
Waiting Until the Last Minute — Visa processing student, EOI rankings, employer sponsorship approvals, state nomination rounds are all on a timeline that rewards preparation. The sooner you hire a professional consultant, the more choices you are likely to have and the better position.
Frequently Asked Questions — Education and Migration Consultants in Perth
What is the difference between an education consultant and a migration agent?
An education consultant (preferably QEAC-accredited) provides advice on course choice, university applications, scholarship and student visa. All visa and immigration queries, such as skilled migration, employer sponsorship, partner visas and permanent residency applications are advised by a migration agent (who is required to be MARA-registered in order to legally charge fees). At Asia Pacific Group Perth, the two services can be found under a single roof and therefore this enables us to develop a combined strategy to meet your education and migration aspirations.
Am I eligible to get a skilled migration visa in Australia?
The points-based skilled migration visa requirements are based on your occupation (must be on the appropriate skilled occupation list), your score on the points test (depending on age, English proficiency, qualifications and work experience) and whether you are nominated by a state or sponsored by an employer. Our migration agents in Perth will do a thorough eligibility check during your first appointment determining your current points value and how you can take effective action to enhance your chances.
Is it possible to study in Perth and then apply permanent residency?
Yes — and Perth is, perhaps, the best place in Australia to do so. Obtaining an Australian qualification that is eligible will contribute to your skilled migration score. By working and studying in WA in an occupation listed on the skilled occupation list provided by the state, you can obtain WA state nomination that will give you additional points and greatly increase your chances of being invited to apply to receive a permanent visa.
What is the WA state nomination program and how do I qualify?
The state nomination program of Western Australia enables the government of WA to nominate skilled workers and graduates to the Subclass 190 (permanent) and Subclass 491 (provisional) visas. To be eligible, you must typically be living and working in WA and must be on the current WA state nomination occupation list, have a valid skills assessment, and must have the minimum points threshold. Our Perth migration agents can review your eligibility and advise you on the action to take so as to enhance your nomination application.
How long does it take to get permanent residency through the points-based system?
The timeframes differ considerably based on your job, points, and the stream of visa you are seeking. The average processing times of the Subclass 189 and 190 visa in 2026 are between a few months to much more than a year in regard to some applications. The 491 visa will include an additional three-year provisional visa before you can seek the permanent Subclass 191 visa. The agents we have are realistic in their timelines depending on your own profile and not on a general estimate.
Will my family accompany me to Perth either on a student or work visa?
Yes. Depending on the type of visa and level of study, you might be able to bring with you eligible family members such as a spouse or a de facto partner and dependent children to Perth. The employment rights of your partner will be determined by the particular visa conditions and your level of course. Our team will be able to advise you on the best dependent/ partner visa pathway that your family should take.
Assistance in employer sponsorship, Perth? Does Asia Pacific Group assist?
Yes. We deal with both the employees who are interested in employer-sponsored visa and the employers in Perth interested in sponsoring skilled workers abroad. Our migration agents will manage the entire process since the accreditation and the labour market testing requirements of the employers up to the visa lodgement and the compliance requirements of the post-grant requirements of the Subclass 482, 186 and 494 stream of visas.
Get in touch with Our Education and Migration Consultants in Perth
Are you studying in Perth, researching your skilled migration opportunities, employer sponsorship, or attempting to bring your family to Western Australia, the team at Asia Pacific Group Perth will assist you to negotiate each and every step with clarity and confidence.
As migration agents registered by MARA, education counsellors accredited by QEAC and an experience of over 15 years in assisting students and migrants in Australia, we are one of the most reputable and holistic education and migration consultancies in Perth. We never promise what we cannot deliver – we provide you with sincere, complying, professional advice in regards to your unique conditions.
Book your free consultation today and take the first step toward building your future in Perth — the right way.
