Barrister – ANZSCO 271111
- Description
- Pleads cases before civil, criminal and industrial courts and other tribunals. Registration or licensing is required.
- Skill Level
- 1
- Specialisations
-
- Queen’s Counsel
- Senior Counsel (Aus)
Skills Assessment Requirement
Unless you are exempt in very limited circumstances, you are required to have a positive Skills Assessment to apply for the visas listed above.
Skills Assessment authority for Barrister is undertaken by the Legal Admissions Authority for each state or territory.
In Victoria: The Victorian Legal Admissions board.
In NSW: Legal Profession Admission Board
In QLD: Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board
In W.A: Legal Practice Board of W.A.
In N.T: Legal Practitioners Admission Board
In S.A: Legal Practitioners Education and Admission Council
In TAS: Board of Legal Education
In ACT: Legal Practitioners Admission Board
The uniform principles for assessing the qualifications of overseas applications for admission to the Australian Legal Profession (with some state to state variations) are as follows:
To be admitted to the legal profession in an Australian jurisdiction on the basis of qualifications obtained outside Australia, an applicant must usually have:
(a) Completed a tertiary course leading to legal practice in the applicant’s home jurisdiction, which is substantially equivalent to a three-year full-time law course that leads to admission to the legal profession in Australia ; and
(b) Successfully completed subjects, either as part of that course or otherwise, which are substantially equivalent to the areas of study which Australian applicants must successfully complete before being admitted to the legal profession in Australia;
(c) Completed practical legal training or other experience to demonstrate the applicant has acquired and demonstrated an appropriate understanding of, and competence in, certain skills, practice areas and values, which are substantially equivalent to the skills, practice areas and values which Australian applicants must acquire and demonstrate an understanding of and competence in, before being admitted to the legal profession in Australia; and
(d) Met the requirements of the English Language Proficiency Guidelines (Please note NSW has slightly different English Language Requirements)
Potential Visa Pathways for Barristers
| ANZSCO | Occupation | Skills Assessment | 189 | 190 | 485 | 491 (State) | 491 (Family) | 186 (Direct) | 407 (Training) | 494 (regional Sponsored) | 482 (TSS Medium Term) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 271111 | Barrister | Legal admissions authority of your state or territory | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ | √ |
Group: 2711 Barristers
- Description
- plead cases before civil, criminal and industrial courts and other tribunals.
- Tasks
-
- receiving written information in the form of briefs and verbal instructions concerning cases from Solicitors, other specialist Legal Professionals and clients
- providing advice and written opinions on points of law
- conferring with clients and witnesses in preparation for court proceedings
- drawing up pleadings, affidavits and other court documents
- researching statutes and previous court decisions relevant to cases
- outlining the facts to the court, calling and questioning witnesses, and making addresses to the court to argue a client’s case
- providing opinion on complex legal issues
- may draw up or settle documents
- Skill Level
- Most occupations in this unit group have a level of skill commensurate with a bachelor degree or higher qualification (ANZSCO Skill Level 1).
Registration or licensing is required.
- Occupations in this Group
-
- 271111 Barrister
189 visa – Skilled Independent Visa
This 189 visa allows you to live, work and study in Australia permanently. It is a points-tested visa. The minimum score to apply is 65 points. However, based on previous invitation rounds, you would need to achieve a higher score to have a better chance of obtaining an invitation.
In short, to be eligible for visa 189, you need to meet the following criteria:
Immigration Points
Must score at least 65 points. Due to the competitive nature of this visa, a pool mark does not guarantee an invitation to apply.
English
Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.
Age
Must be under 45 years of age. There is however no age limit for the 189 NZ stream.
be invited
Must lodge the EOI and be invited by the Department of Home Affairs to apply for the visa.
Skills assessment
Must have positive skills assessment. Each occupation has a specific assessing authority.
HEALTH AND CHARACTER
Must meet health and character requirements.
Subclass 190 visa– Skilled Nominated Visa & Subclass 491 visa – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa
To apply for visa subclass 190 and visa subclass 491, you need to have a nomination from the state/territory government where you want to live and work. Each State and Territory have individual requirements that must be met in order to receive nomination. (See below)
While the 190 visa is a permanent visa, subclass 491 visa gives you right to live and work in regional Australia for 5 years with a pathway to permanent residency through the subclass 191 visa.
Another difference between the 190 and 491 visa is that you can only apply for visa subclass 491 if you are living and working in regional areas in Australia, while it is not a requirement if you are applying for the 190 visa.
In summary, to be eligible for 190 visa, you need to meet the following criteria:
Immigration Points
Must score at least 65 points, or higher points if the state or territory requires.
English
Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, or higher if the state or territory requires.
Age
Must be under 45 years of age.
be invited
Must lodge an EOI and be invited by the state or territory and then apply for the visa.
Skills assessment
Must have positive skills assessment. Each occupation has a specific assessing authority.
HEALTH AND CHARACTER
Must meet health and character requirements.
To check if the state/ territory government requirements for your occupation, refer to the following links
State/ Territory |
Links to requirements |
| New South Wales |
|
| Victoria | |
| South Australia | |
| Western Australia | |
| Northern Territory | |
| Australian Capital Territory (ACT) | |
| Tasmania | |
| Queensland |
485 Visa – Post-Study Work Stream
The 485 visa is a work visa available to international students who have completed two years of study in Australia. It is an 2 year or more visa that has full work rights and full study rights. It also allows you to travel freely to and from Australia throughout the validity of the visa.
To be eligible for visa 485, you need to meet the following criteria:
Visa History
Must hold a student visa when applying or have held one in the last 6 months.
English Level
Must have at least IELTS 6.0 or equivalent with no band less than 5, or equivalent.
Age
You must be under 50 years of age.
Education
Must have completed a two-year CRISCOS registered course(s).
Skills assessment
You don't need a 485 skills assessment for most occupations.
Eligible Degrees
bachelor, bachelor (honours), masters by coursework or research or doctoral degree
Subclass 491 Family Sponsored visa – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
This 491 Family sponsored visa requires you to have a family member who is living in regional area to sponsor you. This visa offers pathway to permanent residency through visa subclass 191.
Immigration Points
Must score at least 65 points, or higher points as it is competitive.
English
Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.
Age
Must be under 45 years of age.
be invited
Must lodge an EOI and be invited by DHA to apply for the visa.
Skills assessment
Must have positive skills assessment. Each occupation has a specific assessing authority.
HEALTH AND CHARACTER
Must meet health and character requirements.
Subclass 186 visa – Employer Nomination Scheme
If you have an employer who is willing to sponsor you, you may be eligible for a Subclass 186 visa. This visa is permanent and will allow you to live, work and study in Australia indefinitely. To be eligible for this visa, you need to have at least 3 years of working experience in your nominated occupation and a positive skills assessment. Alternatively, if you are a holder of a Subclass 457 or TSS visa, you can apply for Subclass 186 after working for your employer for at least 3 years under the Temporary Residence Transition stream.
Experience
At least 3-year fulltime work experience in the nominated occupation.
English
Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.
Be Sponsored
Must be sponsored by an Australian employer.
Skills assessment
Must have a positive skills assessment. Exemptions apply for the 186TRT.
HEALTH AND CHARACTER
Must meet health and character requirements.
407 Training Visa
The 407 visa a short stay visa for individuals to participate in occupational training or professional development in Australia. This visa is generally valid to stay in Australia for 2 years. Please note this visa is subject to condition 8102 which forbids work apart from the training that is specified in the visa application. You are also required to maintain health insurance whilst in Australia.
To be eligible for visa 407, you need to meet the following criteria:
GTE
You must prove that you genuinely stay in Australia for training and will depart when you complete the training.
English Level
Must have Functional English, i.e. IELTS overall 4.5 with no band less than 4, or equivalent.
Age
Must be over 18 years old.
Be Sponsored
You must be sponsored by an approved temporary activities sponsor – Can be an employer or a commonwealth agency
HEALTH INSURANCE
Must hold valid private health insurance.
Health and Character
Must meet health and character requirements.
Subclass 494 visa – Skilled Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa
You can apply for subclass 494 if you have a regional employer who is willing to sponsor you. To be eligible for this visa, you must have at least 3 years of working experience in your nominated occupation and have a relevant skills assessment. With this visa, there is a requirement that you must work for the employer who is sponsoring you.
This visa provides pathway to permanent residency through the 191 visa.
Experience
At least 3 years full-time work experience in the nominated occupation.
English
Must have at least Competent English, i.e., IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.
Be Sponsored
Must be sponsored by an Australian regional employer.
Skills assessment
Must have a positive skills assessment.
Location
Must live and work in regional areas in Australia.
Subclass 482 visa – Temporary Skill Shortage (Medium Term) visa
The Subclass 482 visa is a Temporary Skill Shortage visa that requires a sponsorship from an Australian employer. This visa allows to your live and work in Australia for up to 4 years. You may apply for as many 482 visas as you want, as long as the employer is willing to sponsor you.
Experience
At least 2 years work experience in the nominated occupation.
English Level
Must have IELTS overall of atleast 5.0 with no band less than 5.0.
Age
There is no age requirement for this visa.
Be Sponsored
Must be sponsored by an Australian employer.
Skills assessment
Generally not required unless on this list.
Health and Character
Must meet health and character requirements.
Job Outlook
Study Pathways to become a Barrister
To become a Barrister, you first need a law degree or juris doctor qualification from university. You need to complete practical legal training and then be admitted to ‘practise’ as a lawyer. This means that you are a qualified legal practitioner and you can choose to work as either a barrister or a solicitor.
To become a barrister, you then need to spend 9 months in training, called ‘reading’. For part of the reading period, you will enrol in the training course for barristers (called ‘Bar Readers’ Course’). If you pass, you are entitled to work as a barrister (your name and signature will appear on the ‘Roll of Counsel’ of the Victorian Bar, which means you are a barrister).
Course Details
Bachelor of Laws
- Duration: 3 to 4 years full time
- Total Course Cost Approx: $117,000 AUD
Requirements
Completion of an Australian Senior Secondary Certificate (VCE or equivalent) including Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or 20 in any other English (or equivalent). OR: Completion of an Australian Advanced Diploma or Diploma (or equivalent). OR: Completion of a Foundation course or equivalent.
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic module): Overall score of 6.0 (no band less than 6.0)
- TOEFL Internet: Overall score of 67 (Listening 12, Speaking 18, Reading 15, Writing 21)
- Pearson Test of English (PTE): Overall score of 50 (no section score less than 50)
- University of Cambridge – Advanced (CAE): Overall score of 169. No individual band less than 169.
- VU English – English for Academic Purposes (EAP) (Level 4): achieved.
Related Courses
- Juris Doctor of Laws
- Practical Legal Training
Book a consultation with our Registered Migration Agents in Melbourne to find out more about your visa options and your path to Australian permanent residency or applying for citizenship.
