Commonwealth of Australia vs Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Commonwealth of Australia and Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Department of Home Affairs — Immigration and citizenship
Department of Home Affairs (Australia) - verified
- SIRI - The Faroe Islands and Greenland
Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) - verified
- Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
Department of Home Affairs - verified
- SIRI - Work in Greenland
Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) - verified
Commonwealth of Australia
Australia operates a points-based SkillSelect system for permanent and provisional skilled visas alongside employer-sponsored subclasses (482 TSS, 186 ENS, 494 Regional), Working Holiday Maker subclasses, and student and global talent visas.
- Official portal
- Department of Home Affairs (Australia)
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Australian dollar
Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)
Greenland Visa Atlas coverage is based on SIRI / New to Denmark official pages for Greenland and the Government of Greenland portal for jurisdiction context. The current packet covers Greenland-specific short-stay visa handling, work permits, Fast Track, sideline employment, family reunification, accompanying family, higher education, PhD study, basic/youth study, internship, au pair and permanent residence; users should not assume ordinary mainland Denmark or Schengen rules apply automatically to Greenland.
- Languages
- Greenlandic, Danish
- Currency
- Danish krone
How Commonwealth of Australia and Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) differ
| Dimension | Commonwealth of Australia | Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 9 | 10 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 6 | 2 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 7 | 1 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Arrival on 482 → 186 ENS after 2 years (Specialist Skills Pathway) or 3-4 years (Core Skills) → PR → citizenship after 4 years from arrival (minimum 12 months as PR). | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) | Work in Greenland |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | — |
| Skilled visa processing time | Home Affairs publishes a typical decision window of 6–12 months for the subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, counted from the date you lodge. Because 189 is points-tested and invitation-only, much of the real waiting often happens earlier – in the SkillSelect pool, waiting for an invitation to apply. | — |
| Skilled visa government fees | The Australia subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa costs roughly A$6,640 for a single primary applicant once the current VAC, a police clearance and an indicative health examination are included, before skills-assessment and English-test costs. | — |
| Official languages | English | Greenlandic, Danish |
| Currency | Australian dollar | Danish krone |
| Primary regulator | MARA | SIRI |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Commonwealth of Australia
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- The Australia subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa costs roughly A$6,640 for a single primary applicant once the current VAC, a police clearance and an indicative health examination are included, before skills-assessment and English-test costs.
- Processing time
- Home Affairs publishes a typical decision window of 6–12 months for the subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, counted from the date you lodge. Because 189 is points-tested and invitation-only, much of the real waiting often happens earlier – in the SkillSelect pool, waiting for an invitation to apply.
- Sponsor required
- No
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)
Work in Greenland
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Routes unique to Commonwealth of Australia
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
skilled-migration
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
skilled-migration
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
skilled-migration
Working Holiday Maker visa (subclass 417/462)
youth-mobility
National Innovation visa (formerly Global Talent)
work-unsponsored
Routes unique to Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)
Visa routes side by side
Commonwealth of Australia (9)
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Up to 4 years; Hong Kong passport holders may be granted up to 5 years.
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · 5 years provisional, with pathway to permanent residence.
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Working Holiday Maker visa (subclass 417/462)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 12 months per grant; up to 3 visas with qualifying specified work.
National Innovation visa (formerly Global Talent)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Australian Student visa (subclass 500)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Programme length plus small buffer.
Partner visa (subclass 820/801, 309/100)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial provisional to permanent residence.
Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) (10)
Visa to Greenland
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Short-stay visit permission, generally up to 90 days where the official visa page applies.
Work in Greenland
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Residence and work permission as granted for the approved Greenland job.
Fast Track Greenland
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Residence and work permission as granted under the Fast Track Greenland route.
Sideline Employment in Greenland
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Work permission for sideline employment as granted.
Family Reunification in Greenland
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Residence permission as granted for the approved Greenland family basis.
Accompanying Family in Greenland
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Residence permission linked to the principal work or study permit, as granted.
Higher Education or PhD Study in Greenland
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Study residence permission as granted for the approved programme or PhD basis.
Basic, Youth Study or Internship in Greenland
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Residence permission as granted for the approved study or internship basis.
Au Pair in Greenland
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Au pair residence permission as granted by SIRI.
Permanent Residence Permit in Greenland
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence if approved under the current Greenland rules.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Commonwealth of Australia or Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)?+
Commonwealth of Australia’s Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is the dominant skilled route; Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark)’s Work in Greenland is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Commonwealth of Australia or Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Commonwealth of Australia has more: 6 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 2 for Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark). No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Commonwealth of Australia vs Greenland (self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark) immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/australia/vs/greenland. Last verified 30 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons