Australia Visa Requirements
As with other visas, Australians visas implement certain requirements. These requirements vary depending on the type of visa involved.
For skilled immigration visas, applicants should not be older than 45 years. No waiver is applicable for this criteria. Since Australia is an English-speaking country, applicants are also required to be proficient in English. Applicants who do not have English as their primary language are made to undergo an English assessment test. The occupation being applied for by the applicant should also be included in the Skilled Occupations List issued by the government of Australia. The validity of the qualification of an applicant in his or her chosen occupation will be verified by undergoing an exam monitored by authorities in the said occupation. Apart from these, applicants should be able to show a history of relevant work experience with documented evidences.
Meanwhile, those who wish to go to Australia through the sponsorship of a certain company should ensure that the sponsor is a lawful business and that it meets the documented sponsorship obligations. Among these obligations are meeting the cost of return travel by the sponsored person and deducting tax from the employee’s salary. Likewise, the sponsor should agree to pay the applicant A$39,100 for most occupations and A$50,775 for information technology jobs.
Visa applicants who intend to go to Australia for visiting purposes are also required to meet certain criteria. If the applicant is coming from a high-risk country, evidences of commitment to the home country should be provided. This would translate to the applicant’s commitment to return to his or her country after his or her stay in Australia. In case of tourist visas not falling under ETA’s, applicants are required to show proof that he or she has at least A$1,000 per month plus return airfare.
Those who have been denied their application for tourist visas because of reasons such as “high-risk of the home country” may still qualify for sponsored visitor visas. In this case, a requirement would be for the applicant to have relatives in Australia who are willing to pay a bond for him or her. However, the applicant is still required to return to his or her home country after a period of three months.
For skilled immigration visas, applicants should not be older than 45 years. No waiver is applicable for this criteria. Since Australia is an English-speaking country, applicants are also required to be proficient in English. Applicants who do not have English as their primary language are made to undergo an English assessment test. The occupation being applied for by the applicant should also be included in the Skilled Occupations List issued by the government of Australia. The validity of the qualification of an applicant in his or her chosen occupation will be verified by undergoing an exam monitored by authorities in the said occupation. Apart from these, applicants should be able to show a history of relevant work experience with documented evidences.
Meanwhile, those who wish to go to Australia through the sponsorship of a certain company should ensure that the sponsor is a lawful business and that it meets the documented sponsorship obligations. Among these obligations are meeting the cost of return travel by the sponsored person and deducting tax from the employee’s salary. Likewise, the sponsor should agree to pay the applicant A$39,100 for most occupations and A$50,775 for information technology jobs.
Visa applicants who intend to go to Australia for visiting purposes are also required to meet certain criteria. If the applicant is coming from a high-risk country, evidences of commitment to the home country should be provided. This would translate to the applicant’s commitment to return to his or her country after his or her stay in Australia. In case of tourist visas not falling under ETA’s, applicants are required to show proof that he or she has at least A$1,000 per month plus return airfare.
Those who have been denied their application for tourist visas because of reasons such as “high-risk of the home country” may still qualify for sponsored visitor visas. In this case, a requirement would be for the applicant to have relatives in Australia who are willing to pay a bond for him or her. However, the applicant is still required to return to his or her home country after a period of three months.
Emigrating to Australia
Many people emigrate to Australia every year. According to a survey, over 150,000 people emigrated from the UK to Australia or New Zealand in 2008. First you will need to find out whether you are eligible for a visa. There are a number of visas you can get to allow you to emigrate to Australia.
Broadly, the visas fall into the following categories:
• Skilled migrants
• Entrepreneurs and business people
• Investors
• Family sponsorship
• Working holidays
Skilled migrants
Skilled migrant visas fall into three categories: independent, sponsored and regional sponsored.
If you are a skilled tradesperson, for example an electrician, plumber, builder or the visa option for you is probably the skilled migrant route. Similarly, if you are trained in the medical profession or are in middle or senior management, finance or IT then you may be eligible for the skilled migrant route.
Eligibility will be judged against the Australian Skilled Occupation List (SOL), which is a points system based on the occupations that are needed in Australia.
Entrepreneurs and business people
If you are looking to buy or start a business in Australia and have at least two years experience in running a business, or you would like to invest a substantial amount in purchasing a business, then the route for you is Business Investment.
The Business Skills Program is divided into four categories:
• Business owner - for owners or part-owners of a business
• Senior executive - for senior executive employees of major businesses
• Investor - for investors/business people willing to invest in Australia
• Business talent - for high-calibre business people who have sponsorship from a State/Territory government
Family sponsorship
If you have family in Australia, depending on your circumstances, it may be possible for your family to sponsor you.
The following people can apply for family sponsorship to emigrate to Australia:
• Spouse/spouse-to-be/same-sex partner
• Child/orphan relative/adopted child
• Parent
• Other dependent family member
Working Holiday
Those aged between 18 and 29 who wish to work temporarily in Australia can apply for a working holiday visa. With this visa you can work for up to six months for an employer in Australia and you'll need to do a minimum of three months' agricultural work.
Broadly, the visas fall into the following categories:
• Skilled migrants
• Entrepreneurs and business people
• Investors
• Family sponsorship
• Working holidays
Skilled migrants
Skilled migrant visas fall into three categories: independent, sponsored and regional sponsored.
If you are a skilled tradesperson, for example an electrician, plumber, builder or the visa option for you is probably the skilled migrant route. Similarly, if you are trained in the medical profession or are in middle or senior management, finance or IT then you may be eligible for the skilled migrant route.
Eligibility will be judged against the Australian Skilled Occupation List (SOL), which is a points system based on the occupations that are needed in Australia.
Entrepreneurs and business people
If you are looking to buy or start a business in Australia and have at least two years experience in running a business, or you would like to invest a substantial amount in purchasing a business, then the route for you is Business Investment.
The Business Skills Program is divided into four categories:
• Business owner - for owners or part-owners of a business
• Senior executive - for senior executive employees of major businesses
• Investor - for investors/business people willing to invest in Australia
• Business talent - for high-calibre business people who have sponsorship from a State/Territory government
Family sponsorship
If you have family in Australia, depending on your circumstances, it may be possible for your family to sponsor you.
The following people can apply for family sponsorship to emigrate to Australia:
• Spouse/spouse-to-be/same-sex partner
• Child/orphan relative/adopted child
• Parent
• Other dependent family member
Working Holiday
Those aged between 18 and 29 who wish to work temporarily in Australia can apply for a working holiday visa. With this visa you can work for up to six months for an employer in Australia and you'll need to do a minimum of three months' agricultural work.
Australia Work Visas
Non-Australian residents who wish to work in Australia can either look for an Australian company that is willing to sponsor them or if applicable, apply for a working holiday visa.
Temporary residence visas are given to those non-Australian residents who have been sponsored by the company they have applied for. This is the same visa granted to people who visit Australia for special purposes such as entertainment performances and sports competitions.
Meanwhile, a working holiday visa is also available for people coming from United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, Malta and the Republic of Korea. Like the temporary residence visa, it gives people from the said countries the opportunity to work in Australia to earn supplementary income. The difference is that this visa is actually based on tourist purposes. The main goal is to allow owners to visit and tour Australia for about a year but at the same time, give them a chance to earn money that may be helpful in paying for the expenses they incur during their stay. This visa has been very popular in Australia such that it accounted for almost 80,000 visitors in 2000-2001 and 85,000 in 2001-2002.
Apart from temporary residence and working holiday visas, the government of Australia has also launched a skilled immigration program to remedy the problem of skill shortages in their workforce. By this year, it is estimated that an additional of 20,000 visas will be made available for qualified workers. To attract more applicants, the government even boasts of its statistics that confirm almost nine out ten skilled independent visa holders gain employment within the first 6 months. Applicants are assessed by way of a point system. They will be rated based on certain categories. Assessments can be done by consulting Australian embassies or by contacting legitimate travel agencies. There are also sites that offer free pre-assessment online. The applicant will be asked to answer a survey form, which contains questions related to civil status, work experience, skills and language skills. Results of the pre-assessment are mailed to the address the applicant provided.
Temporary residence visas are given to those non-Australian residents who have been sponsored by the company they have applied for. This is the same visa granted to people who visit Australia for special purposes such as entertainment performances and sports competitions.
Meanwhile, a working holiday visa is also available for people coming from United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Canada, Malta and the Republic of Korea. Like the temporary residence visa, it gives people from the said countries the opportunity to work in Australia to earn supplementary income. The difference is that this visa is actually based on tourist purposes. The main goal is to allow owners to visit and tour Australia for about a year but at the same time, give them a chance to earn money that may be helpful in paying for the expenses they incur during their stay. This visa has been very popular in Australia such that it accounted for almost 80,000 visitors in 2000-2001 and 85,000 in 2001-2002.
Apart from temporary residence and working holiday visas, the government of Australia has also launched a skilled immigration program to remedy the problem of skill shortages in their workforce. By this year, it is estimated that an additional of 20,000 visas will be made available for qualified workers. To attract more applicants, the government even boasts of its statistics that confirm almost nine out ten skilled independent visa holders gain employment within the first 6 months. Applicants are assessed by way of a point system. They will be rated based on certain categories. Assessments can be done by consulting Australian embassies or by contacting legitimate travel agencies. There are also sites that offer free pre-assessment online. The applicant will be asked to answer a survey form, which contains questions related to civil status, work experience, skills and language skills. Results of the pre-assessment are mailed to the address the applicant provided.
Finding a Job in Australia
This part of our emigrating to Australia guide looks at finding a job in Australia...
As with other English speaking countries, Australia is committed to equal employment opportunities for all, and your qualifications and work experience (and to a lesser extent flexibility) will determine career, not your nationality.
Depending on your qualifications and experience, job prospects may be better in one part of Australia than elsewhere. For example, if you have a background in manufacturing companies, you will have more chance of finding a suitable job in Melbourne, and to a lesser extent in Adelaide. If you've worked in finance companies, Sydney is the major centre of employment, while those with a background in resources should look at Perth. You may need to live outside of the major cities though, where there's less competition for jobs.
Bring with you any qualifications, certificates and references you may have when you emigrate. However, bare in mind that the fact that they may have been recognized officially by the government as part of the migration process doesn't mean that an Australian prospective employer will also do so. Local qualifications are generally preferred over others and the majority of migrants to Australia would significantly improve their career prospects by getting an Australian qualification after migrating.
Similarly, the experience you've gained from working outside of Australia won't be viewed in the same way as if you'd spent that time working within Australia. There isn't anything underhand about this, it's just that employers would rather employ people who have worked for companies that they've heard of rather than obscure ones from another country. That's not to say that your past work experience is irrelevant, it's not at all, it's just that you'll be at a disadvantage when applying for jobs that people with in-country experience are also applying for. Therefore, you should be prepared to have to accept lesser jobs (in terms of skills required and pay) until you build up some local experience.
As with other English speaking countries, Australia is committed to equal employment opportunities for all, and your qualifications and work experience (and to a lesser extent flexibility) will determine career, not your nationality.
Depending on your qualifications and experience, job prospects may be better in one part of Australia than elsewhere. For example, if you have a background in manufacturing companies, you will have more chance of finding a suitable job in Melbourne, and to a lesser extent in Adelaide. If you've worked in finance companies, Sydney is the major centre of employment, while those with a background in resources should look at Perth. You may need to live outside of the major cities though, where there's less competition for jobs.
Bring with you any qualifications, certificates and references you may have when you emigrate. However, bare in mind that the fact that they may have been recognized officially by the government as part of the migration process doesn't mean that an Australian prospective employer will also do so. Local qualifications are generally preferred over others and the majority of migrants to Australia would significantly improve their career prospects by getting an Australian qualification after migrating.
Similarly, the experience you've gained from working outside of Australia won't be viewed in the same way as if you'd spent that time working within Australia. There isn't anything underhand about this, it's just that employers would rather employ people who have worked for companies that they've heard of rather than obscure ones from another country. That's not to say that your past work experience is irrelevant, it's not at all, it's just that you'll be at a disadvantage when applying for jobs that people with in-country experience are also applying for. Therefore, you should be prepared to have to accept lesser jobs (in terms of skills required and pay) until you build up some local experience.
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