Immigration to Australia is really a process which more and a lot more people are now looking towards as the nation continues to gain popularity amongst expats around the world. Whilst on the surface the process to obtain visas and also the necessary clearance to reside and perform in Australia might seem complicated and potentially long winded, should you break down each specific procedure into separate stages this will assist you to understand what is required and what you need to do.

So why would you go to Australia?

There are many reasons why individuals go to Australia including the weather, education, employment prospects, family and possibly a new start. Whatever your reason for searching towards a go to Australia there is going to be a visa and an entrance route to suit your needs. Nevertheless, whether you qualify for that relevant visas or long term residency remains to become noticed.

Visas available

Immigration to Australia is split into numerous various categories which contain tourist visas, employment visa, business visas, student visas and spouse, partner, de facto visas. The first decision you have to make when you decide to go to Australia is which of these visas best suits your situation. You have to become aware that if you’re looking to perform in Australia, and potentially settle-down long-term, a student visa will not suffice nor will a tourist visa cover your scenario for example.

Company visas are predominately for all those from outside of Australia who have to attend meetings in the nation on a regular basis and spouse, partner and de facto visas are for those who are in a relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian resident or a qualifying New Zealand citizen. More and a lot more individuals are going down the employment visa route which has numerous different permutations.

The Australian population

For those looking to go to Australia the fairly open immigration policy from the past is nevertheless present even though a number of potential weaknesses within the visa process have been addressed. However, if you’re looking to go to Australia for that long-term you might be relieved to know that such may be the Australian economy’s dependence upon immigration and skilled workers that this is the reason why the populace of Australia has quadrupled because World War I!

You might be forgiven for thinking that now may be the time for the government to cut back on immigration to Australia but it seems the opposite may be the case. The populace now stands at about 22 million and the country has a gross domestic product per capita which is greater than that of the UK, US and France to name but a few. That is a country which is on the up and up and skilled workers have in no way been a lot more welcomed than today with numerous areas from the Australian employment market still under catered for through the traditional Australian workforce.

While this will change in due course as and when skills imported into the nation are transferred towards the Australian populace it will get some time and it seems as though growth within the economy and numerous sectors will far outstrip the supply of skilled employees for some time to arrive.

Tourist visas

Tourist visas are perhaps the most popular visas relating to Australia because the tourist marketplace continues to grow attracting more and a lot more individuals from around the world. Not only does this open up Australia to outside eyes but also compliments the Australian economy and has opened many new and exciting locations of business.

An Australian tourist visa will usually last up to 12 months and permit the recipient to enter the country on numerous occasions but they will be unable to remain for a lot more than three months in any one visit. It is also worth noting you can only stay within the country if you have a valid tourist visa or other relevant visa.

Australian working holiday visas

Australian working holiday visas are also developing in popularity with more people looking to sample life in Australia whilst functioning to pay for their adventure. You can find numerous restrictions concerning what you are able to and what you can’t do under an Australian working holiday visa but in simple terms you is going to be allowed to travel around the nation for up to 12 several weeks functioning for numerous employers to cover your costs.

Australian company visa

For all those who have Australian business connections it might be vital to attend various meetings over the years, something which has seen the creation from the Australian business visa. The conventional Australian company visa will last for 12 several weeks and permit the recipient to come and go as they please even though any 1 remain cannot extend past 90 days. For all those with long-term business interests in the country there’s the chance to acquire an extended Australian company visa which will mirror the life of their passport.

Australian company sponsored visa

Because of a shortage of workers in Australia many companies have enquired about bringing overseas employees to Australia on short-term contracts which can last among one day and four years. While the authorities are obviously concerned about any potential overlap with the conventional Australian employment market they have given numerous options to employers to bring in overseas workers. The have to fill numerous gaps in the Australian economy and bring in foreign employees where required has never been more essential and is something the authorities are keen to continue with.

General skilled migration visa

The general skilled migration visa is another employment option which is basically centred round foreign nationals seeking to go to Australia who hold of specific abilities and experience which would be useful in the Australian employment marketplace. Due towards the ongoing requirement to fill numerous gaps in the market there’s the opportunity for any fast-track visa application whether the applicant is able to prove the require for their specific abilities or hopefully have an employment position obtainable upon entry to the country.

Spouse, partner and de facto visas

As we touched on above, if you’re in a relationship with an Australian citizen, Australian resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen then there is every chance that you’ll qualify for any spouse, partner or de facto visa, depending on your particular circumstances. However, there is a strict visa application procedure for these specific visas due to the improve in fraudulent applications over the years. The need to prove an ongoing relationship, joint finances and a clean criminal record are just some from the issues which is going to be addressed before the authorities will give the go-ahead for a visa to be granted.

Visa application process

The application procedure will vary depending upon the type of visa you are looking for with many of the simple tourist visas granted nearly immediately if for example you already hold a valid passport from countries such as Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan or the United Kingdom. This list may vary from time to time and with the likes from the EU expanding on an ongoing basis other passports are likely to be accepted within the future.

Average visa application timescales

Whilst there are no strict timescales regarding Australian visa applications you are able to expect the basic visas such as tourist and lengthy remain company visas to get around one month to procedure. Other visas such as labour agreements, employer nominated applicants and regional sponsored migration schemes can take about 3.5 months to procedure and business skills visas can take upwards of six several weeks. These figures relate to so known as “low risk countries” and you can usually add a 50% premium to the timescale for applicants living in so known as “high danger countries”.

Nevertheless, it must be noted that individuals with particular skills and work experience which are required instantly through the Austrian employment marketplace might be fast tracked and receive their visas much quicker than the above timescales.

Applying for long term residency in Australia

It’s feasible to apply for long term residency in Australia using the two main programs referred to as the “migration program” and the “humanitarian program”.

Migration software

The migration software is basically a fast-track method to bring in a quantity of skilled migrants to the Australian workforce so that they can contribute to areas of the employment market where domestic availability might be low. Official statistics show that recently the federal government has been granting about 140,000 migration program visas a year even though this could rise considerably within the many years ahead.

Humanitarian program

Like most countries about the world the Australian federal government has introduced a humanitarian software which allows refugees from troubled countries to seek long term residency in Australia. Official figures indicate that upwards of 10,000 humanitarian program visas are regularly granted every year to individuals eligible to remain in the country.

Australian permanent residents

There’s a difference between a permanent resident and an Australian citizen even though usually a long term residents visa will predominantly lead to an Australian citizenship if the holder so wishes. Holders of the long term residency visa are entitled to remain in the nation indefinitely even though as with the migration program they may nicely be provided having a five-year visa which runs alongside their permanent residency visa. Inside the five-year period they can travel overseas and return to Australia with no problems even though after the five-year period is up they will need to apply for a resident return visa to avoid any travel issues in the future.

Even if holders of a long term residency visa don’t decide to travel overseas they are entitled to stay within the nation indefinitely, even though they’ll not have the same rights as an Australian citizen.

Benefits of a long term resident status

There are many benefits associated with a long term residency visa in Australia which contain:-

Unrestricted rights to live, work and study in the country

Very few limitations on employment in the country

All long term residents will have the proper to apply for full Australian citizenship if they fulfil the required requirements

Inclusion within the state education system where domestic fees are met by the federal government

The proper to sponsor relatives who are seeking to move to Australia

Children born of Australian permanent residents will automatically gain Australian citizenship on birth

Medical and social security benefits will be obtainable after a maximum two yr waiting period

The right to free travel to and from New Zealand

The right to live, perform and study in New Zealand

Statistics regarding Immigration to Australia

As we mentioned above, the Australian authorities have depended upon immigration for many many years to fulfil the requirement for skilled workers inside the Australian economy. Some interesting statistics are noted below:-

The Australian populace has quadrupled because World War I predominantly simply because from the open immigration policy

It’s estimated that 250,000 new immigrants entered Australia within the financial yr 2008/09 – this figure was revised downwards from 300,000 due towards the economic situation

Immigration to Australia has increased dramatically from about 30,000 a yr in the early 90s

UK expats make up the largest foreign grouping inside the Australian population with nicely over 1 million estimated to reside in Australia

The ongoing influx of immigrants to Australia, many of whom arrive via the migration program, are starting to have a major impact on Australian property prices

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the Australian government has depended upon immigration to Australia for numerous years to fill numerous weaknesses in the Australian domestic employment marketplace. This policy has worked nicely for that authorities and even though the estimated figure of 300,000 immigrants for 2008/09 has been revised downwards it is still expected that upwards of 250,000 expats will have entered the country during the financial yr.

The a lot more well-liked Australia becomes the longer the processing time when applying for numerous visas and long term residency but this has not put off a developing quantity of expats seeking to make a new life overseas. There are many advantages and attractions of living in Australia which contain a developing economy, a varied culture, relatively high standard of living, demand for skilled workers and above all a country whose prospects overall have improved significantly in recent times.

We are a Registered Migration Agent, and offer a free Immigration Assessment for Australia. Visit our website for more details on migrating to both Australia and New Zealand