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Immigration to Australia
By John Davids | February 28, 2010
Immigration to Australia is really a process which a lot more and more people are now looking towards as the nation continues to gain popularity amongst expats about the world. While on the surface the process to obtain visas and the necessary clearance to live and perform in Australia might seem complicated and potentially long winded, should you break down each specific process into separate stages this will help you to understand what is required and what you have to do.
So why would you move to Australia?
There are lots of reasons why people go to Australia including the weather, education, employment prospects, family and possibly a new start. Whatever your reason for looking towards a go to Australia there is going to be a visa and an entrance route to suit your needs. However, whether you qualify for that relevant visas or long term residency remains to be seen.
Visas obtainable
Immigration to Australia is split into various various categories which contain tourist visas, employment visa, company visas, student visas and spouse, partner, de facto visas. The first decision you have to make when you decide to move to Australia is which of these visas greatest suits your scenario. You have to become aware that if you’re seeking 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 populace
For those looking to move to Australia the fairly open immigration policy of the past is nevertheless present although a number of potential weaknesses in the visa procedure have been addressed. Nevertheless, if you’re seeking to move to Australia for the long-term you may be relieved to know that like may be the Australian economy’s dependence upon immigration and skilled employees that this may be the cause why the populace of Australia has quadrupled because Globe 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 also the nation has a gross domestic product per capita which is greater than that from the UK, US and France to name but a few. That is a nation that is on the up and up and skilled workers have in no way been more welcomed than today with numerous locations of the Australian employment marketplace nevertheless under catered for through the conventional 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 about the globe. Not only does this open up Australia to outside eyes but also compliments the Australian economy and has opened numerous 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 functioning holiday visas
Australian functioning holiday visas are also growing in popularity with more people looking to sample life in Australia while working to pay for their adventure. There are numerous restrictions concerning what you are able to and what you cannot 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 months working for numerous employers to cover your costs.
Australian company visa
For all those who have Australian company connections it might be essential to attend numerous meetings more than the years, something which has noticed the creation of the Australian company visa. The conventional Australian company visa will last for 12 several weeks and permit the recipient to arrive and go as they please even though any one stay can’t extend past 90 days. For those with long-term business interests in the country there’s the chance to acquire an extended Australian business 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 between 1 day and four years. Whilst the authorities are obviously concerned about any possible overlap with the conventional Australian employment marketplace they have given various options to employers to bring in overseas employees. The need to fill numerous gaps within the Australian economy and bring in foreign employees wherever required has never been more vital and is something the authorities are keen to continue with.
General skilled migration visa
The general skilled migration visa is an additional employment option that is basically centred round foreign nationals seeking to move to Australia who hold of specific abilities and experience which would be useful in the Australian employment market. Due towards the ongoing requirement to fill various gaps within the marketplace there’s the opportunity for any fast-track visa application whether the applicant is able to prove the require for their particular abilities or hopefully have an employment position obtainable upon entry to the nation.
Spouse, partner and de facto visas
As we touched on above, if you are 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 specific circumstances. Nevertheless, there’s a strict visa application procedure for these specific visas due towards the increase in fraudulent applications over the years. The have 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 can expect the basic visas such as tourist and long remain business visas to take around 1 month to procedure. Other visas like as labour agreements, employer nominated applicants and regional sponsored migration schemes can get around 3.5 several weeks to procedure and business abilities visas can take upwards of six several weeks. These figures relate to so called “low risk countries” and you are able to usually add a 50% premium to the timescale for applicants living in so known as “high danger countries”.
However, it must be noted that those with specific skills and perform experience which are required immediately through the Austrian employment market might be fast tracked and receive their visas much quicker than the above timescales.
Applying for long term residency in Australia
It’s possible to apply for long term residency in Australia with the two main programs referred to as the “migration program” and also the “humanitarian program”.
Migration software
The migration software is basically a fast-track method to bring in the number of skilled migrants towards the Australian workforce so that they can contribute to areas from the employment market where domestic availability may be low. Official statistics show that recently the government has been granting about 140,000 migration software visas a yr even though this could rise significantly within the years ahead.
Humanitarian software
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 is a difference between a long term resident and an Australian citizen although usually a long term residents visa will predominantly lead to an Australian citizenship if the holder so wishes. Holders of a permanent residency visa are entitled to remain in the nation indefinitely even though as using 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 right after the five-year period is up they will have to apply for any resident return visa to avoid any travel issues within 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 include:-
Unrestricted rights to live, work and study in the country
Very few limitations on employment within the nation
All long term residents will have the proper to apply for full Australian citizenship if they fulfil the required requirements
Inclusion in the state education system wherever domestic fees are met by the 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 advantages is going to be obtainable after a maximum two year waiting period
The proper to free travel to and from New Zealand
The proper 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 within 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 year within the early 90s
UK expats make up the largest foreign grouping inside the Australian populace with nicely more than 1 million estimated to reside in Australia
The ongoing influx of immigrants to Australia, many of whom arrive via the migration software, 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 many years to fill numerous weaknesses in the Australian domestic employment market. This policy has worked well for that authorities and even though the estimated figure of 300,000 immigrants for 2008/09 has been revised downwards it’s nevertheless expected that upwards of 250,000 expats will have entered the country during the financial year.
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.
Want to find out more about our Australian immigration service, then visit the HWC Immigration Services website and take the free Australian Immigration Assessment
Topics: Travel |
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