6 Ways to Emigrate to Australia

For quite some time I dreamed that I would someday emigrate to Australia. The thought of nice beaches, friendly folks, and plentiful beer (okay, there’s lots of great beer in Canada too!) seemed to tempt me day after day. One day I finally decided to take the next step and figure out what it would take for me to actually be able to make the jump.

What follows is my research into the various options available to individuals looking to live and work in the “Land Down Under”.

1) Employer Sponsored Visa

For individuals looking to emigrate to Australia for work, the most direct route to take would be to secure a job offer in a skill that’s in demand. The Australian economy is booming at the moment and there are shortages across the board in skilled professions. To be eligible for this visa, you need to be over 18 and under 45, have a letter of offer from a legal Australian business, the position offered should be on the skilled occupation list (SOL) be in good health, meet all the character requirements, and be proficient in the English language.

For a complete list of requirements, check here.

2) Skilled Independent Visa

The skilled independent visa is similar to the employer sponsored visa, but with a few major differences. The first is that a candidate must be subjected to an evaluation to determine their suitability for emigrating to Australia. The test awards points for the candidate’s skilled trade, English speaking ability, age, health, etc. A score of at least 120 much be achieved for the candidate to be considered for a visa.

View the points calculator here.

3) Australian Travel Visa (Working while on holiday)

This visa is intended for people between 18-30 years old who spend a portion of their holiday working in Australia. This visa entitles the holder to be able to stay in Australia for up to 12 months. The visa holder may also work for legal Australian business while there, but they may not work for the same employer for more than 3 months.

This is a fantastic way for young people to visit this beautiful country without having to go broke in the process. I’ve heard from a number of people who have done this and they said they’ve had absolutely wonderful times.

4) Students

If you wish to do your post-secondary study in Australia, you can apply for a Higher Education temporary visa. This visa enables you study in Australia, to take eligible dependants with you, and allows you and your family to apply for work in the country. The criterion for eligibility for this visa includes an assessment which focuses on your nation of origin as well as your course of study.

5) Retiring in Australia

Although they are offered, retirement visas can be tough to obtain. A few of the major criteria for retiring in Australia are your health and your pocket book. If you are considering retiring in Australia, you should be very financially secure and in reasonable health as being a potential burden on the country’s health care system could work against you.

6) Tourists

So you aren’t looking to emigrate to Australia, but you are looking to visit for pleasure purposes. Well, for all visitors who aren’t citizens of New Zealand, you will have to register for a visitor visa, or if you hold a passport from an eligible country, you can apply for an electronic travel authority (ETA). An ETA will allow you to stay in the country for up to 3 months. To find out if your country is on the eligible list for an ETA, you can visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship's website

If your country isn’t on the ETA eligible list, then you will have to apply for a visitor visa which will allow you to stay in the country for between 3-6 months (12 months in certain circumstances). You can view the requirements here.

For further information on how to emigrate to Australia, check out the following refernce book (available at Amazon.com):

Skilled - Independent Visa

The skilled independent visa is the visa of choice for people looking to emigrate to Australia for work and to live. This visa is intended for a candidate that works in a skilled trade and who has yet to find an employer to sponsor them.

What does this visa entitle you to do?

Basically, this visa allows you to become permanent residents of Australia which entitles you to the following:

- permanently live and work in Australia
- makes you eligible for subsidized health care
- apply for Australian citizenship
- allows you to sponsor people for permanent residence

Eligibility

To be successful in your application for this visa, you must accumulate a score of at least 120 on a points test that awards you on everything from age to your skill. The major weighting on this test centers around the skill of the individual looking to emigrate to Australia. You can view the skilled occupation list (SOL) to view what positions are in demand as well as the corresponding points that are awarded. The SOL is actually a PDF document from the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship, so be patient with it loading.

A significant amount of points are awarded as well for your English speaking ability. It should come as no surprise that visa candidates whose native tongue is English receive a greater share of points than those who have trouble with the language.

Check your own eligibility

The Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship have also constructed a points calculator that enables you to determine whether or not you meet the requirements to get this visa. It's quite straight forward and easy to use. You'll be able to quickly determine whether or not you'll likely be successful in your application.

For more information on applying for the skilled independent visa to emigrate to Australia, visit the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenships website.

Brush up on Aussie Values if You Want to Emigrate to Australia

The Australian government has released a draft document detailing a new citizenship test that people looking to emigrate to Australia will have to pass. A score of 12 out of the 20 questions (which come from a pool of 200) will be required.

The values upon which the hopeful candidate will be tested include: respect for the equal worth, dignity, and freedom of the individual; freedome of speech and religion; freedom of association; and tolerance, mutual respect and compassion.

A quirk of the new test, will that it will also test the candidate's knowledge of "mateship". Although I've heard the word tossed about, I've never had a firm grasp of what it actually meant...until I sought it out from Wikipedia:

Mateship can be defined as the code of contact, particularly between men, although more recently also between men and women, stressing egalitarianism, equality, loyalty and friendship.

After first reading about this test of a candidates knowledge of "mateship" I may have rolled my eyes. But after reviewing the definition, maybe it's not a bad idea for people looking to emigrate to Australia to learn how fellow Australians would treat each other.

Now Easier to Emigrate to Austrlia for Skilled English Speakers

The Australian government has announced changes to its immigration policy in the hope of enticing more young, skilled, English speaking workers to emigrate to Austrlia. According to the report that was found on newswiretoday.com on August 16, the major change that will take place is the points awarded for passing a standardized English language test. The report says:

Previously, professional workers struggled to reach the 120 point threshold for a Skilled Visa leading to permanent residency because they were only awarded 20 points for their English language ability. However, as of September 1, anyone passing an optional standardized English language test will receive 25 points rather than 20.

Although the change seems minor, the Australian government are hoping it will boost immigration numbers to an all-time high. The government is mainly hoping to attract workers in fields that are in high demand such as IT, engineering, dentistry, medical, teaching, and human resources. You can view the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) for a complete list of sought after positions.

For more information on emigrating to Australia, be sure to check out The Immigration Kit: A Practical Guide to Australia's Immigration Law