Migrating to Australia

Why Australia?

Australia is a nation of migrants. Throughout Australia’s history, millions of migrants have helped build our country. We welcome people from some 200 countries to Australia. Twenty-two per cent of our population was born overseas.

Australia has a welcoming attitude to migrants, political and economic advantages and offers an excellent lifestyle. Australians are well known for their open and friendly nature.

The Australian Government actively encourages and supports foreign investment through a range of services and programs. While the majority of foreign investment in Australia does not require approval, almost all proposals that are subject to approval are approved by the Foreign Investment Review Board.

With one of the highest standards of living in the world, Australia offers a superb climate, a unique and beautiful environment, and quality social and cultural infrastructure. Four of Australia's mainland capital cities have been ranked in the top nine liveable cities in the world (Source: Economist Intelligence Unit – Liveability Rating, 2007).

Australia's cost of living is significantly lower than many other developed countries, including the UK, Germany, Japan, China, Hong Kong, and Singapore (Source: IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2008). Expatriates and visitors alike find Australia both attractive and affordable, offering high quality housing, education, and health care (Source: EIU 2005).

While the IMF has said that the global financial crisis presents serious downside risks to the global economy, Australia is expected to continue to record modest growth (1.8 per cent in 2008-09) and compares favourably with most other advanced economies (Source: IMF November 2008 World Economic Outlook Update).

Live the lifestyle

Australia’s lifestyle attracts people from all over the world. The country’s quality of life was judged the best in the Asia-Pacific region by the 2007 World Competitiveness Yearbook.

Combined with all the other attributes Australia offers, including the relatively low cost of living, it’s not only a leading location for international companies but the destination of choice for their employees.

Living Standards

Australia's human development index (HDI) is the third best in the world, behind only Norway and Ireland (Source: UNDP, Human Development Report 2007/2008). Australia's life expectancy (81 years) has been judged fifth highest in the world behind Hong Kong, Iceland, Japan and Switzerland (Source: Ibid).

Australian cities are regularly judged to be among the most liveable in the world across by a range of international surveys. Five Australian capital cities are ranked in the top eleven most liveable cities in the world.

According to Mercer Human Resource Consulting’s Quality of Living Survey for 2008, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane are all among the top 35 cities in the world in which to live, and ranked ahead of notable cities such as London, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo and New York.

Room to move

Australia has space in abundance. It is the sixth largest country in the world, but with one of the world’s lowest population, densities at an average of only three people per square kilometre.

Affordable

Australia has the third lowest cost of living in the major developed world, behind only USA and New Zealand (Source: IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2008).

Education and training

The quality of Australia’s education and training sector is internationally recognised. The country has well-designed private, state and federal-funded education systems offering high quality primary, secondary and tertiary education, and extensive vocational training, including specialised institutions for teaching English. International students at Australian schools can continue their schooling at US and European educational institutions without difficulty.

Sport and recreation

Australians not only work hard, they play hard. Their love of sports is famous. New facilities created for the 2000 Olympics and 2006 Commonwealth Games, along with many other centres, provide options to view and participate in many sports.

Australians also love the outdoors. Australia has more than 7,000 beaches – more than any other country in the world. Thousands of kilometres of coastline create access to all water sports. Mountain ranges in Victoria and New South Wales offer a choice of snow sports and hundreds of state and national parks provide access to vast, pristine wilderness areas.

Culture

Australia supports a thriving national and local art, theatre, dance, film, opera and music scene which attracts many international performers and artists. Australian restaurants are creating an international reputation for their fresh and inviting menus.

The print and broadcast media is robust and lively, with about 1,200 lifestyle and other magazines – among the most per capita in the world – catering for all tastes.

A society to grow in

Living in Australia is to share in the culture of openness and a passion for getting the most out of life. Australian society encourages opportunity for all and gives everyone a ‘fair go’, while also fostering a strong spirit of competition.

"We have recruited more than 60 graduates from Australian universities. We have also convinced some Australian engineers to come home from jobs overseas and employed new migrants with significant experience. Put simply, the smart people are deciding where they want to live."

Tony Quick, Director and General Manager,
GKN Aerospace Engineering Services, Australia.

Useful Links

For more info about Australia please refer to the following websites:

Types of Visas

There are a variety of visa streams for people who would like to Migrate to Australia. They can be divided in a few major groups:

1. Skilled Migration Program

This program is for people who are not sponsored by an employer and who have skills in particular occupations required in Australia. Applicants must be over 18 and under 45 years of age, with good English language ability, and recent skilled work experience (after graduation) or a recently completed eligible Australian qualification.

If you are outside of Australia:

Skilled – Independent (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 175)

A permanent visa for professionals and tradespeople with skills in demand in the Australian labour market. Applicants are not sponsored and must pass a points test.

Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) Visa (Subclass 176)

A permanent visa for professionals and tradespeople who are being sponsored by an eligible relative living in Australia or nominated by a participating State or Territory government. Applicants must pass a points test for which the pass mark is lower than that for the Skilled – Independent visa.

Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 475)

A three (3) year provisional visa for professionals and tradespeople who can meet its points test’s lower pass mark and are either in “target lists” of a participating state/territory government, which will sponsor them or who have an eligible relative living in a designated area of Australia willing to sponsor them as well. After living for two (2) years and working for at least one (1) year in a Specified Regional Area, applicants may be able to apply for a permanent visa.

Skilled – Recognised Graduate (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 476)

An 18 month temporary visa for graduates of certain recognised overseas educational institutions who have skills in demand in Australia. There is no points test for this visa.

In Australia:

Skilled – Independent (Residence) Visa (Subclass 885)

A permanent visa for eligible International Students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) academic years of study and for holders of certain temporary visas with skills in demand in Australia. Applicants are not sponsored and must pass a points test.

Skilled – Graduate (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 485)

An 18 month temporary visa for overseas students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) academic years of study. It allows applicants who are unable to pass the points test for one of the permanent visas to remain in Australia for 18 months to gain the skills and experience needed to apply for a permanent or provisional Skilled Migration visa. No points test applies.

Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) Visa (Subclass 886)

A permanent visa for eligible overseas students who have obtained an Australian qualification in Australia as a result of at least two (2) academic years of study and for holders of certain temporary visas with skills in demand in Australia, but who have either an eligible relative in Australia willing to sponsor them or a nomination from a State or Territory government. Applicants must pass a points test for which the pass mark is lower than that for the Skilled – Independent visa.

Skilled – Regional (Residence) Visa (Subclass 887)

A permanent visa for eligible provisional visa holders who have lived in a Specified Regional Area in Australia, for at least two (2) years and worked there in a skilled occupation for at least one (1) year.

Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 487)

A three (3) year provisional visa for professionals and tradespeople who can meet its points test’s lower pass mark and are either in “target lists” of a participating state/territory government, which will sponsor them or who have an eligible relative living in a designated area of Australia willing to sponsor them as well. After living for two (2) years and working for at least one (1) year in a Specified Regional Area, applicants may be able to apply for a permanent visa.

2. Partner Visas

This program is for people who are engaged, formally married, in a de-facto relationship or in an interdependent relationship (the most common example of which is a same-sex relationship) with an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen sponsor.

Prospective Marriage Visa subclass 300

Also known as the “fiancée” visa, this visa is for a person who is engaged, but not yet married, to an Australian Citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. It allows the applicant to travel to Australia and marry their fiancées within 9 months.

Spouse Visa subclass 309/100

This is a visa for people who married to, or in a de-facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and who is outside Australia when they apply. This visa is initially temporary and can lead to permanent residence provided the couple remain together for at least 2 years.

Spouse Visa subclass 820/801

This is a visa for a person who is married to, or who is in a de-facto relationship with, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and who is inside Australia when they apply. This visa is initially temporary and can lead to permanent residence provided the couple remain together for at least 2 years.

Interdependency subclass 310/110

This is a visa for a person who is in an interdependent relationship (mostly a same-sex relationship) with, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and who is outside Australia when they apply. This visa is initially temporary and can lead to permanent residence provided the couple remain together for at least 2 years.

Interdependency subclass 826/814

This is a visa for a person who is in an interdependent relationship (mostly a same-sex relationship) with, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and who is inside Australia when they apply. This visa is initially temporary and can lead to permanent residence provided the couple remain together for at least 2 years.

3. Empoloyer Nominated Migration

The visas covered in this stream are designed to allow Australian employers to sponsor skilled workers from overseas to enter Australia temporarily to work in skilled occupations and/or nominate them for permanent residence.

4. Business Long Stay Visa - subclass 457 (also known as Sponsorship Visa)

TAllows stays of between three months to 4 years, generally where the applicant is sponsored by a business to fill a specific position in Australia. It may lead to permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme.

The Employer Nomination Scheme includes three visas categories:

Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS)
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS), and
Labour Agreements (LAS)

5. Business Skills Migration

The business skills visa category is part of the “Skill Stream” of the migration program, and it caters for business people who:

Are owners (or part-owners) of a business (or businesses), senior executives employed by major businesses or business employees with a high level of management skills who intend to use their business skills to obtain a substantial ownership interest in a new or existing business in Australia and actively participate in that business at a senior management level or;
Have a substantial investment background and are willing to make a substantial investment in State or Territory securities;
Hold certain provisional/temporary visas and have established a business or businesses in Australia.

6. Temporary workers

There are various temporary visas which have work rights, and can be grouped into the following categories

Business Long Stay Visa – subclass 457 (Sponsorship Visa) – allows stays of between three months to 4 years, generally where the applicant is sponsored by a business to fill a specific position in Australia. It may lead to permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme.
Business Visitor Visas – allows stays of up to three months to conduct business activities in Australia for overseas businesses. It does not allow work generally, except for a very few situations.
Holiday/Work Visas – allows stays of up to 12 months where the primary purpose is to visit Australia for tourism, with incidental work. E.g.: working holiday visa (subclass 417), Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462); special program visa (subclass 416).
Training/work visas – allows people to travel to Australia to undertake a specific work-based training course nominated by an Australian organization. E.g.: Occupational Trainee Visa and Professional Development Visa.