How to migrate to Australia in 2023?
How to Make the Move to Australia in 2023? – A Step-by-Step Guide to Secure Permanent Residency
To kick things off, it’s essential that you grasp the different kinds of migration visas accessible in Australia:
Family Visas: Tailored for individuals in a relationship with an Australian or permanent resident, seeking a partner visa. Also applicable for parents or children of Australian citizens.
Business and Investor Visas: Geared towards those looking to establish a business or invest in the country.
Skilled Visas: Designed for individuals with both work experience and academic qualifications, aiming to migrate within their professional field. These visas are the focus of our discussion in this post, constituting part of the Skilled Migration Program.
What exactly is the Skilled Migration Program in Australia, and how does it operate?
There are two main routes within this program:
1. Employer Visas: These are often referred to as sponsorship visas. To pursue this pathway, you need to secure a job offer in Australia that aligns with your background before applying for a visa.
There are two temporary visas under the Employer Visa stream:
* Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (Subclass 482)
* Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 494)
Additionally, there is one permanent visa available:
* Employer Nomination Permanent Visa (Subclass 186)
2. General Skilled Migration Visas: When people discuss Skilled Migration in Australia, they are usually referring to the General Skilled Migration Visas, also known as “points-tested visas.” This program includes both permanent and temporary visas:
Permanent visas:
* Skilled Independent Permanent Visa (Subclass 189)
* Skilled Nominated Permanent Visa (Subclass 190)
Temporary visa:
* Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 491).
Australian Permanent Residency in 2024:
Your Easy 6-Step Guide through the General Skilled Migration Program
Step 1 - Check if You Qualify
First things first, figure out which occupation category you belong to based on the Australian Immigration criteria and find out which list includes your specific job. Each visa category has its own list, so it’s crucial to locate your occupation in the list that matches the visa you intend to apply for.
If your job isn’t on any of the lists for the three visas, unfortunately, you won’t be eligible for a General Skilled Migration Visa.
We understand this might seem a bit complex (and at times, it truly is), which is why we strongly advise you to collaborate with a certified and experienced Migration Agent like us at CountrywideVisas. Professionals with a track record like ours, having handled thousands of cases, can spot subtle details and legal nuances, guiding you on the most effective visa and migration pathway for your situation.
Step 2 – Skill Check
The next important stage in your journey towards getting permanent residency in Australia is to check whether you can get a thumbs-up from the organization responsible for assessing your skills (also known as your “career validation or recognition”).
Each profession has its own Skills Assessment Authority. For instance:
1. Engineers go through Engineers Australia
2. IT Professionals get assessed by the Australian Computer Society (ACS)
3. Nurses are evaluated by the Australian Nursing & Midwifery Accreditation Council
Marketing professionals turn to VETASSESS
- …and the list goes on.
Each Authority sets its own criteria for approving your skills assessment, including factors like work experience, qualifications, a specific level of English proficiency, and more. Therefore, it’s crucial to familiarize yourself with the skills assessment authority for your occupation and understand their requirements before diving into the visa application process. This way, you can save both time and money by planning accordingly.
Step 3 - Points Test for Skilled Migration Visas
If you’re considering applying for one of the Skilled Migration Visas (189, 190, or 491), it’s important to know that these visas operate on a points system. This means you need to meet specific criteria and earn points in various categories. The Department of Home Affairs uses this system to identify individuals with the skills and qualities they’re seeking.
To be eligible to submit an Expression of Interest for any of these visas, you’ll need a minimum of 65 points. Here’s a breakdown of how points are allocated:
1. Age: You can earn between 0 to 30 points based on your age, with a minimum age of 18 and a maximum of 45.
2. Academic Qualifications: Depending on your educational background, you can receive 0 to 20 points. Points increase if you have a technical certificate/diploma, a Bachelor/Master’s Degree, or a PhD.
3. Work Experience: You can earn 0 to 20 points based on your years of work experience, relevance to the nominated occupation for migration, and whether the experience was gained in Australia or elsewhere.
4. Proficiency in English: All candidates must take an English exam and achieve a minimum score to claim points. Points range from 0 to 20, depending on the exam score.
5. Study in Australia: If you studied in Australia for a minimum of two years and obtained a qualification equivalent to a Diploma or Trade Certificate, you can earn 5 points.
6. Study in Low Population Areas: If your studies in Australia were in a Designated Regional Area, you can earn an additional 5 or 10 points.
7. Accreditation as a Translator: If you’re accredited as a translator of another language in Australia, you can earn 5 points.
8. Skilled Spouse: If your spouse has a skilled occupation and/or a minimum level of Competent English, you can earn 5 to 10 points.
9. Single Applicants: Single applicants receive 10 points to avoid any disadvantage.
10. Professional Year: Completing a Professional Year can earn you 5 points.
11. Nomination/Sponsorship from an Australian State: Depending on your profession, whether a state or territory is seeking that profession, and the visa type, you can earn 5 or 15 points.
Understanding these categories will help you navigate the points system and enhance your chances of a successful visa application.
Step 4 – English Language Proficiency Test
If you’re eyeing a PR in Australia and applying for certain visas, you’ll need to prove your English skills at the Competent level, scoring at least 6 in each test section. To meet this requirement, you’ll have to take an English test. The good news is, if you’re from the UK, US, Canada, Ireland, or New Zealand, you’re already considered to have Competent English, and you won’t have to take the test.
We’ve got another blog post that dives deeper into the world of English tests; feel free to check it out here.
And here’s a pro tip: If you want to boost your SkillSelect points beyond the minimum 65, you can do it by improving your English score. For instance, scoring 7 in each IELTS component gets you an extra 10 points, and if you reach a score of 8, you’ll earn a whopping 20 points.
Step 5 – Showing Your Interest
If you’re thinking about getting a visa for Australia, it’s not as simple as just filling out an application. The Australian Government has a special process where they invite people to apply, whether it’s for the Independent 189 visa or the regional 190 or 491 visa – and this process involves states and territories too.
To get that invitation, you need to express your interest through SkillSelect, a system that automatically picks people based on their points test ranking. So, if you’re aiming for a 189 visa, you might want to aim for a higher score than the minimum of 65 because the competition is pretty tough.
Step 6 – Applying for Your Visa
After receiving an invitation from SkillSelect, the next crucial move toward securing a permanent visa in Australia involves the preparation and submission of your visa application. This is the moment to provide supporting evidence for all the details you previously asserted during the points test stage and Expression of Interest.
