The Dream of Living and Working in Australia: An Immigration Guide

Australia is a highly developed country in the Oceania region, including countries like New Zealand and Fiji. Indeed, Australia is one of the hottest destinations worldwide for touring, studying, and working abroad. The country’s temperate coastal climate, beautiful beaches, and some major cities like Sydney and Melbourne make it a dream to work in.

Naturally, the immigration pipeline in Australia is jam-packed. If you dream of working and settling in Australia, you must know about the immigration process and the available Australian visa options. 

Luckily, you have landed in the right place. In this article, we will look at eligibility and visa options available for anyone looking to get a job in Australia.

Visa Options to Get a Job in Australia

Australia offers applicants many different types of visas to make the visa process streamlined and more efficient. You have the option to choose from the following visa types:

Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)

This visa requires an employer sponsorship. Under the subclass 186 visa, a registered employer operating in Australia can nominate a foreign individual to reside and work in the country if they cannot find a suitable candidate who already resides in Australia. This visa is highly attractive because it offers permanent residency.

Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)

Through the skilled Independent 189 visa, you can work and stay in Australia indefinitely. This visa is granted to qualified individuals with sufficient points and skills. One of the great things about this visa is that you do not need a sponsor; you just have to prove that your skills can be a valuable asset for any employer. If you wish, this visa also gives you the option of studying along with your employment. After you receive your visa, you also become eligible to sponsor your relative for a permanent residency in Australia. Finally, later down the line, you can also apply for Australian citizenship.

Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)

If you want to be sponsored by the states of Australia itself, then the skilled nominated 190 visa provides permanent residency and employment. In this visa, you are directly sponsored by the territories of Australia. This is a points-based visa, and you must meet the required skills and points requirements before you are invited for a visa application. Also, before applying, you must pass a skills assessment and obtain a positive score.

This visa also comes with a travel component that expires after 5 years. Under this travel component, you can travel to and from Australia. From the moment you are granted this visa, you become a permanent resident of Australia. In case you are outside Australia when you are granted the visa, you become a permanent resident the moment you enter the country.

Eligibility for Working in Australia

The Immigration Authority of Australia takes care of vetting all visa applications and has stipulated some basic requirements before anyone qualifies to work in the country. These requirements are as follows:

• English language: Those who are non-native speakers of English must pass an English language assessment to prove their proficiency. The gold standard is the IELTS exam (International English Language Testing System).
• Health assessment: Before beginning to work in Australia, you must prove that you do not have any chronic illness that can prohibit you from carrying out any duties. The health test is carried out by a doctor registered with the Australian Embassy.
• Character assessment: The moral character of an individual is also assessed before granting a visa. This means past criminal records are checked to see if the applicant has been engaging in any illegal activities.
• Points: The strength of a visa application is evaluated using a points system. You must have collected enough points to qualify for a visa application.
• Debts: If you owe money to the Australian government, you must clear your debt before you are granted a visa.
• Previous visa: Applicants must not have a history of refused or canceled visas in their records.

Is a Sponsor Required?

Not all visas require a sponsor. However, having a sponsor greatly strengthens your application, and you are well on your way to working in Australia, for example, in the subclass 190 visa. There are a few ways of landing a sponsorship. You can either look for a sponsor yourself or express your interest in working in Australia through their SkillSelect program. Through this, you can be found by potential Australian employers who can then offer you a sponsorship.

Take note that expression of interest (EOI) is not the same as completing a visa application. You will still need to go through the visa application and approval process after you have found a sponsor. There is no fee required to complete EOI.

How Long Will the Australian Immigration Process Take?

The processing time for an Australian visa depends on a variety of factors: the number of applicants, the seasonal visa rush, and the complexity of the case. It is not uncommon for applicants to wait for several months before they know the final status of their visa application. To make things easier, the Embassy usually informs you of the average wait time for the visa you are applying for.

How Much will the Australian Visa Process Cost me?

Exactly how much it will cost you to submit an Australian visa application depends on the type of visa you are applying for. For skilled worker visas, the processing cost can start from around AUD 1200 and go past AUD 4000. One of the first things you should do, if you haven’t already, is set up an Australian bank account.

Conclusion

The world is increasingly looking at Australia as an emerging industrial and technological powerhouse. Therefore, living and working in the country has become an attractive prospect. As such, Australia provides numerous options to people living abroad to immigrate and work in their rapidly emerging economy, including the independent 189 visa, the sponsored 186 visa, and many others.

If you have the required skillset and points to qualify for an Australian visa, you, too, can make your dream of working in Australia come true.