|
How to Emigrate to Australia
John
Hartigan writes about the many ways you can choose a life "Down
Under" ...
What is Australia’s attraction
for potential migrants? Apart from the refugee, humanitarian and illegal
influx, every year hundreds of thousands of people from all over the
world apply to come to Australia to share our lifestyle.
Who are these people? The bulk of applicants are skilled and professionals
men and women who have met the ‘Department of Immigration, Multicultural
Indigenous and Affairs' (DIMIA) strict criteria for acceptance, that
is: 1. Applicants are aged under 45 years of age. 2. Have English language
skills necessary for their occupation, 3. Have had their degrees or
trade qualifications assessed by one of the assessing authorities, who
confirm to DIMIA that applicants skills are equal to the same degree
or trade qualification necessary for recognition in Australia, 4 Applicants
have a predetermined level of work experience in their occupation, and
5, applicants meet strict health and character checks.
Family Ties
Other permanent visa applications include family sponsorship. This is
applicable when a new Australian has been a resident for two years,
and wants to bring a close family member to join him or her in Australia.
The overseas relative must meet a new set of DIMIA’s criteria.
Additionally , the sponsoring
relative must have no debts to the Australian government, and it is
unlikely that a person who is receiving social security benefits would
be accepted as a sponsor. With sponsorship comes the necessity for an
‘Assurance of Support'. This is refundable bond paid to Centrelink,
and is retained for two years. If during those two years the sponsored
relative has received any social security payments those payments are
deducted form the bond.
Getting Your Partner In
Partner and parent visas also
play a large part in Australia’s migration program. As the names
imply, partner visas apply when an Australian citizen or permanent resident
wish to bring a non-Australian citizen to join him/her in Australia.
Australian citizens or permanent residents desirous of having their
parents join them in Australia may do so provided the parents meet a
balance of family test. The number of children in the family and their
location determines a balance of family test. Example, if a parent has
two children, one in Australia and one in England, that’s okay.
However if there are three children, one in Australia, and two in England,
the application will be refused. Other rules apply too.
In all family related visas, DIMIA try to help families maintain their
family relationships provided they meet the relevant criteria, including
quotas.
In recent years there have been an increasing number of applications
from retirees and people wanting to start a business in Australia.
Talented People Required!
Australia needs people, and importantly needs skilled people. Every
new skilled migrant is a must asset if Australia is to maintain its
level of industrial output. Without new blood and new ideas Australia
will go backwards.
Aware of this need, DIMIA will grant visas to Approximately 80,000 skilled
migrants this financial year, and that number is to be increased by
a further 20,000 next financial year.
Attracted to Australia
What
is Australia’s attraction? There appear to be three groups in
the main contingent, eg: skilled independent:
Group 1. Are those from Emerging or 'Third World' countries. Applicants
from these countries are usually well established in their careers in
their own countries and have most of the things Australians enjoy. What
they don’t have is hope for their children in the future. Their
countries lack political stability, are over crowded and opportunities
for career advancement are limited.
When these people arrive in Australia they are usually destined to start
their new lives at a lower standard of living and status than enjoyed
in their former countries.
Group 2. Are those people from repressive regimes where freedom of speech
is limited or non-existent. Religious persecution is rampant, and career
advancement is limited because of their political views. Like those
of group 1, most want to migrate for the sake of their children
Group 3. These people come from first world industrialised nations.
For them, Australia is an escape from pollution, overcrowding, declining
education standards, stress and lack of sunshine.
This list doesn’t pretend to be exhaustive or all-encompassing,
it's a broad outline, and some of the reasons for each group wanting
to migrate may apply to all groups.
Putting Your Feet Up
Retirees are self-funded, and
for them emigrating to Australia offers a relaxed lifestyle, healthy
environment and for most, the cost of living in Australia is less than
in their home country.
Opportunities
People wanting to start their
own business in Australia are drawn here because they see our country
as a land of opportunity - a place to establish a brighter and richer
future for their families.
Reasons for Rejection
Hundreds of thousands of people
from all over the world make applications to Australia every year. So
why do so many fail?
Most applications fail because applicants fail to supply adequate information,
or pay insufficient attention to the many pages of questions needed
to be answered to satisfy DIMIA.
Australia needs people but not at any price. DIMIA’s requirements
are stringent, and accuracy in submissions by potential migrants is
of paramount importance. DIMIA doesn’t have the time or resources
to keep writing to applicants asking for explanations of what an applicant
claims.
Many applicants save themselves the risk of failure by employing Migration
Agents to process their paperwork for DIMIA. This is fine provided the
applicant has first checked out who the agent is. In Australia Migration
Agents must be licensed, However, despite efforts by the Migration Agents
Regulation Authority (MARA) to weed out unscrupulous agents there are
still some whose skills are inadequate.
Anyone thinking of migrating to
Australia should first ensure that the agent is licensed. There are
several thousand licensed migration agents operating in Australia, and
several thousand more licensed and unlicensed overseas operatives.
No Visa, No Fee?
While it is difficult to establish an agent’s skill credibility,
the risk can be minimised.
What is being offered, and what are the charges? Ultimately, the only
safeguard is with an agent who offers a 'No Visa, No Fee' service.
An agent offering this service will not risk working for nothing. So
must feel confident that his or her agency can submit a credible application.
In other words A No Visa, No Fee agent is saying ‘At this time,
under the prevailing legislation, with the information given by the
client, we are confident we can prepare a sound application.
Furthermore, an agent offering this service must under law place the
client's money in a trust account until the submission has been accepted,
which may take up to eighteen months for some visas. This agent is also
proving his/her agency is financially stable.
Of the thousands of licensed agents in Australia ,the number offering
a No Visa No Fee service can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
Who Can Help?
If you are considering migrating, bringing out a family member, retiring,
starting your own business or applying under one of the dozens of other
different visa available, you can submit a short application to try
out under their 'No Visa No Fee' policy by
going to
the Web Migration website:
www.webmigration.com.au
emigate
|
