VISA APPLICATINS

VISITOR VISAS

Depending on the exact purpose of your visit and your nationality, there are visa options allowing stays for up to three, six or twelve months. Visitor visas are suitable for people:

• VISITING FAMILY IN AUSTRALIA
• TRAVELLING AS A TOURIST
• ENGAGING IN BUSINESS ACTIVITIES SUCH AS NEGOTIATIONS AND PARTICIPATING IN CONFERENCES OR SEMINARS
• ATTENDING JOB INTERVIEWS OR INVESTIGATING FUTURE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHILE TRAVELLING

Apart from the possibility to engage in genuine unpaid voluntary work, it is important to remember that a Visitor Visa does not allow you to work, provide services or sell goods in Australia. Visitor Visas may in some cases be used for short-term study for up to 3 months, which can be a convenient way to attend a short-term English course.

As with most visas, there is a base application charge for Visitor Visas, however, passport holders from certain countries (most European countries) may be eligible for the free eVisitor visa.

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EMPLOYER SPONSORED VISAS

Australia is a country with a wealth of employment opportunities. In order to satisfy skilled labour market shortages, there are a number of visa pathways that will allow you to live and work as a temporary or permanent resident.

Applicants for Temporary and Permanent Employer Sponsored visas need to fulfil certain English and qualification criteria, need a suitable occupation that is in demand in Australia and an employer who is willing to sponsor them for a visa. The most important sources for finding eligible occupations are the:

• SHORT-TERM SKILLED OCCUPATIONS LIST (STSOL)
• MEDIUM AND LONG-TERM STRATEGIC SKILLS LIST (MLTSSL)

PARTNER / SPOUSE / FIANCE VISAS

Partner and Spouse visas may be available to you if you are in a de-facto relationship, married or engaged to:

• AN AUSTRALIAN PERMANENT RESIDENT
• AN AUSTRALIAN CITIZEN OR
• AN ELIGIBLE NEW ZEALAND CITIZEN

The critical issue for all Partner visas is the assessment by the Department of Immigration as to the “genuineness” of the relationship. The Department will take into consideration financial and social aspects, the nature of your household and your commitment to each other.

Australian Partner visa applications are usually in two stages, the first of which is the issuing of a temporary visa. After two years from the date of application, further evidence must be submitted, showing that the relationship is on going and genuine. If all requirements are satisfied, a permanent visa will be issued.

The Fiancé or Prospective Marriage visa is for people wanting to come to Australia and marry their Australian partner. Marriage must take place within 9 months of arrival. A Partner visa can then be applied for from Australia.

Depending on how long you have been in your relationship, some applicants may be eligible immediately for permanent residency. Permanent residency will let you stay in Australia with the entitlement to work, study, and access Medicare (government subsidised healthcare) benefits, sponsor eligible relatives for visas as well as applying for Australian citizenship.

Partner visa applications have restrictions regarding your location at the time of lodgement and the time of decision. This, along with long processing times makes it extremely important to strategically plan the process so you may begin living and working in Australia at the earliest possible time.

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GLOBAL TALENT VISAS

Australia is working to attract the best and brightest, to help grow a stronger economy. To be granted a visa under the Global Talent Visa Program, an applicant must fulfil the following key requirements

• PROVE THEY ARE INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED WITH EVIDENCE OF OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS
• STILL BE PROMINENT IN THEIR FIELD OF EXPERTISE
• PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT THEY WOULD BE AN ASSET TO AUSTRALIA, IN THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE
• HAVE NO DIFFICULTY OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT IN AUSTRALIA OR BECOMING ESTABLISHED IN THEIR FIELD
• HAVE A RECOGNISED ORGANISATION OR INDIVIDUAL IN AUSTRALIA NOMINATE THEM AS GLOBAL TALENT, IN THE SAME FIELD AS THE APPLICANT
• BE HIGHLY SKILLED IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING 10 TARGET SECTORS:

• RESOURCES
• AGRI-FOOD AND AGTECH
• ENERGY
• HEALTH INDUSTRIES
• DEFENCE, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING AND SPACE
• CIRCULAR ECONOMY
• DIGITECH
• INFRASTRUCTURE AND TOURISM
• FINANCIAL SERVICES AND FINTECH
• EDUCATION

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PARENT VISAS

This visa may allow parents to temporarily or permanently live in Australia if their child is:

• A PERMANENT RESIDENT
• AN AUSTRALIAN CITIZEN OR
• AN ELIGIBLE NEW ZEALAND CITIZEN

To be able to apply for a permanent Parent visa, applicants are required to pass the balance-of-family test, which measures your ties to Australia. To pass this, no more than half of your children should be living outside of Australia. As with all Australian visa applications, health and character requirements must also be met. After lodgment of a Parent visa application and when all legal visa requirements are fulfilled, an application is placed in queue. Shortly before a Parent visa is granted, an Assurance of Support (AoS) with a bond must be provided and a health charge must be paid.

Permanent Parent visas are divided into two categories, the Parent Category and the Contributory Parent Category. Depending on the visa category, the costs for the health charge, periods for the Assurance of Support and bond and the processing times until visa grant, are significantly different. In short, contributory parent visas cost significantly more but the waiting periods are significantly less.

Parent visas are in high demand and processing times can be lengthy. Therefore, strategic planning is essential to establish the best pathway and to ensure you can settle in Australia as soon as possible.

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SKILLED MIGRATION

The Government’s Skilled Migration program has the purpose of attracting skilled and highly employable overseas people to Australia to fill Australia’s skill shortages. There are a variety of options available, the most common categories being the Skilled Independent visa and State Nominated visa. These categories are particularly attractive for overseas professionals, as they do not require sponsorship from an employer.

To begin the process, it is mandatory for applicants to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. This is an online platform used by the Department of Immigration to assist with the skilled migration process. Before submitting your EOI there are a number of requirements that need to be met. Crucial criteria for skilled migration are that:

• APPLICANTS MUST BE UNDER 45 YEARS OF AGE
• HAVE A FORMAL SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR THE NOMINATED OCCUPATION
• HAVE A PROVEN LEVEL OF ENGLISH
• PASS THE “POINTS TEST”, WITH A MINIMUM SCORE OF 65 POINTS.

STUDENT VISAS

Excellent education options combined with the attractive Australian lifestyle draws more than 500.000 international students to Australia each year. Depending on the course of study to be undertaken, there are a variety of Student visas available for:

• Higher Education
• English Language Study
• School Students
• Vocational Training
• Postgraduate Research
• Non-Award Students

To obtain a Student visa, applicants need to:

• be enrolled in a course listed on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students – CRICOS;
• fulfil certain English language requirements;
• have financial means to support themselves; and
• obtain overseas student health insurance cover.

The critical issue for all Student visa applications is to convince the Department of Immigration that you fulfil the "genuine temporary entry criteria". Student visas entitle international students to work for 20 hours a week during the semester and are allowed to work full-time during holidays or upon the commencement of a master by research or a doctorate course. In most cases, they will also allow you to bring dependant family members to Australia for the duration of your study.

Having Australian education qualifications can be a perfect launch pad to gaining employment in Australia and can open up a number of doors for overseas students. Student visas can be a stepping stone for a Graduate visa or may lead you to Employer Sponsored visas or further Skilled visa options.

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