Are
you considering to move to Australia on a temporary
or permanent basis? Would you like to study in Australia?
If your answer is "yes" to one of the above questions,
we at SMCA are the right people to contact. SMCA offers
expert education and immigration advice and services
at affordable rates. This page offers general information
about immigration and education as it applies to Australia.
IMMIGRATION
Australia
is actively seeking skilled migrants of all nationalities.
You too may be able to join the thousands welcomed each
year. Having acceptable qualifications can make it easier
to migrate, and as a permanent resident you can enjoy
full work rights yet not have to give up your present
citizenship.
Immigration
Law can be quite confusing on first sight, not to mention
the time and expenses involved. For us, the Immigration
Law is no obstacle.
We
can help you throughout the complete visa process: from
finding the most suitable visa class for you to completing
your application forms, lodging your application and
liaising with the Immigration authorities, skills assessment
authorities, giving advice about English testing, medical
checks, police clearances, jobs in Australia etc. We
ensure that your transition to Australia is as smooth
as possible.
Our
government registered migration agents are experienced
and successful at preparing a wide range of visas including
Independent, Family Reunion and Business Skills applications.
SMCA can help you or your relatives to live and work
in Australia. SMCA can plan your education and work
experience to maximise your chances of migration.
Let
us do the work for you and take the stress from you.
Your visa application will be in good hands.
The
first step is to fill out the on-line form for migration
assessments. Do it now, or print it out and
fax it.
Migration
Policy
Australia
is one of the few countries in the world actively taking
migrants. Around one
in five Australians comes from a non-English speaking
background and most visitors are impressed by the relative
harmony between the many nationalities that make up
Australia. To become an Australian permanent resident
it is not necessary to give up foreign citizenship.
If you choose to become a citizen you may do so after
two years.
There
are many different classes of visa that may be applied
for and, as would be expected, there is often considerable
bureaucracy and confusion, not to mention time and expense,
involved. Some visas carry work rights and others do
not; some can be applied for in Australia, others cannot;
some can be changed, others cannot. The Migration Act,
Regulations, Policy and Procedures are constantly being
amended and it is very important that the application
is correctly prepared.
Migration
agents
are independent of the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) and must be registered
by the Migration Agents Registration Authority, which
sets quality standards and controls. An agent can be
useful in suggesting the most appropriate course of
action -- there are often a number of options -- and
then preparing the application so that it conforms to
the law, regulations and policy, is processed quickly
and has the best chance of success. There are usually
set fees for different types of visas and services and
these vary from agent to agent.
If
an application is unsuccessful it is possible in some
cases to appeal against the decision. One important
organisation is the Administrative AppealsTribunal (AAT).
At the appeal it is possible to present arguments and
new information in support of your application.
Following
is general information about some of the more common
categories of visa and related topics. Migration regulations
change frequently so please check with the Department of Home Affairs or a registered
migration agent before lodging your application.
General
Skilled Migration (Independent, State/Territory Government or Family Sponsored)
These are points tested, permanent residence visa
categories for people under 45years with acceptable
skills, relevant work experience, and English
language level. Points are scored for: Age, English
language ability, Work experience, Australian/Overseas qualifications, Spouse
skills, State or Territory nomination, Designated area sponsorship, Study in a regional are, Professional Year and Bonus. A skills assessment
is required before the migration application can be
lodged. In some cases experience can make up for a lack
of formal qualifications.
The
pass marks are currently 65 for Skilled-Independent (subclass 189), Skilled-Nominated (subclass 190) and Skilled- Sponsored or Nominated (Provisional) (subclass 491).
Applicants must submit an Expresssion of Interest (EOI) and a visa application may be lodged once an invitation is received. Applicants may be in Australia
during processing, as long as they have a valid visa.
Family
Migration
Family Migration permanent residence visas
of different types
allow an Australian permanent resident or citizen to
sponsor a relative if all necessary requirements are
met. Different types of visa are: Partner, Fiancé, Child,
Parent, Carer, Aged Dependent Relative, etc.
Business
Skills
These provisional permanent residence visas are for
successful business owners, investors, or senior executives
of large companies. Since Mar 2003, the two stage process
has been introduced. Successful business migrants will
be granted a Business Skilles (Provisional) visa valid
for four years and after establishing the requisite
level of business activity or maintaining 'designated
investment', they will be eligible to make an application
for permanent residence. State/Territory government
sponsorship will be available at both the provisional
and permanent residence stages, with significantly lower
requirements when sponsored.
Employer
Nomination Scheme
These are for 'highly skilled' applicants
who are sponsored by Australian companies where the
company cannot find a suitable employee in Australia.
Applicants are in general under 45 years old with good English.
Since Jul 2012 visa applicants may choose one of following three streams:
Work
Visas
Many people are interested in working temporarily
in Australia. For full time work it is generally necessary
for an Australian or overseas company to sponsor the
applicant. The visa requires a three step process. The
approval of the company as a sponsor, the nomination
of the required position and the personal visa application.
We can organise the whole application process for you
if you are interested in employing overseas personnel.
Depending on the type of position, the company may be
required to first advertise the position and satisfy
Immigration that they cannot find a suitable Australian
person. Work visas are available for up to 4 years;
holders must pay tax and maintain private health insurance.
In most cases, applications can be lodged offshore or
onshore and members of the family unit generally receive
the same work rights as the primary applicant.
Work
rights are also available on a range of specialised
visas, including those for Occupational Trainees, Entertainers,
Academics, Media and Sports people. Applicants for these
visas must generally be sponsored by an organisation
in Australia.
Most
Student visa holders and their dependants can work 20
hours per week. The dependants of post-graduate students
have unrestricted work rights.
Working
Holiday
This is a 12 month visa which allows the holder
to work for up to 6 months for any one employer. It is presently available to 18-30 year olds
from Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Norway, South
Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, the Netherlands and the UK.
Humanitarian
Program
Australia takes Refugee and Humanitarian
each year.
A refugee is usually outside their country and
cannot return due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted,
as defined by the United Nations Convention. A relatively small percentage of applications
are finally successful so it is important to provide
evidence and prepare the application properly.
Purchase
of Property
Any proposed purchase of urban real estate,
'hobby farms', or rural residential blocks must be approved
by the Foreign Investment Review Board.
Proposed investments of $10 million or more in
rural properties or industries, and most manufacturing
and service industries also must be approved by the
FIRB.
Generally,
people with Visitor visas can only purchase new or ‘off
the plan’ dwellings.
Temporary visa holders can also purchase a second-hand
dwelling as long as they use it as their main residence
and sell it again after they leave Australia. Permanent residence holders have no restriction.
Translations
Supporting documents which accompany a visa application
must be certified or notarized photocopies and must
be translated into English by an approved translator.
We recommend the translations to be done in Australia.
If you wish we can organise this for you.
Health
Checks
Applicants for permanent visas and some temporary
visas must undergo Health Checks to show that they do
not have any condition which may pose a public health
risk or significant cost on the Australian community. Health Checks are conducted by approved medical
officers and may include a physical examination, X-ray
(to check for Tuberculosis in applicants aged 12 or
over), blood and urine test. An HIV/AIDS test is required for permanent
residence applicants 15 years or older.
Police
Clearances
Applicants for permanent residence aged
16 or over must provide a Police Clearance from any
country where they have lived for 12 months or more
in the 10 years before making the application.
English
Test
For some permanent residence visas applicants
must prove their English level.
For primary applicants in the case of points
tested visas this is necessary to determine the points
score. Most
primary applicants for General Skilled Migration visas
must prove that they have ‘vocational level’ English.
Secondary applicants who have less than ‘functional
level’ English have the option of paying the English
Education Charge and receiving English tuition after
arrival in Australia.
English
level may be tested by the International English Language
Testing System (IELTS) test, held overseas at offices
of the British Council. Proficient English is defined as a score of at least 7.0 on each of the 4 components of the test: reading, writing, listening and speaking. Competent English is 6 on each part, Vocational level English is 5.0 on each part.
Assurance
of Support
Some permanent residence applicants
are required to provide an Assurance of Support (AOS).
This is a 2 year commitment by an Australian
permanent resident to provide financial support to the
migrant and their family if required. This is because most migrants cannot get social security for the
first 2 years. The
person giving the AOS must have a certain level of income
and can be a different person from the sponsor.
An AOS is required for orphaned unmarried relatives,
special need relatives, aged dependent relatives, remaining
relatives and parents and may be requested in other
visa classes if the migration officer decides so.
Resident
Return Visas
Permanent residents do not need a visa
to stay and work in Australia but when they travel overseas
they need a visa to return. This is called a Resident Return Visa (RRV);
it is valid for up to 5 years and allows multiple entry.
Exclusion
Periods
If people break visa conditions, for example,
by working when they are not permitted or by overstaying
their visa by more than 28 days, they may be prevented
from returning to Australia for up to 3 years. In more serious cases involving criminal activity
they may be banned from ever returning.
The
next step is to fill out the immigration
assessment questionnaire and forward it to us.
