Australia at a Glance
Australia is a unique country because it is young and has not yet fully developed. It is commonly known as “The Land of Opportunity".There are beautiful and clean parks, beaches, rivers and country areas to visit. Its weather is mostly warm and sunny. It has modern and up-to-date schools, colleges and universities that teach advanced technology ant arts. Australia has a modern health, medical and welfare system for all ages of people January and February are the hottest months; June and July are the coldest months.
Australia's original inhabitants, known as Australian Aborigines, have the longest continuous cultural history in the world, with origins dating back to the last Ice age. It is generally accepted that the first humans travelled across the sea from Indonesia about 70,000 years ago. Free settlers began to be attracted to Australia over the next decades, but it was the discovery of gold in the 1850s that changed the face of the colony. The huge influx of migrants and several large finds boosted the economy and irrevocably changed the colonial social structures.
Australia became a nation when federation of separate colonies took place on 1 January 1901.There are thousands of jobs vacancies for all types of professions and skills offered every day in newspapers. They offer good rates of pay and world standard working conditions. Most of the wealthiest people in Australia arrived here as immigrants. Australia shares with New Zealand the arbitration system, an attempt to fix wages and working conditions by law. In the mid 1990s about 7.9 million people were employed in Australia. 111,000 more receive a Study Visa and learn highly paid skills and professions that are urgently needed here. When you have completed a 12 month study course in Australia you can apply here for a Graduate Student Permanent Visa.
Area : 7,682,300 sq km.
Population : 19,200,000(growth rate 1.4 %)
Capital City : Canberra (pop: 313,000)
Languages : English, European & Asian Languages
Annual growth : 4.5%
Major Products/ Industries : Minerals, oil, coal, gold, wool cereals, meat
Major Trading Partners : Japan, ASIAN, South Korea, US and the EU
SYDNEY - Australia's premier city is the oldest settlement in Australia, the economic powerhouse of the nation and the country's capital in everything. The successful Olympic Games held in Sydney 2000.
MELBOURNE - Australia's second city is a place of contradictions. It is cosmopolitan, suburban, cultivated, conservative, football crazy, and has a haven for the avant-garde. Visitors come for its shopping, restaurants and sporting calendar, encouraging many Melbournians to believe that they live in one of the most civilized cities in the world.
IMMIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA
Australia, with its rapidly developing economy and a strong employment market, has proven to be a favorite destination for relocation. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) manages the permanent and temporary entry of people to Australia and the settlement of migrants and refugees. It promotes the values of citizenship and cultural diversity & ensures that approximately 100,000 people move to Australia each year to work and live. The DIAC has provided immense visa categories for workers, family members, business people, refugees, etc. There are 3 prominent streams which one case consider while migrating to Australia, viz.
a. Skilled Migration Stream
b. Business Migration Stream
c. Family Migration Stream
The Skilled Migration Stream
** The General Skilled Migration Program (GSM) will be undergoing major changes from September 1, 2007. Any application for a General Skilled Migration visa made on, or after this date, will be affected by the changes to the GSM programme. In light of these changes, we recommend that anyone considering applying for migration to Australia under the general skilled migration programme should refer to our Latest News Section, to confirm how you will be affected by these changes.
This programme, also known as the General Skilled Migration programme, is for professionals & skilled migrants who have the skills required in particular occupations in Australia.
Skilled - Independent visa (subclass 136)This is the most popular subcategory under the General Skilled Migration (GSM). It is a permanent visa for people with skills needed in the Australian labor market. Applicants under this category must be able to satisfy all of the basic requirements, & must pass a points test. This visa is for applicants who have skills and qualifications that meet the Australian standard for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List. The points test pass mark for this visa currently is 120 points. The points system is based on the following criteria:
Ø Age: Applicant must be over 18 years of age and under 45 years of age at the time the application is lodged with the department.
Ø English Language: Applicant must have sufficient ability in the English language for working in Australia. A minimum “Vocational English" ability is required. This means a reasonable command of the English language, coping with overall meaning in most situations and the ability to communicate effectively in your nominated field of employment. Applicants with a “Competent” level of English are definitely at advantage as far as the points test is concerned.
Ø Qualification: Applicant must have post-secondary (such as university or trade) qualifications. The skills of the applicant must have been assessed by the relevant authority as suitable for the nominated occupation.
Ø Nominated Occupation: While applying, one must nominate an occupation which fits the skills and qualifications in demand in Australia. The nominated occupation must be on the Skilled Occupation List. If your nominated occupation is not on the list, you cannot apply. You will only be awarded points for your nominated occupation if the occupation you nominated was on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) current at the time you made your application & you have the positive skills assessment from the relevant Australian assessing authority. Generally 40, 50 or 60 points are awarded based on which skill category your occupation is classified in.
Ø Specific Work Experience: For the Specific Work Experience category you will be awarded points based on your nominated occupation and the period of specific work experience you have completed. The specific work experience part of the points test is different to the recent work experience requirement which must be met for all General Skilled Migration visa categories.
Ø Occupation in demand / Job offer: If your nominated occupation is on the Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) at the time your application is lodged, then you can be awarded additional points. The Migration Occupations in Demand List has occupations from within the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) identified as being in demand in Australia. If applicant has a job offer from an employer in Australia, additional points are available. The occupations on the MODL change from time to time.
Ø Other criteria: There are various other criteria which can fetch the applicant additional points to qualify for the points test. One of these is Australian qualifications with at least two academic years of study leading to the award of a degree, diploma or trade qualification. Another such criteria is stay or study for at least two years in one or more areas in 'Regional Australia' or a 'low population growth metropolitan area'. One more of this set of criteria is to claim 'spouse skills' points. If your spouse is also able to satisfy the basic requirements of age, English language ability, qualifications, nominated occupation and recent work experience, and if they have obtained a suitable skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority, you are entitled to get more points. Under the points test, you may also be able to claim additional or 'bonus' points if you are ready for capital investment in Australia OR you have Australian work experience OR you have fluency in one of Australia's community languages – other than English
In addition to the above health & character requirements must be met.
The Skilled - Independent visa (subclass 136) allows you and any dependent family members included in your visa application to live as permanent residents in Australia. As an Australian permanent residents you can live and work anywhere in Australia on a permanent basis, study in Australia at school or university, receive subsidised healthcare benefits, sponsor people for permanent residence & also be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
Skilled – Independent Regional (Provisional) visa (Subclass 495) The visa is a golden opportunity for skilled workers who do not meet the requirements for a permanent visa. It gives such applicants a 3 year visa, for residence in Australia provided they are prepared to live for two (2) years, and work at least 12 months, in a regional or low population growth metropolitan area in Australia. To qualify for this Australian visa you must meet the basic requirements and pass the points test. A lower pass mark is required for the Skilled-Independent Regional (SIR) visa and additional points are awarded for sponsorship from the respective territory.
This Australian visa is designed mainly to address the skill shortages that exist in some regional areas of Australia and to encourage a more balanced spread of Australia's skilled migrant intake.
This visa requires sponsorship by a participating State or Territory government. The Regional Australia OR Low Population Growth Metropolitan Areas include New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory (** With some exceptions)
This visa is issued with the condition that you will initially be required to live and work in regional or low population growth areas of Australia. After you have lived in a regional or low-population growth area for at least two years, and worked in an occupation on the SOL for at least 12 months, you may be eligible to apply for permanent residency in Australia.
The SIR visa is a good alternative if you do not pass the normal Skilled-Independent visa points test, but you are willing to migrate to Australia and settle in a designated regional or low population area. This visa is directly related to the development of regional Australia and therefore enjoys the advantage of priority processing.
This visa allows you to remain in Australia for up to three (3) years and requires you to live and work in a regional or low-population growth area, allows accompanying family members to work and study, but only in a regional or low-population growth area & most importantly it provides applicants a pathway to permanent residence.
Skill Matching Visa (subclass 134) This is an Australian skilled migration category for those who may not meet the points test and are seeking to be nominated by an Australian State/Territory or employer. This visa is for applicants with skills and qualifications that is required in Australia & whose occupation is listed on Australia's Skilled Occupation List (SOL).
A key advantage of the Skill Matching Database is that it may help you to find a job before arriving in Australia.
You can increase your chances of being offered a job in Australia by having your qualifications and employment history listed on the Skill Matching Database. The database is accessed by employers and State and Territory governments who may then nominate you for migration.
The Skill Matching Database is a web-based tool that helps match skilled people, who have applied to migrate, with skilled vacancies or skill shortages in Australia. It contains the educational, employment and work details of skilled migrants and includes many who are interested in living and working in regional Australia. It is used by employers under employer sponsored migration categories as well as by State and Territory governments.
Including your details on the database does not guarantee that you will be offered a job in Australia or have your migration application approved.
There is no initial visa application charge for the Skill Matching Visa and applicants are not assessed against the General Skilled Migration points test. If you apply for this visa then your details are placed on the Skill Matching Database for up to two (2) years from the date of the assessment of your application. If you are nominated for migration, by an employer or by a State/Territory government (Skill Matching visa) then you will need to pay the visa application charge at that time.