I have large debts but do not have a lump sum to pay them off. Can I emigrate but still continue to pay my bills from Australia? Would my debts cause me to be declined entry?
Your credit rating is not checked if you wish to migrate. Funding a £ debt with a $AUD income may be very hard. Would suggest trying to clear the debt before you go, or visit a debt consultant to help you organize it to become more manageable. Overall it will not affect your chances to migrate.
What is a permanent resident in Australia? What does it entitle me to?
Being a permanent resident grants you the right to live and work permanently in Australia. You are eligible for state medical care immediately, but must be resident in Australia for two years before qualifying for social welfare assistance (i.e. unemployment benefits). You are not permitted to vote as a permanent resident in Australia. After two years, you can apply for citizenship, entitling you to an Australian passport. Temporary residents (those on student and work visas) are generally not entitled to medical care or social welfare assistance at any time and are generally unable to remain for longer than 4 years. These applicants are recommended to take out private health insurance.
How do I qualify as a highly skilled migrant to the UK?
The highly skilled migrant programme is a points based immigration scheme that looks at five main areas where points can be scored. These include:
• educational qualifications
• work experience
• past earnings
• your achievement in your chosen field
• your husband's, wife's or unmarried partner's achievements
You need to score 65 points or more to qualify as a highly skilled migrant.
How do I get a work permit for the UK?
The UK work permit is the most common way for non UK citizens to gain employment in the UK. The applicant needs to have a firm job offer from a UK employer, and the employer must be the one to initiate the sponsorship for the employee. There is an advertising requirement that the employer must complete before the application can be received by the Home Office. A work permit can generally be obtained for most employment positions.
Will I be required to attend an interview when applying for permanent residency in Canada in the independent/skilled worker category?
Canadian Citizenship and Immigration officials are required to satisfy a number of factors when assessing applications for permanent residency. These factors may include character issues, English or French language ability, your educational qualifications, your previous work experience and your ability to perform your duties.
When the Citizenship and Immigration officials review your application they may be satisfied that the documents you have filed with your residency application are sufficient and may waive the need for an interview. We will try and make sure that all the required evidence is presented in your application but you need to be aware that at times applications are chosen at random so that the Canadian Department of Citizenship and Immigration can assure itself that the checks they have in place are valid and working correctly.
When can I apply to become a citizen of Canada?
Only after being a permanent resident/landed immigrant of Canada for 3 years are you eligible to apply for citizenship.
What does permanent residency in Canada mean? What does it entitle me too?
Once you have completed and had your visa approved you become a Canadian permanent resident, the act of presenting yourself at customs upon entry to Canada you are also then known as a landed immigrant.
Permanent residency status gives you all the same rights as a Canadian citizen including free health care, free primary and secondary schooling etc, but there are three exceptions; permanent residents cannot hold a Canadian passport, permanent residents cannot vote, and permanent residents can be deported for certain criminal acts.
How long after my visa is granted do I have to move to Australia?
You usually have one year from the date of your police or medical tests to get to Australia and validate your visa. You will be asked to submit your police and medical tests towards the end of your application process so it is always best to wait till you are asked by the department before you go and have them done.
I have children, am I able to apply for a Working Holiday Visa?
If you have children you are not eligible for an Australian working holiday visa.
How do I know if I am eligible for a working holiday visa to Australia?
To be eligible for an Australian Working Holiday Visa you must meet certain requirements. We have a comprehensive section explaining all of these requirements as well as allowing you to apply. Click here.
All of my family has moved to Australia but I dont have any skills or qualifications to lodge my own application. Is there any way for me to join them?
Absolutely. Australia recognises the importance of family and offer a remaining relative visa for people to join their brothers, sisters or parents who are their only near relatives and are usually resident in Australia.
What about all my furniture and appliances? what about my pets?
There are plenty of international removal companies that will help you ship all of your belongings to your new home, it just depends on how attached you are to your furniture. Some people prefer to have a fresh start and buy all new goods on arrival rather than wait several months for their shipping container to arrive, others like to take this time and do some travelling and check out their new country before they settle.
Its a good idea to check with customs of your destination country if you are unsure about any items you want to ship, animal skins or products may not be allowed in.
We have an affilitation with Anglo Pacific who pass on discounts to our clients.
Pets on the other hand have to spend some time in quarantine before they will be allowed to join you in your new home, but they can definately come with the family. There are specialist pet removal companies that can take care of the whole process for you.
I need to sell my house before I move to Australia, when should I do this?
You should not sell your house untill you have you visa in your hands. There is no absolute guarantee that your application will be successful. You will have plenty of time before your visa expires to make all the necessary arrangements.
But that is not to say you cant start getting your home and property ready for sale, make enquiries with different estate agents or start researching your dream home in Australia.
What if my situation changes after I have lodged my application? Do I need to tell anyone?
Definitely, any changes should be communicated to the department. If not you may put your application at serious risk since the details it is being process on are no longer accurate.
If the change is a major one you can apply to have your application put on hold if you wish.
How long does it take to get a permanent residence visa to immigrate to Australia?
Unfortunately there is no definitive answer to this question as all applications are different and processing times vary depending on which visa is being applied for. As a ballpark timeframe you would be looking at between 6 and 18 months.
This includes preparing and lodging your application as well as the time it takes DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) to process and reach a decision.
Once our agents have your details they will be able to give you a better estimate.
How do I know if I am eligible to apply for permanent immigration?
The easiest and fastest way for you to find out if you are eligible is to fill out our free online assessment and let our registered agents do all the work for you.
All the assessments we recieve are looked over by qualified agents who will make a preliminary assessment based on the information you provide and contact you to discuss your options.
I have already had an Australian working visa but only ended up staying for 3 months, can I have another one?
No. You are only entitled to 1 working holiday visa unless you meet the conditions for applying for a second visa. Visit our Working Holiday Visa section to see these conditions.
If my application is refused, how soon will i be informed?
You will be informed within a week of the decision.
I have heard that you will not be allowed to emigrate if you have a past history of a mental condition, not including depression. Is this true?
No this is not true. All medical conditions, including psychiatric, are judged on their individual merits.
My husband has had major surgery. Would this pose a problem on our medicals? Could it lead to visa refusal?
All medical matters are subject to many variables. Assuming your husband needs no further treatment and it is not envisioned that he will cost the Australian Health Community any money then there is a reasonable chance he will not be refused a visa.
What are the criteria for detailing medical history, i.e. do I have to mention all past medical conditions even if they are no longer affecting me? What exactly do you need to mention, and what is classed as trivia?
There are specific questions on the medical form - to be answered yes or no. There is also a catch all question "anything else we should know" - minor colds etc are trivial - declare everything else.
If overweight will it affect the application to migrate to Australia?
Height to weight ratio can fail you if your condition may cause you to need excessive medical treatment once in Australia.
In the past I overstayed my visitor’s visa to Australia, do you think this will affect my application for permanent residency in any way?
It can affect "character" issues in deciding to grant the visa but in my experience this is rare. You should be OK.
Do I have to get and send my police clearance and medicals in with my visa application?
No, police and medicals will be requested from you once your application has been lodged and reviewed by a case officer with the department of immigration in Australia. Once you visa is granted the date on your police or medicals may be used to determine when you are required to enter Australia and activate your visa. It is always best to wait until they are requested before having them done.
I have a police record in the UK. How will this affect my visa application for permanent residency in Australia or New Zealand? How many years is the record kept in the PNC? Up to how many years old can it be before I don’t have to declare it?
All offences recorded on your police record will never leave the PNC. For UK employment you don’t have to declare it after 10 years. For international immigration you have to declare it always. It never becomes "spent". In most cases minor offences will not have a detrimental effect on your application for permanent residency, but it will depend on how long ago the offence was committed and the severity of the punishment.
More severe cases i.e. offences where you were sentenced to time in prison, may cause problems for your application. This will again depend on the length of time since the offence and the length of time spent in prison. If this is the case for you would definitely benefit from the services of a registered agent who has had experience in dealing with criminal matters.
Do I need permission from my ex to take my children to live with me in Australia if they no longer have anything to do with the children? What do I need?
Yes. The Hague Convention applies, as both the UK and Australia are signatories. The way the parental assent is evidenced is very specific. You need either; 1/ a witnessed statement from the child’s biological father allowing the child to migrate, or 2/ an order from the court - allowing the child to be removed from the jurisdiction of the court. It is best to contact a Registered Agent with help in cases like this.
I am currently dating an Australian. If we marry does this give me automatic rights to live in Australia?
No. You still need to apply for a spouse visa in which will be required to prove that your relationship is genuine, this usually involves being about to produce evidence of your relationship which may include joint bank accounts, bills, rental agreements, mortages, holidays, or even stat decs from friends and family. You will also still have to pass health and character criteria.
The upside is that the processing times spousal visas can be considerably shorter than other visas.
After how many years I can sponsor a family member after migrating to Australia? Is it 2 years after getting permanent residency, or after 2 years stay in Australia?
"settled" is generally taken to be 2 years permanent residence.
My husband and I want to emigrate to Oz. But only 1 of us has the required skill set needed. Will that stop us emigrating?
Only one member of the "family unit" needs to qualify. They will be used as the main applicant on the visa application.
What is the procedure to obtain a job offer from Australia (my skills are already assessed)
You can fill in the skills matching portion of the form 47 when you make the application. You could also fly out there to be interviewed or you appoint a job finding agency. Some jobs are in hot demand and you would stand a chance of getting a position before you leave - other jobs will require you telling your employer "I can start on Monday" as you sit in his office with a valid visa in your passport. i.e. visa first - job second, is the way most people have to go.
I never did a formal apprenticeship but have a number of years experience working in my trade, how much more complicated does this make my case? Will this stop me getting into Australia?
An "experience only" or route C is a difficult case, but does not mean you are ineligible for emigration. You may like to take some advice before proceeding alone.
How do I get a Skills Assessment done? And are these assessments compulsory to work in Australia?
Yes - a Skills assessment is a prerequisite for every skilled visa. Option 1 - apply directly to the assessing body yourself. Option 2 – Appoint a Registered Agent to handle the application for you.
How much work experience do you need on top of a qualification to be able to emigrate to Australia?
You need a minimum of 6 months work experience IF you are doing one of the SIR Visas. Others would require 12 out of the last 18 months.
A previous firm I worked for does not exist anymore. Will thishold up my skills application?
This can be a hold up - and ultimately the cause of a refusal. Gathering other evidence is required. Such things as pay slips, letters of appointment, internal reviews, business cards all can add some weight. It is recommended to use a registered Migration Agent to help you with cases like this.
Do you have to apply to have my skills assessed before sendingthe general skilled application forms?
Yes. Your skills assessment must be included in your visa application form. Please do some serious research before sending in any applications - especially those where you have to pay a fee!
Once we recieve our permanent residency to Australia are we able to move to New Zealand? Or would we have to apply all over again as we have had to with the visas to Australia?
NZ will accept an Australian Permanent Resident as a Permanent Resident.
I have just applied for a Skilled Worker Visa to Canada. What exam do I need to take to prove that I have basic skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening in French as my second language?
IELTS - but don’t do anything till requested by your case worker in Canada.
Who can certify documents / certificates that I need to send for my skills assessment and visa application?
In the UK it can be a solicitor, Notary or Justice of the Peace. Since October 1 2006 MARA Registered Migration Agents can now certify documents.
How do I validate my visa (for immigration) to Australia?
By physically setting foot on Australian soil once your visa has been granted. Your visa is validated as you go through customs.
If I buy a business in Oz does it automatically entitle me to settle there?
No. Get a visa first - then buy the business is the route I would always recommend. There can be exceptions when you can buy now. I would only recommend this with some professional help. If you are ultimately refused a visa, you will have an Australian based business that you cannot work in. Call us on 0131 625 6900 to discuss the many options you may have.
Is it possible to emigrate to Australia if you are over 45 years old?
In short YES, but it does limit your options somewhat.
Under the skilled program you must be under 45 years old when you lodge your application. Under some circumstances and under other programs exceptions can be made. An offer of employment could be a deciding factor, so dont automatically give up hope, speak to one of our agents first.
There are other visas which you may be eligible for - Parent Visa, Contributary Parent Visa, Remaining Relative Visa, Business Visa, Business Development Visa. It can be confusing trying to determine which visa is right for you, so speak to one of our agents...what have you got to lose?
