Australian Visas

The Australian visas system is fairly straightforward with specific visas for specific reasons and simple to understand processes to apply for these visas. However, it is vital that you apply for the correct visa to suit your situation because you will be restricted in what you can do and the amount of time you can spend in Australia from visa to visa.

What visas are available in Australia?

There are a number of different visas available for those looking to travel to Australia which include:-

Australian tourist visa

This is the most common visa as the tourist industry in Australia continues to grow and attract the attention of many travellers around the world. If you are planning to go to Australia for any length of time you need to ensure you have a visa and the Australian tourist visa will cover holidays, tourism and informal studies.

The Australian tourist visa is valid for 12 months (there is also a six-month option) although you will not be able to spend more than three months in any one visit although you can leave the country and return at a later date within the 12 month period. You can only remain in the country if you hold a valid tourist visa and are in the country specifically for the reasons covered above.

Australian working holiday visa

The Australian working holiday visa offers the perfect opportunity for those aged between 18 and 31 to take on the adventure of travelling around Australia and earning money to fund their ventures. Again, the traditional Australian working holiday visa is valid for a maximum of 12 months although you are only allowed to work for an individual employer for a maximum of six months. You can however study or train using this visa for four months in total.

Those who are looking to stay in Australia for an extended period can extend their Australian working holiday visa by an additional 12 months if they are able to obtain evidence that they have completed three months seasonal work in the country. The Austrian authorities have restricted the applications for a working holiday visa to those who hold an eligible passport from Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan or the United Kingdom. There is also a specific process for those holding US passports who are looking for a working holiday visa.

Australian business visa

As the Australian economy continues to grow we are seeing more and more evidence of overseas companies investing money, time and effort in Australia and sending over many of their employees for short-term business trips. If you have regular business in Australia, or indeed will be attending a one-off meeting, you will need to obtain an Australian business visa which is otherwise known as a business ETA (electronic travel authority).

The standard Australian business visa is valid for 12 months and will allow you to visit and leave the country as often as you like over that period although your maximum stay can only be 90 days per visit. However, as the Australian economy is becoming more prominent on the worldwide stage there is the opportunity to apply for a long-term Australian business visa which will expire at the same time as your passport. You will need to be able to prove your business credentials and business contacts in Australia in order to obtain the longer term visa. There is a fairly large list of passports from various countries which ensure you are automatically eligible for the Australian business visa.

Australian business sponsored visas

One thing which has become apparent over the years, and prompted the fairly relaxed immigration policy in Australia, is the lack of a skilled workforce in many areas of business. As a consequence the authorities have issued the Australian business sponsored visa which allows businesses in Australia to bring over employees from overseas to fill positions which are perhaps not attractive or not relevant to the skills base available in Australia at the time.

There are certain regulations regarding these business sponsored visas which can last between one day and four years, allow eligible secondary applicants to also enter Australia and have no limits on the amount of times the applicant can leave and re-enter the country. It is evident that the Austrian authorities are attempting to make it as easy as possible for employees and employers to come together for the good of the economy.

In order to be eligible for an Australian business sponsored visa you must be sponsored by an employer in the country to fill a nominated position, have the relevant skills, qualifications and experience to match the position available and demonstrate a good grasp of the English language. If there are various licenses and registrations required to fill such a position you must be in a position to fulfil these obligations.

There are three simple stages to this process with stage one seeing the employer gain approval as a business sponsor, stage two nominating the employee for the position and stage three applying for the visa.

General skilled migration visa

As we suggested above, the Australian authorities have been crying out for skilled workers for many years and continue to recruit were possible to fill gaps in the Australian employment market. This is where the general skilled migration visa comes in offing those with specific skills the opportunity to fast-track their visa application and literally walk to an employment position on entering the country.

In order to be eligible for a business skilled migration visa you must be aged between 18 and 44, have a grasp of the English-language, detail your nominated skills and occupation, prove that there is demand for your specific work experience and skills in Australia or hopefully have an employment position lined up. The authorities will then review your application and use a points based system to arrive at their decision.

While there is a fairly significant cost when applying for a general skilled migration visa it can open the door to fairly large employment income in areas of the economy which may well be crying out for your experience and skills. It must also be noted that the authorities have very strict criteria regarding applications for general skilled migration visas and not everybody will automatically be accepted. It is possible that the “skilled employment list” will also vary from time to time depending upon the requirements of the Australian economy and various areas of the Australian business arena.

Spouse, fiance, partner and de facto visas

If you have a partner, whether you are married or not, living in Australia with permanent residency it is highly likely but you would be to apply for one of the spouse, fiance, partner or de facto visas which will also allow you to gain entry to the country. However, due to a growing number of potentially fraudulent applications the Australian authorities have now introduced a strict application process whereby a number of factors will need to be demonstrated before a visa application is successful.

These factors include:-

Proving an intimate knowledge of each other’s personal circumstances

Those who are engaged in also need to provide evidence of their marriage plans

The process is split into two very separate stages which include sponsorship, i.e. the Australian resident, Australian citizen or eligible New Zealand citizen will need to confirm their position as sponsor, and then the visa application can proceed.

Australian student visa

We have seen great improvements in the Australian education system over the last 20 years with more and more students now looking to enrol from overseas. However the Austrian authorities are very keen to keep close control of student numbers and as a consequence there are strict criteria regarding an application for an Australian student visa.

The visa itself allows the student to study in the country for more than three months although they will have to prove they have enrolled in an Australian educational institution and received confirmation of enrolment. There is also an obligation to enrol in the overseas student health cover scheme which is compulsory. You will not be able to apply for your visa unless you have evidence that you have purchased the relevant policy recommended by your university.

There is also a very strict health and character assessment for students looking to prolong their stay in Australia, ensuring that those with serious illnesses, which could be costly to the Australian health care system, and those with criminal records do not obtain access to the country.

The Australian immigration policy

There is no doubt that Australia has benefited more than many most countries from an immigration policy which has seen the population quadruple since World War I. However it is not just the number of immigrants which have helped the Austrian authorities but it is also the quality of the skilled workforce relocating from foreign lands and filling various gaps in the Australian employment market. At a time when the economy is still growing it is vital that the authorities maintain the flow of skilled workers as there are still various sectors of the economy which are poorly catered for by the traditional Australian employment market.

It is worth noting that due to a fairly focused and tight immigration policy there are very few immigrants moving to Australia who are unable to support themselves and their immediate families. This takes the pressure off the national budget and indeed the ever-growing flow of income tax is helping the progressive government implement new policies which are assisting the future growth of the Austrian economy. If the government is able to maintain this very successful and very proactive approach then there is no reason why the country cannot continue to grow for the foreseeable future.

Conclusion

Whatever your reason for moving to Australia there are many different types of visas and entry options available. However, while the Austrian authorities may well have been a little more relaxed in the past regarding immigration and attracting expats to the country they can now afford to pick and choose top quality candidates with a requirement for more skilled workers in the short, medium and longer term. It is also evident that more and more expats are looking towards Australia as their new homeland which is playing into the hands of the authorities in what is quickly becoming a win/win situation for all parties involved.

The very fact that Australia was one of the first countries to leave the worldwide recession is a perfect reflection of the success of financial policies introduced by the current government. In the past the country has experienced a number of volatile political periods when MPs appeared to be more interested in fighting amongst themselves than coming together for the good of the country. Thankfully this appears to be something which has been left behind in the past and Australia is certainly set up to prosper for many years to come.

It will be interesting to see if the authorities begin to reduce the number of immigrants moving to the country because a quadrupling of the population since World War I is an enormous boost to the population and has introduced various cultures to the mix. If the immigration policy continues for ever and a day there is the potential for conflict between various parties in Australia although so far the situation has been very well handled.

If you are looking to move to Australia it is vital that you have the appropriate paperwork available because this will speed up the process of applying for your visa. Rather than looking at the overall visa procedure it is advisable to split the process down into individual components and work through the process one stage at a time.

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