Moving to Australia from Canada

Moving to Australia from Canada

There are many different areas of the world which seem to attract more than their fair share of attention, Australia been one of the prime targets for the expat community. Many people would be surprised to learn of the growing number of individuals looking at moving to Australia from Canada especially when you bear in mind that Canada has one of the strongest economies at this moment in time. Indeed, Canada is only one of a few countries to maintain its triple-A credit rating amidst the worldwide economic downturn.

It seems a number of different elements of life in Australia are attracting the Canadian population therefore we will look at a range of entry options for those with specific skills and experiences required by the Australian employment market.

Visa options

There are number of ways in which to gain entry to Australia on a long-term basis and while the visa system may look a little complicated on the surface, if you dig a little deeper it does become a little easier to understand. We will now take a look at some of the visa options for those looking to move to Australia from Canada and why this love affair between Canada and Australia is blossoming.

Skilled employment Visa

The skilled employment visa is the fastest way to gain entry to Australia via the job market and because you are offering skills and experience which are in short supply, the application process is significantly shorter than for traditional visa options. That is not to say that the Australian government makes it easy to apply and obtain a skilled employment visa but if it is mutually beneficial to all parties then there is a chance of going down this route.

Putting aside the requirements of a basic understanding of English and a skills assessment to ascertain exactly what you have to offer, a number of various states across Australia are now carefully monitoring how many skilled visa applications they accept. The idea behind this constant monitoring of numbers is the fact that some experts believe that the Australian economy will slow in the short to medium term and skills and experiences required at the moment may not necessarily be needed in the medium term.

Independent skilled visa applications as opposed to state sponsored skilled visa applications are another part of the visa system which is catching the attention of expats in Canada. This is directly linked to the skilled occupation list which is adjusted on a regular basis and is basically a blueprint showing which skills and which experiences are in short supply across the Australian employment market.

Employer-sponsored visas

If looking towards the employer-sponsored visa market there is a number of options which include the 457 temporary skilled worker visa, ENS and RSMS permanent employer-sponsored visas. In simple terms the very fact that an employer is willing to sponsor you to move to Australia sidesteps the need for a skills assessment and after two years on a temporary 457 visa your employer has the option to sponsor you for an EMS or RSMS permanent visa.

Quote from AustraliaForum.com : “Despite the fact that the Canadian economy has held up better than most around the world, and indeed it is only one of two countries to retain its AAA credit rating, it seems that many of the Canadian population are looking at moving from Canada to Australia.”

There are changes afoot with regards to this particular employer sponsored visa option, which are due to hit the market on 1 July 2013. We are awaiting details of this particular move by the Australian government although there is concern that it will reduce the number of overseas employees moving to Australia. Again, as we suggested above, this may well be a form of protection if, as many expect, the Australian economy does begin to slow.

Conclusion

The bottom line is that the Australian employment market has for many years now required an array of different skills and work experiences which have been in short supply within the domestic workforce. This list of skills required does vary from time to time and while the government is under pressure to reduce the number of new overseas workers moving to the country, it will always be a viable option for those with specific skills in short supply.

It will be interesting to see what changes the Australian government brings in on 1 July 2013 and indeed whether they have a material impact upon the number of expats working in Australia.