Migrate to the Kangaroo world to explore your growth opportunities

by XIPHIAS IMMIGRATION migration executive

Australia is a beautiful land with many opportunities for skilled professionals. Australia, in the recent times has made their filtration process more stringent although it still has many job opportunities open in the country. Australia has unique immigration process for skilled professionals. The Skilled Professionals need to go through the point system to qualify for the immigrations into Australia. This is also termed as Australia Immigration Points program. The points test is applicable only to the General skilled migration visas. Australia has defined three immigration pathways under General skilled migration visa program-

i. Skilled Independent Visa Program or Subclass 189

ii. Skilled Nominated Visa Program or Subclass 190

iii. Skilled Regional Visa Program or Subclass 491

Australia to aid the immigrants and the processing immigration officers has come up with a portal system called the Skill Select Portal. The interested immigrant will have to create a profile in the Skill Select Portal. They will have to submit their application or Expression of interest into this portal through their profile along with supporting documents. The profile will be given points based on the factors which include age, education, experience, adaptability and language ability. The minimum points required to qualify is 65 out of 100.

Skilled Independent Visa Program – All those skilled professionals who intend to relocate to Australia without any nomination or sponsorship from state or employer from Australia can do so under this 189 Skilled Independent Visa Program. This program doesn’t require the applicant to obtain any kind of sponsorship or nomination from any state or employer in Australia. Nor does it need the applicant to obtain a job offer in Australia. They can do so once they relocate to Australia. To qualify under this program, the applicant should have skill set that is currently a hot requirement in Australia. This pathway also requires that the applicant has high score. The main applicant should be between the age of 18 and 45. Points that this pathway requires is declared every month. The skilled professional can live, work and study in any part of Australia under this program.

Skilled Nominated Visa Program – This program requires that the skilled applicant obtains a state nomination. The skilled professionals who intend to relocate to Australia on skilled nominated subclass 190 pathway will not need any kind of job offer. They however, will have to live and work in the state that provides them the nomination. They will have to commit that they would stay in the state nominating them; they need to specifically commit to work there. This is not a favored immigration pathway currently although few profiles do get selected through this pathway. Although not mandatory, it would be better for the applicant under this pathway to obtain a job offer from Australian employer.

Skilled Work Regional Visa Program – This is a temporary visa which leads to permanent residency in Australia. Visa subclass 491 is valid for a period of 3 years. Beyond this, the visa can be renewed. However, post this 3years, the visa can be converted to Permanent Residency there. This program again has nothing to do with employers in Australia. This is a program where the immigrant applicant will need to obtain sponsorship from a region in Australia. And the skilled professional who intends to relocate to the region will have to commit to live in the region of Australia which provides the sponsorship. The applicant will be qualified only when his skills are part of the Regional Occupational list. This program requires that the applicant obtains high score in the points scoring system.

The programs fetch the applicant permanent residency in Australia. The applicants qualify for citizenship in Australia in 4 years period. Through any of these programs the applicant will get access to free world class education for children in Australia along with state sponsored medical insurance.

There may be many immigration firms to help one in migrating to another country. However, it is best to work with immigration firms that are registered with MARA (Migration Agents Registration Authority, Australia).