Australian Immigration Visas

Australian immigration visas are the topic for this installment of our guide to emigrating to Australia...

There are several types of visa that can be applied for when emigrating to Australia depending on how long you plan to stay there and what you'll be doing there. These are the main types:

The skilled independent visa is a residency visa for those with qualifications and skills in demand. You're not required to have an employer to sponsor you to get one but a test will need to be passed (which assesses your qualifications, experience, aptitude, etc.). An alternative is a business visa, which doesn't require you to pass a points test so long as you're sponsored by an employer.

A working holiday visa allows people aged 18 to 31 to stay in Australia for up to 12 months (with extensions being a possibility). working rights are limited to incidental employment of up to 6 months per employer to supplement your stay, which means that these are only really beneficial to backpackers and travelers, not people looking to establish themselves in the country on a long term basis Subclass 801 Visa.

Retirement visas are meant for self-funded retirees who are 55 years or older, have no dependents (other than a spouse who can be any age), and who want to reside in Australia during their retirement years. It's a temporary visa that permits you to stay in the country for four years, though you can apply for subsequent ones on expiry, with each allowing you to stay for a further four years.

To obtain a visa to study in Australia you're required to be enrolled in an Australian academic institution and receive a Confirmation of Enrollment (which is usually issued after tuition fees have been paid). Those planning to also undertake any form of employment will need to apply for one with the additional right of 'permission to work'.

Australian partner visas enable the partner, fiance, or spouse of those permanently residing in Australia (including immigrants) to also live and work in the country. Family visas can be obtained to also get these rights for dependent relatives and children.