Permanent Residency in Australia through General Skilled Migration Program

Australia is undeniably a beautiful country. People not only want to study, work, and travel there but also want to live there. Given that Australia is a huge country with lots of opportunities for foreign nationals, the government has a very welcoming immigration policy regarding obtaining permanent residency in Australia.

General Skilled Migration Program is the most popular scheme under which thousands of foreign skilled workers get permanent residency in Australia. A number of visas come under the General Skilled Migration Program. Under this program, foreign skilled workers who are already living in Australia or applicants of a skilled worker visa can get permanent residency.

As mentioned above that getting permanent residency in Australia is easier in comparison of other countries, however, it is applicable for those foreign nationals who are young, talented, and can make a contribution in country, economically and socially. Thus, candidates need to use their qualification, work experience, skills, and language proficiency to convince Australian immigration department that they are eligible to live in Australia as a permanent resident.
Visas that come under this program are as follow:

• Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
• Skilled – Nominated (subclass 190) visa
• Skilled – Sponsored (Provisional) (subclass 489) visa

Additionally, following are the visas under General Skilled Migration program that are closed to new applications.

• Skilled – Independent (Migrant) visa (subclass 175)
• Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) visa (subclass 176)
• Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa (Subclass 457)
• Skilled – Sponsored (Residence) visa (subclass 886)
• Skilled – Independent (Residence) visa (subclass 885)
• Skilled – Regional Sponsored (Provisional) visa (subclass 487)

Under General Skilled Migration Program, candidates have to apply through the SkillSelect, a skilled migrant selection program launched in 2012. Under SkillSelect, applicants have to submit their Expression of Interest (EOI), an online profile. In EOI, they need to mention their personal and professional details such as age, qualification, work experience, skills, job offer from an approved Australian employer (if applicable), and the reason to migrate to Australia.

All EOI profiles are then sent to EOI pool, where authorities analyse them along with employers in order to check whether the applicant is eligible enough to live and work in Australia. EOIs are ranked against each other and points are awarded based on the information provided. Thus, it is really important for applicants to prepare their EOI properly.

EOIs with the highest scores are selected fortnightly and are sent the invitation to apply for the permanent residency in Australia. Applicants are required to apply for the concerned permanent residency within a given period of time. Additionally, they also need to provide document proofs of all the information they have provided in their EOI. Failing to meet above-mentioned conditions means applicants have to go through the EOI process all over again.

Every permanent residency visa requires renewal every 5 years. On your permanent residency visa, you can also apply for Australian citizenship. And to save yourself from the hassles of the immigration process, you can also take assistance of an immigration consultant.

Canada Express Entry: A Brief Insight

In order to manage the various incoming applications for a permanent residence in Canada, the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has recently introduced an electronic immigration processing system. By automatically screening the most suitable applications under certain economic immigration programs and thus saving substantial amount of time, the Canada Express Entry serves as the first step towards securing a Canadian Immigration. 

The Various EXPRESS ENTRY Programs

The various federal economic immigration programs included in the Canada Express Entry are:

·         The Federal Skilled Worker Program,

·         The Federal Skilled Trades Program, and

·         The Canadian Experience Class, and also

·         The Provincial Nominee Program.

The last program, however, is for recruitment of candidates in order to meet various manpower based needs of the local markets.

Canada Express Entry: How It Works

In order to seek a Canadian PR, the Express Entry route calls for the potential applicant to fill out an Canada Express Entry Profile first. Their online profile shall include information about their skills, work experience, language ability, education and various other details required for their assessment. Once the authorities go through these profiles and select the most eligible ones, they are added to what’s known as the Express Entry Pool.

Considering the information given in their profile, points are awarded to these applications. This is done using a point-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System. Candidates are then ranked against others in the pool.The best part of this system is that there is not cut-off date for potential candidates to complete their Express Entry profiles. The number of candidates that will be accepted by an Express Entry pool also bears no restrictions as such.

However, simply making it to the Canada Express Entry pool does not guarantee a selection in this stage. Usually, it is the top ranking candidates from the Express Entry pool who get picked and are issued Invitation to Apply (ITA). Once a candidate has been invited to apply, he/she has 60 days to submit a complete application over the Internet.

From there on,the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)attempts to process majority of the received applications within a period of six months.

Canada Express Entry: All About Convenience

The Express Entry is a very convenient system, since the candidates can stay in the pool for even up to 12 months. Even then if they do not get an ITA for a permanent residence, they may submit a new profile. If the eligibility criterion is still being met by them, they can re-enter the pool. By preventing application backlogs, this system ensures quick processing time.Thus, the nominated applicants can expect speedy migration to Canada, usually within six months from the date of application submission.

Trend, expectation and challenges so far - Express Entry Program

In its seventh draw on April 10, 2015, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has issued 925 invitations to the candidates with 469 or more Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) points.  This also comes with the news that the first few candidates who had received invitation under this program have been issued permanent residency status in Canada.  Though the minimum ranking points have increased from the last draw (from 453 to 469), the number of invitations issued has also fallen.  Based on that there are two things that can be arguably assumed for now.  Firstly, the candidates who will keep thriving to improve their profile or CRS points through continuous efforts like re-appearing in language tests, improving their education credentials and work experience, etc., will have the winning edge over others.  Secondly, the trend so far makes one assume that candidates with qualifying job offers or provincial nominations are not heavily going to impact the chances of other candidates without a qualifying job offer or provincial nomination though the pressure is always going to be there.  Whereas the coming few draws will further shed the light on how this will pan out, looks like the actual picture of how Canada Express Entry Program will flourish this year will only be clearer somewhere halfway, maybe July or August of 2015.

Having said above, due to the unavailability of IELTS General Training dates till September-October of 2015, there are thousands of highly eligible candidates in countries like Nepal and India who have not been able to avail themselves of the opportunity immediately, and this is a lose-lose situation for both Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and candidates.  It is to be mentioned here that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) only approves CELPIP (Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program) and IELTS (General Training) as the language tests for the purpose of applying under Express Entry Program.  With the former only available in Canada, the candidates are left with the only option for IELTS (General Training).  This scenario has already impacted in candidates thinking about moving to Australia as the most favored option because in case of Australian permanent residency program, candidates also have the options for appearing in alternative language tests like Pearson Academic and TOEFL IBT.

Nevertheless, the Canada Express Entry Program has just started to unfold and a conclusive final opinion cannot be drawn from the trends so far, but one thing is for sure that CIC aims at inviting the best talent available and Express Entry Pool has give them a focused approach and opportunity to do so.

A One Year Working Holiday in New Zealand

New Zealand (NZ), despite being a small island country in one corner of the world, has much to offer; then be it for making a living or enjoying life. For nature and adventure lovers New Zealand is a heaven. Beautiful landscapes, adventure activities like skydiving, bungee jumping, surfing etc., rich culture all make New Zealand a magnet for tourists from across the world. On top of that, with its Working Holiday scheme NZ government lets visitors work in the country to earn a living as they travel across the length and breadth of the country.

New Zealand’s population is just over 4 million, which naturally makes it more welcoming towards immigrants who want to work here; whether temporarily or on permanent basis. New Zealand has tie ups with a number of countries and allows their citizens to come in New Zealand and work here through an easy visa scheme – Working Holiday Visa. The Working Holiday scheme was introduced as an effort for more cultural exchange between New Zealand and a number of other selected countries.

The Working Holiday Visa is only for citizens, of eligible countries, who are between 18 and 30 years of age. The list of eligible countries can be found here. Apart from these basic requirements, you need to meet certain health and character requirements in order to have your Working Holiday visa approved. Additionally, if you have even been granted this visa in the past, then you cannot apply for it, since it is only granted once. Also, you might have to meet some additional requirements based on your country of origin.

The Working Holiday visa remains valid for a period of 12 months; however, for citizens of Austria, Malaysia and Singapore it is 6 months. Additionally, for British citizens there are two different Working Holiday visas; one remains valid for 12 months, while the other for 23 months. To prove that you don’t intend to stay in New Zealand for more than the legally allowed period, you are required to show your return travel tickets to New Zealand immigration authorities while applying for the visa.

Under the Working Holiday scheme, you can undertake temporary jobs to supplement your holiday funds while you travel around New Zealand. However, while applying for this visa you need to prove that you also have sufficient funds to support your initial stay in New Zealand. The minimum fund requirement is different for different countries. In addition, on your Working Holiday visa you cannot bring your family members to New Zealand.

The Working Holiday visa was introduced to allow citizens of selected countries to have an enjoyable stay in New Zealand. This visa gives you complete freedom to travel around New Zealand for an year, while allowing you to work as well to manage your travel expenses. However, it is totally up to you whether you want to work in NZ or not. If you have sufficient funds for your intended stay then you can simply travel and explore more of this beautiful country.

Visitor Visa for Australia

Visitor visa is for people to visit Australia for a holiday, sightseeing, social reasons, to visit relatives, friends or other short-term purposes which does not include any work.

There are a number of visas available for tourists including:

• Visitor visa (subclass 600) –a temporary visa letting you stay in Australia from up to 3 to 12 months. You can apply for outside or in Australia.
• Evisitors (subclass 651) – an electronically stored visa for visits to Australia for tourism or business reasons for up to 3 months. This visa is available to passport holders from the European Union and other European countries, which are not in Australia.
• Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) – an electronically stored visa for visits to Australia for business or tourism for up to 3 months. This visa is available to passport holders from a number of countries and regions, who are outside of Australia.

For a visitor visa the basic application charge ranges from AUD130 to AUD335. If you hold a certain passport you may be able to apply for free or cheaper. The evisitor visa is free but you must hold a certain country passport. The Electronic travel authority visa has a AUD20 charge.

You are eligible for a visitor visa in Australia if:

• You are travelling as a visitor
• Traveling for business visitor activities
• Visit family
• On a tour with a registered travel agent from the people’s republic of china

 The Electronic travel authority visa (ETA) and evisitor visa are generally given within 24 hours. Onshore extension visitor visas are normally granted within 1-2 weeks. Paper based visitor application can take up to 1-6 weeks to process. Weather you can apply for a visitor visa online or if you need a paper based visa application will depend on the country of your passport. If you want to come for medical treatment or transit though Australia you should not apply for a visitor visa.

You need to provide documents for your application for a visa. Documents to show you are a visitor:

• Evidence of funds, such as bank statements or payslips
• If you are coming to visit relatives or friends, a letter from your relative or friend who lives in Australia. If your relative or friend is funding you on your stay then evidence of their funds.
• A letter from your employer saying you intend to go back to your job
• Evidence of enrolment to any school, college or university in your country
• Evidence of your visa or residence status in your home country, and if you can return back
• Evidence of property or assets in your home country

Documents required for New Zealand Student Visas

Firstly, you can complete an application form which is the Study in New Zealand. It has to be applied to the New Zealand Visa Application Centre and can be done by post or in person.

The first basic requirement is to have an unconditional offer of place at a university in New Zealand with acceptance of place in writing and have paid the first tuition fee deposit.

The application form you will fill out will have this list of documentation requirements on the front page:

• A valid passport
• A completed application form
• The application fee
• Two recent passport-sized photos   
• An unconditional offer of place to study at a university in New Zealand
• Receipt showing payment of one year’s tuition fees (provided that your visa application has been approved in principle)   
• Guarantee of accommodation
• Evidence of sufficient funds for maintenance, via a letter or bank statement, or completed Financial Undertaking form (INZ 1014)
• Evidence of sufficient funds to purchase an outward ticket.

On top of the documents, you will also need to show the government that you have good character. What this initially means is that you should not have any criminal convictions .If you are planning on extending your stay over 2  years then you will need to provide police clearances from each country you have citizenship for and police clearances for every country you have stayed in for five years or more since you were 17.

Lastly, you must be in your best health for the duration of your stay in New Zealand. This will need you to provide medical and x ray certificate. It is not compulsory for an international student at application stage unless stated otherwise. An official from the Visa Centre will be in touch if a medical certificate or chest x-ray examination is needed to support your application.Moreover, the duration of your stay must be covered by a comprehensive health insurance as only residents and holders of two year or longer work permits are eligible for publicly funded health and disability services.

If you want your stay to be as legal and clean then you must hold a valid permit at all times or you might not get a visa to travel to New Zealand in future. You cannot add a partner to the study visa as a dependent. They must apply as a whole different file application. The processing time for a student visa is four to six weeks generally.

How to apply for a job in Australia from abroad

Before you think about starting to apply for the jobs, it is essential to research more about the industry and profession in Australia. It is going be different from your home country hence it makes sense to do this key research personally. The regulations, qualifications required will be different to your home country and also to source about development opportunities. You need to keep a track of the major organizations and associations representing professionals in that profession. The market, workplace culture and how people manage their careers will all be different to your home country. Even the job hunting process will be different but you can network when you get to Australia or using recruitment agencies.

Most employers do ask for a valid visa before thinking about taking your application further. If you are applying from abroad and seeking a sponsorship then then you will need to be prepared. Some employers who are willing to sponsor may not be fully aware about the regulatory requirements of sponsoring an applicant from overseas. This information you can collect from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration or from a registered MARA agent who is helping you secure an appropriate visa.

A skill assessment will have to be done for your visa which will give the employers sufficient information. Employers might have extra requirements that include police checks, additional examinations, bridging courses or a minimum period of Australian experience. 

You should aim to have some sort of work in your industry secured whether it is paid or voluntary. This will help you build up Australian work experience and generate a network. Be social media active by suing LinkedIn to gain some new connections in Australia by speaking to them or can even ask them to be your job hunting mentor. Some people might be happy to help and some may not but always be polite. As many professional employers and recruitment companies check internet for personal information, you should keep your accounts clean and clear. Also your CV should always include Skype address, email address and an international number with code.

It can be a time consuming process but you do not have to leave your old job in order to pursue opportunities elsewhere. You do not want to have a time gap in your CV so it makes more sense to stay in your home country and find a job and accommodation before you move.

Temporary Work Skilled Visa (subclass 457)

The Temporary Work Skilled visa (subclass 457) allows skilled workers to come to Australia and work for an approved business for up to four years. A business can sponsor you only if they cannot find a permanent resident or an Australian citizen. This application can be done from inside or outside of Australia. The basic terms are sponsorship by an approved business and required skills for a position in an approved business.

The extensive requirements to apply for this visa are:

• be nominated to work in an approved occupation on the Skilled Occupation Lists
• meet the skill requirements for the nominated occupation
• meet registration and licensing obligations
• speak professional English
• have been nominated by an approved business

 Your occupation must match the occupations stated on the Skilled Occupation Lists by the Australian government .You must work in a skilled occupation that has been approved by the Australian Government and be prepared to show enough evidence to support it. The list will also consist of an ANZSCO code which has more detailed information regarding qualifications and experience. The evidence of your skills and experience in the nominated occupation has to be shown with documents specified in the checklist.

For the English language requirements, the two tests that are allowed are International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Occupational English Test (OET) to determine your English language aptitude. It is important for you to speak, write and understand a certain level of English whilst in Australia.If you are sponsored by a standard business sponsor, you must show that you have English language aptitude that is equivalent to:

• an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test score of at least 5 in each of the four bands of speaking, reading, writing and listening, OR
   
• a score of at least 'B' in each of the four components of an Occupational English Test (OET).You do not need to show that you meet this requirement if your nominated occupation does not need a level of English language proficiency .

To be eligible for the visa you also need to meet health requirements based on personal circumstances, period of stay, country of citizenship, time in other countries in last 5 years and intended activities in Australia. This also applies to dependent family members included in your application. These are valid for 12 months. You will also need health insurance unless you have Medicare. This insurance can be from Australia or your home country and needs to be able to provide the level of cover for your stay. The insurance must also cover dependent family members. The character requirements needed are a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during past ten years after the age of 16. This also includes dependent family members who are over the age of 18.

This visa allows you to: work in Australia for up to four years, bring your family to work or study in Australia and travel in and out of Australia as often as you want.

How to choose the best immigration consultant for Express Entry Visa

There are no boundaries to dream.  If you want to study, work or live anywhere in the world it’s possible. All you would need is the right help to get the necessary paperwork done and we at Go for Visa can help you with that.

Most applicants are concerned about who will prepare the application, if you go through us you would not have to be concerned. When you apply directly through visa assessment process you are more likely to get denied. What a lot of applicants don’t know is that visa assessment process is a matter of the law, and that’s why understanding immigration laws and regulations is necessary.

All applicants want their application to be right the first time, rather than applying again after a refusal. Go for Visa has a lot of experience and knows the rules. Everyone knows that lodging a visa is a lot more then answering questions, filling in forms and providing documents and proofs. You would rather have someone trained and with a lot of experience help you though the process without headaches.

Go for Visa is a registered migration agents who are professionals. We know the law, the criteria applicable and how to best prepare and present your case to the CanadaExpress Entry Visa immigration. In migration applications, you will only have one chance to be successful; if you fail you could close the doors. As specialists with experience, we make sure you are applying for the right visa and secondly we prepare your case in a way that will guarantee the best possible outcome of a visa grant.

We make sure that the correct information is on all the forms, that you give the correct evidence, and then we give a submission (up to 120 pages) with the application where we address every single aspect of the applicable law, regulations and procedures manual the immigration officers use in relation to the case and the supporting evidence that is given. We also use ICCRC, New Zealand IAA, and Australia MARA agent authorities. We could lose our registration; therefore we make sure all out applications get a positive result the first time.

At Go for Visa it is always in our best interests to make sure that your application succeeds. Over the years we have earned the confidence and trust of our clients. Our services is designed with our customers in mind.

UK Indefinite Leave to Remain

Before you decide to apply for the indefinite leave to remain, you will have to appear for the Life in the UK test to show that you know about the life in the UK. This test is computer based with duration of 45 minutes and 24 questions. The test will also ask you about the part of UK you live in.

After passing the test, you can then start the process of applying for Indefinite Leave to Remain. The government website will have questions about immigration status and will specify what form you will need to fill.

If you have passed your test then there are only two forms you will need.

1. SET(M) –Application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK as the partner of a person present and settled in the UK

If you are applying as a spouse, civil partner, same sex or unmarried partner of a person present and settled in the UK.

2. SET(O) - Application for indefinite leave to remain in one of the categories listed below

These forms kindly come with a guidance report with detailed instructions which is very useful so it is beneficial to fill the forms while reading the guidance carefully.

• Work permit holder
• dependent of work permit holder
• PBS dependent
• employment not requiring a work permit
• businessperson
• innovator
• investor
• highly skilled migrant
• highly skilled migrant under the terms of the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme indefinite leave to remain judicial review policy document
• self-employed lawyer
• writer, composer or artist
• Tier 1 (General) migrant
• Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) migrant/ migrant-accelerated route
• Tier 1 (Investor) migrant/ migrant- accelerated route
• Tier 2 migrant
• UK ancestry
• bereaved partner- can apply immediately after partner’s death
• other purposes not covered by other application forms

The timings of waiting for the reply of your application vary. These timings have been collected over years and are just a mere guidance. It is also advisable that no travels are made unless urgent until documents have been returned.

• Postal Applications: 95% of postal applications are decided within six month
• Applications made in person: 90% of applications made in person at a public enquiry office are decided on the same day.

After you have been given the Indefinite Leave to Remain label you must not be absent from the UK for two consecutive years. This will allow you to stay in the UK indefinitely for as long as you like.

If you have been away for more than two years, then you have to apply for a Returning Resident Visa before flying back. The exceptions to be allowed to enter after two years away is if you have strong family ties or lived here most your life.

How many applicants can apply for Canada Express Entry

Citizenship and Immigration Canada have revised the Express Entry to a new system which will allow them to identify and select candidates most likely to succeed based on age, education, experience and IELTS. They are hoping it will be a faster processing time and keep track of the labour market changes. Earlier, applications were treated on a first come first serve basis. Employers complained that under the old system it took too long to fill up vacancies and the lengthy processing meant a long wait which created a huge back log.

The Canada Express Entry is a revised scheme started from the 1st January 2015.There is no limit to the number of people who may enter the Express Entry pool. This will then ensure a variety of people with different skills, experience and age groups. This will then enable the states to select the candidates to meet their needs.

The Express Entry is going to generate a list of high calibre candidates that employers in Canada will be able to consider when they cannot find Canadian citizens to fill the places.

If a candidate is given a job offer supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) or state sponsorship then with enough additional points can be ranked high enough to be invited to apply at the next eligible round of invitations. The invitations for the next round from the Express Entry pools will be made regularly and instructions posted on the CIC website.

The goal of the Revised Express Entry system was a faster processing time of 6 months or less from the day a complete application for permanent residence is received to the final decision is made.

Instead of needing to have experience in an occupation on a list of eligible occupations as with many other immigration programs, Express Entry will have no specified occupation list and applicants can present calibre regardless of what experience they have or profession they are in.

There is no cap on the number of applications therefore applicant can apply for the Express Entry as any time without the fear that the program will close of fill up.

The Comprehensive Ranking System will be a liquid system where eligible candidates can constantly keep entering and successful candidates will leave once they get an invitation. Candidates will also be able to improve ranking by improving language abilities, gaining more work experience or doing another qualification. The ranking can also be improved if candidates receive a valid job offer from a Canadian employer or a state sponsorship.

Apply soon to benefit from a great job market and plenty of opportunities for skilled workers like you. Canada boasts a strong economy that keeps growing. They are also celebrating high employment levels and a low annual inflation rate keeping it relatively affordable.

Points testing for Canada Express Entry

The Canada Express Entry is a faster and more efficient immigration process started from 1^st January 2015. It offers permanent residency to Canada for skilled workers. As an applicant, you will need to follow two steps:

Step 1: You will need to submit your application and all the relevant documents online in the Express Entry Pool.

Step 2: Once your application is selected, you will need to accept the Invitation to Apply for permanent residency.

To calculate the points you need to look at the Age, Education, Experience and IELTS test. These can be calculated using your CV as it will contain all the documents in one place. The eligibility is awarded on

·         Age between 21-44 years

·          A Degree/diploma/trade certificate

·         IELTS General score 7 each band

·         2-3 years full time experience within last 5 years

This is how a point’s analysis will look like. It breaks down all the sectors that are needed to calculate your eligibility for the Canada Express Entry

CORE HUMAN CAPITAL (460 maximum)
Factor	Maximum points	Your points
Age  - 29	100
Education  - Bachelor	140
1st Official Language  - 6 Band each IELTS GT*	128
2nd Official Language (French)	22
Canadian work experience	70
ACCOMPANYING SPOUSE OR COMMON-LAW PARTNER (40 maximum)
Factor	Maximum points	Your points
Education    - ____Please confirm_____	10
Language      - 6 Band each IELTS*	20
Canadian work	10
SKILL TRANSFERABILITY COMBOS (100 maximum)
Factor	Maximum points	Your points
Education and language	50
Education and Canadian work	50
Foreign work and language	50
Foreign work and Canadian work	50
Trade certificate and language	50
PROVINCIAL NOMINATION AND ARRANGED EMPLOYMENT (600 maximum)
Factor	Maximum points	Your points
A Provincial nomination certificate	600
A Qualifying offer of arrange employment	600

All of the above have varying points as people may be more experienced or the younger they are. After calculating your points to Canada express entry, we will then tell you to get your education assessed through World Education Service (WES).  For WES, you need to get your official transcripts from your university (attached request form). After WES positive outcome and IELTS scorecard; we will put your file in the pool.  From the pool, the employers themselves or the Canadian Government will pick the file and will send you the invitation letter that you can now apply for PR. The better your profile is the better chances of picking up of file.