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.