How to Visit, Work or Move to Australia – Different Visa Types

Hi Everyone 🙂

Many of you ask us the same question: How did you get to Australia, on what visa and how long did it take to get permanent residency? Simply, how to move to Australia?

I will try to explain what types of visa are available depending on a purpose of your visit or intentions. You can find more details here! 

Australian Beaches

1. Travel & Tourist Visa

You need to apply for a tourist visa in order to be eligible enter Australia. Regulations, nevertheless, are quite trouble-free and simple to navigate. The cost associated with it could be in the form of payment of visa application charge. This charge is generally not reimbursed if your application is fruitless. We didn’t pay anything when we arranged visa for our family and friends coming from the Czech Republic.

Now you might question what this visa will offer you. If approved, this visa will permit you either a single or multiple entries to Australia for a residing period of up to quarter, half-annual or 12 months. The duration of stay and amount of entries approved will be based on the intention of the visit and your individual circumstances.

The Australian immigration and visa requirements are as follows:

If you have a valid passport from one of the 32 eligible countries, are outside of Australia, of good health and no criminal convictions you can apply online from for your ETA Visa. The ETA Visa is the world’s most advanced electronic visa issuing system and replaces having to travel, contact in person or via post an Australian Diplomatic office for a label or stamp to be placed into a passport. The information you need to know about ETA Visas so you can apply and receive online your ETA Visa within 15 minutes to 24 hours (depending on time zones).

It is not necessary to have a trip booked before being issued with your ETA Visa. In fact, the Australian Government recommends your ETA Visa should be arranged before booking any part of your trip to ensure approval has been granted to visit Australia.

2. Study visa

Australia is a world leader in international education. Overseas student numbers are now at their highest level ever and will continue to increase due to a number of changes to the student visa program. The Government is extremely committed to ensuring that this important industry continues to grow.

To be granted a Student (Temporary) Visa, you must complete an application form, pay the correct processing fee and satisfy entry criteria/requirements. Student (Temporary) Visas for study in Australia can only be issued to students who wish to undertake Registered Courses or part of a registered course on a full-time basis. A Registered Course is a course of education or training offered by an education provider in Australia which is registered with the Australian Government to offer courses to international students. Details of registered courses and education providers are held at Australian missions overseas.

Evidence of enrollment in a Registered Course is an Acceptance Advice Form (AAF) which is issued by registered providers.

If you are a secondary school student participating in a secondary exchange program, you should apply for a Student (Temporary) Visa. Instead of an AAF, the approved evidence of enrollment in a registered course for secondary exchange students is the Acceptance Advice for Secondary Exchange Students (AASES) which is issued to schools/organizations in Australia by State/Territory education authorities.

Assessment of a student’s adequate means of support during the proposed course assumes that the student will not rely solely on income earned from working the permitted 20 hours a week. This work concession is intended only to supplement a student’s income. Part-time employment opportunities in Australia are limited, and the cost of living is relatively high.

Kangaroos

3. Work permits, Sponorships, Aupair visa

The Government of Australia is persuading businessmen for Australian immigration and to set up their businesses in Australia. Consequently the State offers business visas to attract more and more people to this fabulous country to begin either a new business or to run an already existing business. The Government offers ranking of skilled migrants by providing them a skilled work visa. This is one method of alluring flourishing businessmen to move to Australia permanently and also take full advantage of their hard work and toil. 

The Government also aids in providing an Australian work visa for those individuals who have already stayed in Australia working for some other company, but are now keen on remaining in Australia for development and management of their businesses. It is essential to note here that getting a State sponsored business visa is not that simple. One needs to follow certain guidelines prior to being eligible for getting one. People concerned about changing their profession or planning to start a business in Australia or getting into the management of the business would find it easier to get an Australian visa, if they already have a work visa. In order to be held eligible for a business visa sponsored by the State, one must have stayed in Australia holding a work visa. One is also required to have the sponsorship letter from the Australian authorities who have authorized the Australian visa. Only if all the requisites have been fulfilled, it is trouble-free to get the Australian business visa.

People who wish to start their own business would have to send a separate application to the State authorities of the State in which you are going to set up your business. All essential criteria for Australian immigration like character and health necessities would have to be fulfilled for you to get the visa. Some of these health formalities are a blood test, x-ray and so on. Police clearance forms would also have to be submitted to the authorities, mitigating that you have no criminal records. The value and economic standing of your business also has a great deal to do with the clearance of the visa application. When you surf the Australian Government immigration site, you would get a decent amount of information pertaining to these formalities and it would be simpler for you to go ahead with the formalities.

If you would like to work as an au pair in Australia, you would need to apply for Working Holiday Visa subclass 417 or 462 ( depending on your country of origin) and meet the requirements. You can find more info here.

hot to move to Australia

4. Living in Australia

Are you thinking about migrating to Australia for one reason or another? It is possible to get a permanent residency before you move to Australia – this was our case. We got our PR through SkillSelect, but there are other options. If you plan to apply for a sponsorship, then once you are sponsored for 4 years, then you can apply for PR. Once you held your PR for 4 years, you can apply for Australian Citizenship (conditions apply!).

 The Migration Act 1958 is a law which covers non-Australians who wish to enter and remain in Australia. The Migration Regulations are rules which set out the requirements people applying to settle in Australia must satisfy.

You may not be able to apply to stay in Australia if you have had a visa cancelled or been refused a visa since you arrived in Australia. Applications based on marriage are handled differently to other applications. 

How do I apply?

Form 887N, Explanatory notes, tells you all you need to know about completing form 887 and the documents needed to support your claim. There are several classes of visas for which you can apply but you can apply for only one class on each form 887. Within each class there are different categories (subclasses) for which you can be considered for permanent residence. You must pay a charge when lodging your application .

It is not possible to give an exact indication of how long it will take to process your application, as the volume of work in DIMA offices varies. Incomplete forms and lack of documents may cause a delay in processing or refusal of your application. It took us 5 months putting all information and documents together (all our documents in Czech had to be translated professionally including the authority stamp), passing the English exam and medical requirements. Once we submitted our application, the PR was granted in 3 weeks! We paid around 4500 GBP for all paperwork, including the visa and application fee. We didn’t use any migration agent (this may cost additional 500-2000 GBP, depending on your circumstances)

It is best not to inquire about your application unless your circumstances change (in which case you must notify the Department). Remember that responding to inquiries leaves officers less time to devote to processing applications.

Your application will be considered against the criteria for every subclass of visa in the class for which you have applied; however, you must meet all the requirements for at least one of the subclasses to be allowed to stay.

If you do not meet the requirements for a permanent visa, your application will be refused and you will have to leave Australia. You will be told about any review rights you may have, and the date by which you must leave Australia, in the refusal letter. 

It might seem a bit complicated, I know! But once you are motivated and figure out what visa is best for you, then the whole process can sart for you! How exciting! Once you are here, please let me know 🙂

Eva x