The Idiot's Guide to Australian Immigration: Part I

A friend of mine just asked me to send him "an idiot's guide to Australian immigration". While most such guides are usually written for idiots, in this case it would have to be written by one.

Before we get down to business, let me tell you why I feel a little stupid. Gill from community.embraceaustralia.com says doing the meds before they were requested was not very bright.

"There is no point in producing these things ages before the CO is ready to request them - there is no sense in chopping yourself down to a stupidly short time-scale in which to make your Initial Entries." - link to discussion

I.e. because the meds are only valid for 12 months. When the visa is granted, it will say that everyone included in the visa must make an Initial Entry to Australia on or before dd/mm/yyyy. This date is 12 months after the date of the meds or penal clearance certificates, whichever is earlier.

It's also apparent from the discussion that my CO will require PCCs for everyone on the application pretty soon. And if this all happens very quickly, then my initial entry would have to take place by October this year.

Of course, Gill mentions that "If the Case Officer processing the application considers that there will not be enough time to allow for an orderly Initial Entry before the expiry of the meds the case officer might require you to do the meds checks again." This would give me an additional year to make my move in an orderly fashion - as soon as I find out more about what - exactly - entails "an orderly fashion".

Anyway, getting back to the idiot's guide, here's the email I sent him. For all of you who've Googled your way here and feel as stupid as I do and the end of the day, here goes:

The best thing you can do is get hold of someone you trust to do it for you, since there are a number of ways to get to Australia and you should avail one that suits you most. Having said that, from my personal experience I can say that there are few immigration consultants that can actually settle you in Australia the way you should really do it, as opposed to shipping you off as a student, a cook or as a hairdresser’s spouse. The ones that do, needless to say, are pricey.

If you are really serious about making a move and doing it yourself, bear in mind you will need a lot of patience, time, money and administrative efforts. Some might argue doing it yourself is the best way to go about it since it’s a matter of your future. But you will really have to get your game on.

The ideal way to go is to find an employer in Australia who would like you to work there and is willing to sponsor you. This way you’re on your way to catching the next flight before you can say ‘wallaby’.

But if you don’t have any Aussie employers dying to have you work for them, a good place to start is to find out the visa that is suitable for your circumstances. Visit http://www.immi.gov.au/visawizard/ to find out.

A points system determines if you are eligible to migrate. Generally speaking, Australia is looking for people who can contribute to economic growth and fit in with society. The major factors that help them assess this are such things as your age, marital and family status, profession and English language skills. The total points needed to be eligible for grant of a skilled migration visa is 65. A table summarizing the points awarded can be found at the end of this fact sheet. You should check and see if you are likely to meet the minimum number of points required.

To be eligible for skilled migration you must have a nominated occupation which is on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) at the time you apply. The various schedules of the professions are on this page: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/sol/. Previously, If you were in a profession that was highly in demand, you were awarded more points under that category. From a quick glance it seems that this may have changed. Apparently, your total number of years work experience will now get you more points. Please read the fact sheet very closely to understand the current points system.

Once you have determined your eligibility, the administrative processes involved will start.

First, you will have to qualify an assessment of your professional status. I sent a detailed set of documents of my qualifications for assessment as a professional Management Accountant to the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia (ICAA). These included college transcripts, course syllabi and degree certifications along with an assessment fee of a few hundred A$. Your profession may involve verification of your work experience in addition to your qualifications. Find out about your assessing authority and their requirements from this link: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/skilled-occupations/skills-assessed.htm

If the assessing authority declares that your skills and qualifications are suitable for migration under your chosen occupation, you will be able to proceed with gathering evidence for your eligibility to migrate under the points system. You and your family members included in the application will have to take an IELTS test and qualify with a minimum band score to meet the required criteria for immigration.

Once you have gathered all the evidence necessary, you will be able to lodge an application for migration to the DIAC website. This costs nearly A$3,000 (non-refundable) for a General Skilled Migration (GSM) visa and will require considerable administrative paperwork. For other visa charges, look up this document.

Depending on the class of visa you have applied for, you will have to wait anywhere between six months to one and a half years from the time of submitting the application. For processing times of different classes of visa, visit this link: http://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/8.0.htm

During this time, you and your family members included in the application will have to undergo medical examinations that will cost you another few hundred dollars, [as well as police clearances].

Did I mention doing the meds before they are requested is a stupid thing to do?