Overview -
Migration to Australia
Introduction and
help
This page
provides information about migrating to Australia (as a migrant or refugee),
which means traveling to Australia with a visa that gives you the right to
live permanently in Australia.
Please
note:
-
If you apply
from outside Australia, you will be applying to migrate. If you are
applying in Australia, you will be applying for permanent residence. On
these web pages, the term migrate covers both of these categories.
-
if you
plan to visit Australia (that is, not stay permanently) and you want to
work, please read the information
about
Visa
Options for Temporary Residents.
To learn about
migration options, scroll down the page, or go direct to one of these
topics:
Migration
program
There are two
programs designed to help people wanting to come to Australia permanently.
One is the migration program which is made up of:
-
a
skill migration stream, which has a number of categories
for people who have particular occupation skills, outstanding talents or
business skills;
-
a
family migration stream, where people can be sponsored by
a relative who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
-
special eligibility migrants, who are former citizens or
residents wanting to return to Australia, or certain New Zealanders.
The migration
program for 2004-05 has 120,000 places available for migrants, with a strong
focus on attracting skilled people and people who agree to live in regional
areas of Australia.
Humanitarian
program
The second
program is the separate humanitarian program which is
designed for refugees and others in special humanitarian need.
A major component of the
humanitarian program is the offshore resettlement program,
which assists people in humanitarian need overseas for whom resettlement in
another country is the only option.
The
onshore protection component is for those people already in
Australia who arrived on temporary visas or in an unauthorized manner, and
who claim Australia’s protection.
The size of the
2004-05 humanitarian program is 13,000 places.
Website
information
You can obtain
detailed information about any of these categories from this website, by
reading the pages about the category which applies to you.
Please read this information carefully before making any contact with the
department.
Conditions in
Australia
If you want to
migrate, you should also research topics such as living costs in Australia,
employment conditions, availability of social security and medical costs.
You will find
links to this information on the migration information pages.
Migration costs
There are
significant costs associated with migration. You must pay the relevant
migration application charge when you apply.
Please remember that whatever the outcome of your application, this charge
is non-refundable.
You will also
need to pay for a medical examination for each family member included in an
application, along with other costs such as obtaining a character clearance,
or the cost of a certified translation of some documents.
Details of these costs are
included on the migration information pages.
Please also remember that travel
and re-location costs are likely to be significant.
Migration,
humanitarian categories
To read more
detail, go to:
Migrating to
Australia as a Skilled Person
Australia's permanent immigration program has two components:
-
Migration – for Skilled, Family and Special Eligibility migrants
-
Humanitarian – for refugees and others with humanitarian needs.
The
'Skilled' Program is specifically designed to target migrants who have
skills or outstanding abilities that will contribute to the Australian
economy.
This
page provides a brief overview and links to more detailed information on the
range of visa options available under the Skilled Program.
General Skilled
Migration
Further information on the 12
visas in the General Skilled Migration category is available.
See:
General Skilled Migration
Employer
Sponsored Migration
There
are 3 permanent employer sponsored visas:
Employer
Nomination
The Employer
Nomination Scheme (ENS) allows Australian employers to fill, on a permanent
basis, 'highly skilled' positions with non-Australian citizens, where they
have been unable to fill a vacancy from the Australian labour market or
through their own training programs.
Regional
Sponsored Migration Scheme
The Regional
Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) enables Australian employers in regional
or low-growth areas to fill 'skilled' positions, on a permanent basis, with
non-Australian citizens, where they have been unable to fill a vacancy from
the Australian labor market or through their own training programs.
Labour
Agreements
A Labour Agreement enables
Australian employers to recruit a specified number of workers from overseas
in response to identified or emerging labour market (or skill) shortages.
This is a formal arrangement negotiated between the Commonwealth Government
and the employer or industrial association.
See:
Employer-sponsored migration
Business Skills
The Business Skills program encourages
successful business people to settle permanently in Australia and develop
new business opportunities. Australia offers a range of visa options for
business owners, business talent, senior executives and investors.
See:
Business Skills entry
Distinguished
Talent
The Distinguished Talent program is designed
for people who want to settle permanently in Australia and are able to
demonstrate they have an internationally-recognized record of exceptional
and outstanding achievement in a profession, the arts, sport or research and
academia.
See:
Distinguished Talent Visas
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