Photo © James Cridland, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.
Transportation in Australia
Curious about visa requirements for Australia? If you are just coming over temporarily to have a look, it’s easy. If you hold an U.S. passport, you can get an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) online; it takes a few minutes and is valid for 12 months, allowing you to stay in Australia for up to three months once you have entered.If you want to migrate longer-term to work and you already have a job offer, or you have professional skills that are much sought after in Australia, such as doctor, nurse, or engineer, it’s also relatively easy, with either your employer sponsoring you and your family, or you qualifying under the General Skilled Migration Program, the Employer Nomination Scheme, the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme, or the SC457 Long Term Temporary Business Visa. If you have the skills and funding and the intention of buying or starting up your own business, your options are the Business Innovation and Investor Visa or the Business Talent Visa.
If you are coming to Australia in order to further your studies and are going to school, university, or a postgraduate research facility, you can apply for the Student Visa Program, which has several subsections covering the higher education sector, English-language intensive courses, primary or secondary school, and vocational training. Depending on the type of study, you may also be allowed in on a Visitor or Tourist Visa.
Under the Visitor Visa umbrella, you find the Working Holiday Visa, which allows, for example, students on a gap year to spend up to six months in the country doing light labor; the Investor Retirement Visa; and the Medical Treatment Visa.
If you are accompanying family, or you already have relatives in Australia who are willing to sponsor you, there are the Partner Visa and the Family Visa.
If you would like to set up home permanently in Australia and would like a Residency Visa, that can be achieved once you are in the country on a Long Term Business Visa and have worked for a couple of years in a Specified Regional Area. The process of obtaining permanent residency is very drawn out and can take months or even years; it is best done while here.
All Australian visa applicants must satisfy health and character requirements. The points table has recently been relaxed, but basically scores you higher points for younger age, better English language skills, higher professional experience, and academic achievements.
Visa fees vary widely and range from a mere $20 for a Visitor ETA to several hundred dollars for a long-term visa for the entire family. The fees change regularly, but up-to-date fees can be confirmed online at the Australian Government’s Immigration and Border Protection website.
Excerpted from the Second Edition of Moon Living Abroad in Australia.
