Home » Emigration Guides » Australia » Visas And Permits » General Visas For Australia

Unless travellers are from New Zealand, it is quite difficult to enter Australia without a visa. In addition, visas need to be arranged outside the country, prior to arrival. People who are moving to Australia will need to submit their visa applications to proper authorities many months in advance. For those people wishing to live and work in Australia, there are certain avenues they need to follow to make this happen.

Student visas are one way that emigrants can live for long periods in Australia. Over the last few years, there have been more than 100,000 students immigrate to Australia annually. This number continues to increase each year due to the growing statue of Australian universities, and the over-priced fees of universities in other countries. However, before students are granted visas to study, they have to meet a number of set criteria, be accepted and enrolled into a university course, and have already paid at least the first semester's tuition fees.

A long term business visa is a popular venture for emigrants wanting to move to Australia. The visa is valid for up to four years, and people on this visa will need to satisfy various criteria to remain in the country. This visa is common for emigrants who want to work for a company in Australia, or who work for companies that want to begin operating within Australia. It is possible for people on this visa to first arrive into Australia on a temporary visa, then transfer onto a long term business visa sometime later. For this visa to be valid, the applicant must fit the following criteria –
• Be sponsored by an Australian employee and a direct executive
• Have a successfully running business that is legally appropriate
• Make a contribution directly to the country

A person on this visa cannot work for other companies, and if any of the information is deemed false or void, then the visa can be terminated at any time.

Another type of visa that emigrants can use is a Business Skills visa. This is mainly for company executives who want to move to Australia and operate their company within Australia, on the basis that the move will benefit the local economy. Emigrants can also begin their own company in the country too. Applicants must be able to prove that they have the money and skills to begin a business venture in Australia and succeed at this enterprise. Strict monitoring of business operations and finances are done by the immigration office. If certain criteria are not met within the first few years of arriving, then visa cancellations occur.

The General Skilled Migration Program is the most common method for skilled labourers to emigrate to Australia. There are several different Skilled visas emigrants can apply for, including independent visas, sponsored visa, regional sponsored visa and regional visa. Those looking for permanent residency should try for the Skilled – Independent visa, as it offers direct permanent residency upon arrival. Emigrants cannot be older than 45 years old, must be English literate, and have proof of qualifications and experience for a particular trade. This application can take quite a few months to be processed, so be ready to wait for a few months after lodging the application.