Emigrating to Australia can be exciting and daunting at the same time. There are a lot of horror stories about emigrating out there, but if you know the right steps to take you could avoid some of the major issues. Of course, if you are nervous about your move, it is recommended that you hire a solicitor or registered migration agent to help you.
Determine The Visa You Need:
When emigrating from the UK, you need to determine the visa you are going to need. Emigration to Australia is run on a score-based system with various factors influencing your score.
If you are moving without a job offer from an Australian company, you will need to get an independent immigrating visa. To qualify for this visa you will need to be under the age of 45, have an education that matches the list of skilled occupations, provide the professional experience of this and have a firm knowledge of the English language. Preference is given to people with Australian education or those in occupations that are in demand in the country.
If you have family in Australia, you can emigrate through the sponsorship program. When this program is used, the score you need to emigrate will be lowered. Sponsorship will not provide you with a permanent right to live in the country. You will need to get a temporary visa for 3 years followed by a permanent visa for 2 years.
If you have a job offer from an Australian company, you will be emigrating through company sponsorship. You will need to meet many of the same criteria as an independent visa applicant, but it will generally be easier to get this visa. If the company is based outside of the major cities, requirements will generally be less stringent.
Allow Enough Time For The Visa Application:
Emigration visas take time to be processed and it is recommended that you apply for this at least 18 months before your planned moving date. There are some visas that can take up to 2 years to be granted and you need to be aware of this.
Prepare Everything For The Move:
While you wait for your visa, you should prepare everything for the move. Clear out everything in your house that you will not want to take with you. Shipping your possessions to Australia can be expensive and will have to be done by ship. The less you have to send, the easier and cheaper it will be.
If you have children, you need to tell their school about your planned move. This is important because you will need transcripts. Additionally, the school year in Australia runs from January to December and the 6-month difference will need to be planned for.
Something that you might want to consider doing before you leave the UK is opening an Australian bank account. This is something that you can take care of once you are in the country but doing this beforehand can make life a bit easier. There are a number of banks that allow you to do this and they each have their own requirements.
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