General Skilled Migration for Australia is for those looking to migrate permanently to Australia. This visa is for people with good qualifications and work experience in either a trade or a profession that is required in Australia.

Applicants are awarded points for:

• Skill
• Age
• English language ability
• Specific work experience
• Occupation in demand (and job offer)
• Australian qualifications
• Study and residence in regional Australia/low population growth metropolitan areas
• Spouse skills
• Relationship (for Skilled-Australian sponsored visa applicants only)
• State/territory sponsorship (for Skilled – Independent Regional visa applicants only)

Applicants may also receive bonus points for one of the following:

• Capital investment in Australia or
• Australian work experience or
• Fluency in one of Australia’s community languages (other than English)

Applications which achieve a score below the passmark (but above another mark, known as the pool mark) will be held in reserve for up to 2 years after it is assessed. If the passmark is lowered during this period and the applicant’s score is at, or above, the new passmark, the application will proceed. If it is not, then the application will be refused.

You will be expected to continue in the career path that you have chosen when you Migrate to Australia.

No.

No.

• correctly completed application form
• Application charge
• Full birth certificate or other evidence of age for all applicants included in the application
• originals or certified copies of qualification documents to present to the assessing authority
• you address while the application is being processed
• each dependent of you or your spouse aged 18 years or over (whether migrating or not) must include a completed 47A form provided by Visa First
• each dependent of you or your spouse aged 18 years or over (whether migrating or not) must include 4 recent passport photos (45mmx35mm). The name of the person and their date of Birth must be printed on the back of each photo
• all applicants must include certified copies of pages in their passport that are not blank. If an applicant obtains a new passport after the application has been lodged, please send certified copies of all the pages of the new passport that are not blank
• Primary applicant must provide evidence of work experience
• all applicants must provide proof or English language ability
• a copy of primary applicants CV
• each applicants will need to provide Police certificates to determine whether you are of good character form to 1101

You and all secondary applicants must have a health examination

• 11 years, applicants have to do an x-ray
• 15 years, applicants have to do a blood test

If applicant becomes pregnant during the application, we need to be advised. We recommend that all family members delay medicals until the child is born. All medicals should be sent together.

The company that is offering you job should be running a business that has employed at least 10 people full-time in the 24 months immediately before lodging your application.

• you letter should be on the official letter head of the company providing the reference
• the letter should clearly indicate the contact details for the company (telephone, fax, email and website)
• the name and position of the person authorised to sign the employment reference should be signed and stamped below the persons signature
• the contact telephone number of the person writing the reference should be included in the letter
• the letter should indicate the period of employment( including whether permanent or temporary, full or part-time) positions held, the 5 main duties undertaken and the salary earned- positions should be described according to the nature of duties undertaken, not be generic titles.
• a payslip from your current employer should also be included
• Documentary evidence should b included with the letter.

If your nominated occupation is in the MODL list the guideline from the Immigration for processing is approximately 6 months, with all documentation supplied.
If your nominated occupation is listed in the SOL list, the guideline from the Immigration for processing is approximately 6-11 months, with all documentation supplied.
Please, note that these are guidelines advised by the immigration and may fluctuate depending on the volume of the application received by them.

You can apply for the skilled migration visa onshore or off shore.

Yes, if your visa application is made offshore, you will need to be offshore when the visa is granted.

Yes, provided you meet a number of requirements for your application to be considered eligible for application.

This will effect your application for General skilled migration.

you can stay in Australia on your 417 visa until it expires.

It is advisable to do so

They will have the same rights as you on General Skilled Migration.

A dependant is a member of the family unit of the visa applicant. This may include the spouse/ partner of the applicant, any dependent children (under 18 years of age) or some other dependent relative.

Once your application has been successfully submitted, you will not be able to receive a refund of the application charge.

Bank Account
Before you leave for Australia contact us to set up a bank account for you so that you can transfer money before you leave. You will also need your bank account in order for an employer to pay you. The bank account takes 4-5 days. to set up.

Tax File Number
We can also apply for your Australian tax file number before you leave. This is the equivalent of a PPS number and you will need it in order to work.

Accommodation
Visa First can also set you up with an apartment/house in Sydney, Melbourne or Perth before you go.

Yes however in the case of buying a second hand property you are advised to consult a solicitor to make sure sure there are no problems with the property. As a first time buyer in Australia you are entitled to a first time buyers grant of AU$7,000.
Click here to se how much stamp duty you pay when buying a house in Australia.

Anywhere from 5-40 days

An unusual faq perhaps however the best advice is to stock up before leaving as a penny saved is a penny earned.

Once you are a legal resident of Australia you will be entitled to bring your parents to Australia permanently.

We can assist in organising shipping for you. Just give us an idea of exactly how much contents you wish to send ie, total contents for a 1 bedroom, 2 bedroom, 3 bedroom house.

The school your children go to will largely be determined by the area that you live in. Public schooling is free and private schooling is fee paying.

Yes but you will need to seek approval from the FIRB. There is NO problem buying a house in Australia on the 163 as long as the house is your main residence i.e. not bought for investment or to rent out. The real estate agent generally applies to the FIRB for you and it takes between about a week up to a max of 30 days to get confirmation.

You should wait until we contact you to request them. Medicals have a short life span so best to leave them until last.The date of the medicals will also be be put down as the start date of your visa application so should you submit them earlier, you will have less time to enter Australia. The same applies for police checks.

All animals entering Australia require an import permit, issued by AQIS. To obtain an import permit, an application to import your pet must be completed. Your application must include your pet’s microchip number. An import permit will be returned to you.
For further information, please contact Visa first at info@visafirst.com.

You may include other relatives in your application if they are wholly or substantially reliant on you for financial support for their basic needs of food, shelter & clothing and they have been reliant on you for that support for a substantial period. They must also be more reliant on you than on any other person or source. A relative may be considered a dependent on you if they have a mental or physical disability that prevents them from earning a living to support themselves.e.g aged unmarried relative.

Motor vehicles and motor cycles can be shipped to the following ports: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth/Fremantle, Adelaide. Prior to shipping a motor vehicle or motor cycle the owner must obtain a "Vehicle Import Approval". Before getting this permit you will need to show 12 months of consecutive use and ownership for your vehicle. This permit is also required for vehicles over 15 years old however the ownership length of time does not apply. This Import Permit needs to be obtained from the following authority:

Vehicle Safety Standards
GPO Box 594
Canberra ACT 2602
Ph: 00612 62747506
Fx: 00612 62746013

For further information, please contact Visa first at info@visafirst.com.

For complete list of the 2008 School term dates, please, click here.