Moving to Australia from U.S.
 

Can anyone help with general information or websites to research what it takes to move from the United States to Australia?

Interested in employment possibilities and requirements, legal paperwork necessary. Could be for a limited 1-2 year stay, or permanent citizenship.

Forgive the vague nature of my post, I'm helping a friend get started. I am an active Fodors forum poster on Mexico and Europe, but don't know the 1st thing about Australia.

Any kick in the right direction will be most appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Suze,
I guess the place to start is with the Australian Govn't immigration dept:
www.immi.gov.au/
I am from UK so it may be a little different but requirements are probably basically the same.
They no longer want to accept convicts from any country.
Search the internet for 'migration to Australia' there are several conpanies that will assist your friend with the Visa application.
Normally it will ask to fill in a questionaire that will calculate if you have enough 'points' to achieve your goal and they can tell you for a small fee if your goals are realistic and if not how you can make them realistic.
I think they know all the best methods for migrating.
Hope it helps a little
Good luck with your search

Muck

Permanent citizenship is extremely tough to come by unless you have family members that are Auz. citizens. I speak from experience - my now husband is Australian & I am from the US. I tried to get a de-facto visa, and that was going to take nearly a year w/ no guarantee of entry. We got married, which made things easier but didn't guarantee anything. We now have a baby which has sped up the process a bit, but I still only have a temporary visa for the next 2 years. Fortunately I was able to get company sponsorship in the interim - as the above poster said, that is your best bet. It will help if your friend is in a 'desired' field of employment (nurse/doctor, for ex). The website has all the info & forms needed.

I hate to be cynical about this but the barriers are high.

It helps to be young,bright and beautiful or

have a spare A$500,000 and a good immigration agent (business migration)

I'm so glad someone posted this question as I"m interested in doing the same. John-I"m kind of young, not ugly, and am pretty smart so what are my chances??? :) Sorry, I don't have that kind of money just yet. Also, can anyone please help me start a search for a job position? I work as a high school guidance counselor and would be interested in finding a position at a school in or around Sydney. I could do career/college counseling and personal counseling. I have no idea where to start and what schools to look into. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! Cheers.

Guys,

The basics are as follows:
* If you're trying to emigrate and get permanent residency (ie not sponsored by a company) then you'd do so under one of two ways - a general skilled or business migration. The former is based on a points system and can take up to 2 years for your application to be processed. In terms of points, unless you are in one of the highly desired job fields (there are about 10, and most are accounting or medically related) OR you have very close family here, you cannot get enough points if you are over 30. The business migration is if you are planning to start up a company here and have significant funds, and you have to "reprove" yourself in 4 years.

To get sponsored by a company for a 4-year Temporary Resident visa is a bit easier, but note that Australian companies are often reluctant to do so for three reasons: it costs a fair bit, unless the company has spent significant money on becoming a "pre-qualified business sponsor" it will take time, and most importantly there are significant resources here in Australia to fill jobs (which is something the company has to prove - that they couldn't find someone in Australia similary qualified). That doesn't mean it can't be done. It just means that certain professions are more likely to find jobs here from overseas: medical and business/IT.

You would have to get your job offer from overseas and provide an offer letter for the Temporary Residents visa to be an option.

The other option is to come down for holiday and search like hell for a job, and then try and get the company to agree to sponsor you. Very difficult given the timeframe, but doable if you get an extended holiday visa (6 months).

Now before anyone says I'm an anti-american who doesn't want our jobs taken away, let me note that I am a 34 year old American in Oz on a Temp Res visa and have done all the research and jumped through all the hoops to get it, which is why I know all this stuff!

Good luck.

Thanks Pixie Chick. I actually wanted to write you as I saw another posting you did and you had your email address on it (which now I cannot find). If you are comfortable could you please send me your email so I can ask you more questions. I really appreciate the help, esp. from an expert! I'm at [email protected]. Thanks heaps!

Thank you my fellow Fodorites! For your kind and thoughtful responses. You're the greatest and I appreciate the information, to pass on to my friend.

If I can pay back the favor see me on the Latin America branch helping with Mexico info. Warm regards to all, Susan in Seatle

Is it easier for those from certain countries to migrate over to Australia? Like perhaps the UK? What if you have family that live in Australia, but they are only first cousins? Could that help?

I seem to recall that it is easier to immigrate to NZ (and NZ may have a special relationship with Australia).

Hi,
In answer to Tammi's question, the UK is just as difficult to migrate from, considering 40 yrs or so ago people were going for pennies and being actively encopuraged to do so.
When I consider that Australia as we know her, derived from UK as part of the commonwealth it amazes me when I consider the population of UK is 60million and the population of Australia is only about 16 million.
There's plenty of room for us there !!
I looked to migrate and could satisfy the points criteria, I have no family there but can you believe my kids don't want to move !!!!!!
by the time they move out I will be too old to migrate, unless I get a small fortune that is...

Muck

We may change our plans for next August's vacation and got to Melbourne and Tassie instead of Japan to visit my parents!

My husband wants to go in PERSON to visit the immigration office ---he thinks it will look better! ;-)

MY biggest concern is MY DOGS. I don't want them in quarantine for 1 yr...does anyone know how that works? IS there an office to contact about it?

I think we qualify on my husbands job skills (SAP) 5+ yrs experience and a masters degree.

I technically qualify with my 5+ yrs as a QA test analyst as well BUT I am in the process of going to school for Respiratory Therapy and from what I can tell....Australia doesn't recognize that field as a separate medical area.

NOT sure who does the respiratory side--ventilators, breathing treatments, O2 therapy etc.....might just have nurses do all that. ??? However there is a local company here in Pittsburgh that makes Respiratory equipment and they say there are in 117 countries...I am guessing AUSSIE is one of them and maybe I can work that angle since I will have training and the background to run/train/use their equipment.

When they say you need $500 AUD does that mean liquid CASH or can it be in stocks/funds etc??? Depending upon the exchange rate....and how much we could sell our house for in 2 yrs....we wouldn't be that far from that # but most of it is retirement (401k/IRA).

Anyone with any details...feel free to email me...

[email protected]

I took the little qualifier test....my husband and I get 135 pts.

and in my post above I meant 500K not $500 ;-)

also found the quarantine info...I must have been given erroneous information before....but it appears to only be about 30 days for dogs from the US (minimum 30 days) I have inquired with the AQIS what it means by MINIMUM and how long it normally is....I can handle a month without the doggies but would hate to torture them much longer than that!

Migrating to Australia is a hit and miss affair sometimes. However you have been given some good information on the points system and sometimes that will pleasantly surprise you particularly if you are in the young child bearing age group.
With regard to the Respiratory Therapy question you don't say what your qualifications are i.e. Nurse, Physio, Nurse practitioner, Medico, etc etc. I think you would find that even if there are not exactly the same qualifications it would not be hard to top up to qualify though another medical field anyway. In other words, if you were a Occupational Therapist and you were doing a special course for that type of therapy, you would be given points for the OT side and further ones for the extra study. If in fact it is a seperate study issue in the US it most probably would not be hard to incorporate a compatable degree in Australia which would see you in the same position in the end anyway. Gee, that babble doesn't seem to make sense does it but I hope you can understand what I mean.
Mucky: You lot decided that you didn't want us when you started buying from Europe that which you used to get from NZ and Australia - then added the extra indignity of having us go through UK Immigration in the "Foreign" section. So just because you now buy from us our most dreadful TV series doesn't constitute being family anymore.
PS I would divorce your kids if I were you.
:))

Where did you take this qualifier test to see if you qualified?

Alise-

Be careful about the qualifier test...it is actually impossible to get 135 points if you are over 30 and don't have family in Australia. Specifically, the most you can get for your work is 60 points (remember that) and, more importantly, you can only claim the 5 "bonus" points once...ie you can't claim because you speak another language AND have 500K funds AND have a tertiary degree, etc.

Additionally, showing up in person does nothing. The application has to be submitted from overseas and takes between 1-2 years for approval (occasionally less, occasionally more). If you are really keen, I suggest speaking to a REPUTABLE immigration agent in the US that specialises in Australia.

If you are coming to Australia then check out some of the specialist Lawyers who look after Immigration applicants.

What is the max # of points possible?

How do you find a reputable immiagration lawyer?? I wouldn't even know where to start.

A classmate of my dad (high school) has been living in Aus for a good 20+ yrs now and is currently in Canberra. I thought he would be a good start/contact.

From what I can tell they have Nurses doing Respiratory therapy. Here Nurses learn Head to Toe and we only really study Nose-Lungs and general anatomy and physiology. We specialize in Cardio-Pulmonary areas. Both of them are minimum 2 yr studies (associate degrees vs 4 yr bachelor degrees).

I will just have to hope that Bayer works out for my husband! I know they have offices in both Sydney and Melbourne.

I know I must be missing something. I'm looking around the www.immi.gov.au web site but somehow I'm not finding the point system that people are mentioning.

Tired eyes, I guess. I'd like to see where I fall, as my wife would like to see us move there (she's Aus, I'm not).

Why go to the trouble to emigrate down here. Just move to the west coast...there isn't a hell of a lot of difference.

Janese,
I agree, why the hell we ever went to Europe I don't know ! we are a unique island and should stay that way.
Our immigration laws are prehistoric, in my opinion Aust has probably the best idea. By that, I mean people having to prove they can contribute before being allows conditional entry. In UK the conditions seem to be that if they have nothing to contribute they get let in. If they don't for some reason get allowed in they just dissapear..lol
I really want to migrate, we are in Austalia in December and its designed as a reconnissance mission to convince the kids (son mainly) how fabulous it is there.
But failing that, divorcing them sounds like a good option ;-)

Muck

johnj,

If that was to my question, it's because my wife's family is there. Not sure I see all that much similarity to the west coast US though, people-wise.

You have to have 500K to migrate, or is that just for points?

That seems like a lot! (even with exchange rate)

West Coast does remind me of Australia, but it's just not the same.

I see no similarity between the West Coast of the USA and Australia unless you count the fact that there are some palm trees and gums in California and they speak English - well most of the time!
I have no idea why one needs a Lawyer who specializes in immigration but they seem to advertise that fact everywhere here so there must be some sort of reason for them. Perhaps it's because they have some better knowledge of how to access the correct departments or it may be the usual lawyer/ self interest.
I only have information on immigration from the UK as 1/ my husband came from there and 2/ we have sponsored relatives from there and even in the latter situation I ended up going to my local member of Parliament to put a rush in things so that the rellies could start the school year at the right time and not be disadvantaged in that area.
It is only business immigration that requires any money and that is the only requirement if you go down that road ( i.e. that you are setting up a business and you have the 500K needed).
The main way to immigrate is to attend or contact the Australian Embassy/Consulate in your home country, make application and jump through any hoops that are required. However speaking to an Immigration Lawyer in Australia, if you happen to be here, could bring up some ideas that the rest of us don't know about.
There are many work areas that Australia is in dire need of filling i.e. teaching, nursing and and some areas of medicine to name just a few and if you come into those catagories then you get more points than you would normally and it is in those areas then that a prospective employer could help with immigration by providing the Government with a request for your services which cannot be filled by an Australian.
Mucky, hope you have some luck with your son and perhaps we will get to see you in God'sown in the near future. Remember that if you are in the Gold Coast area come up to Tamborine Mountain and see why we think that we are the luckiest of all!

I just had a thought!
I have one daughter aged 39, unmarried, Senior Quality Consultant B.Bus. M.Bus. ( whatever that is) , reasonably nice looking, has own house ( buying it ) in Brisbane - Clayfield which is a nice suburb. She spent too much time with her head in the study books instead of looking for a husband. Also have one son, 36, presently in the Navy but doing full-time Uni studies to become a teacher - reminds me of a Teddy Bear ( cuddly but useless) unmarried etc.
Any offers :0) The other son isn't married either - lawyer, own law firm, seems to have plenty of money, very good looking but I think 'finally' he has found someone, crossed fingers! But we could do with a back-up.

It's amazing what we (i.e. Americans) will do to relocate to Australia! I'm a well-educated young buck living in the Big Apple and I have also explored my options. What an exhausting process! I work for a very well-known classical musician and thought about applying under the "Athlete or Artist of Extraordinary Talent" category (with a letter of recommendation from my employer). Forget it! An Australian or New Zealander has to complete the form to attest to your talent and/or ability to make a contribution to the arts community of Australia. No offense, but Oz isn't exactly known as the mecca of high culture! Couldn't they use some people with useful experience? Nonetheless, I love it! An American working in film in Oz HIGHLY recommended using an immigration lawyer to help you navigate the process. If you got the bucks, do it! GOOD LUCK!

I just have to tell someone!!!!

Talked to my parents and convinced them to go to Oz with us next October instead of US going to Japan!!!

I am THRILLED!!!!! Since my Dad has been a few times and will be in Cairns next month (lucky Bas#%^$%) ;-) We will skip the GBR stuff but he may add on a few days and take my step mom so she can relate to him!

We may squeeze in a day or 2 in Sydney but I want to concentrate this trip around Melbourne because I think it might be better job wise/cost of living/traffic etc...

Please tell me if I am wayyyy off course with that line of thought compared to Sydney.

As long as they have a good technical and medical job field --I think we will be safe.

AND I was born on the west coast and have visited a few times in recent years....IT IS NO AUSTRALIA!

Even the palm trees are prettier in Oz!

My dad is having his friend in Canberra email me to help out! He used to write for the local newspaper and now I think he is writing books. Figure he definitely has contacts with Government!!!!

My husband is out of town for the weekend and it is late...and I am just bursting with HAPPINESS about this next trip!!!!!

I will have the hardest time going to sleep--and I have to get up early for Steelers tailgating!! Well I am off to Wally World to pick up a smaller cooler that I can haul 10 mins to a friends car in the expensive parking section....

DO they have 24 shopping in Oz at all?

Hi Janese,
Thanks, Your daughter sounds like a 'good catch', but I will have to have a chat with my wife first though....lol ;-). I know she just wouldn't understand !!
I already know you guys are the luckiest and I havn't seen Tamborine mt yet ! But I will endeavour to get there in December.

Cheers

Muck

Aw streuth Mucky! there goes my 10% finders fee!
See you in December
Liz/Janese

Alise
Sydney has much more to offer than Melbourne. Although the accommodation may be more costly there is a lot more to choose from and the cost of living otherwise is about the same. It has a very good rail system too. Of course it depends whether you want to live there or visit.
In either sense I would take Sydney over Melbourne as they are not too different in size but Sydney has much better weather and a much better setting as well with more things to do and see.

Here comes the Sydney vs. Melbourne debate. 1 vote for Melbourne!

Although, Adelaide is where I studied abroad at, and I LOVED it.

I am a teacher, so maybe one day I could move there! Just my luck then they won't need teachers.

Let's not debate, let's try to figure out together how some of us can migrate to OZ...so is my best bet to get an immigration lawyer to help me figure this out? I did that test on the gov website and don't have enough points, but I work in school counseling and my teacher friend in Syd told me there are shortages in that area. I need a concrete summary of the route I should take so I can move to Sydney!!! Help!!

What if someone went over there pregnant and had the baby there. The baby would then get dual citizenship and could move to Australia if he/she wanted. Then perhaps that could get you, the parents, in? This is such a stretch but it happened to my friend, who was born in Ireland.

Abby43,

I am also a counselor/advisor, in a college setting. We have taken the points test (several times), and just can't get in. We are both 40, so that hurts. Is it true that counselors are needed, or is it just teachers? Did you find anything out?

I was in Sydney this August and my friend, who is a teacher, called his friend at work who is the careers advisor (I do a lot of college counseling at a high school). She said there was a shortage in that area as well as regular counselors who handle crises, trauma, emotional things, etc. I haven't really done any research. A friend's brother met a girl online who lives in Melbourne so he moved there and got engaged. He's an architect and got a job that sponsored him, but he said to consult an immigration lawyer and/or agency b/c that's what helped expedite his visa. I really have no clue as to how to do this, unless I can meet some Aussie sometime soon and marry him. :)

All-

The hysteria is getting out of hand! Here's the situation...it doesn't matter if a friend says there's a shortage of job "x"...there are about 10 jobs on the MODL list (occupations in demand) that will give you an extra 10 points if you don't already have a job offer down here. I have attached the link to the page that notes the jobs on the list. If your job is on the list and those extra 10 points put you above the "pass" mark, then you have enough points but must still go through the process of applying and waiting. There is no "fast track". If those points still don't get you above the pass mark, then it doesn't matter what your profession is...you don't have enough points.

http://www.immi.gov.au/migration/skilled/modl.htm

Thanks, Abby. I think we'll look into immigration lawyers.

Is it the same deal if you're under 30 and just want to live there for a year?