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Frequently Asked Questions - about Australian Immigration How many people will be granted the right of permanent residence in
How do I find out if I am eligible to apply? Most applicants for permanent residence visas first contact a MARA Australian Registered Migration Agent. MARA Agents are recognised as part of the Australian Official Immigration Policy and are permitted to advise you as to whether or not you are eligible and, if so, they can prepare and lodge a visa application on your behalf. Please visit http://www.themara.com.au/ for a list of MARA agents in your country or local area.
How long does it take to get a permanent residence visa? Every application is different and processing times largely depend on the type of visa being applied for. As a general rule however, it takes most applicants for permanent residence in Australia 12 to 36 months (including the time required to prepare the application and qualification recognition before lodgement) to receive a decision on their visa application. Processing can be faster if your occupation is on one of the in-demand lists. Spousal cases and temporary work visas tend to be a little quicker at 3 to 6 months, while applicants requiring professional registration can take an additional 6 to 12 months to process. Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial immigration assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here. What are the current pass marks for the various different visa classes?
Normally, your arrival must be within one year from the date of your medical tests or police certificates, which occur during the processing of your residence visa application. So, if you deduct part of the official processing time, you will generally be left with 6 to 12 months to land in Australia. The exception is for temporary visas, such as work visas, in which case you may only have a number of months to enter the country. Will the immigration authorities or Embassy help me to prepare my application and make sure that everything is correct before applying? NO. This type of service is NO LONGER provided by the Government. The authorities exist to enforce immigration law, make decisions on residence applications and to issue residence visas. Although basic information and application forms are available, the authorities are unable to provide independent advice and personalised guidance on your specific case. Only an Australian Registered Migration Agent can provide this kind of service. Can the immigration authorities refuse my application? YES. A surprisingly large number of applicants are unaware how strictly the immigration regulations are enforced and are often unnecessarily refused or delayed due to technical errors on their application or by submitting the wrong supporting documentation. So the moral of the story is to seek the professional guidance and independent advice of a migration consultant BEFORE lodging an application for residence. Migration Agents exist to help you find the best way through the immigration maze and are highly effective in doing so. My migration consultant has assessed me as being eligible for residence in Australia. If I apply without his or her help, can I be certain of success? NO. Although you may fundamentally qualify under the immigration policy, you are by no means guaranteed of success. In order to be approved, your application must be prepared in accordance with the prevailing immigration regulations and submitted together with the appropriate supporting documentation. The ways in which to do this are not always clearly set out by the immigration authorities and can result in many applicants presenting their cases wrongly, inevitably leading to refusal. So you are strongly advised to seek the assistance of a Registered Migration Agent. What is a permanent resident? Essentially, a residence permit is a right affixed into your passport granting you the permanent right to live and work in a country. Once employed, you are generally eligible for state medical care, but must be resident in Australia for at least two years before qualifying for social welfare assistance (i.e. Unemployment benefits). Temporary residents (those on student and work visas) are generally not entitled to medical care or social welfare assistance at any time and are generally unable to remain in the country for longer than 4 years. These applicants are recommended to take out private health insurance. When I migrate, will I lose my current passport? NO, not necessarily. Firstly, you will enter as a permanent resident which does not affect your current citizenship status. After two years you can apply for Australian citizenship (but this is not obligatory). The Australian Government allows dual-nationality (i.e. the holding of two passports), so you could retain your current passport and obtain an Australian passport as well. Having said this, you must check that your own country of citizenship allows dual-nationality, as this right must be reciprocal. If not, you will need to surrender your other passport in order to become an Australian citizen. Australia's immigration rules are complex, strictly enforced and subject to change on a regular basis. Every year, many thousands of Australian residence applications are refused, returned unprocessed or delayed due to technical errors or problems that may seem unimportant to applicants. Even if your application is 95% correct, this can be grounds for outright refusal. If you are considering immigration to Australia you can get an independent assessment of eligibility by consulting a Registered Migration Agent and in doing so protect yourself more from these risks. All migration agents in Australia must be registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority. To be registered an agent must be able to demonstrate a sound knowledge of immigration policy and procedure, and must practise in accordance with a code of conduct that is incorporated in Australian migration law. Your agent must provide you with a copy of the code of conduct upon request. When you deal with a competent, experienced migration agent you maximise your chance of a successful outcome. You also save a considerable amount of time, as the consultant will take responsibility for seeing that the application is prepared correctly and the right documents are provided. The consultant will also follow up with the visa office after lodgement to minimise delays and comply with documentation requests. The consultant will also keep you informed about the status of your application and about any relevant changes to policy or regulations that could affect the outcome. So, if you don't want to risk your future in Australia, you are recommended to consult a Registered Migration Agent. For further information, visit the MARA web site at: www.themara.com.au Are you eligible to emigrate? Find out now. Click here for a FREE initial immigration assessment provided by the Migration Bureau (officially recognised immigration and visa consultants). For information on the Migration Bureau Click here.  |
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