How To Become an Australian Permanent Resident

If you have a permanent resident visa, you may indefinitely live and work in Australia. Migrants do have the option to become citizens once they meet the residency requirement. There are many ways to immigrate to Australia— employment, family, refugee, or humanitarian status.

Steps to Australian Permanent Residency

1. Find the correct visa for you.

There are many Australian Migrant visas that allow you to live and work in Australia permanently. Let’s take a look at some common Permanent Residency categories:

2. Work-Based:

There are several paths to Australian permanent residency via the work-based category. These includes:

  • General Skilled Migration: People who possess a skill valued in Australia.
  • Employer-Sponsored Workers: When foreign national gets sponsored by an Australian employer to work in Australia.
  • Nurses and Doctors: Nurses and Doctors are gets Permanent residency on a need-only basis.

3. Family-Based:

If you have an Australian permanent resident or an Australian citizen family member, you may be qualified to immigrate to Australia. The permanent residency is available for:

  • Children
  • Partners
  • Fiancé(e)s
  • Dependent relatives.

4. New Zealand Visa:

As a New Zealander, you do have the option to work and live permanently in Australia without having a permanent resident visa. A temporary SCV visa is granted to citizens of New Zealand which allows them to do so but does not afford them the same rights as an permanent resident or citizen of Australia. For instance, a SCV visa does not allow you to join the Australian Defence Force; access student loans; vote, or obtain ongoing work for the Australian government. However, citizens of New Zealand do have the choice to apply for an Australian permanent resident visa likewise the option to become Australian citizens.

5. Check if you meet the visa requirements.

Once you have found the correct visa, look over the application requirements. Getting a permanent residency can be expensive and time-consuming, hence, you don’t want to apply for a benefit you’re not qualified for.

Visas may require you to have a citizenship relative, sponsor, specific work skills, or a certain amount of money to invest in the business.

6. Apply for an Australian Permanent Residency Visa

Once you find the correct visa and have checked that you meet all the qualification requirements, you can go ahead and apply for it. You can download the application forms or apply online at the DHA website.

Make sure your application is comprehensive before you send it in. Most applications entail you to submit supporting valid documents and an application fee.

7. Wait for a decision

You may have to wait for a few weeks or several months for a decision to be made on your application. Depending on which of the visa you apply for and how backed up DHA is in processing applications.

 

Get your visa!

You will get your migrant visa and can work and live permanently in Australia once your application is approved. Australian migrant visas are issued in five years, subject to renewal.  In some cases, you may soon be eligible for citizenship.

You may enter and leave Australia freely if your visa is valid. Other benefits of permanent residency include:

  • Right to apply for citizenship
  • Right to work
  • Right to public education
  • Right to travel freely between New Zealand and Australia without a visa

Right to sponsor relatives to immigrate to Australia

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