|
FCO (Foreign & Commonwealth Office) Travel Advice for Australia
Travel Summary
Safety and security
Local laws and customs
Entry requirements
Health
Natural disasters
General
Register with FCO ‘LOCATE’ service for emergencies
Electronic Travel Authority: (ETA)
If you are planning a holiday visit or a short business trip to Australia, you will need to apply for either a visa or an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority). An ETA will let you spend up to three months in Australia. An ETA is issued by the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) online in real time through the web. You can apply DIRECT here by using the Internet, or through travel agents, airlines and specialist service providers around the world.
Internet ETA’s (Apply Online) are currently available for:
Tourists and Short Stay Business travellers, multiple visits with a maximum stay of three months per visit.
In both cases the visa has a 12 month validity from date of the grant of the ETA or to the expiry date of your passport, whichever is the earlier. You may enter Australia as often as you like up until the last day of the validity of the ETA and may then stay in Australia for up to three months. Employment is prohibited.
Full Conditions HERE:
Short Term Tourist Visa 3 Months
The most common form of Electronic Visa (ETA) for short term tourist visitor stays of up to 3 Months is the ETA Visitors Visa Subclass 976
Tourist Visa for stays of OVER 3 Months (For stays of 3 months and up to 12 Months)
For tourist visitors looking to stay over 3 months a Tourist Visa (Visitors Visa Subclass 676) applies at a current cost of $A105.00 per person. Strict conditions apply. More Information HERE:
Sponsored Family Visitor Visa (For stays of 3 months and up to 12 Months)
The Tourist (Visitors Visa Subclass 679) allows people to travel to Australia to take a holiday or visit their family. The applicant must have an eligible relative in Australia or an Australian Government official willing to sponsor them. This visa is usually used if you want to visit your family in Australia or to holiday in Australia for reasons other than business or medical treatment. You must be outside Australia when you apply for this visa. You can visit Australia once, usually to stay for a period of up to three (3) months or six (6) months, but in certain circumstances a stay of 12 months may be granted. While in Australia you can: visit family and/or friends, engage in tourist activities, or study for up to three (3) months. Cost $A105.00 per person. More Information HERE:
Short Validity Business ETA conditions
(For visits to Australia for business meetings, conventions and conferences) - Work is not allowed; except for a very short period to undertake work not able to be done by any Australian citizen or permanent resident.
Valid for multiple visits within 12 months from date of issue. Maximum length of each visit is three months
Not for acting, musical performances or commercial film making; in these cases you must apply for an Entertainment visa.
Temporary Business (Long Stay) - Standard Business Sponsorship
(Visa Subclass 457) This is the most commonly used program for employers to sponsor overseas workers to work in Australia on a long term temporary basis. From 14 September 2009, under the Subclass 457 visa program, there are no special arrangements for employers in regional areas across Australia. Employers can be either Australian businesses or overseas businesses. More Information HERE:
Travelling with Family
All family members must have a visa or ETA to travel to Australia. The Internet ETA system can be used to apply for an Internet ETA for members of your family travelling with you provided they also fall within the ETA eligibility criteria. Even if your children travel on your passport they will need ETAs. When you apply, you will need to enter the passport details exactly as for your own passport, replacing the name, date of birth, sex and country of birth with your children's details as they appear in your passport.
Internet ETA Documentation
To apply online for an Internet ETA you will need: A current, valid passport for each traveller, and a valid credit card (cost is $20 Australian Dollars) to pay for the $A20.00 ETA Service Charge. Payment of the charge does not guarantee that the application will be successful. Your application will be processed while you are on-line, and you will be informed of the result of your application before leaving the Internet ETA system. If your ETA cannot be issued immediately ONLINE please check back 12 hours after you apply to confirm whether your application has been successful. Please apply for your ETA as early as possible prior to travel to allow sufficient time for your application to be processed. The A$20.00 Service Charge is applied to recover the cost of running this service. The charge is non-refundable.
As part of the application/approval process, you will be issued with a reference number. This number applies only to ETAs issued through the online ETA system. If you have been issued an ETA through an Australian *DIAC office (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) or by a travel agent or an airline office, you will not be able to use the public online ETA web site to check your ETA.
Where you want to check your ETA issued using the public ETA web site, you will need the reference number. You will be given the option to print out the confirmation screen with the reference number when you apply for your ETA ONLINE. Note that this print out has no official status and will not be accepted by either airline staff or border protection authorities in Australia.
Visitor ETA conditions
Valid for visits to Australia for tourism or to visit friends or relatives
Valid for multiple visits within 12 months from date of issue
Maximum length of each visit is three months
You must not work while in Australia
Important: You may not be permitted to enter Australia unless you are in good health & have no criminal convictions.
Important! ETA’s cannot be granted, or extended, in Australia.
Working Holidays (Gap Year Visits)
British backpackers (under 30) can visit Australia for a 1 year stay. UK Working Holiday Visa Information is HERE:
You can also extend your stay for up another year. People who have worked in a specified industry in regional Australia for a minimum of three months (88 days) while on their first Working Holiday visa, may be eligible to apply for a second Working Holiday visa. You can also do this whilst in Australia.
Working Holiday Extensions.
To be eligible for an extension working holiday makers must have worked as a seasonal worker in Regional Australia for a minimum of three months while on their first Working Holiday visa to be eligible to apply for a second Working Holiday visa which allows an extra 6-12 month stay. More information HERE:
Applicants also need to demonstrate that they continue to meet the requirements for a Working Holiday visa. These include, but are not limited to :
1. Being aged between 18 and 30
2. Having no dependants; and
3. Being a citizen of a country named in the working holiday maker reciprocal arrangements
(Seasonal work is defined as: picking fruit, nuts and other crops, pruning and trimming vines and trees, general maintenance crop work and other work associated with packing or processing the harvest. Regional Australia includes anywhere in Australia except Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, the NSW Central Coast, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne or the ACT.)
If you intend to apply for a second Working Holiday visa, you will need to provide evidence that you have worked for a minimum of three months as a seasonal worker in regional Australia while on your first Working Holiday visa.
Information about harvest work opportunities in regional Australia can be found at the Harvest Trail Web site
Student Visas
This area is quite complex and you should proceed from here direct to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship web site for a full explanation of the different types of visas, rules and applications.
Student Visa Information is HERE:
Visa Wizard (Check for your applicable VISA requirement(s) for Australia)
Here is a very good VISA Wizard
Tax File Number
If you are going to Australia for a working holiday you will need to arrange a tax file number before you start working in Australia, as most employers will require your Australian tax file number before you are allowed to start work with them. You can actually work without a Tax File Number but you will be paying the top rate of tax - which his very expensive. With a tax file number, you will be taxed at a much lower rate (about 29% of income) You can start work without a Tax File Number as you have 28 days in which to obtain one. Its not difficult to obtain - simply visit the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) (they have offices in all major cities) and complete the forms. Note that you will also have to provide current identification such as passport, driving licence etc. You can also apply for your tax file number online before you leave the UK. Also, when you apply for your tax file number online, the tax file registration system compares this information with the information you provided from your working holiday visa application which is held on the DIMIA systems
Australian Taxation Office link:
Open a Bank Account in Australia before you go:
It’s a REALLY good idea - actually ESSENTIAL - that you open a bank account before you go to Australia as it will allow you to arrive and hit the ground running, and save LOT of hassles. We recommend the Commonwealth Bank.
Tax Returns
The Australian financial year ends on 30th June and you have to complete a tax return for the year ending 30th June, and you usually will get a refund. The Australian tax system is a bit more complex than the UK tax system and it can be a good idea to get a tax specialist (HR Block) to do your return. They are not expensive and usually charge about £200
MIGRATING TO AUSTRALIA
Unfortunately - and given the bloody awful winter we are having in 2009/2010 you just cant say ‘sod it’, sell up, and sail away to sunny Australia! Usually most migration to Australia is via the General Skilled Migration Program. There are certain exceptions however with ancestral and family rights of citizenship. To be eligible for the Australian General Skilled Migration Program you MUST have certain skills (MODL List) to be able to migrate and you MUST have absolutely NO criminal record or convictions.
The General Skilled Migration program is for people who are not sponsored by an employer and who have skills in particular occupations required in Australia. Applicants must be over 18 and under 45 years of age, with good English language ability, and recent skilled work experience or a recently completed eligible Australian qualification. Applicants must also have skills and qualifications for an occupation listed on Australia's Skilled Occupation List (SOL) and Employer Nominated Skilled Occupation List (ENSOL) (PDF document - Adobe Reader required).
New regulations have now come into force that have radically changed the skills assessment process for those wishing to apply for permanent residency from WITHIN Australia. From 1 January 2010, applicants applying for a skills assessment from Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) WITHIN Australia have to now undertake the ‘Job Ready’ program to obtain the skills assessment level required for a permanent skilled visa. This applies to all occupations assessed by TRA in Australia which includes trades such as carpenters, electricians, bricklayers, plumbers, cooks, hairdressers, etc. (TRA is the nominated assessing authority under regulations of the Migration Act 1958. TRA provides trades skill assessment service in trades nominated under the Migration Skills Occupation List (SOL) to assist the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs in its migration program.)
* General Information on Professional and Skilled Migrant Program is HERE:
* Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority of Australia
There is a lot of change constantly happening in this area and it is wise to work through a SPECIALIST MIGRATION COMPANY such as the Australian Visa Bureau.
General criteria for Migrating to Australia at the time of application however is:
• Be under 45 years of age
• Meet the English language threshold
• Been employed for 12 out of the last 24 months in a Skilled Occupation
• Have a suitable skills assessment in your nominated occupation
Points are also awarded for:
Skill, Age, English language ability, Specific work experience, Occupation in demand/job offer & Partners skills
BONUS POINTS
Points for Skill
For most occupations where training is specific to the occupation 60
For more general professional occupations 50
For other general skilled occupations 40
Points for Age
18-29 Years 30
30-34 Years 25
35-39 Years 20
40-44 Years 15
Points for English Language Ability
Proficient English – this requires a score of 7.0 or more on all 4 components of the IELTs Test 25
Competent English – this requires a score of 6.0 or more on all 4 components of the IELTs Test 15
Points for Specific Work Experience
For 60 point applicants with 3 out of the last 4 years work experience, immediately before you apply, in your nominated or a closely related occupation. 10
For 60, 50 or 40 point applicants with 3 out of the last 4 years work experience, immediately before you apply, in ANY skilled occupation 5
Occupation in Demand/Job Offer
If your nominated occupation is on the MODL LIST and you have a job offer 20
If you DO NOT have a job offer 15
Partner Skills
Your partner should meet the following criteria:
Age Requirement, English Language Ability, Qualification, Nominated Occupation, Recent Work Experience, and has a a skills assessment by relevant assessing body 5
Bonus Points (only one of the following):
Australian Work Experience
Employed in a skilled occupation or closely related skilled occupation for 1 of the last 4 years 10
Australian Qualifications (2 years study)
Doctorate 25 /Masters/Honours 15
Degree/Diploma/Trade Qualification 5
Regional Study
Met 2 year study requirement while living and studying in regional or low-growth metropolitan Australia 5
Nomination
Nominated by a state or territory government 10
Designated Area Sponsorship
Sponsored by Australian Relative living in a designated area 25
Designated Language
Professional level language skills in a designated language 5
Australian visa subclasses and points pass marks
Skilled-Independent visa, subclass 175 120
Skilled Regional (Provisional) visa subclass 475 100
Skilled Sponsored, visa subclasses 176 100
Australian Embassies in UK: (Note: they do not allow personal visits or appointments)
England
Australia High Commission,
Australia House,
The Strand,
London
WC2B 4LA
Tel: (020) 7379 4334
www.australia.org.uk
Ireland:
Australian Embassy
Fitzwilton House
Wilton Terrace
Dublin 2
Tel (01) 6761517
www.australianembassy.ie
|
