Australia

Types of Visas for Indians to Study, Work or Live in Australia

Australia is the hot spot for Indians now-a-days. It may be to visit the beautiful man-made attractions like The Sydney Opera House or the natural attractions like The Great Barrier Reef, or study in the top universities almost equal to the US standard; or work in the high-paid job market of the country. Whatever the reason may be, going to Australia is a prospect that almost every Indian dreams of migrating abroad.

Now, what is it that we need to do to manifest this dream? First of all, we need to know the options available for us. There are different types of Visas for Indians to Visit, Work or Migrate to Australia. A different set of documents to be processed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and other relevant authorities for giving a visa.

Types of Visas available for Indians

Student Visa: Australia is the 3rd most popular international destination and 7 out of top 100 international universities. Australian institution/university to match global standards on workplace output and the government makes sure the foreign students are able to avail the best possible education. Australian Government spends over 200 million dollars annually as an investment on International Scholarships, and Australian Universities feature in the top 50 ranked universities in the world in the study areas of Arts & Humanities; Clinical, Pre-Clinical & Health; Engineering & Technology; Life Sciences; Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. However, to study in Australia, an Indian student must first acquire a confirmed offer from an Australian educational institution.

Employment Visa: The Employment Visa is an option for skilled workers from across the world to move and work in Australia. A points-based system is conducted by Skillselect. Depends on age, education, experience, skills, adaptability and language the points are calculated. The most prominent of the employment Visas is the 457 Visa that comes with an offer of employment from an Australian employer. Similarly, the applicants can use the Regional/State Sponsorship to take up a federal occupation at a designated regional area in Australia.

Skilled Visa: Migrating to Australia on the basis of your skills is one of the dreams that most of the Indian professionals see and Skillselect paves way to this dream. You just need to place an EOI (Expression on Interest) along with all the information on your education, ability and experience; depending on the points granted you will be placed on the merit list. To get a place on the list, achieving a total of at least 60 points is mandatory. Upon choice, Skillselect will send an invitation to join an occupation in Australia. 189 Visa and 190 Visa are the most popular Skilled Worker Visas that can eventually lead to a Permanent Residency in the country.

Family Visa: If you are in Australia under any of the above mentioned Visas, your relatives or acquaintances in Australia can visit you using the Family Visa. There are various options for parents, spouse/partner, dependent children, etc. Australian government makes a provision on this under Contributory Parent Visa and Spouse Visa Australia Scholarships.

Permanent Residency: Permanent Residency status is the most outstanding proposition from the Australian Government. An person who gains an Australian PR can acquire rights at par to an Australian citizen, and can secure all the benefits on residence, education, medical care and infrastructure. However, to get a PR, you need to live and work in the country for a minimum of 4 years.

The information about the processing related visa is accessible through AVAC.

Australian Visa Processing Centers (AVAC) in India

The AVAC (Australian Visa Application Centers) are places in India that offer Visa processing services for Australia. The services include collection of visa application charges, documents and returning of passports to the applicants. The AVAC operates under the guidance of the client service principles of DIAC.

All applications are assessed and decided by the Visa Section of the concerned Australian Diplomatic Mission in New Delhi, in accordance with the Australian immigration legislation and policy.