Living in Australia?

Question

I am an american citizen and I am looking into other countries to live in. I was just wondering how hard it would be for me to move to Australia and not be kicked out in certain amount of time. I know all about the visas and the residency restricitons and how you have to live there for 5 years to get citizenship and etc....

But what i dont udnerstand is how can you live there for 5 years when they dont offer visas that last that long. The work/holiday visa is 1 year and when you renew it, it is 3 more months added.

How can someone like me, an ordinary person with no degree, move to australia, start a life, work, go to school and live there? is this possible or would i need something to offer BEFORE i try living there?

Thank you

Answer 1

If you have skills and experience and/or qualifications in an occupation in which Australian needs workers, you can get  a  Skilled Worker visa which allows you to stay long enough to qualify for citizenship. See the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) to see if you qualify.

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1121...



It is somewhat easier to get a Skilled Worker visa if you can get employer sponsorship and are prepared to move to a regional area, but you must still meet the SOL or at least, the ENSOL (same form).

If you don't qualify, then that's too bad, but you should consider that it is almost impossible for Australians to emigrate to the US unless we marry an American (and it's still incredibly difficult) or can get employer sponsorship. It's much harder for us to move to the US than it is for Americans to move here.

This is a wonderful country to live in and we have a queue (line) a mile long of people who want to move here. I'm sure you understand that we have to protect the livelihoods of Australians who are already here, hence the requirements for workers that cannot be met by Australians already here.

If you don't already have a skill on the SOL or ENSOL, why not come here as a student, acquire a required skill and during your student visa get an employer to sponsor you to come here permanently. You would not be the first to approach it this way.

Answer 2

You need to marry a nice Aussie sheila (that's a girl to you) ;)

Answer 3

From personal experience, I stayed a little over two years working in Cooggee (Sydney), Alice Springs, Darwin, and Port Douglas. Look for jobs that offer cash and you will usually only have problems if you work picking fruit. Best advice is just not make it public knowledge that you are an American. You can easily pass for a Canadian!

I was in a cattle station working and the local law enforcement came around to fill up on diesel so I filled up their tank, took their cash, and they went on their way, no questions asked.

On the 19th month in the country, my van was broken into and I had to report what was stolen because they stole my passport and a lot of my stuff and no one at the station ever asked to see my visa.

I did try to get an extension for my holiday visa but I didn't have the patience for the paperwork hassle and after the third time in the office to fill it out again, I gave up. All you really have to do is prove to them that you have enough money in your possession (either in a bank in AU or in an account back home that you can draw off of) to survive for an extended period of time without having to work.

So, the question is do you want to go take your chances or do you want to fill out a lot of paperwork. Just like in the US, you can easily find a cash job that pays pretty well and if you are smart, you won't have any problems. Worst that will happen is you have to go back to the US but you can petition that for a while anyway.

Answer 4

You'd have no troubles. Apply for the Work Visa saying you are going to one of the WA or SA mining towns. Once you are here and have a fulltime job you can then start the paperwork on staying.

Best decision you will ever make to leave Babylon for Australia

Answer 5

Yes, sorry there are way too many people who want to move here, so to stay here more than a year you need to have a qualification or skill that will make you eligible for a skilled permanent residency visa. That's how it is limited to a manageable number of immigrants. Can you obtain one of the qualifications?

Answer 6

There are some websites below that explain moving to Australia, and who we are recruiting from overseas, and what it's like to live here.