The procedure on how to obtain an Australian visa will vary based on the purpose for which a foreigner wants to arrive here, but also based on his or her nationality. The main purposes that grant the right of obtaining a visa are the following: holiday purposes, visiting family or friends, working on a short-term basis (working holiday visa) or transiting the Australian territory – this type of visa is necessary for specific nationalities and you may find out more details from our Australia migration lawyer.
According to the Department of Home Affairs working under the Australian Government, foreigners can also arrive here on visas issued on the following legal grounds: participating in an event or conference, for business purposes, for medical treatment or for volunteer work. You can find out below the main categories of visas that can be used by those interested to migrate to Australia or who want to obtain Australian citizenship.
In order to apply for Australian citizenship, in most cases, a foreigner must be a resident of this country or be a New Zealand citizen. Other legal pathways for citizenship can apply, of course. It is also necessary to be in the country throughout the entire application procedure.
All applicants must be able to provide evidence on their knowledge of the country’s systems, history and culture.
Citizenship in Australia is most often obtained by conferral, which refers to the process through which a foreigner who is not related to Australia in any way becomes a permanent resident.
There are many visas that can offer permanent residency and this can be obtained directly or by changing over the years the visa category, as long as the applicant can qualify for a different type of visa.
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What are the main types of Australian visas?
Persons who want to obtain an Australian visa should first study the types of visas that can be issued for their specific situation. The categories created for an Australian visa are divided into five basic classes, but one must know that each class has multiple sub-classes, especially those related to immigration to Australia for employment purposes or for family-related purposes. Below, we present you the main Australian visa classes:
• visitor visas – this category also included the transit visa, which allows a person to stay on the Australian territory for a period of maximum 72 hours;
• visas issued for studies and training in Australia – this visa class allows foreigners to enroll in local education institutions or to participate in training programs if specific eligibility criteria are fulfilled;
• family and partner visas – a complex category of visas, regulating various aspects of close family members, such as visas for adoption, visas issued for aged dependent parent or relative, for orphans, for partners, marriage purposes and other family relations and this visa category can also open the way for obtaining Australian citizenship;
• visas issued for work purposes and skilled employment – this category regulates a wide range of employment activities, from temporary work to highly skilled work in Australia and it also refers to business-related activities developed here;
• refugee and humanitarian visas – foreigners can request an Australian visa if they need protection or if they apply for the refugee status.
Entrepreneurs have the option of applying for the Australia investment visa, under certain conditoins.
We invite you to watch a short presentation on the process of obtaining an Australian visa:
How can one apply for an Australian visa?
The procedure for applying for an Australian visa will depend on the type of immigration document that the foreigner needs for his or her arrival. Considering that a large variety of visas available here, we invite you to find out more details on the document most suitable for a person from our immigration lawyer in Australia.
After one establishes the type of Australian visa he or she needs, then the person will have to download the application form designated for the respective visa. For each type, the person must provide supporting documents that present the fact that the person is eligible for the respective visa.
After the documents are added to the file, the applicant must pay the Australian visa application fee. The application form must be signed and completed as needed, otherwise, it can be rejected. In the case of children in need of a visa, their legal guardian must sign the documents. Visas issued for a longer period of time, with the exception of travel visas, imply that the applicant will also obtain a residence permit in Australia.
Persons who are eligible for residency in Australia on a permanent basis have the right to live indefinitely in Australia and live anywhere in the country. They can enroll in tertiary education systems and can even obtain various grants for study in certain situations.
A person who has become a permanent resident will also be included in the Australian social security system.
How many Australian visas were granted recently?
In 2019, the rate of immigration to Australia was maintained at a high level. Foreigners requested visas for a wide range of reasons, and it must be observed that numerous requests were rejected by the Department of Home Affairs. Below, we present the data gathered for the second half of 2019, with regards to the applications made for certain types of visas:
• from the 1st of July 2019 to the 31st of December 2019, there were 3,207,725 registered applications for the Visitor visa group, referring to both tourist and business Australian visa groups;
• in the tourist group, there were 2,949,445 applications, out of which 2,769,181 visas were approved;
• in the business group, there were 258,270 visa applications, with 247,270 visas granted;
• in the same period, the Australian authorities received 109,460 visa applications for the Working Holiday program, out of which 86,044 visas were granted;
• a total of 226,608 visa applications were made by persons interested in migrating to Australia for study purposes, which resulted in 200,403 approved visas.
For more details on how to obtain an Australian visa, we invite you to address our lawyer. Our immigration lawyer in Australia is prepared to assist you in the process of obtaining one of the visas prescribed by the national law, and can also help you prepare the extensive set of documents that is required for the visa application procedure. You can also address to our lawyer for advice in obtaining residency in Australia.
