Canadian citizens and residents can immigrate to Australia from Canada. Depending on the purpose of the stay, as well as its duration, the residents/citizens of Canada will need to apply for various types of visas.
The application process and the formalities that should be completed can vary depending on the documents necessary for each case, and this is why it is recommended to request in-depth legal assistance to our immigration lawyer in Australia.
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Please mind that the law on immigration in Australia makes a clear distinction between Canadian citizens and other categories of persons who live in Canada, and this will be reflected in the procedures that the two categories will have to complete, but also in the types of visas that the parties can be eligible to apply for (it is necessary to know that for certain categories of visas the applicants can be only Canadian citizens).
As a general rule, persons who simply relocate to Canada can apply for a wide category of Australian visas, but in most cases they can only receive temporary visas. Even for these visas, the applicants have to provide evidence on their connection to Canada, the purpose of stay in this country, while presenting information regarding the reason for which they apply for a visa in Australia.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Immigration requirements for short stays | Individuals who immigrate to Australia from Canada must have suitable visas, issued in accordance with the purpose of stay, along with a valid passport. |
| Immigration requirements for long stays | For long-term stays (which refer to stays of at least 90 days), Canadians must have valid visas and they also need to obtain a residence permit. |
| Visa exemptions for Canadian nationals | There aren’t any visa exemptions for Canadian nationals. At most, they can arrive to Australia under the electronic Travel Authority, a type of electronic visa. |
| Reasons of arrival for which visa exemptions are granted | Not applicable. |
| Visa renewal | Yes |
| Obligation to apply for a residence permit | The obligation to apply for a residence permit appears when a person will immigrate to Australia from Canada for a period of minimum 90 days. |
| Reasons for which Canadians can relocate to Australia for long stays | Candians can immigrate to Australia from Canada for long-term stays for employment, family reunification, business, investment, study. |
| Visa designed for Canadian nationals | The Work Holiday visa for Canadian nationals. |
| Visa processing fees | Visa fees vary from AUD 0 to AUD 4,770. |
| Residency permit fees (yes/no) | Yes |
| Where to apply for an Australian residence permit | The Department of Home Affairs |
| Requirements to become a permanent resident in Australia | In order to become a permanent resident, a Canadian is required to maintain the conditions of the visa he/she was issued with, along with the minimum number of years of residency (4 years). |
| Minimum residency for citizenship | 4 years (during those years, the person must not have been absent from Australia for more than 12 months). |
| Ways to acquire citizenship in Australia | By conferral, by descent or by birth. |
| Fee for citizenship formalities | AUD 560 |
Foreigners who move to Canada and who are permanent residents are legally required to present their Permanent Residence Card issued by the Canadian authorities.
Please be aware that even though the foreigner living in Canada is a permanent resident, he or she will still not be able to enjoy full legal rights (and that includes the types of visas the person can obtain from Canada) as the ones available for Canadian citizens.
In the case in which a permanent resident of Canada will want to apply for a specific category of visa for immigration to Australia, then the said person may be required to address the immigration authorities in his or her home country, where the person is still registered as a citizen (this can be the case for certain categories of visas, however; more details can be offered by our Australia migration lawyer).
When applying for a visa in Australia, in the case in which you are not a permanent resident of Canada, then you will have to present all the documents that show the purpose of stay in Canada and the visas granted to you.
For instance, if you work in Canada and live here for a determined period of time, the work contract and the immigration papers issued by the local institutions have to be added to the file. The same applies if you study in Canada.
You must also present your identity documents from the country where you are registered as a citizen, amongst other papers; for an extensive presentation on what the basic documents are necessary, our immigration lawyer in Australia remains at your disposal.
The official file that you will send to the Australian immigration institutions (regardless if you complete the online or the offline procedure) should also include official translations into English (the national language in Australia) in the case in which they are issued in other languages. For this, you may need to address a certified translator.
It is best to address our immigration lawyer in Australia if you want to prepare a file for a visa, as you may need to include various supporting papers which will provide a clearer image on your particular case. Since our lawyers are familiarized with all types of visa application scenarios, we can also provide consultancy services on this matter.
Also, it is necessary to know that in the case in which you will complete the paper forms and send the applications following the traditional system, you should not send the original documents, especially when we refer to identity documents and other papers which are of crucial importance to you (birth certificate, marriage certificate and others relevant papers regarding your identity).
The legislation on immigration in Australia stipulates that all foreign nationals, with the exception of New Zealanders, need to obtain various immigration documents prior to their arrival in the country, as there aren’t any visa-free policies in this country.
However, for a short list of countries, the Australian authorities offer the possibility of arriving here for short-stays after applying for an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA), which is a substitute for a tourism visa that can be obtained following very simple immigration procedures (the document is granted in digital format, via e-mail).
The Australian ETA is available for 34 countries, one of which is Canada. This means that Canadians can arrive to Australia without having to comply with the standard immigration obligations. However, this possibility is limited solely to persons who are Canadian passport holders.
Canadian permanent residents may obtain the ETA only if they are nationals of any other country included in the ETA list. Otherwise, they will have to apply for a visitor visa; our Australia migration lawyer can advise on these procedures.
The possibility of obtaining a visa for Canadian to Australia is extended to all the visa options prescribed by the national legislation. Canadians can obtain visas for tourism, work holiday purposes or participating in unpaid programs. As a young person, one can opt to study here under a suitable study visa.
A common way to obtain a visa for Canadian to Australia is represented by work visas. Family reunification programs are also a possibility for those who want to relocate to Australia.
In this case, one can apply for this immigration document if a Canadian lives here as a visa holder or as a permanent resident. Persons who are close relatives of Australian natives or of persons who have obtained citizenship here can also apply for a visa prescribed by the family reunification visa class.
A visa for Canadian to Australia that is prescribed by the Australian immigration legislation is the Working Holiday Visa. This type of immigration document will allow the holder of the visa to travel in the country, work here for a limited period of time and participate in various trainings. Its basic characteristics are mentioned below:
Persons who want to immigrate from Canada to Australia can request more information on the visa application process from our immigration lawyer. It is important to know that up-to-date information on the visa requirements can also be found on the official website of the Canadian Government.
We invite you to watch the following video, which presents the main steps in immigrating to Australia from Canada:
If you want to move to Australia you will have to be able to pay specific processing fees. As a general rule, the Australian authorities advise that all these procedures will be completed through the ImmiAccount, which is an online tool useful for both parties (the applicant and the Australian authorities).
The payment of the fees applicable to your particular case can be paid through this account while preparing the application, which is a much faster procedure compared to the traditional visa application (offline). In the latter case, more complex steps will have to be concluded by the applicant and it can also take a longer period of time.
Yes, persons who immigrate to Australia from Canada are entitled to obtain Australian citizenship, which can be granted through several legal pathways, most common being by conferral. This implies that a person received a residence permit in Australia that is issued on a permanent basis.
The option is available if the visa for Canadian to Australia was issued for family reunification, work or business purposes, but also based on humanitarian reasons. Canadians who will apply for Australian residency will be required to pass a health exam, to prove that they are free from certain diseases that are considered to be of risk for the Australian society.
If the applicant has had a health check in the last 12 months before the application, he/she will not be required to provide further evidence regarding the state of health.
As a general rule, everything starts with the issuance of a visa for Canadian to Australia, then obtaining the permanent residency and only after this, the right to Australian citizenship can be granted. The procedure can vary based on the age of the person also (a different rule applies for persons who are aged above 60 years old).
There is also the possibility of regaining your Australian citizenship in the case you renounced it at a given moment. For this latter situation, you can request in-depth legal advice from our immigration lawyer in Australia.
The Australian authorities retain the right to reject your application provided that they are not complete or in the case in which various documents are not added to the file.
There are different reasons that can block the right to relocate to Australia from Canada, in accordance with the rules of the Migration Act. It is important to know that the refusal may appear even in the case of short-term visas, not only in the case of those that offer the right to residency in Australia.
For instance, a short-term stay visa, such as a visitor visa, may not be granted on grounds concerning the financial thresholds (the applicant did not make the proof of having sufficient funds during the stay in the country).
Delays can also appear for incomplete applications and this is why it is highly advisable to receive legal representation, regardless if you are a Canadian citizen or resident, or simply a foreigner living in Canada and who wants to migrate to Australia for a given purpose.
Provided that a person’s visa application was refused it doesn’t necessarily mean that the visit/relocation process will be completely revoked. Rather, the person can see it as a temporary setback that can be fixed, provided that the applicant knows that the visa application meets the proper standards.
Individuals who plan to relocate to Australia from Canada can address our team for information concerning any impediments that may appear during the visa application process.
Provided that you have started the visa application procedure on your own and you have any issues with it, such as a visa refusal, our team can analyze the situation and appeal the decision in front of the Administrative Review Tribunal.
Canadian entrepreneurs who have questions about the Australia investment visa can reach out to our specialists. We can provide you with details so that you can decide if this option is a suitable one.
In the case in which the visa for Canadian to Australia expires, one should know that there is the possibility of extending the duration of the stay. We invite you to contact our immigration lawyer in Australia for more details on other options for temporary or permanent relocation to this country or for other visa types (for medical purposes, for example).