Important Steps To Migrate To Australia

There are many steps to follow to obtain a visa and immigrate to Australia. The immigration procedure may be complicated. However, if you want to simplify things for yourself, you must hire the best immigration agent Melbourne to help you. Whether you choose to carry out the procedure on your own or hire an agent, you will have to undergo the following steps:  

1. Have an immigration eligibility assessment done 

Depending on your nationality, you may need to undergo an immigration eligibility assessment. This will establish your eligibility to apply for a visa under Australian immigration law. 

There is no fee to have an assessment done, but you will need enough information about yourself for the department’s specialists to make their decision. 

2. File your application with the relevant Departmental office of the Department of Immigration and Border Control (DIBP) 

You can also do this online. The type of visa you are applying for determines which DIBP office you should file your application with. You will need to give biometrics at some point, so keep that in mind when filing your application. To find out where the nearest DIBP office is, refer to the department’s website. 

3. Pay the relevant visa application charge. 

This depends on how you are applying for a visa under Australian immigration law. You can use the DIBP’s visa fee table to determine if your visa costs more or less than other visas, but keep in mind that any additional applicable charges are not included. For example, it costs A$1,000 for 1 main applicant and 1 partner applying together at the same time using Visa Finder. Still, each person will have to pay an additional A$400 if they want express processing because applications take six months instead of 1 month. The application charge does not include Medical Examination Charges, Biometrics Charges or any other extra costs that might be associated with your application. 

You can pay this fee using the DIBP’s credit card receipt number or by depositing money directly into its bank account. You can also go to a participating Australia Post Office and pay the visa charge there, but only if the DIBP has given you an Express Plus Code to collect your receipt from there. This is something +that you will want to get done sooner rather than later because it may take some time for them to verify that they have received payment. You can find out how long each type of processing takes on their website. Remember that paying the visa application charge does not mean you are guaranteed a place in line for permanent residency visas – you cannot apply until you are invited to do so. 

4. Lodge your visa application online using ImmiAccount 

You will need to use this if you want express processing (A$100) and/or lodgment of additional supporting documentation (A$80). You can upload your documents or send them through email. Still, the official advice is that you only do the latter after you have sent everything you need for your visa application and not before because it may take a week for DIBP to find and view new documents in your account. During busy seasons, they might even take up to 3 weeks! Your account is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so don’t worry about having to wait until 9 am-5 pm on business days – make sure you double-check that you have everything in there before submitting your application. 

5. Submit additional supporting documentation (on top of the standard requirements) if required to do so 

This can include certified copies of documents, statutory declarations and more. Your visa application may require more information than your eligibility assessment because different people are eligible for different types of visas under Australian immigration law. For example, most people applying for work visas will need to provide an employment letter or contract detailing their job offer in Australia, whereas students will not need anything like this because they are coming here on a student visa instead – they only need proof that they have enough money available to support themselves during their stay in Australia. This also applies to any other family members included in your visa application – they will not need the same documents that you do. 

6. Gather any supporting documentation you might need to support your visa application 

This is basic personal information about yourself and/or other family members included in your application, so it would be wise to get these things out of the way while you are still in your home country because they can take some time to gather (e.g., birth certificates, marriage certificates, death certificates, police clearance certificates etc.). For example, if you want to include a dependent child on your visa application. In that case, you must provide both their original birth certificate and that of yourself or other applicants included on the application (if applicable). You should also check with them how old they have to be before they are eligible to be included on a visa application, where their place of birth is located and any other requirements that may need to be met by the visa applicant(s). 

7. Consider how you will pay for your living expenses during your stay in Australia if you are not working or studying here yet. 

If your financial situation does not allow you to afford to pay for food, rent, fares/transport, medical expenses, etc., while you are waiting for your visa decision, do not expect the Australian Government to cover these costs. There is no such thing as an ‘Australian welfare system’. You might have enough money saved up now. Still, emergencies happen, so don’t use this as a justification for telling yourself that you will be able to afford your daily living costs without having a job or student visa in Australia. Be smart and prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario – maybe you will have a pleasant surprise and end up earning more than enough to cover all of your expenses, but do not take this risk if you cannot afford not to!