Frequently Asked Questions

What programs are available for migration to Australia?

Over 130 visa classes - including both temporary and permanent visas - are potential routes to immigration to Australia. In general, these visas can be categorized as follows:

Skilled Migration Visas . . . for individuals who have specific occupation skills, outstanding talents or business skills;
Business Migration Visas . . . available to entrepreneurs who wish to move an existing business or establish a new business in Australia;
Family Migration Visas . . . for those individuals who can be sponsored by a relative who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Available to spouses, life partners, fiancés, and others;
Special Eligibility Migrant Visas . . . available to former Australian citizens or residents as well as certain New Zealanders.
Temporary Work Visas . . . for individuals who want to live and work in Australia for a limited period of time.
Student Visas . . . for non-citizens or residents who wish to study in an approved program in Australia;
Working Holiday Visas . . . For people between 18 and 30 from certain countries to holiday in Australia and to supplement their travel funds through incidental employment. (U.S. residents are not eligible for Working Holiday Visas.);
Humanitarian Visas . . . available to a small number of applicants each year who seek Australia's protection and resettlement away from their home country.

Does Australia limit the number of migrants each year?

Yes. Roughly 120,000 places are available each year for migrants. Those applicants who have family or desired skills or who will live in specific regional areas of Australia will have an advantage over those applicants who do not.

How does the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) determine if someone is eligible for migration to Australia under the Skilled-Independent Visa class?

DIMIA has created a point system based on a wide range of criteria to determine if someone is eligible for migration to Australia. To qualify, an individual alone - or in combination with his or her spouse, if any - must achieve a score of 120 points. For example, a husband who scores 115 points and a wife who scores 5 points would have the collective 120 points necessary for migration.

How are points determined?

Points are awarded based on a wide range of criteria, including such factors as:

Age
Skilled occupation
Work experience
English language proficiency
Education
Occupations which have shortages in Australia
Financial assets
Language proficiency
Having recently worked in Australia
Family members who are already Australian citizens or permanent residents
Health
Personal character

What is the immigration application process?

In general, when Ms. Pilmanis assists a client with the migrant application process, it unfolds in this fashion:

Free Initial Assessment . . .

During a free, initial no-obligation phone interview, Ms. Pilmanis will review your situation and determine whether you are likely to be a successful candidate for migration to Australia.

Migration Assessment . . .

If you decide to hire Ms. Pilmanis as your Registered Migration Agent, she will send you a detailed questionnaire, which she will use to determine which of the more than 130 Visa classes is most appropriate to your situation.

Once she receives your completed questionnaire, she will provide you with a detailed migration plan, an estimate of the time the process should require, and how much it will cost. She will also help trouble-shoot any potential pitfalls that may stand in the way of your successful application.

Application Preparation . . .

After you have hired Ms. Pilmanis to prepare your application, she will work with you to collect all the necessary information you will need to submit and will prepare the necessary documents that must accompany your application. She will assist with obtaining medicals and police reports.

For skilled migration applications she will further prepare and collate the submission of your documents to the relevant assessing bodies, monitor the progress of your assessments and advise you of the outcome.

DIMIA Application Submission . . .

Ms. Pilmanis will review all the material you provide her. She will prepare and lodge your Immigration Application with the Australian Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA).

Your Application Decision . . .

Ms. Pilmanis will closely monitor your application and will advise you once DIMIA renders its decision on your case.

What are "assessing bodies"?

In addition to the rules established by the DIMIA, other entities in Australia are allowed to set standards for qualifications for migrants with specific skills. For example, the Australian Computer Association sets the standards that applicants must meet to achieve skilled worker classification in the computer industry. Similarly, the Institution of Engineers, Australia sets the standards for migrant applicants in that field. There are numerous other assessing bodies whose requirements change as industry needs change.

What is a Country Education Profile?

To earn points for occupation, your education and training must be of an equivalent standard to that of Australian institutions. Often the assessing bodies and DIMIA refer to specific Country Education Profile books to check if your institution is recognized as issuing qualifications that are the same standard as Australian ones. If your institution is not on this list, your education may not count toward application points required for your occupation. Ms. Pilmanis has considerable experience in helping applicants gain recognition of their education with special submissions to other government departments who have been able to successfully assess the applicant’s educational attainment.

What are some of the other common problems that might keep applicants from migrating to Australia?

In the more than 17 years that Ms. Pilmanis has been helping applicants migrate to Australia, she has seen a wide range of unexpected obstacles arise during the application process. Here are just some of the many problems that her clients have encountered. In most cases, she was able to help them surmount these difficulties to submit a successful migration application:

A past employer can't be located or has gone out of business . . . Yet, the employer's reference was necessary for the applicant's work history.
An employer has a policy of giving only a standard letter confirming dates of employment and final salary, and won't give details as to work responsibilities . . . DIMIA often requires specific information about work skills in order to grant an applicant skilled worker status.
An applicant has a serious medical condition . . . Ms. Pilmanis had the client apply for a waiver excluding coverage of this condition that allowed the applicant to migrate.
An applicant had a criminal record . . . but was still able to meet the character test.
An applicant overstayed their Australian visa . . . but was able to overcome that obstacle with his Australian migration application.
An applicant’s degree was not from an educational institution recognized in the Country Education Profile . . . Ms. Pilmanis found other ways to demonstrate the client’s skills.
An applicant on a student visa wanted to bring his wife with him, who wanted to work while in Australia . . . Ms. Pilmanis found them a way to accomplish their goals.
An applicant needed points for a second language . . . Ms. Pilmanis found a way to demonstrate language proficiency.

How does a spouse who is living in the U.S. meet the sponsorship obligations in Australia?

They need to prove that they can provide living accommodations for the spouse, and that the spouse will not apply for any government benefits for the first two years after migrating to Australia.