Immigration News: March 2022
The biggest news in March is that the Australian Government has announced its Migration Program numbers for 2022-23!
Further to this, South Australia and Tasmania provided updates on their Skilled Migration Program. Both states are close to meeting their quotas for nomination. Unfortunately, Tasmania won’t make more places available in the 2021-22 Skilled Migration Program.
Australia’s 2022-23 Migration Program numbers confirmed
On 29 March, details for the 2022-23 Migration Program were announced during the Federal Budget Speech.
The 2022-23 Migration Program will focus on skilled migration, with a return to a pre-pandemic composition of roughly two-thirds/one-third across the Skill and Family streams.
The Skill stream
The Skill stream will increase to 109,900 places, more than 30,000 places above 2021-22 planning levels:
- Within the Skill stream, the categories of Employer Sponsored (30,000 places), Skilled Independent (16,652 places), and State and Territory Nominated (20,000 places) have all been increased from 2021-22 planning levels.
- Regional visas will more than double to 25,000 places to support growth in regional Australia.
- Business Innovation and Investment (9,500 places), Global Talent (8,448 places), and Distinguished Talent (300 places) categories will ensure that Australia remains a favoured destination for the world’s best and brightest individuals and entrepreneurs.
Based on advice from the National Skills Commission, the government will review and update occupation lists early in the 2022-23 Program year to reflect labour market changes.
Migration Program Planning Levels 2022-23
- Employer-Sponsored visas up from 22,000 to 30,000 places
- Skilled Independent visas up from 6500 to 16,652 places
- State & Territory Nominated visas up from 11,200 to 20,000 places
- Regional visas from up 11,200 to 25,000 places
- Business Innovation & Investment visas down from 13,500 to 9,500 places
- Global Talent (Independent) visas are down from 15,000 to 8448 places
- Distinguished Talent visa up from 200 to 300 places
The Family stream
As part of the Government’s migration program, the Family stream will provide an estimated 50,000 places to support family reunion.
The Partner and Child visa categories are estimated to deliver 40,500 and 3,000 visas, respectively (delivery of Partner and Child visas will be subject to demand and visa processing requirements), while 6,000 places will be available for Parent visas (up from 4500 places), and 500 places for Other Family visas.
From 2022-23, Partner visa processing will move to a demand-driven model.
Granting Partner visas on a demand-driven basis will provide the flexibility to meet the demand for Partner visas in a given program year and assist in mitigating future growth in the Partner visa pipeline while maintaining immigration integrity.
South Australia close to meeting its quota
South Australia is close to meeting its quota of Subclass 491 visas under its General Skilled Migration state nomination Skilled Migration Program for 2021-22.
While Skilled and Business Migration continues to assess applications, the demand for state nomination will exceed South Australia’s annual allocation of nomination places.
To ensure the nomination of highly skilled applicants who can best contribute to South Australia’s
economic prosperity and skills needs, Skilled and Business Migration is taking the following measures:
- Prioritising the assessment of Subclass 190 applications
- Prioritising the assessment of applications for candidates with a subclass 485 visa expiry date
within this 2021-22 program year - Prioritising highly skilled onshore applicants with demonstrable work experience who are
working full-time hours in their nominated occupation for a South Australian employer
Tasmania also nearing the limit of its nomation quota
Since our last update, Tasmania has used more of its nomination quota for the 2021-22 program year.
Tasmania has now used:
- 1,415 of its available 2,200 places for the Subclass 491 visa, and
- 871 of the 1,100 places for the Subclass 190 visa.
Unfortunately, Tasmania won’t get additional places in the 2021-22 program year.
Managing the remaining quota
Tasmania still has to decide more than 1,480 applications for nomination, including more than 610 for Subclass 190 and 860 for Subclass 491.
Migration Tasmania will continue to process applications from oldest to newest but will prioritise
candidates who are employed in a role directly related to their skills assessment.
All current applications which have not been processed by 30 June 2022 will be held over until the
2022-23 program year. Migration Tasmania will consider those applications against the requirements and the assessment standards that were in place when the application was lodged.
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- Published in News, Our latest posts, Working in Australia
Does Australia have a good quality of life?
The short answer to whether or not Australia have a good quality of life? Absolutely!
Time and again, Australia performs well in quality of life reports. Even during times of hardship, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Let’s look at four recent indexes and reports that measure the quality of life to see how Australia performed compared to other countries around the world:
1. Better Life Index – OECD
The OECD Better Life Index measures the well-being of societies by looking at 11 topics. These topics reflect what the OECD identified as essential to well-being in terms of material living conditions and quality of life.
The 38 countries that form part of the Index are all OECD members and include the world’s most developed economies and several emerging economies, plus Brazil, Russia and South Africa.
What is the OECD?
The OECD is the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and it’s an international organization that works to build better policies for better lives. The OECD’s goal is to shape policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity, and well-being.
Here’s how Australia performed:
Australia performs well in many dimensions of well-being relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Australia outperforms the OECD average in income, jobs, education, health, environmental quality, social connections, civic engagement and life satisfaction.
- Disposable income: Australia’s average household net adjusted disposable income per capita is USD37,433 a year, more than the OECD average of USD30,490 a year.
- Employment: Roughly 73% of Australians between the ages of 15 and 64 have a paid job, compared to the OECD employment average of 66%
- Education: The average Australian student scored 499 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is higher than the OECD average of 488.
- Health: At birth, Australians enjoy a life expectancy of around 83 years, two years higher than the OECD average of 81 years.
- Social Connections: There is a strong sense of community in Australia. A total of 93% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need.
- Life satisfaction: When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Australians gave it a 7.1 grade on average. This grade is higher than the OECD average of 6.7.
2. The Global Liveability Report 2021 – The Economist Intelligence Unit
The Global Liveability Report ranks 140 global cities for their urban quality of life based on stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure assessments. In 2021, the Report measured how COVID-19 affected liveability worldwide.
Who is the Economist Intelligence Unit?
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) is the research and analysis division of The Economist Group, the sister company to The Economist newspaper. The EIU has a global team of economists, industry specialists, policy analysts and consultants.
Here’s how Australia’s cities performed:
The 10 most liveable cities in the world in 2021 were as follows:
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Osaka, Japan
- Adelaide, Australia
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Tokyo, Japan
- Perth, Australia
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Geneva, Switzerland
- Melbourne, Australia
- Brisbane, Australia
As you can see, Australia’s Adelaide is in the top three. The city scored full marks for healthcare and education.
Three more Australian cities – Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane – appear in the top 10. Both Perth and Brisbane also got perfect scores for healthcare and education.
It might sound strange, but Australia’s outstanding performance was mainly due to its tight border controls that allowed Australians to live relatively normal lives.
3. Quality of Life Index 2022 – Numbeo
Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index is an estimation of the overall quality of life. It considers purchasing power, pollution, house price to income ratio, cost of living, safety, healthcare, traffic commute time, and climate.
Who is Numbeo?
Numbeo is the world’s largest database of user-contributed data about cities and countries worldwide.
Here’s how Australia performed:
Australia is in 5th place on the latest Quality of Life Index from Numbeo. The rest of the top 10 are Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Finland, Iceland, Germany, Austria, New Zealand and Norway.
When looking at the indices, Australia came in third place for purchasing power, which means your money will go further in Australia than most other countries. Australia also scored well in healthcare and property price to income ratio, coming in at 7th and 14th place.
4. Quality of Life Ranking – US News
The Quality of Life Ranking from the US News measures the quality of life in 78 countries worldwide. The Ranking considers a variety of factors, ranging from the state of the job market to how family-friendly a country is.
Who is US News?
US News & World Report is a digital media company dedicated to helping consumers, business leaders and policy officials make important decisions. They use world-class data and technology to publish independent reporting, rankings, journalism and advice.
Here’s how Australia performed:
According to the Quality of Life Ranking from the US news, Australia has the fifth-highest quality of life globally. This ranking placed Australia above the Netherlands, Finland, Germany and New Zealand in the top 10. The top three places went to Canada, Denmark and Sweden.
Australia scored particularly well for:
- Being family-friendly
- Having a good job market
- Being economically stable
- Being politically stable
- Its well-developed public education and health systems
- Being a safe country to live in
Why is Australia’s quality of life important?
Your quality of life matters because it directly affects your physical and mental well-being.
Someone who lives in a clean, safe and thriving country with quality healthcare, access to education and jobs, a stable economy, and plenty of opportunities will be much happier than a person living in a country that misses the mark on some or all of these indicators.
Thus, you want to ensure that when you move to another country it offers an enviable quality of life. You don’t want to be worse off than where you are – you want to maintain or improve your and your family’s quality of life.
As we saw, Australia’s quality of life is among the best in the world. When you live Down Under, your overall well-being will benefit tremendously!
- Published in Life in Australia, Our latest posts, Your family and Australia
6 Questions to ask yourself before moving to Australia
Immigrating is not as easy as deciding to do it and hopping on a plane. It’s a massive undertaking that demands your full attention and commitment.
You can ensure that you’re ready as can be before doing any of the admin by asking yourself the right questions. The answers will reveal if you’re ready to move and if you’re making the best decision for you and your family.
1. Why do I want to move to Australia?
You might already know the answer to this question. Perhaps it’s to further your career or to give your children more opportunities in life.
Whether you know the answer or not, it’ll still be worth your while to pause for a bit and think about why you want to move.
When you’re clear on your reasons for moving, you’ll be able to make choices along the way that support your goals and dreams.
You’ll also quickly realise if you’re moving for the wrong reasons. Don’t move to run away from something. You’ll find that problems tend to follow you wherever you go, and they’re more difficult to manage with the added stress of a adapting to a new country.
2. What are my visa options?
It’s best to explore your visa options as early on in the process as possible. You definitely want to do it before making any financial commitments to your move!
You’ll find that Australia offers many visa options once you start doing research, ranging from work visas to visas that allow you to set up a business in Australia.
Furthermore, each visa category has its own restrictions and eligibility requirements, while offering either temporary or permanent residency.
If you struggle to makes sense of all the visas on offer, speak with a licensed immigration advisor.
Advisors are experts who can assess your visa eligibility, assist with your visa application, and give advice on the immigration process.
3. Can I afford to move to Australia?
Moving abroad is expensive! You’ll have to make sure that you have enough money to move to Australia or give yourself enough time to save up before getting the ball rolling.
The typical costs to budget for are flights, visas, and insurance. You’ll also have to pay for international movers if you’re moving your furniture, as well as storage if you’re planning on keeping some things in your home country. Remember that if you have pets, you’ll also have to include international pet movers in your costs.
It’s more than just the cost of the move, though.
You’ll also have to be able to afford Australia’s cost of living on what you earn in Australia. Start by looking at typical wages in your industry and occupation. Also compare salaries between states and territories – perhaps even between cities.
Once you have an idea of how much you could earn, look at the cost of everyday living expenses, such as:
- Groceries
- Rent or house prices
- Schools
- Daycare or aftercare
- Clothing
- Car prices
- Public transport
- Entertainment
You can also expect surprise costs, whether it’s while organizing your move or settling into Australia.
Make sure you can navigate these unexpected expenses by having an emergency savings account. It’s up to you how much money you keep in this account, but it’s advisable to keep the equivalent of up to three months’ salary.
4. Will I qualify for Medicare?
Medicare is Australia’s national healthcare insurance. You’ll qualify for Medicare if you’re on of the following:
- Australian citizen
- New Zealand citizen
- Australian permanent resident
- Applying for permanent residency
- Temporary resident covered by a ministerial order
You can also enrol for Medicare if you’re a citizen or permanent resident of any of these islands:
- Norfolk Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- Christmas Island
- Lord Howe Island
Should none of these categories cover your personal circumstances, and you want to be covered for medical expenses, you’ll have to consider taking out private health insurance.
Even if you qualify for Medicare, you might want to get private health insurance. Your private health insurance can help pay for healthcare costs that Medicare doesn’t cover, such as physiotherapy.
What medical costs do Medicare cover?
Medicare helps with the following medical costs:
- Seeing a doctor:
- GP visits
- Seeing specialists
- Tests and scans
- Most surgeries and procedures performed by doctors
- Eye tests performed by optometrists
- Getting medicines:
- Over-the-counter medicines
- Prescription medicines
- Accessing mental health care:
- Seeing doctors or mental health professionals
- Seeing a social worker
- Getting support when you’re pregnant
- Support for people caring for someone with a mental health disorder
5. Where will I live?
Knowing where you’ll live is a big part of moving overseas, and it’s important to find somewhere to settle before you relocate.
The first step is pinpointing two or three cities you’re eager to move to.
The second step is exploring neighbourhoods in each city, taking into consideration factors such as location, cost, available amenities, proximity to schools, and access to public transport.
Finally, it’s time to decide if you want to own or rent a home.
You might find that it’s easier to start out with a rental home. Many people also stay in AirBnB accommodation when they arrive in a new country, and then find a more permanent home.
Renting on AirBnB gives you more freedom and flexibility, and it’s easier to organize from abroad.
6. When do I want to move?
It’s important to have a plan in place when you’re moving countries; it makes life so much easier!
What you want to know is look at the most important dates around which you’ll have to plan your immigration. For instance, the start of a new job or a new school year. These are both factors that affect most singles or families when moving overseas.
Once these dates are on a piece of paper, you can start planning your move backwards. The aim is to be realistic with timelines to allow yourself as much time as possible at each step of your immigration.
It’s crucial to take visa timelines into consideration when doing your planning. You won’t be able to enter Australia without a valid visa, in fact. That includes not being able to work without a work visa or sending your children to school without the appropriate study visas.
In summary
It’s important to ask yourself some tough questions to ensure that you’re moving to Australia for the right reasons – and that you can afford to immigrate. You’ll have to consider a host of everyday costs, ranging from housing to school fees and private health insurance.
Just as important is considering where you’ll live, down to the suburb, and putting together a timeline that’ll enable you to make the move to Australia successfully and without too much unnecessary stress.
- Published in Immigration to Australia, Our latest posts, Tips for your move
Immigration News: February 2022
Tasmania and Queensland recently provided updates on their Skilled Migration Programmes.
Tasmania has limited quota left and is focusing on priority cases first, while Queensland is unlikely to open to offshore applicants this financial year.
Tasmania’s 2021-2022 Skilled Migration Program update
Tasmania has announced it has a limited quota remaining in its Skilled Migrant Program.
Tasmania had 2,200 places for the subclass 491 visa, of which it has used 1,274 places. There were 1100 places available for the subclass 190 visa, of which Tasmania has used 731 places.
There are thus less than 1,300 places remaining and Tasmania has received around 1,000 new applications since December 2021. Tasmania also still has to finalise around 300 applications, which means that it is likely that the state will significantly exceed its available quota.
Tasmania to focus on three priorities when managing its quota of places
To manage its limited quota, Tasmania has decided to focus on the following three priorities:
- Candidates with employment and a skills assessment related to critical roles, such as health, allied health, infrastructure, and engineering, and directly in line with that role
- Candidates with employment and a skills assessment related to the Tasmanian Skilled Occupation List
- Candidates with employment directly related to their nominated skills assessment
Any remaining applications that are deemed suitable will be ranked competitively and considered for any remaining nomination places.
Outcomes for applicants who are not in the three priority areas may not be available until later in the program year, which ends on June 30, 2022.
Please note these employment criteria
Employment as mentioned in the priority areas listed above is defined as employment with a well-established Tasmanian business that has been operating in Tasmania for at least 12 months.
Tasmania define a ‘well-established business’ as one that actively operates in Tasmania with:
- Permanent business signage
- Active/ongoing online presence, advertising and marketing
- A Tasmanian address as a registered business location
- A local landline contact number
- An ongoing office space (not a residential address) that is not ‘casual’ or ‘virtual’ (including corporate/co-shared offices)
- Permanent representation of employees at the stated business location
Further to this, the employment must be full-time for the Working in Tasmania categories but it can be part-time (a minimum of 20 hours) for Tasmanian Graduates, if that employment has been of at least 3 months’ duration.
Update on Queensland state nominations in the 2021/2022 Migration Program Year
Due to the current high number of applications for Queensland State Nomination from temporary migrants onshore who are living and working in Queensland, it’s unlikely that Migration Queensland will open to offshore skilled applicants this financial year.
This does not include business applicants – Migration Queensland is still open and processing business applications from offshore.
Stay up to date with immigration news from Australia
Follow us on Facebook or LinkedIn to stay informed about immigration changes that could affect you. We post news as soon as it happens.
- Published in Immigration to Australia, News, Our latest posts, Working in Australia
Australia is reopening to fully vaccinated travellers on 21 February 2022
Almost two years after Australia closed to the world, its international border will reopen to those who are fully vaccinated. The new border rules will come into place on 21 February.
Reopening to tourists and other international travellers to secure Australia’s economic recovery
In a media release, Minister of Home Affairs Karen Andrews announced that Australia is reopening to fully vaccinated visa holders, welcoming the return of tourists, business travellers, and other visitors from 21 February.
Unvaccinated visa holders will still have to apply for a travel exemption to travel to Australia. Those who get permission to enter Australia will have to undergo hotel quarantine.
Minister Andrews said that reopening to tourists and other international travellers is necessary to secure Australia’s economic recovery.
The NSCC (National Security Committee Cabinet) agreed to reopen the borders in response to improving health conditions in Australia, including a recent 23 per cent decline in hospitalisations due to COVID.
Great news and much-needed clarity for Australia’s tourism industry
Minister Andrews said that the announcement of the border reopening would give certainty to Australia’s tourism industry, and allow them to start planning, hiring, and preparing for visitors.
Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce said to ABC News that the announcement is “fantastic news for our people and our customers.”
He continued, “We will be looking at our schedules to see if we can restart flights from more international destinations sooner or add capacity to those routes we are already flying. We have the flexibility to ramp up flights in response to demand.”
Western Australia still closed to most of the world
Western Australia has implemented hard border settings in response to Omicron, the latest COVID-19 variant.
Under these border settings, Westeran Australia only allows approved travellers meeting strict requirements into the state. That includes travellers arriving from other parts of Australia!
Please keep these border settings in mind when making travel arrangements to Australia. If you need advice or assistance with visa or exemption applications, get in touch with our team. Our licensed advisors are happy to help.
- Published in Immigration to Australia, News, Our latest posts
Australia travel restrictions and exemptions: 1 February 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has been on-going for two years. In this time, Australia has made several changes to travel restrictions since first closing its borders.
It’s difficult to keep up!
That’s why we’re giving a summary of the travel restrictions as it stands on 1 February 2022. We’re also including information about who should and are eligible to apply for travel exemptions.
Please keep in mind that these restrictions and exemption allowances change all the time. We’ll publish and share any updates on our blog and our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
1. Fully vaccinated Australians
Fully vaccinated Australian citizens and permanent residents can travel to and from Australia without any restrictions. You do not need to apply for a travel exemption if you’re in this group.
2. Fully vaccinated eligible visa holders
Fully vaccinated eligible visa holders can travel to Australia without having to apply for a travel exemptions.
To be an eligible visa holder, you must hold one of these visas:
- Regional Sponsored visa (subclass 487)
- Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 489)
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)
- Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (subclass 400)
- Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403)
- State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner Visa (subclass 163)
- Investor Retirement visa (subclass 405)
- Recognised Graduate visa (subclass 476)
- Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
- Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
- Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
- Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870)
- Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
- New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa (subclass 461)
- Retirement visa (subclass 410)
- Training and Research visa (subclass 402)
- Training visa (subclass 407)
- Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408)
- Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
- Special Category visa (subclass 444)
- Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457)
- Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)
- Student visa (subclass 500)
- Student Temporary visa (subclass 560)
- Vocational Education and Training Sector visa (subclass 572)
- Student Schools Sector visa (subclass 571)
- Higher Education Sector visa (subclass 573)
- Postgraduate Research Sector visa (subclass 574)
- Non-Award Sector visa (subclass 575)
- Student Guardian visa (subclass 580)
- Student Guardian visa (subclass 590)
- Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988)
- In-country Special Humanitarian visa (subclass 201)
- Emergency Rescue visa (subclass 203)
- Woman at Risk visa (subclass 204)
- Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) visa (subclass 449)
- Temporary Protection visa (subclass 785)
- Temporary Humanitarian Concern visa (subclass 786)
- Safe Haven Enterprise visa (subclass 790)
- Refugee visa (subclass 200)
If you hold one of these visas but you’re not fully vaccinated, you must apply for an individual travel exemption before travelling to Australia. You’ll only be able to enter Australia if the Department of Home Affairs grants you the exemption.
Please note: Australia’s Department of Home Affairs regularly reviews this visa list and may add subclass over time.
3. Immediate family members of Australians and eligible New Zealand citizens
Immediate family members of Australian citizens, permanent residents, or New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia are exempt from Australia’s travel restrictions.
You may still have to prove your relationship, though, and you may have to apply for a travel exemption if you hold a temporary visa.
Our advisors are able to advise on and assist with both these processes.
Who is considered ‘immediate family’?
Australia classifies the following people as ‘immediate family’:
- Spouses
- De facto partners
- Dependent children
- Parents or legal guardians of dependent children
The special case of parents of adult Australians
In November last year, Australia expanded its classification of ‘immediate family’ to also include the parents of adult Australian citizens or permanent residents. This change was made for assessing travel exemptions only.
Australia considers a person an adult if they are 18 or older, and defines parents in this instance as:
- Biological parents
- Legal parents, including adoptive parents
- Stepparents
- Parents in-law
To travel to Australia as a parent, you’ll have to prove your relationship with your adult Australian children. You’ll also have to have a valid passport and visa, and you must be fully vaccinated.
Unfortunately, the parents of adult New Zealand citizens usually resident in Australia do not qualify for a similar exemption.
However – you must apply for a travel exemption if you hold one of these visas
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs requires you to apply for a travel exemption in either of these cases if you’re classified as an ‘immediate family member’:
- You hold a temporary visa, including a visitor visa other than a temporary Partner (subclass 820 or 309) visa or a temporary Child (subclass 445) visa.
- You hold a Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa and are unvaccinated.
It’s important to note that you won’t be able to travel to Australia unless the Department of Home Affairs granted you an exemption. You’ll also have to hold a valid visa.
For clarification – Partner (subclasses 100, 309, 801 and 820) and Child (subclasses 101, 102 and 445) visa holders do not need to apply for a travel exemption.
4. Remaining exempt categories
Apart from the categories and visas discussed above, the following categories of people are also exempt from travel restrictions:
- People who’ve been in New Zealand for 14 days or more immediately prior to arrival by air in Australia
- Diplomats who are accredited in Australia, including their immediate family members
- People transiting Australia for 72 hours or less
- Airline crew and maritime crew, including marine pilots
- People recruited under the Government-approved Seasonal Worker Program or Pacific Labour Scheme
- Persons who hold a Business Innovation and Investment (subclass 188) visa
- Persons who hold a Temporary Activity (subclass 408) visa in the ‘Post COVID-19 Economic Recovery Event’ stream and who are supported by the Global Business and Talent Attraction Taskforce
- Individuals invited or sponsored by the Australian Defence Force or the Department of Defence to undertake military activities
- Individuals who has a prescribed status and wants to enter Australia on a Special Purpose visa
- Fully vaccinated citizens of:
- Singapore,
- Japan, and
- South Korea, travelling from Singapore, Japan and South Korea respectively, and arriving into an Australian state or territory that allows fully vaccinated travellers to arrive without having to quarantine
- Fully vaccinated New Zealand passport holders seeking to enter Australia on a Special Category visa (subclass TY444)
5. Exemption requests to escort Australian citizen or permanent resident minors
Australia makes provision for situations where an adult has to escort a child to Australia with travel exemptions for the adult.
The child has to be a minor and an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Unless exceptional circumstances apply, the adult should be a relative, for example an aunt, uncle or grandparent.
Travel exemptions for this category are generally approved under the following circumstances:
- One guardian for each child under the age of 2 generally gets a travel exemption
- Only one guardian within the same family group for multiple children over the age of 2 generally gets a travel exemption
The Department of Home Affairs will consider additional guardians on a case-by-case basis if medical advice and evidence is provided.
6. Individual exemptions
You can request an individual exemption if you do not hold an eligible visa or you’re unvaccinated and hold any type of visa.
The Commissioner of the Australian border Force or decision makers may consider you for an individual travel exemption if you are a:
- Foreign national travelling at the invitation of the Australian Government or a state or territory government authority for the purpose of assisting in the COVID-19 response
- Foreign national whose entry into Australia would be in the country’s national interest , supported by the Australian Government or a state or territory government authority
- Person providing critical or specialist medical services, including air ambulance, medical evacuations and delivering critical medical supplies
- Foreign national with critical skills or working in a critical sector in Australia
- Foreign national sponsored by your employer to work in Australia in an occupation on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL)
- Person who resides on a vessel that seeks safe port at the close appointed port for reprovisioning or safety reason for a limited time, supported by the relevant state or territory government where safe haven is sought
- Student who has been selected to take part in an International Student Arrivals Plan that has been:
- approved by the relevant state or territory government, and
- endorsed by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment as satisfying the Protocols and Preconditions for International Student Arrivals.
- Student in your final three years of study of a medical university degree, where you have evidence of a confirmed placement in an Australian hospital or medical practice. The placement must commence within the next two months, and provide medical services to the Australian public.
- Higher degree research student enrolled in an Australian education institution, including Masters by research and PhD students, with:
- evidence of a current research grant from a Commonwealth agency or support from a relevant government agency outlining:
- why the research is considered essential and/or in Australia’s national interest, and
- how your role is critical to the research.
- evidence of a current research grant from a Commonwealth agency or support from a relevant government agency outlining:
- Student completing year 11 and 12, with:
- endorsement from the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), and
- support from the relevant state or territory government health and education authorities.
- Student in the final two years of study of a dental, nursing or allied health profession university degree, where you have evidence of a confirmed placement in an Australian hospital or medical practice which begins with the next two months
- Travelling for compassionate and compelling reasons.
- Unvaccinated Prospective Marriage (subclass 300) visa holder in the following circumstances:
- You subclass 300 visa has been granted, and
- Your visa application was lodged at least 12 months before submitting a travel exemption request.
Contact us for assistance with travel exemptions
Our team have successfully applied for several travel exemptions already.
If you’d like us to help you apply for yours, please contact us on +27 (0) 21 20 28200. Alternatively, book a consultation call to speak directly with our licensed advisor.
Our advisor will talk you through the requirements to apply for a travel exemption, and assist with your application from start to finish.
- Published in Immigration Advice, News, Our latest posts
The cost of living in Australia: How does it compare? (2022)
Some of the most frequently asked questions about the cost of living in Australia are, “Is it expensive to live in Australia?” and if Australia is cheaper or more expensive than a certain country.
These are the questions we’re going to answer today by comparing New Zealand’s cost of living to that of four other nations – the UK, South Africa, the USA, and India.
Residents from these four countries often immigrate to Australia.
How does the comparison work?
To give you a realistic idea of how much Australia’s cost of living compares to the countries on our list, our comparison will look at the cost of seven everyday expenses:
- Rent
- Utilities
- Groceries
- Schooling
- Clothing
- Transport
- Restaurants
We’ve pulled all the costs from Numbeo, which is the “world’s largest cost of living database”. The costs are crowdsourced, so keep in mind that costs are averages.
To keep things simple, we’ve converted all costs into Australian dollars. You can, however, get local currency costs on each country’s Numbeo page:
Let’s dive into the comparison
As explained above, we’re comparing rent, utilities, groceries, clothing, transport, schooling, and restaurants today.
On average, consumer prices in Australia are higher than in the UK, South Africa, the USA, and India.
The biggest difference is between Australia and India, with Australia’s consumer prices being 210.02% higher than India’s.
Let’s see how this looks in practice. We’ll start with rent which is the biggest monthly expense for most people.
1. Rent
On average, rent in Australia is lower than in the United States and the UK, while it’s higher than in South Africa and India. The difference between Australia and South Africa’s average rental prices is 115.69%.
Let’s break it down by looking at the rental prices of 1-bedroom and 3-bedroom apartments both in the city and in the suburbs:
| Australia | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 1,713.35 | 1,427.34 | 634.50 | 1,901.70 | 218.74 |
| 1-Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 1,315.01 | 1,176.88 | 548.39 | 1,542.64 | 138.79 |
| 3-Bedroom Apartment in City Centre | 2,849.03 | 2,331.60 | 1,359.65 | 3,118.20 | 482.67 |
| 3-Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre | 2,008.91 | 1,863.22 | 1,107.23 | 2,521.04 | 304.52 |
Are you keen to further explore Australia’s rental prices? Use Rent.com.au or realestate.com.au to search for apartments and houses in specific cities or suburbs.
2. Utilities
Whether you rent or own, you’ll have utilities to budget for. We’re specifically going to look at the costs of basic household utilities such as water and electricity and internet.
As you can see from the information above, the average cost of Australia’s internet is on par with that of South Africa.
You’re thus going to spend roughly the same on your internet connection if you’re moving to Australia from South Africa.
However, if you’re moving to Australia from India, you’ll find that you’re spending much more on your internet connection.
| Australia | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Utilities (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 85m2 Apartment | 213.50 | 293.72 | 157.30 | 235.21 | 53.31 |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 76.93 | 57.90 | 80.54 | 93.20 | 14.19 |
When looking at basic utilities, you’ll spend more of your budget on utilities as a South African or Indian once you’re living in Australia. The opposite is true if you’re moving from the UK or the USA.
3. Groceries
Let’s start by looking at the average cost of a basket of groceries in Australia in comparison to the other countries:
As you can see, the cost of a basket of groceries won’t differ much if you’re moving from the USA. You might also not notice any difference in your spending if you’re a UK national living in Australia.
South Africans and Indians might have to get used to a bigger grocery bill though.
Now let’s look at the prices of the individual items we put in our basket:
| Australia | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1L Milk | 1.69 | 1.74 | 1.50 | 1.22 | 0.96 |
| Loaf of white bread | 2.84 | 1.84 | 1.31 | 3.89 | 0.65 |
| 1kg Rice | 2.74 | 2.10 | 2.05 | 5.52 | 0.99 |
| 12 Eggs | 4.82 | 3.65 | 2.75 | 3.23 | 1.33 |
| 1kg Local cheese | 11.16 | 10.53 | 10.25 | 15.54 | 7.51 |
| 1kg Chicken fillets | 10.86 | 10.18 | 6.66 | 13.06 | 4.41 |
| 1kg Beef round | 18.33 | 15.39 | 10.26 | 18.12 | 8.20 |
| 1kg Apples | 4.49 | 3.46 | 2.16 | 6.38 | 2.76 |
| 1kg Bananas | 3.58 | 2.03 | 2.00 | 2.18 | 0.93 |
| 1kg Oranges | 3.73 | 3.19 | 2.18 | 5.56 | 1.39 |
| 1kg Tomatoes | 5.29 | 3.41 | 2.00 | 6.00 | 0.68 |
| 1kg Potatoes | 3.27 | 2.03 | 1.70 | 3.61 | 0.54 |
| 1kg Onion | 2.62 | 1.83 | 1.61 | 3.58 | 0.66 |
| Lettuce | 2.71 | 1.33 | 1.48 | 2.33 | 0.74 |
| Total cost | 78.13 | 62.71 | 43.73 | 90.22 | 32.29 |
4. Schooling
As you can see from the graph, private pre-schooling does not come cheap in Australia. With that being said, the shock of pre-school costs won’t be as much if you’re moving from the UK or the USA.
| Australia | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 1,958.76 | 1,777.84 | 301.83 | 1,317.06 | 76.70 |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 17,377.12 | 24,626.43 | 6,809.59 | 21,956.20 | 2,150.04 |
Primary school, surprisingly, is not as expensive when compared to the UK or the USA.
Keep in mind though that your children might be eligible for a free education at government schools. Generally, children of permanent residents go to government schools for free. You’ll still additional costs, though, like school uniforms and stationery.
5. Clothing
Filling up your closet costs relatively the same in Australia, the UK, South Africa, and the USA.
When compared to India, you can see that clothes cost a lot more in Australia.
| Australia | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 98.81 | 110.81 | 69.19 | 61.68 | 42.52 |
| 1 Summer Dress from a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, Etc) | 60.10 | 55.09 | 46.70 | 49.62 | 42.04 |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 136.86 | 117.27 | 124.28 | 107.49 | 65.84 |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 143.94 | 116.05 | 115.70 | 136.19 | 49.44 |
6. Transport
You can see from the table below that if you’re moving to Australia from India, you’ll have the biggest culture shock when it comes to the cost of public transport, gasoline and cars.
South Africans, UK nationals and Americans will spend more or less the same on transport and cars as at home.
| Australia | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 4.44 | 4.72 | 2.29 | 3.14 | 0.37 |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 150.00 | 122.61 | 61.88 | 90.77 | 11.21 |
| Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff) | 2.16 | 2.34 | 1.10 | 2.26 | 0.32 |
| Gasoline | 1.54 | 2.67 | 1.67 | 1.02 | 1.72 |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 28,990.00 | 37,727.23 | 27,500.89 | 32,815.66 | 17,745.96 |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 26,326.87 | 39,418.90 | 31,377.31 | 30,757.05 | 31,553.58 |
7. Restaurants
Australia’s culinary scene offers something for everyone, from seafood to beef, lamb and even kangaroo. On weekends, you’ll find Australians at their favourite cafe at a brunch with friends.
You’ll find that when you’re eating out that you’re spending relatively the same as in your home country if you’re from the UK or the USA.
That is not the case if you’re moving to Australia from South Africa or India where restaurant bills are a lot lower than Down Under.
| Australia | UK | South Africa | USA | India | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch at Inexpensive Restaurant | 20.00 | 24.52 | 13.75 | 20.95 | 3.36 |
| 3-Course Dinner for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant | 98.00 | 94.32 | 55.00 | 83.78 | 16.81 |
| 500ml Domestic Beer | 8.00 | 7.17 | 2.75 | 6.98 | 2.80 |
| 330ml Imported Beer | 9.00 | 7.55 | 3.67 | 8.38 | 5.09 |
| Cappuccino | 4.55 | 5.26 | 2.64 | 6.11 | 2.22 |
| 330ml Coke or Pepsi | 3.39 | 2.57 | 1.35 | 2.72 | 0.62 |
| 330ml Water | 2.85 | 1.85 | 1.04 | 2.19 | 0.28 |
Also keep your salary in mind when considering the cost of living in Australia
Knowing how much you’ll earn is a big part of deciding whether or not you can afford Australia’s cost of living.
Someone who earns AUD10,000 a month can obviously live more comfortably than someone earning AUD4,000 a month.
To get an idea of how much you can earn, got to PayScale.
Our final recommendation is to speak to a recruiter working in your industry. Recruiters can give you accurate salary expectations based on your skills and experience.
- Published in Life in Australia, Our latest posts
Australia to reopen to some visa holders!
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced in a media statement on 22 November that Australia’s borders will reopen to fully-vaccinated eligible visa holders from abroad on 1 December!
Who is eligible?
You may travel to and enter Australia from December if you fall within any of these categories:
- Skilled workers
- Student visa holders
- Provisional family visa holders
- Working Holiday Makers
- Holders of humanitarian visas
What are the requirements?
The great news is that you don’t have to apply for a travel exemption!
You must, however:
- Be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
- Hold a visa for one of the eligible visa subclasses
- Provide proof of your vaccination status
- Present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within three days of your departure to Australia.
- Comply with the quarantine requirements in the state or territory of your arrival, and any other state or territory to which you plan to travel.
Why only selected visa holders?
Prime Minister Scott said, “Consistent with the National Plan to safely reopen Australia, these changes will ensure we continue to protect the health of Australians, while reuniting families and securing our economic recovery”.
He elaborated by saying that the return of skilled workers and international students to Australia will provide the valuable workers Australia needs and support the country’s important education sector.
Parents of Australians can already travel Down Under
Australia reopened their borders to parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents on 1 November.
Parents do have to apply for a travel exemption and may only travel to states and territories that have reached 80% of its double-dose vaccination targets.
That means parents can travel to the ACT, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania at the time of writing. South Australia could open for parents next as 78.52% of its residents are fully vaccinated.
Check your eligibility
If you’re unsure of whether or not you could travel to Australia, you can contact us for advice. You can book a consultation call with our licensed advisor or get hold of us by calling +27 (0) 21 202 8200.
Our team can tell you if you can travel and help you apply for any visas or a travel exemption if you’re a parent. We’ve already successfully applied for exemptions for three sets of parents!
Wanted: Full-time/Part Time/Casual Vet – Queensland
A Queensland veterinary clinic is seeking the service of an experienced vet or new graduate. The clinic is willing to sponsor the successful applicant’s visa.
The first step
Please read the job description below.
If you’d like to apply for the position, the starting point is a consultation call with our licensed immigration advisor to see if you meet the requirements to apply for an Australian work visa.
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to apply for the job if you don’t qualify for a work visa.
Our advisor is Katrin Maja O’Flynn and you can email her at katrin-maja@intergate-emigration.com. Alternatively, book a consultation call on her calendar right away.
The job description
A Queensland veterinary clinic is looking for a veterinarian that wants a harmonious work-life balance and positive leadership.
Details about the employer:
We are an independently-owned, fully-equipped vet clinic that serves the entire Gold Coast via our home consultations. We have a great team of vet nurses, receptionists, vets and a practice manager that are passionate about patient and client care.
Our aim is to have a safe and enjoyable work environment, and we handle conflict with empathy and continuously work to keep a well-integrated team. We enjoy our jobs and we believe that our industry needs a change.
You will have the option of working in the clinic or in our mobile units, where a vet nurse will assist with your house calls.
Our base clinic is fully equipped with all the sparkly things you want:
- DR and dental Xrays,
- Idexx blood test machines,
- Excellent dental equipment,
- Electrocautery
- Infusion pumps, etc.
We all know this job is tough, and some clients can be difficult, so we are committed to having time to simply be happy at work.
Key responsibilities
- Perform clinical procedures and surgeries (including examination & diagnosis, pathological testing, procedures and surgeries, prescription & administration of medication)
- Engage with the team in a collaborative effort for the best outcome of the patient
- Offer gold standard care to all patients
- Build rapport with clients and provide excellent customer service
What are we looking for:
- A new grad or experienced vet that is keen to change the current status quo of our industry
- A vet that understands that importance of positivity, and who continuously engages with clients
- A person that understands self awareness, and someone who is willing to develop their soft skills even further
We can offer you:
- Excellent salary package of between $70,000 and $120,000 per year which recognizes your skills, experience and commitment
- One week study leave and $1500 towards CPD
- Enrolment in two of the Lincoln Institute programs to develop your skills – ‘Leading Edge’ and ‘Emerging Leaders’
- A positive and vibrant team
- A leadership team that is continuously seeking your feedback and that wants you to be happy and feel supported at work
The job:
- You’ll be able to dedicate more time to your patients (30min consults).
- We strive to manage our clients’ expectations every step of the way – communication is the key in our profession.
- The appointment list is well organised by our dedicated receptionists. They are highly skilled in handling the phone calls and dealing with demanding clients.
- Our nurses are highly trained in patient care. They can manage complicated anaesthetics very well, giving you peace of mind during tricky surgeries.
If you do home consults you will always have the help of your home base clinic with all the whistles, technology, staff, and anything else you’ll need.
When driving from client to client, you’ll drive through the Gold Coast’s beautiful scenery, drive from the coast to the bush – and you’ll always find a great coffee shop where you can pull over for lunch (lunchtime is mandatory!).
We are flexible with time, with your roster, with your appointment list, with how you want to handle your day, and with your special interest.
Wanting some time in the clinic to do surgeries, dentals, consults, x-rays, etc? No problem! We work with our strengths, and we focus on what brings us joy and purpose.
Ready to give it a go? Come and see what we are doing!
Take the first step
Interested in applying for this position? Contact our immigration advisor at katrin-maja@intergate-emigration.com or book a consultation call on her calendar right away.
During the consultation call, Katrin will explain your visa options, talk you through the process, costs, and timelines involved, and answer any questions you might have.
- Published in News, Our latest posts, Working in Australia
South Australia adds another 94 occupations to its skilled migration program!
South Australia released a list of 36 occupations in August that are open to visa applicants from overseas.
A little over a month later, South Australia added another 70 occupations to the list! Then, at the end of October, South Australia also added 24 engineering occupations.
Go through these occupations below and contact us right away if you see your job. Our licensed advisor will assess you against the skilled migrant criteria and tell you if you qualify to apply for a work visa.
Occupations including public relations managers, engineers, farmers, and more
South Australia wants your skills if you work in any of these occupations:
- Sales and Marketing Manager
- Advertising Manager
- Public Relations Manager
- Corporate Services Manager
- Human Resource Manager
- Policy and Planning Manager
- Research and Development Manager
- Customer Service Manager
- Human Resource Adviser
- Recruitment Consultant
- Management Consultant
- Organisation and Methods Analyst
- Liaison Officer
- Information and Organisation Professionals nec
- Advertising Specialist
- Market Research Analyst
- Marketing Specialist
- Public Relations Professional
- Technical Sales Representatives nec
- Grain, Oilseed, or Pasture Grower
- Mixed Crop Farmer
- Vegetable Grower
- Crop Farmers nec
- Apiarist
- Beef Cattle Farmer
- Dairy Cattle Farmer
- Mixed Livestock Farmer
- Pig Farmer
- Poultry Farmer
- Sheep Farmer
- Livestock Farmers nec
- Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmer
- Construction Project Manager
- Project Builder
- Production Manager (Manufacturing)
- Supply and Distribution Manager
- Procurement Manager
- Child Care Centre Manager
- Environmental Manager
- Laboratory Manager
- Quality Assurance Manager
- Statistician
- Surveyor
- Other Spatial Scientist
- Agricultural Consultant
- Agricultural Scientist
- Food Technologist
- Conservation Officer
- Environmental Consultant
- Environmental Scientists nec
- Geologist
- Environmental Research Scientist
- Geophysicist
- Hydrogeologist
- Life Scientist (General)
- Biochemist
- Biotechnologist
- Botanist
- Marine Biologist
- Microbiologist
- Zoologist
- Life Scientists nec
- Medical Laboratory Scientist
- Veterinarian
- Conservator
- Metallurgist
- Meteorologist
- Physicist (non-medical)
- Exercise Physiologist
- Natural and Physical Science Professionals nec
- Engineering Manager
- Chemical Engineer
- Materials Engineer
- Civil Engineer
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Quantity Surveyor
- Structural Engineer
- Transport Engineer
- Electrical Engineer
- Electronics Engineer
- Industrial Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Production or Plant Engineer
- Mining Engineer (excluding Petroleum)
- Agricultural Engineer
- Biomedical Engineer
- Environmental Engineer
- Engineering Professionals nec
- Civil Engineering Draftsperson
- Civil Engineering Technician
- Electrical Engineering Draftsperson
- Electrical Engineering Technician
- Mechanical Engineering Draftsperson
- Mechanical Engineering Technician
Click here to see the other 36 occupations on the list.
More about South Australia
South Australia is Australia’s fourth-largest state and is home to roughly 1.77 million people. Most of South Australia’s residents live in its capital, Adelaide, or its surrounds. Adelaide is one of Australia’s most livable cities and one of the country’s most affordable places to live and work.
What is South Australia known for?
The state boasts a world-renowned food and wine culture, with many of Australia’s best wine regions spread across South Australia. South Australia is also home to a diverse range of art, cultural and sporting events and offers leisure experiences for both young and old.
What is the weather like?
The southern part of the state has a Mediterranean climate, while the rest of the state has either an arid or semi-arid climate. South Australia’s main temperature range is 29˚C in January and 15˚C in July.
Continue reading about South Australia.
Did you see your occupation on the list? Book a consultation!
If your occupation is on South Australia’s list of desired skills, and you want to work in South Australia, book a consultation call with our licensed advisor.
Our advisor will explain your visa options, talk you through the process, costs, and timelines involved, and answer any questions you might have.
You might find yourself on your way to Australia sooner than you’ve imagined!
- Published in Immigration to Australia, News, Our latest posts, Working in Australia