Lately I've had friends asking about migrating to Australia. I've never actually shared how I got to Sydney on a Permanent Resident (PR) visa so here it goes:
Time
It took quite a while for me to decide to migrate. After spending six years in Sydney on a student visa, I was having the time of my life in the Philippines with new friends, a job that I liked and the laid back life. I was in my ultimate comfort zone. I had relatives and friends in Sydney who always encouraged me to apply as an immigrant. Because I had family in Sydney there was always that option of a family sponsored visa. My aunt sent the customary immigration booklet (thick with lots to read and fill out) which sat on my desk for about a year until that phone call which jump started everything. "Lily, you better apply now because you're uncle is set to retire within the year!"
So tracing back there was a year of deciding, a year of preparing everything for lodgement of application plus nine months of waiting before receiving the permanent resident visa - 2 years and nine months all in all.
Finances
It's no joke. A huge sum of money was needed in my application. Money for assessment fees, lodgement fees, IELTS, obtaining documents, medical examination fees, courier fees, family had to show proof that they could support me financially while I start out in Sydney, the bond and plane fare. Good thing I had family to help out otherwise I wouldn't know where to get the 500k pesos or so (mind you this was 10 years ago). My friend put it lightly, "every move needs money."
Documents
The very important of all documents was the application booklet. Then I had to provide documentary evidence of every single claim - NBI clearance, IELTS results, employment certifications & references, birth & baptismal certificates of my father and myself (even if papa wasn't migrating with me), affidavits, skills assessment certificate, results of medical examination, proof of income support in Australia, etc.
My Plus Points
Because I took my high school education in Sydney (the whole six years), family was sponsoring me and the fact that I was skilled made my application successful - well that's what I thought anyway.
Options I took
The first option was considering what type of visa was I going to get. I took the 'skilled-family sponsored' visa as it was what would increase the chances of my application being approved. Next was the decision of applying directly to Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship in Adelaide as opposed to using a migration agent or via the Australian embassy in Manila. Since it was a life altering change, I wanted to make sure that it was legit and worth the money I was going to spend. Using a migration agent could double the cost, turn out to be a scam or not get me the visa that I wanted in the beginning - believe me I know a lot who had bad experiences with migration agents . If I applied via the Australian embassy in Manila it would mean plane fares back and forth.
What you can do
The link above takes you directly to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship website where it has everything and I mean EVERYTHING you need to know and do if you are considering migrating to Australia. What it will require from you is a lot of reading and the determination to take the necessary steps toward the 'big move.' Also consider which visa class will give you the greatest chance of getting an immigrant visa. It would greatly help if you have family or better yet, your skills fall under their skills shortage. Lastly, if the objective is migrating somewhere, you might want to consider New Zealand (http://www.immigration.govt.nz/)or elsewhere if it would mean greater chances of you scoring that immigrant visa - and then make that move to Australia when you have a different coloured passport in hand. Oh and don't forget to match your efforts with prayers. Good luck!
Time
It took quite a while for me to decide to migrate. After spending six years in Sydney on a student visa, I was having the time of my life in the Philippines with new friends, a job that I liked and the laid back life. I was in my ultimate comfort zone. I had relatives and friends in Sydney who always encouraged me to apply as an immigrant. Because I had family in Sydney there was always that option of a family sponsored visa. My aunt sent the customary immigration booklet (thick with lots to read and fill out) which sat on my desk for about a year until that phone call which jump started everything. "Lily, you better apply now because you're uncle is set to retire within the year!"
So tracing back there was a year of deciding, a year of preparing everything for lodgement of application plus nine months of waiting before receiving the permanent resident visa - 2 years and nine months all in all.
Finances
It's no joke. A huge sum of money was needed in my application. Money for assessment fees, lodgement fees, IELTS, obtaining documents, medical examination fees, courier fees, family had to show proof that they could support me financially while I start out in Sydney, the bond and plane fare. Good thing I had family to help out otherwise I wouldn't know where to get the 500k pesos or so (mind you this was 10 years ago). My friend put it lightly, "every move needs money."
Documents
The very important of all documents was the application booklet. Then I had to provide documentary evidence of every single claim - NBI clearance, IELTS results, employment certifications & references, birth & baptismal certificates of my father and myself (even if papa wasn't migrating with me), affidavits, skills assessment certificate, results of medical examination, proof of income support in Australia, etc.
My Plus Points
Because I took my high school education in Sydney (the whole six years), family was sponsoring me and the fact that I was skilled made my application successful - well that's what I thought anyway.
Options I took
The first option was considering what type of visa was I going to get. I took the 'skilled-family sponsored' visa as it was what would increase the chances of my application being approved. Next was the decision of applying directly to Australia's Department of Immigration and Citizenship in Adelaide as opposed to using a migration agent or via the Australian embassy in Manila. Since it was a life altering change, I wanted to make sure that it was legit and worth the money I was going to spend. Using a migration agent could double the cost, turn out to be a scam or not get me the visa that I wanted in the beginning - believe me I know a lot who had bad experiences with migration agents . If I applied via the Australian embassy in Manila it would mean plane fares back and forth.
What you can do
The link above takes you directly to the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship website where it has everything and I mean EVERYTHING you need to know and do if you are considering migrating to Australia. What it will require from you is a lot of reading and the determination to take the necessary steps toward the 'big move.' Also consider which visa class will give you the greatest chance of getting an immigrant visa. It would greatly help if you have family or better yet, your skills fall under their skills shortage. Lastly, if the objective is migrating somewhere, you might want to consider New Zealand (http://www.immigration.govt.nz/)or elsewhere if it would mean greater chances of you scoring that immigrant visa - and then make that move to Australia when you have a different coloured passport in hand. Oh and don't forget to match your efforts with prayers. Good luck!
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