Immigration Visa

Australia

Australia, the world’s smallest continent as well as the world’s largest island, the name is derived from the Latin AUSTRALIAS, means southern, legends of an “unknown land of the south.Australia is often referred to as the “lucky country” with pulsating economy, political stability and a quality of life envied by many. Australia is known around the world for its stunning landscapes.A great country to live in and do business, Australia has an enviable reputation as it offers premium standard of living.

Effective July 1, 2012, new points system has been rolled out the below mentioned Skilled Migration Visas. The Qualifying Score is now 60 points for Skilled Subclasses:

Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)

Australian Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) was brought into being to cater to the skill shortages of Australia. It is a Permanent Visa and falls under the Australian Immigration points-based system. Applicants must furnish that they possess the qualification or the skills of an occupation in the Skilled Occupation List (SOL). Applicants do not need sponsorship from family or the Australian State/ Territory Government nomination. Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) applicants are required to obtain a minimum of 60 points on a point assessment.

Requirements:

In order to qualify for a Skilled Visa, the applicant (or their partner) must be able to satisfy the basic visa requirements related to Age, English language ability, Specific Work Experience, Skills, Qualification, Health and Character. Based on these credentials, the applicant has to score a minimum of 60 Points in order to qualify.

Features of this Program:

• This Category permits the applicant an indefinite stay in Australia.
• Permanent residents under the Australian Skilled Immigration Program have full access to health care benefits and certain social security payments.
• Permanent residents under this Category can apply for citizenship of Australia after staying there for 4 years.
• Once landed in Australia, the applicant can sponsor their family for permanent residency in Australia.
• Dependents can accompany the applicant, provided they comply with the Australian Migration Law.

Eligibility for the Australia Skilled Immigration Program:

The applicants have to satisfy the basic requirements to migrate under the skilled sponsored visa and must meet the 60 points to file for a visa.

• Age: The age of the applicant should be between 18 – 49 years.
• English language: The applicant should prove that he/she meets the English language of competence or vocational level by submitting the test results before the application is lodged. He/ she should also meet the English Language threshold of minimum 6 bands of IELTS in all the components.
• Nominated occupations : The applicant should nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) that matches with his/her skills, qualifications and work experience.
• Skill Assessment : It is mandatory for an applicant to get a positive skill assessment for a nominated occupation before the visa application is lodged.

Skilled Nominated Visa (Subclass 190)

This is a Permanent Resident Visa which is an option to the individuals who cannot meet the Skilled Independent Visa pass mark and for those applicants whose occupation is not listed in the SOL1.

The basic requirement of this visa is to get sponsorship from a sponsoring State/ Territory in Australia. Applicants should also meet the points test by scoring 60. This visa is designed by the Australian government to address skill shortages in Australia.

The Skilled Sponsored Visa is only a Permanent Resident Visa and the applicants under this category must live for 2 years in Specified State from which he/she has been nominated.

Features of this Program:

• The applicant has to be sponsored by State /Territory Government.
• Permanent residents under the Australian Skilled Immigration Program have full access to health care benefits and certain social security payments.
• Permanent residents under this Category can apply for citizenship of Australia after staying there for 4 year.
• Once landed in Australia, the applicant can sponsor their family for permanent residency in Australia.
• Dependents can accompany the applicant, provided they comply with the Australian Migration Law.
• Applicant can score 5 points if nominated by an Australian State/Territory Govt.

Eligibility

• The applicants have to satisfy the basic requirements to migrate under the skilled sponsored visa and must meet the 60 points to file for a visa.
• Age: The age of the applicant should be between 18 -49 years.
• English language: The applicant should prove that he/she meets the English language of competent or vocational level by submitting the test results before the application is lodged. He/ she should also meet the English Language threshold (IELTS 6 bands in all the components). If the applicant needs 10 or 20 points under Proficiency in English (IELTS 7 or more bands/ 8 or more bands respectively in all the components), English Language test results are required.
• Nominated occupations: The applicant should nominate an occupation in the Consolidated Skilled Occupation List (CSOL) that is relevant to the applicant’s skills, qualifications and recent work experience and the occupation should also be available in the respective state that will sponsor the state nomination.
• Skill Assessment: It is mandatory for an applicant to get a positive skill assessment for a nominated occupation before the application is lodged.
• Maintenance funds: The applicants should show sufficient maintenance funds to obtain sponsorship from state territory.
• Health & character requirements: The applicant has to meet with health and character requirements.

Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa (Subclass 489)

This provisional Visa is granted for a period of 4 years for individuals who cannot meet the Skilled Independent Visa pass mark. This visa provides a pathway to a permanent visa in Australia.

The basic requirement of this visa is to get sponsorship either from a sponsoring State or Territory regional area or eligible relative living in a designated area. Applicants should also meet the points test by scoring 60 including the points from the relative/ state sponsorship. This visa is designed by the Australian Government to address skill shortages in designated areas of Australia.

The Skilled Regional Sponsored Visa through the state is a provisional Visa only and applicants under this category must live for 2 years and work for at least 12 months in a Specified Regional Area of Australia which is a mandatory condition to further apply for a Permanent Residency.

Features of the Sub Class 489 Visa:

• Applicants are allowed to live, work and study in a relative sponsored designated area /state sponsored regional area of Australia for a period of 4 years.
• Provides a pathway to a permanent visa in Australia
• Applicants are allowed to apply for a permanent visa after the applicant has lived for 2 years in a designated area/regional areas of Australia.
• The applicant can score 10 points if sponsored by State/ Territory Government or 10 points if sponsored by an eligible relative currently living in a designated area.
• Applicants can take their immediate family members, provided they meet the requirements of health, character and English language.
• Allows the dependents to study and work in designated areas of Australia.

Eligibility:

The applicants have to satisfy the basic requirements to migrate under the Skilled Regional State or Relative Sponsored Visa and must secure 60 points to file the Visa.

• Age: 18 – 49 years.
• English language: The applicant should prove that he/she meets the English language of competence or vocational level by submitting the test results before the application is submitted. The applicant should also meet the English Language threshold. If the applicant needs 10 or 20 points under Proficient English he/ she should score 7 or more bands in IELTS.
• Nominated occupations:The applicant should nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) if the he/ she wishes to live in the designated area, the applicant should apply for relative sponsored Visa.
• Skill Assessment:It is mandatory for an applicant to get a positive skill assessment for a nominated occupation before the application is filed.
• Maintenance funds: The applicants should show sufficient maintenance funds to obtain sponsorship from state territory if applying for state /territory nominated regional visa.
• Health & character requirements: The applicant has to meet all the health and character requirements.

Occupation Lists:

Skilled Occupation List (SOL)

The current Skilled Occupation List (SOL) is relevant for applicants for:

• Independent points-based skilled migration who are not nominated by a state or territory government agency
• A Family Sponsored Points Tested visa
• Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) – Graduate Work stream.

Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL)

The current Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List (CSOL) is relevant for applicants for:

• points-based skilled migration who are nominated by a state or territory government agency under a State Migration Plan
• Department of Immigration and Citizenship Australia introduces ANZSCO wef 1 July 2010. Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) is a system developed to collect, publish and analyse occupation statistics across government agencies and is being introduced by the department as the new standard to capture occupation information in all visa, settlement and citizenship programs.

General Skilled Migrant Program

Australia’s economy remains one of the strongest in the world, offering millions of jobs every week, making it an extremely preferred destination for highly skilled young people. It also exhibits that Australian employers require skilled workforce for achieving their organizational goals.

The eligibility of skilled migrants, who desire to immigrate to Australia, is assessed on a point-based system. In this system, points are awarded after considering the age, work experience, qualifications and language proficiency of the aspirant.

The applicants need to satisfy the following threshold requirements:

• Submit an expression of interest (EOI);
• Have an occupation that is on the relevant skilled occupation list
• Be under 50 years of age at the time of applying for a visa;
• Meet the threshold English language requirement of competent English;
• Have a suitable skills assessment for that occupation
• Be able to score at least 60 on the points test.

Canada

The Canadian Federal and Provincial Governments are constantly introducing new laws and programs to ensure successful resettlement for the immigrants. There are numerous options under which you may reach and settle in the Maple Country Canada.

Express Entry System

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) has launched the Express Entry system to manage applications for permanent residence and applicants from across the world who qualify under Federal Skilled Worker Program/ Canadian Experience Class/ Federal Skilled Trades Program or a portion of Provicial Nominee Program will be offered the Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residency by the authorities. The qualifying criteria to receive the invitation varies from Program to Program. For people to qualify under the FSWP and FSTP, the candidate must have an Employment Offer approved by the competent authorities in Canada whereas, to apply for Permanent Residency under PNP, the candidate must receive a state Nomination and for Canadian Experience Class they need to meet the selection criteria.

It will be a point-based system. A maximum of 1200 points can be allotted under the Express Entry system. Points break- up will be as follows:

A maximum of 500 points for human capital factors like age, education, experience, and language will be awarded; 40 points will come from if an applicant has an accompanying spouse or common-law partner, and up to 80 points if the candidate holds at least one year of experience in Canada

Transferrable skills will add another 100 points. Skills that can be used across different jobs and industries in technical and non-technical areas are usually referred to as transferrable skills

600 points will be awarded if the applicant has a job offer in Canada or have received nomination certificate from any of Canadian provinces

Anyone who is accepted into the Express Entry pool could get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Only the candidates who fall in the top bracket will get this ITA. The draws will be conducted every month. If the candidate has been invited to apply, the candidate will have 60 days to submit a complete Application for Permanent Residence online.

To sum up, once the online application is received it goes through the following steps:

• Step 1- Candidates create an Express Entry profile identifying their skills and qualifications in an online resume. The profile is then ranked against other applicants based on various factors that indicate that the candidate will be an asset to the Canadian workforce.
• Step 2- Those applicants that do not have a Canadian job offer from an employer will need to register in the Canada Job Bank site.
• Step 3- Assessment of every profile in the Job Bank is done to judge who could meet the criteria of a federal economic program and then upgraded with other entries in the Express Entry pool.
• Step 4- If an application is selected, the applicant will be issued an Invitation to Apply to which he/she needs to respond within 60 days’ time to qualify for permanent residence.

The entire process takes a maximum of 6 months.

Federal Skilled Worker Program

It grants you the Visa which entitles you to live and work lawfully anywhere in the country because of your Permanent Resident status which is granted on the basis of your education, work experience and various other factors.

From January 1, 2015, Federal Skilled Worker applications are being processed through the Express Entry selection system for immigration to Canada. Candidates eligible under the Federal Skilled Worker Program must first make an Expression of Interest in immigrating to Canada to start the Express Entry procedure.

Following are the conditions that are required to be fulfilled, to apply for this category.

• Skilled Work Experience: Have at least one year of continuous full-time or equivalent paid work experience in the past 10 years in a skilled occupation (National Occupational Classification skill lever 0, A or B).
• Education: The applicant must have an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report from an agency approved by Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) to show that the applicant’s education is equal to Canadian education standards.
• Language Skills: The applicant must meet the minimum language level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 7, and take a language test approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that shows you meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Federal Skilled Trades Program

This is a dedicated and streamlined program that will help transform Canada’s immigration system into a fast and flexible system focused on jobs, growth and long-term prosperity. The new program ensures greater consideration is given to the needs of industry when processing eligible immigration applications.

The Federal Skilled Trades Program is for people who want to become permanent residents based on being qualified in a skilled trade. There are some conditions that an applicant applying under this category must ensure to have complied with.

Those basic requirements are as under:

• Must have at least two years of full-time work experience (or an equal amount of part-time work experience) in a skilled trade within the five years before applying
• Must meet the job requirements for that skilled trade as set out in the National Occupational Classification (NOC)
• Must have a full time employment letter for the time period of at least one year; or a certificate of qualification in that skilled trade issued by a Canadian Provincial or Territorial authority.

Work Experience

Skilled Trades currently eligible for the Federal Skilled Trades Program are organized under these major and minor groups of the NOC:

• Major Group 72, industrial, electrical and construction trades,
• Major Group 73, maintenance and equipment operation trades,
• Major Group 82, supervisors and technical jobs in natural resources, agriculture and related production,
• Major Group 92, processing, manufacturing and utilities supervisors and central control operators,
• Minor Group 632, chefs and cooks, and
• Minor Group 633, butchers and bakers.

These major NOC groups are subdivided into different occupations. (All are NOC skill type B.)

The applicant must show that he did the duties set out in the lead statement of the occupational description in the NOC, including all the essential duties and most of the main duties listed.

Education

There is no education requirement for the Federal Skilled Trades Program. But, if the applicant wants to earn points for education under Express Entry, either of the following requirements needs to be accomplished.

• a Canadian post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree,
• Or, an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA) report produced by an agency approved by CIC to show it is equal to Canadian education standards.

Language ability

The applicant must meet the minimum language level of Canadian Language Benchmark (CLB) 5 for Speaking & Listening and CLB 4 for Reading & Writing, and take a language test approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that shows you meet the level for speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Provincial Nominee Program

Provincial Nomination is an important fast-track alternative for Canadian Permanent Residency. Most provinces in Canada have an agreement with the Government of Canada that allows them to nominate immigrants who wish to settle in the respective province.

The significant benefit of being nominated under a PNP is that,it is immaterial if you do not have experience in an occupation listed on the Priority Occupation List under Federal Skilled Worker Class or if you have not scored minimum 67 points to qualify for Federal Skilled Category. All Canadian provinces and territories offer unrivalled Provincial Nomination Programs.

New Zealand

The land of opportunity, land of immense natural beauty & lucrative life style of the country is always a sought after destination for aspiring immigrants. The country has its own variety of landscape within its small area (as compared to other continents) i.e. golden beaches with blue seas as well as ice covered mountains. Even in comparisons on standard of living, life expectancy, education, literacy, the country comes in top most ranks by defeating others. The country is also safe to live as corruption ratio is very low.

The Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) offers applicant the opportunity to move to New Zealand to work and live permanently. In order to be eligible for residence under SMC, applicant should not be more then 55 years and in good health. He/she should have been certified of a good character and speak fluent English.

While applying for this category, the first step is submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI). In EOI applicant mentions about self, family and can also declare points for skills, experience, and other relevant factors. Once the EOI is examined and found credible, authority sends an invite to the applicant.

The applicant will have to produce relevant documents (eg: proof of English language ability medical and police certificates and documentation regarding your skills, experience, etc.) to prove the facts mentioned in EOI.

How does EOI work?While submitting the EOI form, applicant can claim points. If the EOI score is 100 or more points, the application goes into the EOI pool. Every fortnight, EOI with score of 140 or more is selected followed by points score between 100 and 139 which include points for a skilled job or job offer. Depending on the seats/ space available, the EOI with lower scoring points are selected. The applicant’s EOI expires in 6 months. If the EOI is not selected with this period, it lapses.

Application Accepted

Once the application is accepted, the applicant will be required to follow the terms and conditions laid down.

If a resident visa is granted, applicant will still be required to ensure that he/she remains a New Zealand resident. If he/she has acquired visa based on any specific offer of skilled employment, he/she should join that job within three months of landing into New Zealand. The applicant is also required to stay in that job for at least three months and evidence should be produced when asked for. IN case the visa has been approved based on a skilled job that has been held for less than three months, applicant will have stay in the job for at least three months.

This visa demands certain mandates. Applicant who has been given a job search visa, within three months of the offer, should return the application form for the job search visa. Applicant should be able to prove that he/she is capable of supporting self in New Zealand. In addition, he/she will have to show the availability of finance to purchase tickets to native country in case applicant will have to leave New Zealand.

• Resident visa
• Job Search visa

Denmark

Denmark, officially the Kingdom of Denmark, is a Scandinavian sovereign state in Northern Europe, with two additional overseas constituent countries also forming integral parts of the kingdom: Greenland and the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic.Danish Green Card:

Danish Green Card is a new way of allowing qualified individuals to live in and work in Denmark. It allows you to take your immediate family members & they too can work / study in Denmark. The process is simple; however, in order to be granted a residence permit under the greencard scheme, you must obtain a minimum of 100 points. Points are given for: educational level, language skills and adaptability.

You must document that you are able to support yourself during your first year in Denmark.

If you are granted a residence permit, you must take out a full health insurance covering you and any accompanying family members until you are covered by the Danish National Health Insurance.

If you are granted a residence permit, it is also a requirement that in the first year you have earned a minimum of DKK 50,000 in Denmark. The Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment will automatically check the Danish income register to see if you meet this requirement. If not, your residence permit may be revoked.

Furthermore, it is a requirement that you do not receive any unemployment benefits for new graduates (dimittenddagpenge) or any public assistance under the terms of the Active Social Policy Act (lovomaktivsocialpolitik) during your stay in Denmark.

Points for educational level

You can only get points for the Danish educational level which your education equals.

The reason is that the level of academic degrees may vary from country to country, even if they have the same title. For example, at Mastersdegree from another country may not be of the same level as a Danish masters (candicatus) degree.

In order to receive any points for your educational level, you must, as a minimum, have the equivalent of a Danish Bachelor’s degree. You will only be given points for your highest educational level, and only for completed educational programmes. Points are given as follows:

• Bachelor’s degree/Graduated from medium-length education: 30 points
• Bachelor’s degree followed by one-year Master’s degree: 50 points
• Master’s degree: 60 points
• PhD: 80 points

You will be given 30 bonus points if your education qualifies you to work in a field where Denmark is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified professionals.

You will be given bonus points if you graduated from a university which is internationally recognised for its high academic level according to the latest THES-QS World Ranking. Points are given as follows:

• Top 400: 10 points
• Top 200: 15 points
• Top 100: 20 points

You can be given a maximum of 130 points for your educational level.

Language skills

In order to be given points for language skills, you must document that you have passed a recognised language test in either Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English or German. Only language tests that are verifiable and which you passed less than two years prior to the time you apply will be considered.

With regards to Danish, Swedish and Norwegian, you must have passed Danish Language Test, Level 1, 2 or 3 (Prøve i Dansk 1, 2 eller 3) or the Study Test in Danish as a Second Language (Studieprøven) or the Swedish or Norwegian equivalent:

• Prøve i Dansk 1 (or Swedish/Norwegian equivalent): 5 points
• Prøve i Dansk 2 (or Swedish/Norwegian equivalent): 10 points
• Prøve i Dansk 3 (or Swedish/Norwegian equivalent): 20 points
• Studieprøven (or Swedish/Norwegian equivalent): 40 points

With regards to English or German, your must have passed an English or German language test equivalent to Danish Language Test, Level 3 (Prøve i Dansk 3) or the Study Test in Danish as a Second Language (Studieprøven):

• English/German test equivalent to Prøve i Dansk 3: 20 points
• English/German test equivalent to Studieprøven: 40 points

You can only receive points for one Scandinavian language and for either English or German. Consequently, you can receive points for both Swedish and English, or both Danish and German, but not for both Danish and Norwegian, or for both English and German.

You can be given a maximum of 40 points for your language skills.

Points for adaptability

You can be given points for your educational or work related attachment to the EU/EEA (including Denmark) or Switzerland, as this is seen to increase your ability to quickly adapt to the Danish labour market. Points are given for either education or work. Points are given as follows:

• Completion of at least one year’s study at a higher educational programme in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 5 points
• Completion of at least three years’ study at a higher educational programme in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 10 points

Or,

• At least one full year’s (12 consecutive months’) legal residence and work in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 5 points
• At least two consecutive year’s legal residence and work in an EU/EEA country or Switzerland: 10 points
• You will be given 5 bonus points for Danish language skills (passed exam in Danish Language Test, Level 2 (Prøve i Dansk 2) or higher).

You can be given a maximum of 15 points for adaptability.

Duration

You can be granted a first-time residence permit under the Greencard scheme for up to two years. Before the end of this period, you can apply for an extension of up to three years.

Your residence permit can be extended if you meet a minimum income requirement: If, in the course of the past 12 months before submitting your application for an extension, you have earned the average salary (of the public and private sector) for new graduates with a Bachelor’s degree. In 2015, the required amount is DKK 319,725.

You must have earned this salary on ordinary terms, your salary must have been reported to the Danish tax administration (SKAT), and your employer must be established in Denmark. Public subsidies and support, sick pay and similar will not be included when calculating your pay.

You can submit your application for an extension no sooner than 3 months before your residence permit expires. It is crucial that you submit your application for an extension before your current residence permit expires.