Content:

Categories of Immigration:

Skill

Family

Humanitarian

Temporary

Illegal

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General Requirements:

As a matter of fact anyone from any country can apply to migrate, regardless of their ethnic origin, their gender, colour or religion. But there are several general requirements which immigrants have to fulfil:

• Health

The people immigrating to Australia must be at good health so that no epidemics are imported to Australia.

• Character

Persons who are known as criminals or associates of criminal organisations, war criminals and likely to vilify a segment of the community are excluded.

• Number of immigrants

The number of people immigrating to Australia is limited. In the Skill and Family category the limit is 85 000 people. In the Humanitarian Program there are only 12 000 immigrants admitted.

Skilled Stream Categories:

There are five main categories of skilled migrants:

1. Independent migrants

This group forms the largest contingent of skilled migrants each year. E.g. in 2000-01, over 55 per cent of Skilled Stream arrivals (14 234 people) were Independent migrants. They are selected because of their education, skills and work experience.

2. Employer nomination

§ Employer Nomination Scheme and Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme

'Highly skilled' positions can be filled with non-Australian citizens if the Australian market cannot provide particular people.

§ Labour Agreement

In case of emerging labour market or skill shortages the employer is able to recruit a number of workers from foreign countries.

3. Business Skill migration

The Business Skill migration program encourages successful business people to move permanently to Australia and develop new businesses.

They are useful for Australia for developing international markets, creating or maintaining employment, exporting Australian goods and services and introducing new or improved technology.

4. Distinguished talent

The Distinguished Talent migration is a small category, which includes all immigrants with special or unique talents. Generally these immigrants are sports people, musicians, artists and designers, which are internationally recognised and successful.

In 2001, 229 visas (including family members) were granted under this category.

5. Skilled - Australian sponsored

The applicants must have a sponsor which is a relative and an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Family Stream Categories:

The Family Stream Migration Category allows the reunion of close family members like:

1. Partner

1. Spouses,who are applying for permanent residents in Australia have to go through a two-step process. First they have to apply for a temporary visa and then for a permanent visa. Applications are only accepted, if the spouses have been in the relationship for 12 months.
   
   
2. A Fiancé(e),who wants to marry his/her Australian fiancé(e) in Australia, has to apply for a Prospective Marriage visa. If he/she gets this temporary visa he/she has nine months to travel to Australia and marry his/her fiancé(e). After the marriage he/she has to apply for aSpouse temporary visa and later after two years if the relationship is still continuing, for a Spouse permanent visa.

Child

• A dependent child applicant has to be under 18, but can be under 25, if he/she is a full time student and dependent on the parents. The applicant must not be married or living in a relationship.
  
  
• Orphan Relative applicants must be under 18 and their parents have to be dead. The sponsor or nominator of the applicant must be the applicants brother or sister, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or niece or nephew (or step equivalents)
  
  
• Applicants for a Adoption visa must be under 18 years of age and be adopted by an 'adoptive parent' or be in the process of being adopted by a 'prospective adoptive parent'.

Parent

§ A Working Age Parent is a parent who is not old enough to be granted an Australian age pension. The sponsor or nominator of the applicant must be a child of the applicant.

§ An Aged Parent is a parent who is old enough to be granted an Australian age pension.

All Parent applicants must pass a test called ‘balance of family’ (BOF) with the following requirements:

§ at least half of their children living lawfully and permanently in Australia, or

§ more children living lawfully and permanently in Australia than in any other single country overseas.

Other Family

§ Aged Dependent Relative : single, widowed, divorced or formally separated person who is dependent on an Australian relative.

§ Remaining Relatives are persons who have no close relatives out side Australia

In all cases the sponsor or nominator must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen.

Humanitarian program

The Humanitarian Program allows people who are subject to persecution or substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of human rights in their home country to immigrate to Australia where they find a new save home.

            How many?

In the past 50 years, almost 600 000 refugees and displaced people, for whom resettlement in another country is the only option, have been immigrated to Australia. In 2001 there are 12 000 new places for the Humanitarian Program.

Who is accepted?

When a application for a so called Protection Visa is made a officer of the Department of Immigration decides if the applicant satisfies the criterias made in the definition of a refugee set out in the UN Refugees Convention. If he does and if he has applied correctly he will get a permanent visa.

           Interesting facts about 2001:

43 % of all visas granted went to people from the countries of former Yugoslavia (due to the fact of the Cosovo-War) . 27 % were granted in the Middle East and South-West Asia, including mainly the Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran and 25 % of the refugees came from Sudan, Sierra Leone, Somali a, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Temporary Stay

1. Temporary residence

§          Visitors are mostly tourists or they are in Australia for a holiday or visiting