Marie Calvillo
5 min readJun 24, 2016

Tip for International Students Applying for Skilled Migration in Australia

There are millions of people out there looking for ways that they can migrate to Australia. The country has become one of the countries that attract a lot of people because it offers a better lifestyle compared to most other countries in the world. The country is also viewed as a safe haven because there are no political turmoil and the economy is also intact. The country also has a lot of reputable universities that attract a lot of students from different parts of the world. If you want to apply for skilled migration to Australia, it is not hard as it used to be in the past. All what you will need to do is to ensure that you meet the requirements and you will not have any problems getting your visa that will make your migration in Australia easy and stress free. To help you succeed, here are some of the most important issues that will help you make a successful application for skilled migration in the country.

English

If you are looking forward to succeed when you want to migrate to Australia, you need to have perfect English skills. English is an important language because it is the one that is used in the country both as official language and also for other forms of communication. Therefore, you have to make sure that you are perfect in this language because you will be assessed on how proficient you are in it by some of the skills assessing authorities in the country.

If you are not a holder of passport from Canada, United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand or Ireland you will be required to do an English test and pass it so that you can succeed in your migration in Australia mission. The immigration authorities in Australia will accept tests of English including IELTS, OET, Cambridge Academic, Pearson and TOEFL tests. However, it is worth noting that not all skills assessment authorities will accept these tests. So, it is important that you research in advance to avoid disappointment. The English test results are usually valid for duration of three years for migration purposes in Australia. It is advisable that you begin preparing for your English test early enough so that you will be fully prepared when the time to do the test comes. You will also avoid the stress and disappointments that might arise when you fail the tests and you fail in your goals of migrating to Australia.

University documents

The good thing is that you do not have to sit back and wait for your graduation to make application for skilled migration in Australia. It is now possible to make the application as soon as you receive final results. This is usually referred as your completion date. All you will need to do is to get a completion letter from your university or college. In addition, you should have your statement of marks or final transcript. In case you have received exemptions in the completion of your course of study, you should also get the exemption letter. This letter should give explanations of the subjects that you got the exemptions for and show whether these were as a result of overseas or Australia study.

Assessment of skills

To make application of general skilled migration, you should have positive skills assessment before you can make the application. You need to note that requirements for each of the occupation are not the same. Therefore, you should ensure that you know the requirements before you make your application. It is also possible for to consider the assessment of skills in wide range of occupations. It is also possible for you to makes use of the overseas qualifications for the assessment of skills. Here you will need to seek for advice in order to understand the best pathway for you to use. The assessment of skills might take up to three months or even more. Therefore, it is a great idea to begin your assessment of skills as early as you can.

One thing that you will need to know is that graduate temporary visa does not require you to have positive skills assessment. When you apply for this kind of visa, you will get a bridging visa that gives you more time to finish the skills assessment process and all other requirements for the skilled application.

Two years of study in Australia

You will be required to meet all the requirements of Australian study in order to get the graduate temporary visa or claim points for your Australian study. In order to get this, you will need to have completed courses or a course that takes at least two academic years of study in the country.

It is good to check the duration your course has been registered because the course should be registered for at least ninety two weeks. In case you have gotten academic exemptions for your previous study, this will reduce the calculated duration of study. At times it is possible for you to count previous study in the country if it resulted in credits that allowed you to complete your main course.

EOI invitation through skillselect

To make application for general skilled migration in Australia, you should first get an invitation through the skillselect. Depending on your area of specialty and point score, this can take a very short time or it can be a bit slow. It is advisable that you get your strategy right from the beginning otherwise you might even not get the invitation. You will need to note that making an application for an EOI does not offer you a bridging visa. You must be invited and make application for your skilled visa before you get a bridging visa. Most students do not have the ample time to go through this process prior to the expiry of the student visa and apply for an extension of their time in the country.

Bottom line

To apply for skilled migration in Australia successfully, you need to plan ahead, be organized and ensure that you act fast after you complete your course.