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Old 01-22-2007, 10:51 PM
Josem Josem is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Victoria, Australia
Posts: 4,780
Default Re: Ask Josem about visiting/living in Australia

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What do you know about visas for Americans either visiting or looking to establish residence? What about trying to live there without establishing residence. I believe Australia is one of the easier first world countries to move to, but I could be wrong.

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The best source of information on visas is available online at www.immi.gov.au I am not a migration agent, so please do not take this as professional advice.

It is true that Australia is one of the easier first world countries to migrate to - per capita, Australia has a huge migration program relative to other countries.

In terms of permanent visas, you have an option of either "skilled worker" visas or of "business people" visas. The most common visa to obtain of this type is the General Skilled Migration visa, which provides permanent residency and is a possible pathway to citizenship. The subclass with the least restrictions requires 120 points on this chart.

Unsurprisingly, profesisonal poker player is not listed on the list of occupations. You should consult the Department of Immigration for their advice. If you are qualified for some other role, you might want to consider that other role.



In terms of visiting, if you are from Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Chile, Iran or Thailand, you can get a working holiday visa, allowing you to work while on holiday here in Australia. This lasts for up to 12 months.

For Americans, you are able to easily obtain a visitors (tourist) visa. More info is available at http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tour...sa-options.htm

You can get an ETA, typically, for a stay of up to three months, within about 30 seconds online. For a longer stay, you'll require a proper tourist visa.

On option that might suit some people is a Provsional Investor Visa. If you have a bankroll of over $1,500,000 invested, you may be able to get a business visa. While intended for visitors, it does provide a pathway to permanent residency and then to citizenship.
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