If you’re Irish and dream of a life down under, you’re not the only one. The excellent standard of living, diverse natural landscapes, and enviable weather are reasons why Australia is a popular place to live in. And the laid-back locals and welcoming culture make settling in easy.
Getting a visa for Australia from Ireland, however, isn’t a walk in the park. Whether the east coast’s golden beaches or the Red Centre’s Uluru with its changing colours appeal to you – emigrating is a lengthy process. From moving abroad temporarily to pathways and permanent residency requirements – here’s how to move to Australia from Ireland.
Table of Contents
- Pathways – Temporary and Permanent Visas
- Temporary Visas
- Permanent Visas
- How to Apply for Permanent Residency in Australia?
- What Are the Requirements for Permanent Resident Visas?
- Employer Nomination Scheme (186)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (187)
- Skilled Independent Visa
- Skilled Nominated Visa
- Skilled Regional Visa
- Distinguished Talent Visa
- How to Move to Australia Temporarily
- How UIS Australia Can Help You
- Ron Ford
Pathways – Temporary and Permanent Visas
The most typical visa types for Irish citizens moving to the Sunshine Country are temporary and permanent visas.
Temporary Visas
Working Holiday Visa (417)
Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (482)
Student Visa (subclass 500)
Permanent Visas
- Employer Nomination Scheme (186)
- Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (187)
- General Skilled Migration Programme
How to Apply for Permanent Residency in Australia?
There are only a few ways to obtain immediate permanent residency. To permanently migrate to Australia, you must fulfil specific requirements. Australia offers permanent status most frequently to people who can meet economic demands or cover talent gaps in the country.
Before applying, you must first submit an online expression of interest through SkillSelect on the Department of Home Affairs website. If you satisfy the requirements, you will get an invitation to submit a formal visa application after that. You’ll also have to answer whether you’re open to living and working in regional Australia.
If your answer is yes, you’re more likely to succeed if there’s a skill shortage in a certain field. There are currently more than 400 professions on the list of eligible skilled occupations.
Each territory or state lists its own additional in-demand jobs, so you might discover your profession there instead. To recognise the credentials of skilled professionals, applicants frequently need to undergo a skills assessment. This costs about $500 on average.
Other ways to get permanent residency status in Australia include:
Business or investment-stream visas
Distinguished talent visas
Family-stream visas
Former resident visa
Refugee and humanitarian visas
Retirement visa pathway
Once you have a permanent resident visa, you can:
Access Medicare (Australia’s healthcare programme)
Apply for Australian citizenship, provided you’re eligible
Live in Australia without time restrictions
Sponsor qualifying family members for permanent residency
What Are the Requirements for Permanent Resident Visas?
The requirements to move to Australia and get a permanent resident visa are typically based on points and depend on varying schemes. The point-based system includes factors like age, work experience in a job listed on the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List, and English language proficiency. These are the most critical requirements:
Employer Nomination Scheme (186)
You must be younger than 45
An authorized Australian employer must have identified you as a highly skilled worker
Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (187)
You must be younger than 45
An Australian employer whose job appears on the skills shortage list for a specific state or territory in regional Australia must put you forward
Skilled Independent Visa
You must be a skilled worker or
A New Zealand national with a special category visa (subclass 444) living in Australia for the last five years
Skilled Nominated Visa
You must be younger than 45
An Australian territory or state government agency must nominate you
To be eligible, you must achieve a score of 65 points or higher on the Australian government’s points test
Skilled Regional Visa
- You must have held a prior, pertinent visa and resided and worked in specific regional Australian locations
- After filing for a subclass 487, 489, or 495 visa, you must have subclass 475, 487, 489, 495, 496, or a Bridging Visa A or B
Distinguished Talent Visa
- An Australian citizen or permanent resident, an eligible New Zealand national, or an Australian organization with a national reputation in your field must nominate you
- You must be recognized internationally as having a record of exceptional and outstanding achievement in an eligible field
- You must have been prominent in your field for the past two years
How to Move to Australia Temporarily
To move to Australia temporarily, you must:
apply online outside of Australia
possess a passport from an eligible nation or region
be between 18 and 30 years old (or 35 in some cases)
not bring any dependent children
and not have entered Australia on a subclass 417 or 462 visa before
Read about the second Working Holiday Visa if you have previously held a category 417 visa for entry into Australia.
Once Australia has granted your visa, you’ll be ready to fly from Ireland to Australia. You have up to 12 months to activate your Australian Permanent Residency Visas. Most people migrate right away.
How UIS Australia Can Help You
UIS Australia specialises in visas, citizenship, permanent residency, naturalization, and individualised migration support to ensure you can continue to see Australia through rose-tinted glasses. Aside from visas like student, family, and business visas, we offer job search services. We can help you navigate the varying immigration procedures and challenges.
Learn about the legal processes from our qualified consultants, and get skill evaluations, language tests, and more. It’s crucial for your profile to stand out from competitors. Also, your personal consultant will walk you through the initial phase of your new life in Australia after the Australian government has granted your visa.
Do you need assistance with immigration to Australia? Schedule a free consultation today.
Ron Ford
Ron Ford immigrated with his family to Australia in 2005 to work as a social worker. Following their difficult immigration process, he slowly turned to blogging and creating content about immigration: "…As a family of 5, we struggled to make ends meet. I was working around the clock and Clarissa was working in housekeeping any time she could spare. The move to Australia completely changed our lives, but it cost us a lot of money, time, and tears. Ever since I've wanted to help others on their journeys the way I wished someone had helped us".