Australian Citizenship
Can I get Australian citizenship with a criminal record?
If you have a past criminal conviction, Immigration officials will need to decide whether you are a reformed character.
14/07/2017
If you have a past criminal conviction, Immigration officials will need to decide whether you are a reformed character.
If your partner is already in Australia legally on a tourist or working visa and has applied for a partner visa, the process can take a very long time, possibly up to 12 months.
Assuming your spouse wants to remain in Australia while waiting for the partner visa to come through, there is an answer – a bridging visa. These are short term visas which can be issued quickly. A bridging visa will enable them to stay in Australia for a period of time while the Department of Immigration considers their substantive (long term) partner visa application.
Everyone who lives in Australia has a story to tell about their origins and how they came to be in this country. Here at Visa Solutions Australia we receive enquiries from people who want to know if they can legally stay in this country by claiming eligibility for Australian citizenship by descent.
It is not uncommon for people to visit Australia as a tourist and enjoy their stay so much that they’d like to stay longer. The Visitor visa subclass 600 allows you to stay in the country as a sightseer without taking up employment, usually for a set period. It’s also ideal for business visitors.
A few years ago, thousands flocked to Australia to take up well-paid jobs in the mining, and oil and gas sector. These thriving industries helped support the local economy, but the recent downturn has led to job insecurity and redundancies.
The team here at Visa Solutions Australia has taken several calls from people on permanent residency status, looking to go back to their birth country where they believe there are more job opportunities.
Anyone who’s thought about entering Australia as a skilled migrant will be aware of the points system which exists. The purpose of the so called ‘points test’ is to ensure that skilled migrants who can offer real economic benefit to this country are granted visas to fill labour shortages.
For most people who move to Australia, their long-term goal is to receive citizenship status and it’s not hard to understand why. Australia is a country with plenty of sunshine, glorious beaches, an abundance of job opportunities and a laid-back lifestyle.
Citizenship means you can reside in Australia for as long as you like. It means you are formally recognised as having Australian nationality, can vote and come and go to this country as you please and apply for an Australian passport.
The Federal Government has made major changes which will affect users and holders of the sub class 457 visa.
Managing Director of VSA Dan Engles said the changes will make accessing temporary skilled labour for international markets more difficult.
“The problem is that some existing 457 holders may be trapped with existing employers because new nominations are not being approved from those occupations, removed from the list”
“This announcement is a reaction to the politics around skilled migration in recent years as opposed to any significant flaws in the 457 visa system.” Those in the offshore sectors will find that occupations where they’ve been able to fill gaps with skilled workers have now been removed. Vessels coming to Australia for resource projects will struggle to fill key positions. Maritime professionals are already in international short supply and companies will struggle to fill these roles.”
It’s widely expected that the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton may announce drastic measures next month, to curb the amount of people coming into Australia on the Working 457 program.
He made it clear last year that he would be reducing the list of eligible occupations to encourage more employment opportunities for Australians. Within the last few weeks, it’s believed that he has met with the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration who were offering guidance and over this subject.
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