10 Benefits of Australian PR visa

What is Australian PR

You can become a permanent resident of Australia by applying for and being granted a permanent visa that allows you to remain in Australia indefinitely. The most common permanent visas include some skilled work and family visas.

Australian permanent residents are residents of Australia who hold a permanent visa but are not citizens of Australia. A holder of a permanent visa may remain in Australia indefinitely. A 5-year initial travel facility, which corresponds to the underlying migration program, is granted alongside the permanent visa. Until the travel facility expires, the visa holder may leave and re-enter Australia freely. After that period the visa holder needs to re-apply for the travel facility. However, holders of a permanent visa who are already in Australia with an expired travel facility may remain in Australia indefinitely.

Permanent residents enjoy many of the rights and privileges of citizens, including access to free or subsidized legal, education and health services. They do not have the right to vote in federal or state/territory elections, unless they were registered to vote prior to 1984, but may vote in some local government elections. Permanent residents are not entitled to an Australian passport.

Most permanent residents are eligible to become citizens after a waiting period. When the waiting period is complete, the process of sitting the citizenship test and attending the ceremony may add up to two years to gaining citizenship.

A permanent resident of Australia has many entitlements and rights of a citizen, but there are a few differences – A citizen can enter and leave Australia anytime, however, if a PR citizen chooses to travel overseas, he/she needs to make sure that they have a permanent visa with a valid travel authority.

Citizens can also vote in Australian Government elections, but PR visa holders cannot. For both citizens and non-citizens, the eligibility for Australian services and benefits are given by the government agency.

Who gets Australian PR

Migrating to Australia is one of the most attractive options for many people, including international students. Students from the UK, South Africa, and Southeast Asia migrate to Australia to study in top Australian universities.

There are many international students who want to apply for permanent residency in Australia after they completed their studies. These students choose to migrate to Australia through the SkillSelect migration program.

So, let’s understand what the SkillSelect migration program is and how it can help you to become a permanent resident in Australia.

SkillSelect is an online government system that enables aspiring migrants to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). An EOI is not a visa application. It is proof that you want to be considered for a skilled visa to migrate to Australia.

With the help of SkillSelect, you can either be invited by the Australian government to submit a visa application or you can be nominated for a skilled visa by various Australian employers or state governments. In simple words, SkillSelect simplifies the visa application process and improves skilled migrants employment prospects.

There are a number of programs under which a person may enter and obtain permanent residency in Australia, including:

• Skilled stream – mainly for skilled migrants, and has made available 129,250 visas for year 2012-2013
• Family and Child stream Family members can also be sponsored. An unlimited number of visas can be issued for partners (either married or de facto) and dependent children. Visas for other family member types are subject to limited (known as “capping”); for example there are only 1000 visas available under the ‘Parent’ category, and as a consequence there is currently up to a twenty-year waiting period before undergoing consideration for these visas.
• Special Eligibility – mainly for former residents and persons who served in the Australian Defence Force.
• Humanitarian Program – mainly for refugees seeking permanent residency, and has made available 13,750 visas for year 2012-2013

What Are The Most Popular Australian PR Visa Options For International Students?

The Work-stream Permanent Residence Visas are the most popular options for international students. This visa category is for people who have the skills that Australia requires or the ones who are seeking sponsorship by an Australian employer to work in Australia. International students can apply for any one of the following permanent visa options under this workstream:

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  Subclass 189 Skilled Independent Visa: This visa is a point tested visa that does not require any territory or State nomination. If you are an international student who has graduated in Australia and you are not sponsored by any employer or relative, then you can apply for the Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189).
                 

•                
  Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated Visa: This visa is suitable for skilled workers who have been nominated by a territory or state government agency. To be eligible for this visa, you will need to prove that you have an appropriate skills assessment for the occupation listed in the Skilled Occupation List.
                 

•                
  Subclass 491 Skilled Regional Visa: To be eligible for this visa, you must get a sponsorship, fulfill skill requirements, or receive a nomination from either an Australian region, state, or territory.
                 

Benefits of Australian PR

 

Due to its excellent human development index and leading quality of life, Australia consistently ranks as one of the most desirable and livable countries in the world. Australia is a country for opportunities, both personal and professional, offering a universal healthcare system, a high-quality educational system, world renowned scenery and a pleasant climate. It comes as no surprise that Australia attracts many migrants and skilled workers alike in pursuit of one of the most multicultural and open-minded countries in the world.

Becoming a permanent resident of Australia offers a number of great benefits and advantages:

1.The right to live in Australia indefinitely

Obtaining Australian permanent residence allows you to remain in the country indefinitely, as the initial 5-year grant period can be renewed an unlimited number of times. If you are overseas and your 5-year grant period has expired, you may still apply for and return on a resident return visa as a method of renewing your permanent residence.

2.Sponsor family members

As a permanent resident, you may sponsor family members to enter Australia on certain types of visas or for an acquisition of permanent residence. This may be subject to meeting certain prescribed residence and income requirements so you must first ensure that you are eligible to sponsor.

3.Enrol in Medicare

Upon the lodgement of your permanent visa application, you become eligible to enrol in Medicare and gain access to the all-inclusive Medicare health coverage. Medicare provides free treatment at public hospitals, access to subsidised services and medicine, cheaper health insurance and bulk billing.

4.Centrelink

Permanent residents of 2 years will be eligible to access Australia’s social welfare system, Centrelink, providing social security payments and other aids associated with sickness, unemployment and study.

5.First Home Owner Grant

Permanent residents will be eligible for the First Home Owners Grant of $10,000 which can be applied to purchase your first house, apartment, unit or townhouse if its value is $750,000 or less.

6.Higher education student loans

Unlike international students and temporary visa holders, permanent residents have access to financial support through the Higher Educations Loans Programs (HELP). Essentially, this operates as a loan for students enrolled in a public university, allowing you to ‘borrow’ the tuition fees and pay it back only once you have exceeded the compulsory repayment threshold of $46,620.

7.Pathway to citizenship

Permanent residency provides a clear pathway to Australian citizenship for those who have resided in Australia for four years with at least one of those years as a permanent resident. This comes with additional benefits to permanent residency such as the right to vote, easy travel and re-entry, government and defense jobs, protection from deportation and access to one of the strongest passports in the world. The Australian passport allows visa-free travel to approximately 181 countries, ranking it as one of the most powerful passports you can own.

Permanent residents will be eligible for the First Home Owners Grant of $10,000 which can be applied to purchase your first house, apartment, unit or townhouse if its value is $750,000 or less.

8.Australian children

Children born to permanent residents will automatically acquire Australian citizenship by birth, providing them with immediate access to all the above benefits and more.