Up until now, New Zealanders working in the UK have been able to apply for “settlement” after five years, allowing them to confidently settle into careers, marry and have children.

Consultation on Proposals Closed

This reality seems highly likely to change, as the British government has just closed consultation on proposals to end automatic settlement and tighten the laws.

More than 12 000 submissions were received from, amongst others, UK business groups concerned about training and investing in foreign talent if the workers can’t stay for long periods, as well as from New Zealand expats who fear having to uproot their families and move back to New Zealand.

“It’s really hard to see how this change of regulations is going to really benefit the UK economy,” said Stephen Dee, the UK regional manager of KEA, a New Zealand expatriate network.

April Visa Cap

Changes in April saw the worldwide cap on non-EU immigrants set at 20 700 a year, and introduced a point system, with criteria including age, qualifications and earnings.

Exceptions were made for high earners (over 150,000), those who fill a skills gap, intra-company transfers and those with “exceptional talent”.

“Explore all Possible Routes”

“The changes currently under review would still allow New Zealanders into Britain on two-year working holidays, or via the ancestry route,” says Robyn Cory of 1st Contact Visas.  “Outside those categories, a work visa would be hard to come by and most “Tier 2″ visa holders would have to return home after five years.”

“But it shouldn’t stop people from trying – they should explore all possible routes,” says Cory. “Some people are unaware that they qualify for an ancestry visa – in some cases, people can be British citizens and not know it! I would suggest speaking to a knowledgeable visa consultant to ascertain the best route. If you are a Kiwi already in the UK on a working visa and wondering how the changes might affect you, speak to a consultant who understand all the new rules and can best advise you.”

If you might be affected by recent and proposed changes to UK visa rules, visit www.1stcontactvisas.com or call 0808 141 2290 to speak to a friendly and experienced visa consultant.

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Currently these applicants are required to provide a positive IELTS score as proof of English language proficiency to qualify for a student visa to Australia.  The TOEFL represents an extremely convenient choice as there are more than 4500 TOEFL test centres in 165 countries around the world.

“The integrity of English language testing is important because the language test results are a key component in visa application requirements,” Mr Bowen said.

Two further tests are also expected to receive recognition for student visas later this year. These are the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) and Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE).

“These additional English language test options will help to create competition in the English language testing market, while creating more test places for student visa applicants” said Mr Bowen. “They will also provide candidates with greater choice and enable them to more quickly obtain test results needed for visa applications.”

For any advice or information on Australian visas, visit www.1stcontactvisas.com.

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For the first time, the Australian government is also actively encouraging skilled workers from outside Australia to apply for temporary visas and work in rural areas. These regional visas will be processed as a priority over others and the lure is that it will eventually be easier for these workers to gain permanent residency.

To qualify under the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme, interested overseas workers will need to prove their trade skills or in-demand professional qualifications, as well as competency in English.

The government also announced the introduction of special migration agreements for big resource projects, where the permanent residency process will be sped up for overseas workers who stay in a regional area on a 457 visa for two years, and whose employer can guarantee another two years’ work.

To find out more about Australian visas or start your application process, visit www.1stcontactvisas.com.

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In this article we look at what exactly attracts UK families in particular to the land down under, as well as the steps to take if you’re considering the move.

One of the World’s Most Popular Destinations

Australia has always been a popular destination for young professionals and families seeking greener pastures. In fact, since 1945 more than six million people having left the country of their birth and made Australia home.

ECONOMY

Australia’s economy is one of the strongest in the world – stable and growing. The country has a relatively low unemployment rate and is open to skilled migrants and entrepreneurs, making it an attractive place to find work or start your own business.

LIFESTYLE

This continent has a massive shoreline, a variety of climate zones and plenty of leisure activities to match.  The inhabitants take full advantage of the weather and spend much of their time outdoors, having “barbies”, surfing and enjoying all sorts of other sports and recreational activities.  Australians are friendly and it is possible to have a “good life” in Australia – whatever that means to you.

EDUCATION

The education system is world-class, with great public schools, as well as many famous private schools and universities.

HEALTHCARE

The country has a sophisticated healthcare system which, although often criticised locally, is excellent by world standards.

LOW CRIME RATE

A seriously low crime rate further strengthens the argument for Australia as a top destination for UK families or single professionals.

How to Go From Dreaming About It to Doing It

If you’re sold on the idea of uprooting and making Australia home, you’re probably wondering how difficult the process is?  You may have heard it’s not easy; that it’s a long and complicated process. The truth is, it’s not the easiest immigration process out there, but like most things in life, if it’s something you really want to do; something that will positively influence the rest of your life and the lives of your family, then it will be absolutely worth any red tape and admin you’ll be subjected to. Just ask the millions who’ve already settled happily in the Land of Oz.

These are the simple steps you could take towards your Australia dreams.

1. DO RESEARCH

One way to immediately get the ball rolling is to start doing research. You could frequent forums and chat rooms where people discuss the move from the UK to Australia, read books and articles about the subject and speak to both experts and family and friends who have already settled in Australia.

You could also do a little research into which area would best suit your lifestyle and career. Most people moving to Australia from the UK choose to live in one of the main cities: Adelaide in South Australia; Perth in Western Australia; Melbourne in Victoria; Brisbane in Queensland; or Sydney in New South Wales.

Find out too if your skills are in demand, which will automatically make it easier for you to qualify for a visa – http://jobguideaustralia.com/Contents/jobs_skilled.asp.

2. SPEAK TO THE VISA EXPERTS

Once you have done some research you may decide to go through with the visa application process. It’s vital that you partner with an agency that really understands the process and has a history of success.

Australia has a notoriously complicated visa process with many types of visas and an experienced company will be able to cut through the clutter and tap into all the right resources, first time.  1st Contact Visas have offices in Australia and an excellent track record for helping their clients get organised, moved and settled.

From visas to bank accounts to practical information about the country, they have all the experience needed to help you get started. The Kickstart package is extremely popular and has been described as a survival kit for anyone moving to Australia.

3. HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE

Don’t be put off by the red tape. If this is something you truly want, find ways to make it happen or at least explore the possibilities!

Let 1st Contact Visas asses your eligibility and if you have all the right criteria in place, they can do all the behind the scenes work and apply for a suitable visa on your behalf.

You have nothing to lose and a brand new life to gain!

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1. The world’s first commercial bungee jump was a 43 metre leap off the Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown in 1988.
2. New Zealanders love their cars! 2.5 million cars for 4 million people (including the kids) makes New Zealand’s car ownership rate one of the highest in the world.
3. Although it is around the size of Japan, New Zealand’s population is just over four million, making it one of the world’s least populated countries.
4. In 1893, New Zealand became the first country to give women the right to vote.
5. Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mount Everest in 1953, was a New Zealander.
6. Baron Ernest Rutherford, the first person in the world to split the atom in 1919, was also a New Zealander.
7. It’s no wonder New Zealanders have always been ahead with regards to things like inventions and politics…. New Zealand is after all the very first country to greet each new day!
8. While Rugby remains the most popular spectator sport in New Zealand, golf is the most popular participation sport, with more golf courses in New Zealand per capita of population, than any other country in the world.
9. Auckland also has the largest number of boats per capita than any other city in the world.
10. New Zealand won the first ever Rugby World Cup, held in 1987.
11. New Zealand has won more Olympic gold medals per capita, than any other country.
12. The Hector’s Dolphin, the world’s smallest marine dolphin, which grows to a maximum length of 1.5 metres, is found nowhere else in the world but in New Zealand waters.
13. New Zealand is also home to the world’s only flightless parrot, the Kakapo.
14. Dairy farmers produce a whopping 100 kg of butter and 65 kg of cheese each year, for each person who lives in New Zealand!
15. Notable New Zealand filmmakers include ‘The Piano’ director Jane Campion and Peter Jackson, who made King Kong and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
16. The most popular New Zealand films include ‘Once were Warriors’, ‘The Whale Rider’, ‘The Piano’ and the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
17. Here’s a really good reason to visit New Zealand – there are no snakes in the country!
18. There are also no nuclear power stations in New Zealand.
19. The Maori name for New Zealand is ‘Aotearoa’. It means “the land of the long white cloud”.
20. Another great reason to live in New Zealand if you love surfing and other watersports is that nowhere in New Zealand is more than 120 km from the coast.

If this article has piqued your interest and you want to visit sunny New Zealand, speak to a 1^st Contact visa consultant by calling 0808 141 2290 (UK) or visit www.1stcontactvisas.com.

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Unsurprisingly, Cameron’s conservatives want to limit Immigration numbers into Britain while the Liberal democrats had plans to call an amnesty on illegal immigrants. Now that the two opposing leaders have been forced into a power sharing deal it will be interesting to see what policy changes may result.

David Cameron

The conservative’s pre election policy vowed to reduce Immigration back to levels seen in the 1990s, with a plan to place an annual limit on the numbers of non-EU economic migrants. This would of course include Australian, New Zealand and South African migrants coming to the UK for work.

In addition, the Conservatives’ policy indicates they will continue to work on the prevention of illegal migrants; they will promote integration into British society through language tests for marriage visas and also tighten controls on the student visa system which they believe to be the biggest hole in their border control.

It does however seem rather unlikely that any UK government would target a particular country in order to reduce overall migration

They have been careful not to say exactly what the annual limit on immigration will be or how they intend to achieve this reduction. But it has been suggested by some tabloids that they may target Australians entering the UK for work purposes on skilled visas or youth mobility visas – roughly 3800 and 13,000 people respectively on an annual basis.

It does however seem rather unlikely that any UK government would target a particular country in order to reduce overall migration. Rather, it is likely that a change in UK immigration policy may impair the foreign nationals of a particular country to satisfy new visa rules as was the case with the introduction of the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) and nationals of South Africa.

The policy of the YMS states

Sponsors under the youth mobility scheme are the national governments of the participating countries. Participation in the scheme will be limited to those countries that can meet the criteria for the scheme which relate to level of immigration risk, returns arrangements and reciprocal opportunities for young United Kingdom nationals.

Considering that in 2009 over 40,000 UK citizens entered Australia on working holiday visas it is hard to imagine that a UK government would want to restrict the number of Australians entering the UK on the comparable YMS visa when the current policy above infers that there is real value for young UK nationals in the reciprocal opportunities provided by countries like Australia.

“It’s very hard to predict what visa policies this new Government may change, if anything.  Should they decide to do away with the YMS visa, it’s unlikely that any forewarning will be given. The category could be discontinued overnight and my suggestion would be that those people considering traveling to the UK on a YMS visa make an application without delay!” says Sam Hopwood from 1st Contact Australia.

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Australia has – since as early as 1945 – been an extremely popular destination for young professionals seeking greener pastures. In fact in the last 65 years more than six million people have left the country of their birth and made Australia home!

The low crime rate, fantastic climate, massive coastline and friendly inhabitants (not to mention all that space) make for a very good life.

But just what does it take to make it big down under?

1. SPF 50

Australia is a sunny continent and its people spend most of their leisure time outdoors. If you love the sea and the sunshine, you won’t find more of either than in Australia! When you’re not working, you’ll enjoy a lifestyle of watersports, barbeques and plenty of relaxing. And also, plenty of beer. You don’t necessarily have to love beer yourself to fit in, but you will have to grow a fondness for beer lovers because almost everyone in Australia drinks beer! It’s a fun, friendly and social place and because it’s made up of locals and immigrants from all over the world, you’re bound to feel welcome, whoever you are.

1. Visa: a four letter word

Australia has a notoriously complicated visa process, which can continue long after you’re in the country. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIaC) has strict controls in place, which regulate the amount of people entering the country each year.  There are hundreds of different visas and dozens of visa categories. However, we can summarize the common visa types into three groups of visas: 1. Skilled Migration –based on your skills, particularly your qualifications and work experience and the current demand for such skills in the Australian work force.  2. Employer Sponsored Migration – This is based on an Australian employer deciding they require your specific expertise to fill a position. 3. Family Migration – This allows you to migrate to Australia as the partner or family member of another Australian citizen or permanent resident.

Do you qualify for entry? Let 1^st Contact Visa assess your eligibility. If you have all the right criteria in place, they can do all the behind the scenes work and apply for a suitable visa on your behalf. Go to www.1stcontact.com/visas for more information or to speak to a consultant.

1. Do you have skills?

The Skills Shortage List and Migrants Occupation in Demand List are being reviewed and will be replaced sometime this year with the Skilled Occupations List. In general, opportunities still abound in the engineering, medical IT industries. Make sure your skills are in demand and then be sure to format your CV correctly for the Australian marketplace.  Check www.1stcontact.com/au for more information on which skills are needed in Oz.

1. A place to call home

Once you’ve established that Australia is somewhere you really want to live, you’ve let a 1^st Contact Visas consultant affirm that you could qualify for a visa and you’re pretty sure they’ll want your skills down under, the next step is to decide exactly where in Australia you want to be. Most people moving to Australia choose to settle in one of the main cities: Perth in Western Australia; Adelaide in South Australia, Brisbane in Queensland, Melbourne in Victoria or Sydney in New South Wales. Do a little research to see which of these cities would best suit your lifestyle and career expectations and get in touch with friends and family who have made the move and ask for their opinions on the different Australian cities.

1. Somebody to lean on

If you’re serious about moving to Australia, don’t try to go it alone! You might drown in a sea of paperwork, phone calls and red tape! Australian immigration experts 1^st Contact have offices in Australia and have an excellent track record for getting their clients organised, moved and settled. From visas to bank accounts to practical information about the country, 1^st Contact has all the experience and know-how needed to get you started, including a unique Kickstart package, which is like a survival kit for anyone moving to Australia. If you have any friends or family in Australia, be sure to look them up prior to your move and check whether they can accommodate you while you job hunt or find a home of your own. You’ll also be amazed at how much advice and assistance the locals are willing to give you!

Deciding to move to another country is a big decision. If it feels like the right decision for you, it probably is!

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According to expert immigration group 1^st Contact, recent changes to Australia’s immigration policy presents good news to both current domestic workers as well as to hopeful migrants seeking to relocate to Australian shores.

In a bid to head off an impeding skills crisis, the Australian Department of Immigration has radically shifted their focus onto attracting more highly skilled professionals by scrapping the current Migration Occupations in Demand List (MODL) in favour of the new Skilled Occupations List (SOL).

This dramatic change was announced by Immigration Minister Chris Evans on the 8th of February 2010 who went on to say that   ‘Immigration should be demand rather than supply driven.”

Sam Hopwood, managing director of 1^st Contact’s Australian office says “It is clear that the government’s intention is to focus the migration policy toward sponsorship. Their view is that this particular change in policy will attend best to the problem caused by prior defunct policies that lured many thousands of accountants to Australia, who did not continue to work in their professions, and left continued shortages for local employers to cope with.”

It is clear that the government’s intention is to focus the migration policy toward sponsorship

The SOL is a far a more comprehensive and targeted list, making the MODL redundant. The most critical shortages are in the health-care, engineering and mining sectors.  The need for international recruitment came on much faster than anticipated largely due to the 5.3% drop in unemployment rates and a positive upturn in Australia’s economy.

“The skills shortages that have occurred on the back of these low unemployment rates has directly caused the shift in immigration policy – a change that is vital in order for Australia to continue to feed its growing labour market.” Hopwood adds, “Skilled workers living outside of Australia would be best advised to employ the services of a specialised recruitment and visa company, such as 1st Contact, who have the contacts in Australia to be able to seek out appropriate employers who are searching for their skills.”

For more information on this issue, contact 1^st Contact on www.1stcontact.com

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“Same sex unions could open up doors for those seeking to relocate to Australia”

According to 1st Contact, the recognition of same sex unions could open up doors for those seeking to relocate to Australia. This could result in the possibility of same sex couples being eligible to apply for prospective Australian spousal visas. Robyn Cory, 1st Contact’s Visa manager says “although we have not had confirmation from the DIAC (Department of Immigration and Citizenship) of this change, we remain confident that the criteria governed by marriage laws are the same criteria needed to motivate sufficiently for the approval of an Australian Spousal Visa”.

Warren McGaw and Chris Rumble have become amongst the first to publicly declare their commitment in a legally-recognised union saying they believed the majority of Australians supported them.

Various reports in the media state that some are concerned that the legality of the unions could be overturned which may result in a sudden rush of civil union registrations across Australia. The national government is currently seeking legal advice on whether to quash the laws passed earlier this month.

“We’ll be really disappointed and devastated if (the legislation) does get overturned, said McGaw. We took the opportunity today to have the legal ceremony as the law stands. “We couldn’t be happier, couldn’t be more delighted.”

Although Australia’s ruling party voted in August to uphold the country’s gay marriage ban, the government has also passed legislation to remove same-sex discrimination from almost 100 national laws, notably in areas around such as tax issues and employment.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has been a steadfast opponent of gay marriage rights and recently stated that his government may veto for a third time those laws which recognise civil partnership ceremonies.

The Civil society organisation, Australian Marriage Equality are campaigning for Australia to recognise the marriages of same-sex couples legally entered into overseas in such countries as Canada, Spain and South Africa.

The coming days are likely to be decisive in determining whether or not same-sex couple equality unions of men and women become the new status quo in Australia.  The immediate effect is for same sex couples to take advantage of the current laws as it has been speculated that should the laws be overturned, all unions formalised under the current law would be upheld.

From an immigration perspective, Robyn Cory adds that “this presents an excellent opportunity for our clients who have previously been disadvantaged, together with our future clients to harness the immigration possibilities that this most recent development in Australian marriage law presents”.

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The most prominent changes made, involves the English language requirements for offshore skilled migration applicants. 1st Contact have listed the details of this change below and are available to advise you further on how these changes could affect you.

* English language requirements have increased, by removing the option of ‘vocational English’ for foreign migration applicants (Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Level 4 occupation)
* The option for foreign applicants to receive points towards a qualifying points score, for the general points test for ‘vocational English’ has been removed.
* Applicants applying with ‘concessional competent English’, will no longer be restricted to being nominated by a State or Territory, or sponsored by a person who resides in a State or Territory, in which arrangements are established for suitable English language training. They will also not be required to enroll in an English language course and pay the fee.
* For primary applicants who are relying on attaining partner points in the general points test, no points will be awarded if the partner has ‘vocational English’ and if claiming ‘concessional competent English’.

Further to the above changes, 1st Contact would like to create awareness around the closing of a loophole that previously allowed applicants, of the contributory parent visa, to avoid paying half the required contribution, thus saving them in the region of $30,000 AUD. It has been found that eligible parents were nominating just one parent and paying just one of the required contributions, then, after two years of residence the one parent would be granted permanent status in Australia and be eligible to sponsor their spouse on a partner visa. Although not illegal this loophole has been identified and is not in the spirit of the design of the visa. As such measures have been put in place to stop this occurring in the future.

For additional advice on how to overcome the above issues, please contact us on
0800 856 2474 (in the UK) or 021 657-2180 (in South Africa) or 1800 039 300 (in Australia).

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