Moving to Australia: Our Journey and Insights
Announcement: Moving to Australia
Hi everyone! Today, we have some exciting news to share. We're going to be moving to Australia! We asked our daughter,妍妍, if she knew where Australia was, and she said she didn't. But when we asked if she wanted to go, she said yes! She wants to go there to see koalas and study. She also said she wanted to make new friends and classmates. We asked her which of her many toys and dolls she wanted to bring to share with her new classmates in Australia, and she said her teddy bear. So, we're all set to go to Australia together!
How We Got Here: The Australian Skilled Migration Process
We're sharing this with you because we've been through the process of applying for Australian skilled migration and want to share our experiences with you. We're very lucky to have been invited to apply for the 491 visa, which is a regional skilled migration visa. I received the invitation letter from the New South Wales state government in late December last year.
There were a few reasons why we were lucky to be invited. First, we decided to use my occupation as the main applicant because my husband, Billy, is a bit older and would have lost more points in the age category. I'm a Marketing Specialist, which is a business-related occupation. Business occupations are not typically in high demand for migration to Australia, as the country is more in need of professionals in fields such as healthcare, nursing, early childhood education, and construction. Second, I graduated from a private university in Taiwan and don't have any overseas study experience. Many applicants have studied in Australia and are more familiar with the country and its education system. Third, we were invited at a time when Australia was reducing its skilled migration quota by 70%. This meant that the competition was much higher and the requirements were more stringent.
Timeline: From Preparation to Invitation
I'll give you a brief overview of the timeline of our application process. I started preparing for the PTE exam in April last year. We decided to do everything ourselves, without using an agent or consultant. In May, I started preparing the documents for my occupation assessment and submitted the application on May 17. I received the results of my occupation assessment just three days later. After that, I took the PTE exam and scored 65 in all four sections. The next day, I submitted my application for the 190 visa in New South Wales, Victoria, and Canberra. However, it was already the end of the financial year in Australia, and most of the quota had already been allocated. We decided to wait for the new financial year to see if we would receive an invitation.
In July, Australia announced that it would be reducing its skilled migration quota by 70%. We were quite shocked and didn't think we had much of a chance. So, we decided to apply for the 491 visa instead. I submitted my application on July 18. We didn't receive any invitations from the states for a while, but on December 15, I received an invitation for the New South Wales 491 visa. I was quite surprised because I was still preparing for the PTE exam at the time. We quickly started preparing the documents for our visa application and submitted them on February 1. We also had our medical examinations on February 28, and all three of us passed. We're currently waiting for our visas to be approved.
Types of Australian Skilled Migration Visas
There are several types of Australian skilled migration visas, including the 189 (independent skilled migration visa), 190 (state-sponsored skilled migration visa), and 491 (regional skilled migration visa). The 189 visa is for applicants who meet the requirements for independent skilled migration and do not need state or territory sponsorship. The 190 visa is for applicants who have been nominated by a state or territory government and meet the relevant requirements. The 491 visa is for applicants who are willing to live and work in a designated regional area of Australia.
The main difference between the 189 and 190 visas is that the 190 visa requires state or territory sponsorship, which can give you additional points in the points test. The 491 visa is a provisional visa that requires you to live and work in a designated regional area for at least three years before you can apply for permanent residency.
Good News for the 2024-2025 Financial Year
The new financial year in Australia has started, and the government has announced that it will be increasing the skilled migration quota by about 10,000 places. This is good news for anyone who is interested in migrating to Australia. However, the points test and other requirements may also change in the future, so it's important to stay up-to-date with the latest information.
Why We Decided to Move to Australia
Many people have asked us why we decided to move to Australia. The truth is, it was my husband's idea. He had always been interested in Australia and had visited his sister there a few times. He loved the lifestyle and the environment and thought it would be a great place for our daughter to grow up. We also thought that it would be a good opportunity for us to start a new life and pursue our interests.
We started by looking into student visas, as this is what many agents and consultants recommend. However, we decided to do some research on our own and discovered the skilled migration program. We realized that we might be eligible to apply for a skilled migration visa, so we decided to give it a try.
The Journey So Far: From Preparation to Invitation
The process of applying for Australian skilled migration was not easy. We had to prepare for the PTE exam, gather the necessary documents for our occupation assessment, and submit our applications for the 190 and 491 visas. We also had to wait for a long time to receive our invitations.
Looking back, we're glad that we decided to do everything ourselves. It was a lot of work, but it was also very rewarding. We learned a lot about the Australian immigration system and about ourselves. We also had a lot of fun preparing for the PTE exam and studying together.
The Future: What's Next for Us
Now that we've been invited to apply for the 491 visa, we're starting to think about the future. We're going to be moving to Australia in the next few months, and we're excited to start a new life there. We're also a bit nervous, as we don't know what to expect.
We're planning to document our journey to Australia and share our experiences with you. We'll be creating a YouTube channel where we'll be posting videos about our preparations for the move, our experiences in Australia, and our thoughts and feelings about living in a new country. We hope that our videos will be helpful and inspiring to others who are considering moving to Australia.
Conclusion
That's all for today's video. We hope you enjoyed it and found it informative. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below. We'd love to hear from you. And if you're interested in following our journey to Australia, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. We'll be posting new videos regularly. Thanks for watching!