Are you a citizen of the USA looking at migrating to Australia? There are several different visa pathways commonly used by US citizens looking to move to Australia permanently.
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Skilled immigration options
Many citizens from the United States of America are qualified in occupations that are in demand in Australia, including in healthcare, education and trades. You can see if your occupation is on the Australian skills list using this skilled occupation tool.
The most common Australian visa subclasses relevant to skilled immigration are:
Both the 189 and the 190 visa are points-based visas, meaning you need to complete an assessment of how many points you would be awarded based on factors like your age, your level of qualification and your skilled work experience. Many people migrating from the US achieve high results for the English language test and so can achieve the highest band of points for English, making their applications very competitive. Each visa has a minimum number of points you need and the higher your points calculation is, the more competitive your application is. You can access the points calculator here.
Both of these visas also require you to complete a skills assessment. There are different skills assessing bodies for different occupations and the requirements are generally quite strict. There are further specific requirements such as health and character requirements.
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Employer sponsored options
It is common for Australian employers to highly value experience gained working for US based companies, and so we find that US citizens are often highly sought after in Australia.
The most common visa subclasses relevant to employer sponsored immigration are:
- Subclass 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa (this is a temporary visa with a permanent visa pathway)
- Subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa (this is a permanent visa)
For employer sponsored visas you will need to be qualified in an occupation on our skills list and also have an employer willing to sponsor you. You can see if your occupation is on the Australian skills list using this skilled occupation tool. In some cases you may also need a skills assessment. There are further specific requirements such as health and character requirements.
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Family visa pathways
There are often very strong family links between the United States and Australia and in some instances this can mean a United States citizen has an Australian family visa pathway.
The most common family visas we see being used by United States citizens are:
- Subclass 300 Prospective marriage visa (also sometimes referred to as the ‘Engagement visa’)
- Subclass 309/100 Offshore Partner visa
- Subclass 820/801 Onshore Partner visa
- Parent visas
- Child visas
Each of these visa pathways require an Australian sponsor and has specific requirements to be met.
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Temporary visas
The above options all focus on visas that are either permanent or have a permanent visa pathway. In addition to these commonly used options, there are also a range of temporary visas that US citizens can apply for. These include:
- Subclass 601 Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visa
- Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa (for applicants under 31)
Next steps
As the Australian immigration process can be very strict, we recommend you obtain specific advice for your situation to ensure you choose a migration pathway that is cost effective, timely and where you meet the requirements. You can book a free 10 minute call with one of our Australian migration lawyers here.