How Hard Is It To Move To Australia

How hard is it to move to Australia
Difficulty is estimated at 8/10 for most visa applicants

First Published in 2016 this article has been updated for 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and now the 2023 Australia Immigration Season

A frequently asked question online is ‘how hard is it to move to Australia’. We figure it’s more a general question asked by people seriously considering immigrating to Australia in the near future.

At Let’s Go! Global we pride ourselves in our straight talking yet friendly approach to client communication so we’re going to give it to you straight up.

If you’re an American looking to emigrate to Australia check our Australian Immigration Guide For United States Citizens

Is it hard to move to Australia?

Yes, it can be hard, it can be complex, it can be frustrating and it can be emotional. Over 70% of people attempting the Australian Immigration process themselves either give up, or fail.

Unfortunately failure often results in a time delay penalty meaning you are prevented from lodging a further Australian Immigration application for a period of time. Within this imposed penalty timeframe your occupation could drop off the Occupation Lists rendering you unsuitable for migration. If you are approaching a critical age you may well lose crucial Australian migration points while you wait out your penalty.

When is the best time to emigrate to Australia

We must also consider timing. Moving to Australia is by no means guaranteed. It is not about you choosing to immigrate to Australia, it’s about Australia choosing you! There is no free for all, no open door policy and the ultimate decision to grant your Visa rests with the Australian Department of Immigration. You have no sway or control over your allocated caseworker.

Our recommendation is to start the visa application process as soon as you have confirmed your eligibility to emigrate. We cannot emphasize this enough; if you are lucky enough to be eligible to emigrate to Australia you must start the application process now.

How hard is it to move to Australia with no qualifications
Straight talking answer? Unless you have significant experience in your occupation, profession or Skilled Trade it is virtually impossible to move to Australia with no qualifications unless you happen to be the partner of an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident and emigrate on an Australian Partner Visa.

Alternatively you could be a former resident looking to return again to live in Australia Permanently although if this is the case you need to act fast in lodging your Resident Return Visa.

How hard is it to move to Australia over 50?
Most Australia Visa subclasses close when you reach your 45th Birthday. You will have to look at other routes such as studying in Australia. There are no exceptions to this rule when looking at Skilled Migration and there is no Australia Retirement Visa. There is however the Australia Investor Visa to consider. This visa class is only for Sophisticated Investors.

What’s the hardest part about moving to Australia
Making the decision to emigrate to Australia is the easy part and who wouldn’t want to emigrate to one of the most liveable and desirable places on the planet! The hard part starts with your Skills Assessment.

Skills Assessment is the first stage in your Australian Immigration application and the first roadblock ahead of your ultimate successful application. You cannot move onto the next stage of your visa application without first having your skills assessed by a third-party Australian entity specialised in your occupation code. For many it is not a test, rather a technical and complex bundle of paperwork designed to substantiate every single aspect of your career and occupation to date.

To the uninitiated a ‘skills assessment’ sounds straightforward, after all, you’ve been in your occupation for years right?

Wrong. Skills Assessment is one of the most technically baffling process you will undertake. It is achievable with the right patience and tenacity although the frustrating thing is that Australian Skills Assessment authorities give very little bespoke advice and guideline over and above their published instructions.

Remember, in Australia Skills Assessment authorities are profit making entities, when you fail a Skills Assessment they make even more money by your reassessment.

Is it hard to do an Expression of Interest for Australia
We rank the expression of interest difficulty at 7/10

Once you’ve received your successful Skills Assessment it’s time to complete your Expression of Interest (“EOI”). Your EOI is designed to present you and your skills to the Australian Government. Both the Government and individual States and Territories will then assess the standard of your EOI against all the other candidates in the pool.

If your application is completed correctly and in the best way you could be selected to make a formal application for a Permanent Visa or your application may languish in the EOI pool for anything up to 2 years.

Don’t be tempted to artificially increase your Australian Immigration points here. You will be uncovered at the next stage and your application will be disqualified.

How hard is an Australian Visa application
By the final stage of your application you will be an ‘old hand’ at the complexities of Australian Migration! The next stage including Police Checks, Medicals and yet more documentation should be relatively straightforward. This is actually the easiest part of the moving to Australia process!

Let’s Go Global Have a 100% Success Rate and amazing Reviews with Most Occupation Codes Classes and retain regulated MARA agents for your peace of mind and protection.

How Hard Is It To Move To Australia?
With Lets Go Global we assume responsibility for the entire visa process for your peace of mind and security.

Take our free visa assessment today to check your personal level of difficulty