1. The Australian economy has never been stronger and the Australian government are particularly looking out for skilled people with a specialization in many business and trade areas. In order to emigrate you could go the route of an expensive lawyer, or you could get the advice of specialist Australian immigration consultants to see if you qualify for Australian immigration eligibility.

2. If you are wondering about work skills needed to emigrate to Australia or qualifications needed to emigrate to Australia then it’s worth bearing in mind that there is a points system for applying for what is known as the Skilled Visa. You can fill in an online form to see if you satisfy the Australian immigration points system as set out by the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMIA).

3. An Australia working visa. Managers, qualified professionals and skilled tradespeople are especially in demand under the Skilled Visa program. Schemes are available for skilled visas on a permanent or temporary basis, and are all based on points needed to emigrate to Australia as set out by the Australian Immigration Department. With the Australian job market advertising over 150,000 jobs each week and unemployment at its lowest in 10 years, being eligible for an Australia work visa has never been more possible. There is a huge demand in the plumbing, security, printing and the building trades in particular. However, despite the huge demand across the board there was a shortage of candidates for jobs in 2004.

4. An Australia working holiday visa. These are exactly what they sound like. There are many people who dream of being able to emigrate to Western Australia or, more specifically, emigrate to Perth Australia for the amazing weather and facilities there. If you are between 18 and 30 and are looking to spend 12 months in Australia then you may qualify for one of the many Australian working holiday visas that are available every year.

5. Family Visa. If you have an Australian partner, or members of your immediate family are permanently based in Australia then you may qualify for one of several family stream visas. Your application to emigrate to Australia can be done online. The Government of Australia encourages emigration in order to bring families together. Under the Family Visa Emigration Programme, migrants considering emigration must be sponsored by a close family member or fianc�(e) living in Australia. There are 4 schemes to choose from in order to find out if you are eligible for emigration. Select the one that best describes your situation. The sponsor must be either an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, and would usually be 18 years of age or older.

6. Visitors and tourists. All travelers, except New Zealand citizens, must obtain a visa or travel authority before they travel to Australia. But now there is no need to worry about visiting the Australian Embassy or High Commission to get your visa. You can now get your visa online. If you are planning to travel to Australia as a visitor or even on a business trip then you may need either a visa or an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority). An ETA will allow you to spend up to 3 months in Australia and you are free to travel anywhere you like.

7. Business and investment visas. If you have had a successful business career either at a senior executive level or as an owner of your own business you may qualify for one of several visas under the Australian business visa program. Under the two-stage arrangements introduced on 1 March 2003, business migrants are granted a Business Skills (Provisional) visa for four years and, after establishing the requisite level of business presence required by the DIMIA or maintaining their minimum investment, are eligible to make an application for a Business Skills (Residence) visa.

8. If you are an employee who is headhunted or moved to your company’s Australia office then you can apply under the Australia sponsored work visa. Your employer can effectively sponsor you for this by becoming your Australia Immigration Sponsor. Under this system, if you are an established professional, you can emigrate to Australia without a degree.

9. Retirement visas. If you wish to emigrate to Australia on retirement then you may be eligible for an Australia retirement visa given each year. If you are financially secure and would like to spend some of your retirement years in the warmer climates of Australia, find out if you qualify with our free online assessment.

There has never been a better time to emigrate to Australia or to apply for an Australia Work Permit or Australia visa application.

This attractive and very slothful animal sleeps by day but often without attempting to hide. They have beautiful fur for which they have been terribly persecuted in the past when hundreds of thousands of koala skins were exported annually until protective laws were introduced. From near-extinction level have now increased but they are subject to various diseases and are vulnerable to many predators such as cats and dogs and often fall victim to bush fires.

Most marsupials are so efficient that they need to eat a fifth less food than equivalent sized placental mammals but koalas have taken this efficiency a step further. Several years ago, biologists announced that koalas are the only living creature that has brains that don’t fit their skulls. Instead they have a shriveled walnut sized brain that rattles around in a fluid filled cranium although this has been contested by other biologists. It is clear however that Koalas are not the Einsteins of the animal world and it is believed that they have sacrificed their brains to energy efficiency. Brains cost a lot to run: our brains weigh 2% of our body weight but use 20% of the energy we consume. Koalas eat gum leaves which are so toxic that they use 20% of their energy just detoxifying this food in their highly specialized digestive system, which leaves little energy for the brain.

Koalas produce one young each year. Their pregnancy last for only thirty-five days before giving birth. Most of the growth and development takes place in the mothers pouch. After six months, its mother begins to produce a substance known as pap, which the young feed on along with milk. Pap contains bacteria that will be needed to digest the eucalyptus leaves, when they become adults. At seven months they leave the pouch, and return only to nurse until they reach a year old.

Getting Your Visa Stage

Before you rush off and apply for a visa you need to know that there are multiple types of visa that one can apply for to gain residency in Australia. For those who only want to visit for a few months there’s the working holiday visa that allows anyone eligible who is between the age of 18 and 30 to go and live and work their way round Australia for 12 months. For those who want to relocate permanently there are skilled worker visas, employer and investor visas or even humanitarian visas.

You need to spend some time on the Australia immigration department’s website looking at which type you are most likely to be eligible for. There are individuals and agencies out there which can help you with your application – for a fee. But if you prefer to go it alone, just take the process slowly and surely, make sure you send all the evidence of your eligibility with your application and persevere. If you do have skills and talent that would benefit Australia, you stand a good chance of entry.

Making the Move Stage

With your visa in hand you now have to make the move a reality. You may be keen to sell up everything at home and leave with no ties – but what about if a move ‘down under’ to Australia doesn’t work out for you? How will you ever make it back? Think carefully about what solution would work for you best and then know that it is never too soon to start packing, looking for a job in Australia, seeking accommodation etc.

When they have a home to go to, jobs to go to and the children enrolled in school, some people prefer to make the move. Others are happy to just arrive, stay for a few weeks in a holiday let and sort everything out when they are on the ground. Whichever approach you choose, there are others who have gone before you and succeeded so know that although it will be tough at times, you can make a go of it if you try hard.

Coping with Homesickness and Settling of the Stage

Although you have dreamt of a move to Australia and finally made your dream come true through pure perseverance and hard work, the honeymoon period once you arrive in Australia doesn’t last long for most people! The stress of actually having to put together the pieces of a new life can take its toll on even the most organised people, and most people reach a point where they think ‘why have I done this? Why have I turned a perfectly good life upside down?’ This feeling is NORMAL! Don’t panic. Just push through, keep your eye on the goal which is settling in to life in Australia and you will get there.