Skilled Migrant Professionals October 2014 | Page 26
Migration
Tip Five
Consider asking for an eligibility assessment
If you aren’t 100% confident that you can meet the requirements for a
particular type of visa, there is nothing wrong with asking a registered
migration agent to provide you with a written eligibility assessment. For
an agreed fee, a registered migration agent can review your paperwork
and formally advise you as to whether or not they believe you can meet
the visa requirements. It can be very useful to obtain a second opinion
from an expert.
Tip Six
International students and permanent residence
International students are big business in Australia! There were 525,000
international student enrolments in 2013 and in terms of our economy,
international students contribute over $15 billion AUD every year.
Education agents at international study expos will promote certain
Australian colleges and universities and will usually receive thousands
of dollars in commission for each student enrolment. Many education
agents are unscrupulous and will advise that a particular course of study
will lead to permanent residence, but that is simply not the case. Many
students are shattered when they find out that the degree, diploma, or
other qualification that they have worked so hard for does not provide a
direct pathway to permanent residence.
If you are unsure about whether your chosen course of study can lead
to permanent residence, take the time to seek professional advice before
enrolling. There is no point in pursuing an expensive course of study that
leads nowhere.
And finally...
There are no absolutes in the world of Australian immigration. Each change of government results in a new list of
changes to the Migration Regulations. Similarly, each upturn
or downturn in our economy impacts the occupations listed
on the SOL, the CSOL, and the state and territory lists. It is
important to keep up-to-date with these changes if you are
interested in migrating to Australia.
I hope that some of t