Emigrating to Australia. The Australian standard and quality of life is the envy of the western world and the continent lists five cities in the world’s top ten in terms of quality and standard of living. It should be it’s amazing outdoor and coastal culture as well as its strong economy and clean, modern cities make it by far the number one destination for British and Irish migrants.
The Australian government encourages good, skilled, English speaking migrants but only around 120,000 places are available worldwide! For those lucky people who find that they do qualify (please note Destination Oz Ltd. offers a free, no-obligation eligibility assessment) the process of gaining the all important Australian visa can sometimes be daunting and confusing.
The path is long and intrinsically uncertain – especially if you have no experience of previously applying. There is also the matter of mandatory government application fees – totalling in most cases from £2,000 – £3,000. These fees are not refundable if you misapply for your visa and receive a rejection, so it is vital you receive as much insight and assistance before you apply for your visa as you can afford.
Migration and Current Policy
On 26 January 1788, the First Fleet with 11 ships and around 1,350 people (half of them convicts) first arrived in Port Jackson, Australia (now called Sydney). The date of that first landing is now commemorated as Australia Day, Australia’s national day.
The indigenous Australian population was already linguistically and culturally diverse prior to European settlement and continues to be a feature of the Australian population. Migrants arriving with and after the First Fleet were mainly English and Irish convicts and free settlers but included Italians, Greeks, Malays and people from other parts of Europe. From 1851 to 1880 the gold-rushes attracted a large number of immigrants from Britain, Ireland, Germany and China. Afghan immigrants also arrived at this time, bringing camels with them for inland exploration while early Japanese settlers started the pearling industry in Australia.
Large scale migration occurred after World War II including the resettlement of displaced persons and refugees. Migrants arrived from Britain, many parts of Europe and the Middle East. Following the abolition of the White Australia Policy, migrants also came from many parts of Asia.
People from around 200 countries have migrated to Australia. Today, about 23% of the population was born overseas and more than 200 languages are spoken here. The diverse composition of the population contributes greatly to the dynamic, innovative and inclusive nature of Australian society. Australia has never been as popular or as difficult to get into – take the first step with Destination Oz Ltd.
Australia Visa Points Calculator
Please fill in the free visa points calculator form below to see if you are eligible for a skilled visa to Australia. Contact us to enquire and find out how we can assist you with your migration journey.