Orlando Car Rental Airport - 10 Tips For International Students Seeking Permanent Residence in Australia (Part 1)

The most common pathway for students is to apply for General Skilled Migration on completion of their studies. Many international students studying in Australia dream of one day becoming permanent residents and staying on in Australia for good.

Sometimes it's difficult to figure out in practice what your chances are and what you need to do next, whilst there is a lot of information on immigration on the internet.

Chances are you won't find out that you've made an error in your application for a year or more after lodgement, as the processing time for General Skilled Migration gets longer. But the rules change so quickly that this can be dangerous, you could ask a friend who has applied before.

This guide is intended to provide an easy to follow outline of the main things international students need to be aware of in applying for General Skilled Migration.

We begin with the top 10 tips for international students thinking of applying for General Skilled Migration:

Graduate Skilled Visa: the 18-month Graduate Skilled visa (subclass 485 and also commonly called "TR") is a very useful way of helping you get enough points to apply for your permanent residence. 1.

Think about doing a course which would allow you to pass skills assessment in a CSL occupation critical Skills List (CSL): If you are thinking about choosing a course, 2.

Avoid academic credits if at all possible These can affect whether you have enough study to apply, watch out for Exemptions: if you have exemptions or academic credits for overseas studies. 3.

So your employer can expect a call or site visit for verification the Department of Immigration looks very carefully at work experience claimed by international students, Hours per week etc, salary paid, it has to meet certain requirements in terms of skill level, work Experience: work experience can give you extra points - however. 4.

You can get 10 extra points if you do an honours year or masters further Study: if you are completing a bachelor degree in Australia, 5.

Your application may be processed more quickly if you complete a professional year, aside from extra points. Accounting and Engineering, professional Year: professional years are available for IT. 6.

It means that you don't need as many points to qualify for migration and your application is processed at the highest level of priority, but if you do have one, these days it is difficult to get a state nomination. State Nomination: states publish lists of occupations in demand and for which they will consider nominating people for temporary or permanent skilled visas. 7.

You need to think ahead as you may need to wait 3-4 months for a test date - the test is valid for 2 years so you can do it well before you are ready to apply. It will be very difficult to apply even for the skilled graduate visa, unless you get at least 6 in all 4 components of the IELTS. English Testing: most students will need to do the IELTS test of English language ability (ielts.org). 8.

You'll need a Bridging B visa - this costs $90 and you will need to show evidence of the reason you need to travel, if you want to travel. The Bridging A visa ceases if you leave Australia, however. Bridging Visas: if you lodge an onshore application you will receive a Bridging A visa which gives full work rights in Australia. 9.

And the Department of Immigration is currently looking at revising the whole General Skilled Program, keep up to Date: the rules change constantly. 10.