There are hundreds of visas in Australia. But which are the ones which will enable to stay on in Australia as a permanent resident (PR)? There are mainly 3 types of General Skilled Migration visas for getting across to Australia: subclass 189, 190, 491
When you have plans on moving to Australia from Singapore, the most important requirement that you need to have is an Australian visa. To get one, you need to apply for it which quite a list of processes that you need to comply with in order to get it approved.
To be granted an Australian PR or permanent residency, you must take either the IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training. But if you have plans to be a professional in Australia (which you probably have), you must take the IELTS Academic. And in order to pass the IELTS or International English Language Testing System, you must have a score of at least 6 in all of the four components of the test.
But don’t let it overwhelm you because we have gathered five tips that can help you achieve superior knowledge of the English language, which will ultimately contribute to the approval of your Australian visa application.
1. Understand how the bonus points for PR works
If you have been looking up how to move to Australia from Singapore, you probably have stumbled upon visas that are based on points. Without going too much into the details of it, you basically earn more points the higher your proficiency level of the English language is.
The government in Australia has defined five different English competency levels – if you get an average band score of no more than 4.5 for each of the tests’ 4 components, your competency level would be defined as “Functional English”.
If you get at least 5, it would correspond to a “Vocational English” level. If you get at least 6, you would be considered to have a “Competent English” level. 7 Would merit a “Proficient English” level, while a score of at least 8 would earn you the highest “Superior English” level.
When migrating to Australia, there are more or less four visa types that you should be concerned with, there is the “Skilled Independent Visa” which earns you an additional 10 and 20 points for proficient and superior levels, respectively.
The same point system applies for the “Skilled Nominated” and “Skilled Regional (Provisional)” visa classifications. But for the “Skilled Work Regional (Provisional)” visa type, you get an additional 5 points for a partner with competent English.
2. Study as much as you can
The key to making sure that you pass the IELTS is to know and be familiar with the fundamentals of the English language.
Even if your first or native language is English, you should still practice because the test is going to be technical.
Speaking the language effortlessly doesn’t guarantee that you know the specificities of sentence constructions, which is why you need to be equipped with the knowledge that will help you advance your IELTS results.
3. Get into a work-study routine
Without a doubt, you might have other responsibilities that you need to attend to such as your 9 to 5 job.
So, for a certain – we’re not suggesting that you ditch it completely so you can focus more on studying for your IELTS. But rather, the plan here is to squeeze in a bit of your time after your work and allocate it towards studying.
It doesn’t have to be a huge chunk because at least an hour every day goes a long way.
4. Take practice tests
Apart from familiarising yourself with the English language, it would also help if you become familiar with how the test is going to be formulated.
Taking practice tests will give you an idea of what kind of answers are being asked for in questions found in IELTS, giving you the advantage of knowing what you need to prepare for.
The official website of the IELTS has practice tests that you can take at any time, all of which are scored by official IELTS markers. You can also use this platform to keep track of your progress each time you take a practice test.
5. Above all else, get some rest
When reviewing for a test like the IELTS, it is very tempting to allocate most if not all of your energy into reviewing and practising for it.
However, it might not be such a good idea because this will lead to burnout, reducing your chances of getting a passing mark.
As such, absolutely make sure that you are studying moderately and see to it that you get some rest afterwards – this will condition your brain for more learnings!
With these tips, polish your reading, writing, and listening skills in no time. All that’s left for you is to finalise your preparations for the upcoming IELTS examination, ace it, and improve your chances of migrating smoothly!
In fact, if you’re looking for an extra helping hand – assistance is on its way with NTRUST’s consultation and guidance. Whether it’s IELTS preparation, approval of Australia PR Application, or migration skills assessment – simply call our office at +65 6299 0245 or schedule an appointment for a clearer idea on how to make a successful PR application in Australia.
The federal budget was recently announced and outlines the Australian government’s plans for the next financial year. This is particularly significant as Australia has experienced a change in government during the last election. Large changes to spending, particularly around immigration, are expected as the new government establishes itself.
With the labor government in power, it comes as no surprise that places for permanent skilled migrant workers will increase over the next financial year. Alongside this, the Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services, and Multicultural Affairs confirmed that partner visas will not be subject to a cap and will be processed on a demand-driven model, which means that it is potentially unlimited despite the fact that the number of estimated places has been reduced to 40,500 places, or 56% of the 72,300 places for 2021-22.
These are a few of the changes that those considering migrating to Australia will be affected by in the coming year. As a immigration expert, NTRUST teams stay up to date on all legal developments. We’ve gone through the Australian budget and highlighted the visa types most affected, including skilled migrant visas, partner visas, student visas, family visas, PRs and more.
Migration to Australia is great opportunity to start afresh, learn about another culture, and create something new, but it’s important to remain practical even as your vision becomes a reality. Although Australia’s borders are now open, that excitement can turn into worry quickly as it can be hard to know what the essentials are, and without them, you can find yourself in a difficult situation.
NTRUST has been helping with migration to Australia from Singapore for nearly 20 years. One question that gets asked frequently is ‘what should I bring?’ We’ve put together this travel checklist on essentials you need to pack when migrating to Australia to ensure you have the best experience.
For many young families, Australia is the dream location to settle down and set roots. Filled with good schools, multicultural hubs, and plenty of sights to see, Australia is the perfect place to live and explore. But when it comes to the logistics of immigration, it can be challenging to figure out how exactly to get a a visa or understand how Australian family visa processing times work.
At NTRUST, we receive many enquiries from families looking to settle abroad in Australia through family migration visas. To help you with your migration to Australia, we’ve put together the key visas and migration conditions that you and your family should be aware of. Use this guide to inform your Australian immigration strategy and gain more knowledge about the visa application process for families.