Can I move to Australia without a job in 2020?

The answer to this question is yes, you can immigrate to Australia without a job in 2020. But moving to Australia with a job in hand gives you extra points and will help to give your profile a good score.  It will add points to the point-based Australian immigration system where a higher number of points will mean better chances of getting an Australian PR visa.

However, a job offer gives you some extra points and eventually, your profile gets a good score on the point-based Australian Immigration System which means higher your chances of getting a permanent residency in Australia.

But you can still move to Australia without a job in 2020. The Australian government offers many visa options based on eligibility criteria with which you can migrate to Australia. This post will give you details on these options.

Moving to Australia without a job offer:

Australia offers several immigration pathways for individuals who are well-educated and highly skilled and can contribute to the Australian economy. Australia requires skilled workers who can contribute to the country’s development.

The Australian government has the SkillSelect program to help individuals move to Australia without a job offer. Under this program, you can move to Australia to find a job there. The program helps you to prove that you have the required skills and qualifications required to work in Australia.

SkillSelect Program:

The SkillSelect program was devised to assess applicants with skills under a point-based system so that migrants with the right skills can be selected. The applicants are given points under the following criteria:

Age- Scores are given based on the age group the applicant belongs to. Those between the ages of 25 and 32 score the most points while those above 45 do not gain any points.

English language proficiency- Applicants are required to take the IELTS test. If you score 8 bands or more, you get 20 points.

Skilled employment- If you have experience in a skilled occupation that is listed in the Skilled Occupations List you will get points based on the years of experience. 20 is the maximum points you can gain in this criterion.

Educational qualification- Points are given based on your highest educational qualification. To get points, your qualification must be related to your nominated occupation. The highest is 20 points if you have a doctorate while a bachelor's or master's degree will give you 15 points.

Australian qualifications- You can get five points if you have an Australian qualification from an Australian educational institute. You should have done the course from an Australian institute while you were in Australia. And you should have studied for at least two years.

Regional study- You can gain an additional 5 points if you have lived and studied in regional Australia in a place with a low population.

Community language skills- You will gain another 5 points if you have translator/ interpreter level skills in one of the country’s community languages. These language skills must be recognized by Australia's National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).

Spouse/partner skills and qualifications- If you have included your spouse/partner in the application and he/she is not an Australian resident/citizen, then their skills are eligible to be counted towards your total points. You will gain an additional five points if your spouse/partner must meet the basic requirements of the Australian General Skilled Migration like age, English language proficiency and nominated occupation.

Professional year- You will stand to gain another 5 points if you have completed a Professional Year in Australia in the last five years. In a professional year, you will undergo a structured professional development program that will combine formal training with on-the-job experience.

The Australian government provides visa options for those without a job offer. Here are details of the three visas:

1.Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189):

Before submitting your application under this category, you must give an Expression of Interest through SkillSelect. This can be done within or outside of Australia.

 The applications are by invitation only, for this you should:

Have Experience in a nominated occupation on Australia's Skilled Occupations List

Get a skill assessment report by a designated authority for that occupation

• Submit an Expression of Interest
• Age must be under 45 years
• Must pass the Skilled assessment test
• Score at least 65 on the points test
• Meet health and character requirements

Once you receive an invitation to apply for this visa, you must do so within 60 days.

The processing time for this visa takes around 4 to 7 months provided you follow proper filing and documentation procedures.

2. Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190):

You qualify for this visa if you are nominated by an Australian state or territory. The privileges in this visa are the same as the Skilled Independent visa (Subclass 189)

The application requirements are similar except that you should have experience in a nominated occupation on the Skilled Occupations List.

The candidate must choose an occupation from CSOL i.e. Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List and submit their profiles accordingly with the key documents. The candidate’s skills must be relevant with the eligible skilled occupations that are in demand in that part of Australia. The other eligibility requirements include:

• Score of at least 60 points in the points test
• Have a score of at least 6 in the IELTS language test
• Submit an Expression of Interest or EOI to the Australian immigration authority
• Get the health and police clearance certificates

The processing time for this visa usually takes 7 to 13 months

3. Family Sponsorship program:

You can move to Australia without a job under this program provided you have a family member in Australia who is a Permanent Resident or is a citizen of Australia. If your spouse, parent, sibling or any other close relative is willing to sponsor your PR visa, then you can use this option. Under this program it is not mandatory to have a job offer prior to your moving to the country.

These are the visa options available to you to move to Australia without a job offer in 2020. To help you check on the eligibility criteria and choose the best visa option, you can get in touch with an immigration consultant who will guide you through the immigration process.

You might also like to read: What are the eligibility requirements for Australia Skilled visa in 2020?