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G’Day UK 2009 kicks off this weekend delivering two weeks of food, wine, cultural and business events.

Top of the list will be Australian immigration and tourism which will be sold to Brits interested in making the move Down Under.

Being a major source of skilled workers and tourists for Australia, organisers of G’Day Week have targeted the UK to showcase Australian immigration and Australian tourism.

G’Day UK 2009 is a chance for Australian celebrities, governments, businesses and agencies to show off the sunshine in Australia. Two week’s worth of events will showcase Australia as a place of investment, tourism, business, and more importantly, as a prime destination for skilled migrants. Read the full story

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There is less than one month to go before the changes to the Australian skilled migration will come into effect, as outlined in last month’s release of the 2009-10 Budget.

As of the 1 July, the Australian skilled migration program will be downsized again, so that only 108,100 skilled visas are available for people emigrating to Australia. Further, as of this date, the Government will raise the English language requirements for trades occupations in the independent skilled migration pathway so that overseas workers in trade positions are better prepared for working in the Australian workforce.

The Government has made it harder for people emigrating to Australia through the Australian skilled migration program during the recession so that those skilled workers emigrating to Australia support economic growth rather than unnecessarily add to employment competition. Not only has the Government been gradually downsizing the skilled migration program, but it has also implemented a priority processing order for all Australian skilled visas so that the program can target the skills it needs. Read the full story

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A world-wide survey has found that Australia has been voted the best place for business during the economic downturn, meaning that all those emigrating to Australia will benefit from greater investment security and a stronger economy during the recessionary and recovery period.

As we reported earlier this year, the government restricted the Australian skilled migration program so that fewer people are emigrating to Australia during the recession. Despite this, the program remains at significantly high levels, with 108,100 places for skilled migration to Australia, and the government has sufficient reasons for doing so.

While other countries such as the UK are deeply entrenched in the recession, Australia seems to be fairing well and are even tipped to come out stronger than before. Read the full story

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Yet more restrictions  on the number of options for wannabe Aussies with the Australian business visa program (under the Skills Stream) being capped until the start of the next financial year, 01 July 2009.

The Australian business visa program allows investors and senior executives to settle in Australia so that they may develop opportunities in Australian business.

The Australian Government provides two options for emigrating to Australia through the business skills stream.

These include the Provisional Business visa, which can result in a permanent Australian visa, and the Permanent Residence Business visa, for those sponsored by a State/Territory.

Four types of people can apply for an Australian business visa in the Skills Stream, including owners/part-owners of a business, senior executives of major businesses, investors, and senior managers who have sponsorship from a State/Territory government.

In response to the current economic conditions, the Government assessed the number of people emigrating to Australia through the Australian business visa program and how that matched with the planning levels for Australian General Skilled Migration, and has decided to cap this financial year’s business skills visas.

This means that until 01 July 2009, no more than 6,650 offshore Australian business skills visas (class EA and UR) can be approved by the Government and an overall limit of 7,500 places for both onshore and offshore business skills visas.

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Following the news we posted on Friday about Important changes to Australian skilled-sponsored visas for ACT and NT. It looks like the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT) governments are at it again with a number of amendments to their skilled occupations lists being announced.

After removing five occupations as part of the announcements last week, the ACT has removed a further two occupations and added another.

Prospective migrants immigrating to Australia through the ACT skilled-sponsorship program as a fitter, metal machinist, metal fabricator, welder first class, sheet metalworker, surgeon or speech pathologist will at this point of time no longer be able to lodge an application through this programme. Pressure welders can now participate. Read the full story

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After cutbacks to the Australian skilled migration program this week, former New Zealand Immigration Minister Aussie Malcolm reassured New Zealanders that they would still be able to continue emigrating to Australia.

The Australian Government last week announced the Australian skilled migration program would be reduced by nearly 18,000 to 115,000 places, in order to ease competition for Australian jobs during the economic slowdown. The Government also tightened the skilled migration program, so that it is more targeted to the urgent needs of the Australian workforce.

This means that employer-sponsored Australian visa applications, State-nominated Australian visa applications and applications from people with skills found on the Critical Skills List (CSL) have priority for processing. The CSL has also been readjusted so that it can better reflect the needs of the Australian economy. Read the full story

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Last week, the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) announced that they would downsize the Critical Skills List (CSL) so that the Australian skilled migration program would more effectively bring in the skills needed most in the Australian economy.

Andy Harwood, a registered migration agent from the Australian Visa Bureau, has recommended to all potential migrants to Australia to use alternate migration pathways if they no longer have a skill on the CSL, including the employer/state sponsorship programs and the Australian working holiday visa.

The Critical Skills List (CSL) is a list of skilled occupations that represents those skills that the Australian economy needs most. As part of their more targeted approach to Australian skilled migration, DIAC has given Australian visa applicants with occupations on the CSL and applicants with employer/government sponsorship priority processing so that migrants can fill jobs faster in Australia. Read the full story

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While IT professionals have been losing thousands of jobs in the industry because of the global recession, applications for IT jobs in Australia have increased by 20 per cent, reports The Australian.

Despite the growing unemployment numbers, huge numbers of people are emigrating to Australia while Senator Chris Evans keeps the migration quota at this year’s levels of 133,500 skilled visas.

Peter McDonald, a leading demographer, has encouraged the Immigration Minister to keep its levels despite the rising unemployment problem, because skilled workers would be essential in supporting the economic growth that will be due after the recession has passed.

He also said as the ageing baby boomer population begin to retire, the only way to avoid a skills shortage is using a targeted and open immigration programme. Read the full story

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OK, the time has come to move to the other side of the world.

This will probably be my last time online for a while, we say goodbye to our house tomorrow for the last time and check ourselves into a swish hotel for the night in Manchester.

We then fly to Perth (via Singapore) in the early hours of Friday Morning.

I can’t believe this time has finally come. We stayed over with my parents last night for a nice meal and spent most of the time reminiscing. I also found myself doing a very good job as an Australian tourist official spending about an hour (after a couple of bottles of wine) raving about how fantastic Australia is.

I don’t think the folks needed much convincing, a son, daughter-in-law and the most amazing 4 year old grandson in the world is encouragement enough for them to get onto a plane.

Saying goodbye was harder then I’d ever anticipated. I guess I’d be putting things to the back of my mind. I’m pretty tough when it comes to emotional stuff a but I don’t mind admitting that this morning, me a 34 year old northern bloke cried when he had to say bye to his mum and dad.

Not big sobbing girly tears mind you, but a tear or two was still shed all the same.

I’ve spoken to the folks since and things appear to be OK now. Just time to pack! Yeh I know! Moving to the other side of the world, taxi picking us up in less then 24 hours and I’ve still to cram about a rooms full of stuff into two suitcases. That’s going to be interesting.

In other news, my company car is being picked up tomorrow. I’m bsolutely gutted but I’ve been lucky to keep hold of it keeping in mind that I left the bank I worked for over a month ago.

I guess that’s a benefit of working closely with the people who look after the fleet.

Anyway, I’ll see you at some point when I get to the ‘other side’

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I thought it may be useful to add a FAQ to gettingdownunder.

This way folks who may just want a quick overview can do get one by clicking on the FAQ Link from our main menu.

So, to kick off. What is the difference between permanent residence and migration?

Well, people wishing to live permanently in Australia must apply for, and be granted, a permanent visa. If you apply outside Australia, you are applying to migrate. If you apply in Australia, you are applying for permanent residence.

Simple as that.

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Getting down under was created by me as an online resource for people within the UK (and anywhere else I guess) who have a yearning or an interest in emigrating to Australia.

2006 is going to be a massive year for my family and I. We have our permanent residency visa’s but we’ve still to pack a single box. The house hasn’t been put on the market yet and we still have tons of stuff to do.

I thought it’d be a good idea to launch a website which documents the highs and lows of our journey from the UK to Australia. I’ll aim to update the site regularly with updates and will add as many snippets of useful information and advice that I can along the way.

Unlike many folks who emigrate to Australia. We did everything ourselves. We didn’t utilise the expertise of a Migration agent so we had to do tons of digging along the way.
Read the full story

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