Each year many students move to Australia for higher studies. Many of them aspire to settle down in Australia after completeing their studies. The most common way for students to settle in Australia is by applying for Permanent Residency through the Skilled Independent Visa.
General Skilled Migration (GSM) is run by the Department of Home Affairs and is solely dependent on the labour market needs of Australia. Studying in Australia alone does not guarantee a PR but there are ways to improve your chances of getting same.
What are the requirements of GSM?
- You need to meet the Australia study Requirement. This means you should have complete a course of study in Australia with a minimum duration of 2 years. Online or distance education will not be considered, You can also make up the 2-year duration by studying multiple courses in Australia
- You should be between the age of 18 and 45
- You need to have a minimum score of 6 on IELTS or an equivalent in PTE or TOEFL
- You need to nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List of Australia. You also need to hold a positive Skilled Assessment for your nominated occupation
Heres how you can improve your chances for the GSM program
- Get an advanced qualification. It is worth building on your knowledge and skill set by getting an advanced qualification.
- Improve your English skills. Getting a competent score on IELTS, which is a score of 6, makes you eligible but does not get you any points for language proficiency. Proficient English, that is score of 7 on IELTS, will get you 10 points and Superior English on IELTS score of 8 will get you 20 points.
- Study in a regional area: Candidates who complete their Australia Study Requirement of 2 years from a regional area get an additional 5 points.
- Gain meaningful work experience: The more the numbers of years of experience you gain in your nominated occupation, the more points you earn. As little as a year of work experience in Australia can earn you an additional 5 points. You can also earn work experience points for your previous work experience in the nominated occupation overseas.