CHOOSING AUSTRALIA

People wonder whether immigration is really a worthwhile goal to pursue. However, a discussion of the benefits to be gained from immigration to Australia answers this inquiry with a resounding and fervent "Yes".

Top-Rated Quality of Life

Australia is a country of enviable qualities. It boasts a life expectancy of 79.1 years, and an adult literacy rate of 90%. For the past 6 years, the United Nations has placed Australia 1st in the world on the Natural Wealth per Capita Index. Australian cities themselves also receive praise. In Swiss studies rating 120 cities worldwide for their quality of life, Australian cities rank highly. The results were based on a combination of indicators measuring the social and ecological environment.

Diverse Geographic & Climatic Options

As the 2nd largest country in the world, Australia has a climate as diverse as its people and geography. The central interior areas are dry desert. Most of the urban centers situated in the south and outh-east coastal regions of the country are in fact quite moderate in temperature. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide have four definite seasons with hot summers and cooler or colder winters. For example, Perth's average temperature in July (the coldest month of the year) is 8°C. See AUSTRALIA - COUNTRY INFO - CLIMATE for more information, or click here.

Economic Wealth & Prosperity

Australia maintains one of the world's highest per capita GDP's, about US $ 22,000 per person. The World Bank has also ranked Australians as the one of the wealthiest people in the world in terms of the country's natural, financial, human and social resources. Based on Australia's total wealth, each Australian is worth nearly $1.1 million! Australia has a low inflation rate compared to the Group of Seven (G-7) countries, and one of the highest rates of economic growth. Besides this, Australia's unemployment rate has been steadily declining for the past few years, reflecting the increased demand for skilled individuals. In fact, it has dropped to a mere 7% nationally in 2001. In some areas, it is as low as 5.5%.

Abundant Employment & Business Opportunities

In Australia, good employment opportunities exist in many sectors of the economy. Financially speaking, new immigrants earn on average of A$30,000-$75,000 annually. It is worth noting that Australia is acclaimed globally for its admirable record of promoting employment equity in the workplace for women.

Superior Health Care & Education Systems

Australia offers a universal health care system accessible to all Australian citizens and permanent residents. Basic health care coverage is free of charge in most provinces.
The education system of Australia is regarded as among the best in the world.
The public education from the elementary level up to the secondary level is free of charge to all students in Australia, except for those who opt for "privaste schools". At the post-secondary level, students are expected to pay a small tuition. Tuition at Australian universities is affordable for citizens and residents (immigrants); most undergraduate university or tertiary diploma education is also free to citizens and permanent residents. or charged at marginal levels. In contrast, international students pay tuition rates that are 20-30 times higher. The average international student should expect to pay annually only for tuition A$ 8000-$10000 in Australia. Thus, it is far more advantageous to study in Australia as a permanent resident because you can save thousands of dollars in tuition. In addition, there are many scholarships, grants, and bursaries offered exclusively to permanent residents and citizens.

Tolerant, Open-Minded Citizens in a Democratic Multi-cultural Society

Australia welcomes immigrants and benefits from their knowledge, expertise, entrepreneurship, and financial resources. Australia thrives as a genuinely multi-cultural society and is proud to be a "cultural mosaic", instead of a "melting pot", as in the U.S., where an immigrant may feel pressure to assimilate into society. In contrast, the preservation of ethnic/religious identity, and cultural heritage is encouraged and respected by the Australian government. Besides, unlike many other countries throughout the world, Australia does not treat immigrants as "second-class citizens". Immigrants are accorded equal status, rights, and freedoms to Australian citizens. You will not only be accepted, but also feel genuinely welcome. You do not have to change your name to be accepted by society and your foreign accent does not matter. In fact, many Australians speak English with a "foreign" accent. Due to the prevailing multi-cultural atmosphere, you are more likely to be promoted in your job and reach managerial ranks faster in Australia than in the U.S., especially in Sydney and Melbourne, where immigrants constitute a sizable part of the population.
Your children will feel comfortable in Australian schools because they are likely to have a significant percentage of their classmates come from similar ethnic or religious backgrounds. Besides, many private religious/ethnic (such as Catholic, Protestant, Islamic, Jewish, and Chinese) schools exist. Furthermore, you can have access to a wide variety of foreign language TV channels, radio stations, and newspapers/magazines as well as ethnic food.

Safe, Clean, Civilized, Sophisticated & Lively

Australia offers a range of settlement options, from tranquil small towns to bustling cosmopolitan cities. However, regardless of where an immigrants chooses to live, even in big cities, you will find either country relatively safe, impeccably clean and will be impressed by the easy-going and good-natured Australian people. The overall crime rate in this country is low, with the homicide rate in Australia estimated at less than one quarter of the rate in the U.S. For this reason, their urban cores remain lively at night with local residents and tourists strolling the downtown streets well after midnight.
A cosmopolitan atmosphere characterizes Australia's big cities - a cultural sophistication matched only by few cities in North America such as New York City, San Francisco, and Boston. However, this is without the problems usually associated with big cites in the U.S. The livelihood you will encounter is enviable. Many retail shops downtown remain open until late everyday in Sydney and Melbourne, and once or twice a week in Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane. Most restaurants/night clubs remain open until 1:00 -3:00 AM, with a few even as late as 6:00 AM on weekends. Some sidewalk cafes in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane remain open on a 24-hour basis, all year round.
The art, music and theatre scene is vibrant and thriving. Brisbane is one of the largest film-production centres outside the USA and many American productions are filmed and edited in Australia. Meanwhile, Melbourne is the one of the largest cultural centers in the southern hemisphere.
Sports fans and outdoor activity enthusiasts will not be disappointed in Australia. Australia has a multitude of professional sports teams from cricket to football and basketball. Australia's national sport is Aussie Rules Football, with another favorite being cricket. Cyclists would appreciate the fact that some streets have designated cycling lanes. Urban parks and community centers are abundantly available for people to enjoy various outdoor sports and recreational activities. For swimming enthusiasts, Australia's world-class resorts are easily accessible, within every metropolitan centre.
Outdoor activities are plentiful in a country with such diverse geography. Popular activities include beach-life, swimming, hiking, skiing, rafting, sailing and bungy jumping. You are never far from water in Australia with its huge coastline, its rivers and lakes and its mainly "coastal" populations.

Reasonable Cost of Living

By world standards, Australia is still a relatively inexpensive place to live. In Sydney and Melbourne, the most costly spots in the country, a studio rents monthly for A$500-$700, a one-bedroom apartment for A$600-$850, a 2-bedroom apt. For A$800-$1000, a 3-bedroom apt. or a house for A$1000-$1250. A 3-bedroom condominium (apartment) is sold for A$300,000 -$450,000 on average. (A$ 1= US$ 0.51)

Close Ties to the U.S. & New Zealand

Australians certainly benefit from their close ties to the U.S. In fact, all Australian citizens and many permanent residents can enter New Zealand without a visa. In terms of access to a huge and diverse U.S. market, Australia is ideal. Thanks to economic and military treaties such as ANZAC, Australians enjoy the rewards and benefits of mutual economic relations.
These treaties aim to abolish trade barriers and tariffs between Australia, the U.S. & New Zealand. Existing Treaties allow certain Australian citizens increased access to these countries in order to sell, trade, or invest. This eases the temporary entry of business people as professionals and intra-company transferees are exempted from having to obtain validation of a job offer. This allows many Australian professionals to work in the U.S. or in New Zealand, eventually gaining a U.S. Green Card and citizenship if they so desire.

The Privileges of Being Australian or a New Zealander

Obviously, Australian citizenship and residence confer many privileges to their holders. Successful applicants are granted an immigration visa. Once they land in Australia, they will earn the status of permanent residents and will be able to settle down and work anywhere. This status is the Australian equivalent of the U.S. Green Card. Permanent residents are granted access to almost the same medical, educational and social services offered to Australian citizens. The Australian federal government provides monthly financial assistance to most families with children, including the families of new migrants. Those residents who are having difficulty finding a job may resort to Australia's unemployment insurance programs for financial support. This is another example of the Australian governments' efforts to assure the well being of its residents.
Once you have been a Australian permanent resident for at least 2 years, you may become eligible for citizenship. Upon being granted Australian citizenship, you can obtain a Australian passport. Unlike other countries, Australia recognizes dual citizenship, so you can retain the citizenship of your native country. With a Australian passport, you will not need a visitor visa to travel to many countries. More importantly, once you become a Australian citizen, you will be allowed to participate in politics and cast your vote in local and national elections.

Benefits to Family Members & Relatives

Once you are settled in Australia, you may be able to sponsor your relatives. In most cases, you can apply to sponsor your spouse (husband/wife), fiancé(e), dependent son/daughter, father/mother, grandfather/grandmother, and (if they are under 19 and orphaned) your brother, sister, nephew, niece, grandson or granddaughter. When you sponsor your parents, they can bring with them any siblings (brothers and sisters) who are still dependent on your parents. Your relatives are then issued permanent residence visas, and the privileges and benefits of living in Australia will be offered to them. And in turn, once they have landed in the country, they may be eligible to apply to sponsor other relatives. There are many examples of immigrants in either country who came as single individuals and now have hundreds of relatives in their new country due mainly to family sponsorship.

An Investment Worth Making

An immigration application can be seen as an investment in the life and future of your family and loved ones. Let's assume that you, your spouse and sponsored relatives find good work opportunities in Australia, each earning about $36,000 annually (engineers who have recently completed a university Bachelor degree, with no experience, typically earn annually $36000 - $42000 in Australia).
Collectively, you will have the chance to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly. You can achieve all this by simply taking the first step toward gaining an immigration visa. The small fee you pay an immigration expert to handle your case is probably the best investment you'll ever make. When you delay the decision to immigrate, you are actually losing money.

Based on the above example, for every month that you remain in your native country, considering immigration but not taking action, you are losing $3000!

Furthermore, for every month you delay action, you are risking your eligibility to migrate. Immigration regulations change frequently and abruptly: just because you may qualify now does not necessarily mean that you will qualify in the future.
Finally, consider also all of the attributes that cannot be evaluated in terms of dollars. Clearly, you and your family will benefit from starting a new life in Australia. We urge you to further weigh the costs and benefits of investing in immigration for yourself. We believe you will conclude that the potential rewards you will gain as a result of this investment in your future far exceed the cost.
There is no better time than now to pursue immigration and start enjoying what Australia offers!