Airtax offers a trustworthy and easy immigration process undertaken by our highly experienced Migration Specialists who have helped people from all over the world achieve the immigration status they require in Australia. Your immigration journey with Airtax starts with a 30 minute eligibility call to confirm your applicable status for a range of visas.
Within this article, we have listed answers to a number of common questions that should help you get started on your Airtax Immigration journey.
Contents:
What are the rules/obligations surrounding my application?
How long will it take for my visa to be processed?
How can Airtax Assist me?
What type of visa can PwC assist me with?
We can assist with a number of permanent and temporary visa types depending on your intentions and circumstances. These visa types include:
- Contributory Aged Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 884)
- Contributory Aged Parent visa (subclass 864)
- Contributory Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 173)
- Contributory Parent visa (subclass 143)
- New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (temporary) visa (subclass 461)
- Partner (Provisional and Migrant) visa (subclass 309/100)
- Partner visa (subclass 820/801)
- Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300)
- Global Talent visa (subclass 858)
- Permanent Residence (Skilled Regional) visa (subclass 191)
- Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494)
- Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
- Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
- Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408)
- Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)
- Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (subclass 400)
- Visitor (subclass 600)
- Resident Return visas (subclass 155/157)
- Australian citizenship
Why do I need an eligibility call, can’t you just tell me for free?
The Airtax immigration service aims to ensure that your visa application is processed successfully. Our eligibility calls are undertaken by Australian based immigration specialists with years of experience, ensuring you feel confident you receive value during this call. We are unfortunately unable to do a quick or free assessment over the phone. Instead, our call goes through a detailed eligibility assessment and if deemed eligible at the end of this process, we will deduct the eligibility call fee from your final application cost (if you proceed). So this may work out as a free call for you regardless.
What assistance does Airtax offer?
We first conduct an eligibility assessment to determine the most suitable visa for you depending on your intentions and circumstances and advise of any eligibility restrictions.
If you’re happy to proceed with your visa application, we will:
- Provide detailed instructions advising of the necessary documents;
- Prepare and complete all required Department of Home Affairs forms;
- Advise on the health and character checks, and English requirements, to be obtained and provide instructions and relevant forms where possible;
- Submit your applications with the Department of Home Affairs; and
- Liaise with the Department of Home Affairs regarding your application, except where a Request for Further Information is issued
What are the rules/obligations surrounding my application?
Will I need to provide police clearances?
You must meet character requirements when applying for an Australian visa. You may also be asked to declare any criminal convictions inside or outside of Australia, and provide police clearances as part of your visa application process.
Generally, if you are required to provide police clearances, you will need to provide one from each country (including Australia and your home country) where you have spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years.
PwC will be able to advise you of any character requirements which apply to you upon assessment of your individual circumstances.
Will I need to undergo medical examinations?
Visa applicants must meet minimum health standards before their visa will be granted. Depending on a number of factors, you may need to undergo medical examinations to prove that you meet the health requirement. This may include a medical examination, a chest x-ray, and blood tests. As part of our service, PwC’s Airtax advises you of any health requirements upon assessment of your individual circumstances.
Do I need evidence of English language skills?
You may be required to prove the level of your current English skills with a valid language exam accepted by the Australian Department of Home Affairs, depending on the visa you’re applying for. The required level of English also varies between different visa types. In certain circumstances, some applicants may be exempt from providing evidence of their English language skills.
Am I eligible to apply for Australian Citizenship?
There are a number of different ways that you can become a citizen of Australia, and you must meet the specific criteria in order to be eligible. We can discuss this as part of our eligibility call service.
What kind of documents do I need for a visa application?
The documentation required to support a visa application depends on the visa subclass being applied for. We can discuss this with you during the eligibility call, and will support you to collect these if you proceed to a visa application.
Do I need to provide original or certified copies of documents for the visa application?
As a general rule, all supporting documents are to be scanned colour copies, unless requested otherwise by the Department of Home Affairs. Original or certified documents are not required.
Do I need a Registered Migration Agent to help me with my visa application?
It is not mandatory to use a Registered Migration Agent to apply for an Australian visa. However, engaging a Registered Migration Agent through Airtax Immigration can provide a number of benefits including providing independent advice and personalised guidance on your visa application advising on your eligibility and other specific legal requirements and submitting the application and liaising with the Department of Home Affairs on your behalf.
Can I work in Australia?
This depends on whether the visa subclass you hold allows you to work in Australia. It is also important to be aware of the conditions attached to your visa as these may include certain work restrictions.
PwC’s Airtax will be able to discuss your work rights upon assessment of your individual circumstances. We do this via our eligibility call service, unfortunately we are unable to provide a free assessment.
Can I include my family members in my visa application?
In most cases, you can include members of your family unit as secondary applicants to your visa application. This includes your spouse or de facto partner, and dependent children. Secondary applicants must also meet all of the relevant health and character requirements.
Is there an age limit to apply for an Australian visa?
This depends on the type of visa being applied for. For example, you generally have to be below 45 years of age to apply for permanent skill based visas. However there are limited circumstances in which an exemption may be granted. For partner visas for example, there is no age limit but the applicant must be 18 years or older when they apply.
How long will it take for my visa to be processed?
Processing times at the Department of Home Affairs largely depend on the type of visa being applied for. Processing times can also be impacted by changes in application volumes, seasonal peaks, incomplete applications, complex cases, and other influences such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Published processing times are usually updated monthly to take into account all of these factors, including the current workload of the Department of Home Affairs.
The Department of Home Affairs’ website indicates two processing times for each of the visa categories, indicating how long it is currently taking to finalise 75 and 90 percent of the visa applications submitted. As part of our application process, we provide estimated current processing times for your particular visa category after an initiation assessment.
Still have questions?
We recognise these things can be complicated, so feel free to contact our support team between 9am - 5pm Monday to Friday to discuss any other questions.
Did you know Airtax also has a number of other services, including ABN and GST registration, and also Business Activity Statement and Income Tax Lodgement?