Top Choice for Skilled Worker Immigration: Canada or Australia?

If you are a skilled worker seeking to immigrate overseas then Canada and Australia are the top choices for you. You will have to weigh several factors prior to deciding to Apply for Canada PR Visa or Apply for Australia PR Visa. The chief among them is the immigration system.

Here is a brief comparison of the immigration programs of Canada and Australia to help you decide the best option for your overseas immigration.

Overview of Skilled Worker Programs

The two popular skilled worker immigration programs are:

•         Canada – Federal Skilled Worker Program
•         Australia –  Subclass 189 Skilled Autonomous Visa

Both immigration programs are aim at new immigrants having skilled work experience. Neither of them mandates that applicants possess a connection to the nation in the form of a job offer, or educational or work experience. It implies that both immigration programs are excellent options for highly qualify overseas skill workers.

FSWP and Subclass 189 Program both offer pathways to Permanent Resident status. They authorize the immigrants to exit and enter the nation innumerable times with evident pathways to Citizenship. Likewise, both programs have adopted a points-based system to assess eligibility and choose applicants.

Basic Requirements for Immigration

Canada’s FSWP requires applicants to possess a minimum of 12 months of skilled, paid, full-time work experience. Any employment experience in TEER Level 3, 2, 1, or 0 under NOC – National Occupational Classification is consider skilled work experience.

Correspondingly, Subclass 189 Visa requires applicants to demonstrate their eligibility to work in any of the eligible occupations for the program. Department of Home Affairs maintains a List of Skilled Independent Occupations that specifies all the eligible occupations for the Subclass 189 Visa.

For qualifying, the applicants have to obtain an assessment report from the authorized Assessing Agency specified in the SIOL. This proves their eligibility to practice that profession in Australia. If the occupation of the applicant is not include in the list or they do not have a report from the appropriate assessing authority, then such applicants are not qualified for the program.

Comparison of Points System

Both Subclass 189 and FSWP have adopted a system of points for determining the eligibility of applicants for immigration. The allocation of points is according to the profile of the candidates based on factors such as their age, education, language proficiency, work experience, and other unique aspects.  For FSWP minimum of 67 points from 100 are required to qualify and for Subclass 189 Visa 60 from 135 points are required.

Application Process

FSWP

Express Entry System consists of 3 economic immigration programs and FSWP is one of them. Applicants who secure the 67 points can create a profile in the system under FSWP. This profile is an EOI – Expression of Interest of the candidate and indicates their interest in immigration to Canada.

Eligible candidates are allocated a score after the creation of a profile as per the CRS – Comprehensive Ranking System.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada holds a selection draw in the Express Entry pool of candidates once in roughly 14 days. It offers Invitations to Apply for a Canada PR Visa to candidates with the highest CRS scores. Successful candidates get Permanent Resident status inclusive of family members included in the application.

Subclass 189 Visa

The application process for a Skilled Independent Subclass 189 Visa is identical to the Express Entry System. Qualified candidates who secure the 60 points have to first file an EOI under the online Skill Select System.

Australia unlike Canada does not have a two-level system of points. It only has a single-level points system used for ranking eligible candidates. DHA offers ITAs roughly twice every month. Applicants having the EOIs with the highest rankings get the ITAs. In case of a tie in score, a candidate whose profile was filed earlier is offered priority.

EOIs in Skill Select have a validity of 24 months. If an applicant does not get ITA within this period then their EOI expires.

You must note here that the occupation ceiling is annually determine for Subclass 189 Visa by DHA. All qualified occupations are offered a fixed number of allocations. Once the allocation is exhaust, no other applicants will get ITA under that occupation until the fresh fiscal year commences.

Applicants who get the ITA have sixty days to file a formal application for Australia PR Visa. Those who are successful get the PR status along with family members include in the application. So don’t wit apply now.

Application Processing Times & Cost

Canada has an edge in terms of both immigration application processing times and cost. The cost of an application under FSWP is CAD 1365 for every adult applicant and an extra CAD 230 for each child. However, you must also be aware of other costs incurre that are incurre for the immigration process through the Express Entry System.

The Subclass 189 Visa application cost is CAD 3800 for the primary applicant CAD 2330 for the partner or spouse and CAD 960 for the dependent kid. Similar to FSWP, applicants must also be prepare for extra costs like postage, documentation, etc.

The Express Entry System of Canada has speedier application processing times and aims to process 80% of all FSWP immigration applications within 6 months or less. DHA states that 75% of all Subclass 189 Visa applications are process in 8 months. So don’t wit apply now.

You must note that for both Canada and Australia, the application processing times can fluctuate. It is advisable to confirm current processing times at the time of your application.

To conclude, you must assess your unique circumstances while making a choice between Canada and Australia for a PR Visa. So go ahead and make the right choice.

To apply for Canada PR Visa or Australia PR Visa contact Immigration Experts at Nationwide Visas.