TFS Gulf 
CA Rajat Shah is based in Brisbane, Australia. He is also a CPA Australia He is sharing with us How he applied for his Australia PR Visa. Hope this helps.
He is most active on LinkedIn. To help our readers address their queries we have an FB group – The CA Story Community.
HOW DID I APPLY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN PR
In general, Australia represents a good opportunity for members of the CA fraternity in financial terms as well as in terms of the quality of life.
Accountants with 2 to 4 years of experience in India generally earn a gross remuneration of AUD 60,000 to AUD 80,000 (approx) at the start of their careers in Australia.
While Indian CA is recognized, Indian work experience is not usually considered by Australian employers. Once you have your PR visa, seek.com.au is a good website to apply for relevant jobs.
I am suggesting a few things to make it a little easy for those who are looking to move to Australia:
- Normally I suggest that a person should move to Australia on a Permanent Resident (PR) Visa (189) as it enables them to be eligible for all Government benefits such as Medicare, unemployment benefits, etc. which they will not get on other visa types.
- Additionally, if a student wants to start the migration process while studying here (Australia) these are the following options in my opinion: 1) Complete CA and migrate to Australia on a student visa. Study fees may range from AUD 20,000 – AUD 50,000 p.a. depending on the course of study and the educational institution. These are in addition to the visa fees. 2) Complete CA and migrate to Australia (on PR visa). It is preferable if you have relevant work experience (articleship is not considered as work experience). Normal visa fees apply or enhanced greatly.
- Indian CA is recognized in Australia and completing CPA is not mandatory.
- Australian PR system is point-based: They give you a score, based on multiple parameters. The higher points you score, the earlier you get your PR. Scoring is based on your age, your proficiency in English, your educational qualification, your work experience, etc. For accounting, the minimum score required is 60.
Brief process of getting a PR
- Clear academic IELTS with a minimum score of 7 bands in each module. Currently, you can appear for different exams such as PTE (Pearson Test of English Academic) or TOEFL. This is not restricted to IELTS only as was the case 2 years ago.
- Apply for skill assessment for your chosen occupation. The list of eligible occupations is available online and based on your educational qualification, the authority assessing your skills will vary.
- Apply for experience assessment for your chosen occupation. This is optional, but it is recommended as this increases your score.
- Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) with the Australian Immigration Authorities using your Skill Select account. The EOI is quite comprehensive and contains numerous details to be submitted regarding your educational qualification and your work experience.
- Once your EOI is accepted, you get an invite for submitting your application for Permanent Residency. The application has to be submitted within 60 days from the date on which your EOI gets accepted.
- Complete your Medical test and Police Clearance Certificate. While you can wait for the authorities to ask for these two documents, it is advisable to upload it when you submit your application.
- Submit any additional information as requested by the Immigration authorities
- The final decision on your visa is communicated to you within a pre-defined time frame, depending on the visa category.
- The entire process is online and may take approximately up to 12-18 months. The documentation requirements are extensive but manageable.
- The approximate cost comes to INR 300,000 for one person(including all the incidental expenses like IELTS fees, MARA agent charges, Xerox charges, certification charges, etc.).
Before you start the process, it is better to visit the Australian immigration website and understand which occupation suits you the best. Here is the link to the website: Pathways to Permanent Residency – he concluded
