More and more people want to immigrate to Australia. The Government sets a yearly target migration intake with a balance of different areas: skills, family, refugee/humanitarian. This balance is influenced by population and skills trends, and with the current skilled worker shortage and a rapidly aging population, the Government has a strong policy to decrease family intake and increase skills and business skills intakes.

Australia has much to offer would-be migrants: year-round sunshine, a lot of space for a healthy outdoor lifestyle, a high level of home ownership and a strong and growing economy. It's not surprising then that the country has a sophisticated migration system to deal with the number of applications it receives. So do you qualify for immigration to Australia? Which class should you apply under? What conditions do you need to satisfy? We hope the following answers your questions.

Essentially, Australia grants permanent residence visas under four main streams; Skills, Family, Business and Humanitarian. Under each stream there is a range of visa classes and the key is to select the right class according to your personal situation. The fifth option is to apply for a temporary residence visa.

Skills

The skilled stream is divided into several classes including the Skilled Independent class (the most popular class, sometimes known as the 'points system') and the Skilled Australian-Sponsored class. To qualify, you or your partner must be:

- Under the age of 45.
- Proficient in English.
- In an occupation on the 'skilled occupation list' (a list containing literally hundreds of approved occupations. You can see this list at www.dimia.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1121i.pdf)
- Have at least 12 months (24 months for some occupations) of recent work experience.