If you’re relocating to Australia, you’ll be considering how and when to send your money across. Knowing when to send your money to Australia can help maximise your dollars.
We work with Halo Financial, an award-winning UK foreign exchange brokerage. Halo simplify the currency exchange market to save you time and money. Keep reading to see their latest GBP/AUD exchange rate update.
GBP/AUD exchange rate
GBP/AUD Exchange Rate
The GBP/AUD rate is $1.91 (at the time of writing). This level has only been reached twice very briefly in the last 3 years, so if you are transferring money from GBP to AUD, you may want to consider taking advantage of this level NOW.
Speak to our Foreign Currency Partner Halo Financial, to find out more about GBP/AUD currency movements, rates and options available to help you to achieve the best possible rate within your time frame.
Has the Australian lifestyle lost its appeal? We look at a recent expat survey to find out.
The Expat Survey
The Expat Insider 2022 Survey interviewed nearly 12,000 people. The aim was to find out what life is like as an expat in countries across the world. Deciding factors included ease of settling in, job opportunities, the environment and more.
Australia continues to be a popular choice for expats. At Visa Go Australia, we’ve helped thousands of families move to Australia over the past 20 years.
The Australian lifestyle according to expats
The top reasons people relocate to another country are for work and a better lifestyle. So, is the Australian lifestyle delivering what expats are searching for?
The Australian Lifestyle – Spend less time working, and more time living!
The work-life balance
Yes! Australia scores highly in the Expat Insider 2022 Survey, most notably for work opportunities and lifestyle. According to research, 72% of Australian expats are satisfied with their job. Those surveyed also praised Australia for its good work-life balance. Did you know that Australians have the shortest working week?
The general lifestyle
The Australian lifestyle – Sunshine is good for the soul!
Australia is famously known as a sporting nation, and this is something expats enjoy. 88% of expats surveyed were happy with Australia’s leisure options. This includes sporting and recreational activities. If you’re searching for a better lifestyle, Australia has a lot to offer.
Lastly, we couldn’t write this post without mentioning the Australian weather! Nearly all of Australia enjoys high sunshine hours, with Perth being Australia’s sunniest major city. According to expats, Australia’s weather and natural environment are primary reasons for their contentment. 85% of expats surveyed said they viewed Australia’s air quality positively.
The verdict on the Australian lifestyle
If you’re moving to Australia in search for a better lifestyle, then you’re on the right track! Australia continues to score highly on lifestyle factors such as a work-life balance. It also boasts a clean environment and an abundance of recreational opportunities.
If you’re considering moving to Australia, you can contact us to discover your visa options for free. We are a team of experienced professionals and migration agents. Best of luck on your journey!
https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/alvin-balemesa-lJstr7OYCoM-unsplash-scaled.jpg8001200Kimberley Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngKimberley Chatt2022-10-07 06:07:022022-10-07 06:08:37The Australian Lifestyle
Does simply having family in Australia make you eligible for a visa? At Visa Go Australia we’re often asked about family sponsored visas. After all, Australia is a migrant nation and every knows someone who lives there.
So, can family sponsor me to live in Australia? I talked to Migration Agent Darren Chatt to find the answer.
Family Living In Australia
Australia is a multicultural nation, with 30% of its population born overseas. In 2020, more than 7.6 million people living in Australia were born overseas. (ABS 2021). Therefore, it’s no surprise that many wannabe migrants have family living in Australia.
The 491 visa allows applicants up to 5 years of living and working in regional Australia. Moreover, this visa type provides a pathway to permanent residency.
If you wish to live and work in Australia, then you can use an eligible family member to sponsor you.
A family member can provide sponsorship under the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (subclass 491). This means you must first be eligible for a skilled visa; simply having a family member in Australia does not make you eligible for a visa.
Australia’s skilled visas are based around an occupation list and points system. These visas are designed to attract young skilled workers into the country. The basic criteria for a skilled visa can be seen on our dedicated webpage. You can calculate your skilled visa points and determine if you require sponsorship here.
As an applicant you must meet the skilled visa criteria. Additionally, you must nominate an occupation on the MLTSSL (Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List).
491 Family Sponsored Visa Process
To apply for a skilled visa, you must first secure a positive skills assessment and English Test. Following this, applicants should lodge an EOI (Expression of Interest) to register their interest in emigrating to Australia. It is at this stage you will nominate a family member to sponsor you.
If your EOI is successful, you will be invited to apply for a skilled visa and given 60 days to lodge. Lodging an EOI does not guarantee a skilled visa, and if uninvited will expire after two years. Medical and character checks are completed and uploaded following visa lodgement.
Benefits of family sponsorship
If you are eligible for a skilled visa, you can use family sponsorship to gain an extra 15 points towards your application. Generally, the more points the better for skilled visas as competition is high. Using a family member to sponsor you may be the difference in securing a skilled visa and not.
Secondly, family sponsored visas are subject to regular invitation rounds via SkillSelect. This is beneficial because it’s easier to predict when you may receive an invitation. In comparison, state sponsorship visas (subclass 190 and 491) are invited sporadically depending on state demand.
Finally, SkillSelect publish invitation round results so you can see how many points are realistically required. For example, at the time of writing the last invitation issued was to an application lodged in January 2022 with 80 points.
If you want to live in Australia, then a family sponsored skilled visa could be for you. You can complete our free visa assessment to discover your points and visa options. Moreover, you can book a visa consultation with our Migration Agent for just £60.
https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/beach-family-scaled.jpg16362560Kimberley Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngKimberley Chatt2022-07-14 16:09:422022-07-14 16:09:42Can family sponsor me to live in Australia?
Moving to another country can be daunting for any adult, but let’s not forget about the children. For them, the idea of starting anew can seem scary! At Visa Go Australia we’ve helped many families move to Australia. Moreover, our Migration Agent has also emigrated with young children. Below, we look at helping your child make the move to Australia.
Helping your child make the move to Australia
As a parent, you will need to find some time, (in between everything else that the move throws at you!), to focus on assisting your children with settling in to their new surroundings. It can be quite an upheaval for any child, from toddler to teenager, and the demands on your support mechanisms may be tested. Rest assured though, that children and very resilient, and it shouldn’t take long for them to make new friends and find new interests.
Australia boasts a friendly and inclusive environment for children, and younger children settle in very quickly. They are quick to move on to new friendships and are keen to be involved in new adventures. Early years and primary school classes offer a bounty of new friendships, as do local activity groups and playgrounds. Get involved. Be open to change. Embrace the positives.
A starting point
Some tips on helping your child make the move to Australia:
Check out your local Library. These offer a mountain of information about what is going on in your local area. Playgroups, art and craft classes, activity groups, Guides and Scouts, seasonal activities and celebrations – the list is endless. The librarian will have information and contact details for most things.
Arrange a visit to your nearest playgroup and to any of the other groups your child may be interested in. If they are already involved in Brownies, Guides, Cubs or Scouts, arrange for them to visit their local group. This way they will be meeting local children who share similar interests. They could bring their own uniform and achievement badges, as points of interest.
Consider joining a sports team. Australia is a sporting nation. In 2017, 3.5 million children (74%) participated at least once in some form of organised sport or physical activity outside of school hours over the past 12 months. (AusSport 2018)
Young teenagers
Finding mates when they’re at school will all depend upon how sociable your child is. Encouraging them to join sporting and social clubs is the first positive step. The school will have their own sports teams and special interest clubs, and they will be able to advise your child of other options outside of the school.
Encourage your child to invite some of their new classmates around. This is a good way for you to meet them and get to know about their own family.
Create regular activity patterns for the weekend. An afternoon movie, trip to the beach or swimming pool, a local sporting fixture – anything that involved them meeting up with friends and participating in wholesome socialising.
Older teens
This is the tough crowd, with strong friendships already established and maybe even love interests. Getting them on board with the move can be a momentous task in itself.
Thankfully, social media enables them to keep in close contact with their mates, and even facilitate them meeting their new friends.
Encourage outdoor social activities and sports. The beach is always a popular place for older teenagers to meet, as are sporting events and concerts. Alternatively, there are hiking and camping, caving and extreme activities. Here they will meet like-minded people.
A weekend and/or holiday job is another great opportunity for your teenager to meet new people and make friends. The added benefit is that they will appreciate the value of earning their own spending money!
Enjoy family time doing things that your older children appreciate. They need to feel important and often take more support than their younger siblings.
If you are a regular church goer, local churches in your area are a good source of friendship and support, for you and your children. Many have Sunday School and family services, as well as holiday activities to keep children active and supported if parents are working or simply need a break.
https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/family-beach-couple-scaled.jpg17072560Kimberley Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngKimberley Chatt2022-05-16 15:56:122022-05-16 15:56:12Helping your child make the move to Australia
Today the National Cabinet met to provide an Australia covid update, including revised policies affecting international arrivals. As Australia tries to suppress the Covid-19 virus, the recent Sydney outbreak and vaccine rollout were also deliberated.
An overview of the policy changes are outlined below. You can read the full media statement on the Government website.
Changes to international arrivals
Passenger Arrivals
All airlines have been informed that international air passenger arrival caps will be temporarily halved by 14 July 2021.
By 12.01am Wednesday 14 July 2021, the following arrangements will apply until 11.59pm Tuesday 31 August 2021:
New South Wales – 1,505 per week (215 per day);
Queensland – 650 per week (including surge capacity);
Victoria – 500 per week;
South Australia – 265 per week; and
Western Australian – 265 per week.
After 31 August 2021 these numbers will be reviewed and decided in accordance with the current Covid climate.
Facilitated commercial flights
The number of facilitated commercial flights (FCFs) into Darwin for quarantine have been increased. To support returning Australians to access flights, 29 FCFs are being arranged for July and August. Registered Australians in the UK will be contacted directly by the High Commission about these flights.
Vaccine and quarantine status
Vaccination status declaration
The Commonwealth will update the Australian Travel Declaration (ATD) from 16 July 2021 to include information on inbound arrivals vaccination status. This will include date, country, brand and dose of COVID-19 vaccination.
Home quarantine arrangements
National Cabinet agreed to commence National Cabinet pilots of home quarantine for fully vaccinated travelers who had been vaccinated in Australia, with an Australian approved vaccination, arriving from low and medium risk countries.
Under the trial, fully vaccinated travelers will still have to spend two weeks in quarantine, but at their residence. The Government is hopeful this will take pressure off the hotel quarantine system.
South Australia has committed to commence the first trial, however there is no definite timeframe as to when this will start.
If you require visa advice you can book a consultation with our licensed Migration Agent.
https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/travel-scaled.jpg17072560Kimberley Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngKimberley Chatt2021-07-09 16:38:092021-08-12 15:37:23Australia Covid Update – Revised flight caps and home quarantine trials
COVID-19 almost brought the world to a halt, and it has had the same effect on Australian visa applications. Australian visas are still being processed, however it is evident that the current global pandemic is having some impact.
The MIA (Migration Institute of Australia) and its members are the authority and benchmark for informed, trusted and respected migration practice and leadership. Visa Go Australia’s licensed Migration Agent Darren Chatt MARN:0211214 is a long-standing MIA member.
Last month the MIA surveyed its members on visa processing trends during COVID-19. “The purpose of collecting this data is to obtain a clearer understanding of the characteristics of application grants or refusals and permission to enter Australia requests for the information of MIA members,” the MIA said.
The number of responses MIA received was relatively low, so it is not possible to state that these results represent processing trends. However, the data is useful in providing insight during this current time.
Key findings from MIA survey:
Processing has slowed and more onshore applications are being granted than offshore (a rate of 5:1).
Critical sector occupations are being prioritised onshore.
Case Officers appear to be issuing more ‘requests for further information’ in relation to employer-sponsored applications, checking that roles are still necessary in the current climate.
Members report that employer-sponsored 482, 186 and 187 are being granted more frequently than other subclasses, even though fewer are coming through than earlier in the year.
At the moment, 801 partner visas are the second most frequently granted visa type.
Practitioners have seen a small number of 491 and 489 visa approvals for onshore applicants.
There are reports of subclass 500 and 485 approvals coming through for onshore applicants.
‘Registered Nurse’ is the occupation that has seen the largest number of grants.
Furthermore, these key findings are representative of what we are seeing here at Visa Go Australia; applications are being processed but at a slower rate. We have also seen more movement with onshore visa applications. Since COVID heightened in March/April we have still been receiving skilledvisa grants.
Additional factors which may have slowed down progression of visas include:
English testing centres closed – Many applicants must sit an English language test, for reasons such as gaining extra points toward their skilled application, or to simply meet the English language requirements. COVID created mass closures of testing centres, meaning English tests for immigration purposes have been temporarily suspended.
Panel Physicians closures – For many Australian visas, applicants must undergo a medical examination. As a result of COVID-19 forcing healthcare facilities to close, applicants have been unable to complete their medical examinations during lockdown which has caused delays. Fortunately, we are now seeing this change – some of our clients have even had their appointments brought forward.
Priority given to onshore applications – Whilst Australian borders remain closed, it is understandable that priority is given to applicants onshore. It makes little sense for Case Officers to grant offshore visas with short validity entry dates when applicants are unable to enter the country. However, offshore visa applications are still be processed.
The Department of Home Affairs practising safe work environments – The Department must create safe working practices by setting employees up to work from home and implementing social distancing measures for essential office-based staff. Understandably, this can impact productivity and therefore how quickly visas can be processed.
If you are planning to start your Australian visa journey, then there is nothing to stop you from proceeding. Applications are open, and the sooner you join the queue, the closer you will be to having your visa. We also anticipate that once Australia’s borders open again, there will be a surge in demand for visas. COVID will cause implications in applying for your Australian visa, however with professional guidance and a lot of patience, we are confident that migration to Australia is still achievable.
https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/travel-scaled.jpg17072560Darren Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngDarren Chatt2020-06-10 12:12:142020-06-12 09:18:30How is COVID-19 impacting Australian visa applications?
Excellent5.0★★★★★ Based on 26 reviews from review us onAmz Kirkpatrick ★★★★★ I Cannot thank Sue and the team at Visa go enough!!!
Sue made our whole process stress free.
We honesty could not have done it all with out knowledge and support.
I have already been recommending visa go to friends who are looking to start the process.
Thank you so much again!!!Tina Deveney ★★★★★ We just completed our Visa process with Visa Go. From start to finish, everything was clearly communicated, prompt and efficient. Sue was a dream to deal with and thoroughly checked over all of our documents ensuring that everything was of the exacting standards of the Australian Government. We could not have completed process without Sue. Thank you once again for all of your help.Millie Dale ★★★★★ Cannot thank Sue enough for all her help and guidance in obtaining our 190 visa. Every step of the way was well explained and we got our visa granted with no hiccups along the way. Thankyou so much again sueIngrid Jansen van Vuuren ★★★★★ 5 stars are not enough to thank Sue for the amazing work that she has done on our behalf! Apart from the fact that she is super thorough and knowledgable, she is also incredibly kind and understanding of the pressure and anxiety that her clients experience throughout their immigration journey. Today she went over and above her scope of duties by going into the office super early, just in case we could make a cut off (we were awaiting skills assessment results) and because of her dedication we got really lucky and managed to take up a great opportunity just in the nick of time! Sue, there aren't enough words in the world to describe how grateful we are for everything that you have done for us.Gemma Bee ★★★★★ Visa Go have been really supportive and knowledgeable in terms of the process. Sue Tempany is really knowledgable and responsive to any questions. I would fully recommend visa go. Swift service!Lindsay Woolston ★★★★★ Our process started with an initial conversation with Darren, before we were assigned our emigration agent Sue. The visa process itself is quite complicated, and I don’t know how we’d have even attempted to do this on our own!
Sue was amazing throughout, keeping us updated each step of the way, and providing detailed guidance at the start of each stage, which enabled us to start preparing and collating everything needed for the next part when the time came. Sue’s replies to the many emails that I've sent her way over the course of this process, were always prompt and patient, and nothing ever seemed to much trouble. Sue’s experience and understanding of the processes, timelines and the strict format in which things had to be done, meant that she was able to advise us and provide guidelines, which meant that when we submitted each stage, we were not having to worry about delays due to incomplete applications.
18 months on from that initial meeting - we have now been living and working in Australia for 8 months, and have recently changed onto a permanent visa.
We are extremely glad that we chose to work with Visa Go, and want to say a massive thank you to Sue, Darren and the team for all of their support and assistance throughout.Amy Lavelle ★★★★★ Visa Go have been amazing from day one in supporting us with our visa application for moving to Australia. Sue was our case officer and has been so patient in answering all of our questions and providing updates along the way. Having someone who we trusted to take care of the process really took the pressure off. The communication is excellent. We were granted our 491 visa yesterday morning!!! We will be using Visa Go when the time comes to apply for our permanent residency 191 🎉☀️Callum Davidson ★★★★★ This was one of the most difficult challenges of my life to obtain a regional skilled migration visa for Australia. There were so many obstacles and hurdles to jump due to Covid lockdown and a race against ageism rules of turning 45. I certainly could not have done this without the help of visa go! Managed to secure an Invitation to apply from the Australian Government and with the assistance of my wonderful agent managed to fast track my ITA four days before my birthday! Never give up on your dreams. I now have my visa that can lead to PR thanks to Visa Go! You guys were awesome and really appreciate your help. ☺️Ashley Fleming ★★★★★ I can’t thank Kimberley and Darren enough for all the time, effort and support they gave us whilst going through our visa process. They answered any and all questions and made such a daunting undertaking much less stressful with all their advice and guidance. Would highly recommend!Darren Castle ★★★★★ After 4 1/2 years since our first contact with Visa Go Australia, and just over 3 years since starting our process with them, our visa has finally been granted and I cannot thank Sue and Darren enough! We had a very complex skill assessment stage but without Sue helping us with what we had to do, it wouldn’t of been possible without her. I highly recommend using Visa Go if you’re ready to start your journey to Australia or anywhere else, they have made our dreams come true! Thank you Sue, Darren and Kimberley 😁Chris Lobb ★★★★★ I would highly recommend visa go. Darren always took the time to answer any questions and help me through the process. Within weeks he had my partner visa submitted and now I have my permanent residency! I couldn’t thank Darren and the team enough 👍Rosie Whitmarsh ★★★★★ Visa Go Australia are experts in their field. My case officer, Sue, has been very professional and knowledgeable throughout the process providing great customer service, from providing the documents required to promptly replying to all queries. So, to Darren, Kimberley and Sue, thank you all for your support to achieve my Visa.Lesley Botschuyver ★★★★★ Good and efficient services, clear information on what documents to provide and quick answers to my questions. Got two visas approved with Kimberleys help 😊.Rebecca Wolody ★★★★★ Visa Go Australia provided amazing service when applying for a partner visa. They provide great support and advice throughout the process to ensure your application is done perfectly. Kimberley was always very patient answering my questions, and following up on things I missed. I would highly recommend Visa Go to anyone applying for an Australian visa.Sam Hodson ★★★★★ Visa Go were fantastic at helping me secure my partner visa . The whole process was very simple and well explained - and I got the permanent residency after only a few months which was amazing. Kimberley was very helpful and supportive throughout the process and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to anyone!Mary Pegasiou ★★★★★ Kimberley and Darren helped myself and my partner with our Australian residencies and we couldn’t be happier. Even through lockdown Kimberley was attentive and on the ball at all times, my visa process took no time at all! I’ve already recommended friends to visa go as they truly know what they are doing and are there to help and make the process as straight forward as possible. Highly recommend!!!Jake Forrest ★★★★★ I used Visa Go to apply for my Partner Visa and I have been super impressed with the service and turnaround time. Kimberley was very thorough with her communication and kept us updated through out the whole process. I can’t recommend the service enough!Ross Findlay ★★★★★ My agent with Visa go was Kimberley Chatt. She was fantastic the whole way through. Always had very professional and prompt responses whenever I had a query. I felt like she went above and beyond to help me understand each step of the process. I now have my permanent partner visa in Australia and couldn't be happier. She turned what can often be a long arduous ordeal into a streamlined easy process. I would highly recommend this agency to anyone looking to immigrate to Australia. Thanks again Kimberley!Samantha Mills ★★★★★ My Husband and I used Visa Go Australia to support us through our Visa process. Our Visa advisor was Sue, Sue was great from start to finish, always so helpful and replied to our emails and calls so quickly. Our visa process took 11 months (as expected for the visa we applied for) and Sue kept us on track and up to date all the time, extremely organised and always happy to help and provide us with her support. I highly recommend Visa Go Australia, we couldn't imagine trying to go through this process without Sues help and guidance. Samantha MillsLorna Balfour ★★★★★ Visa Go provided an excellent service. They were professional, helpful and efficient throughout the visa process and Sue, my designated migration agent, always had words of encouragement to help deal with the tedium of the paperwork. I am a professional and I thought using a migration agent was probably unnecessary. I thought I could manage the paperwork process myself. However, it quickly became clear to me that an agent's assistance was very necessary. Visa Go's knowledge was invaluable and I have no hesitation in recommending their services.Lisa Garside ★★★★★ Using Visa Go Australia was the BEST decision we made when planning for our move to Australia. My husband is British and needed an offshore 309 spouse visa. Sue made our life so much easier supporting us every step of the way. I was impressed with her knowledge, every question I had was answered quickly and with confidence. There is a huge amount of time and effort your agent does in the background so that you don't have to. I always felt like a priority and that I was in the safe hands of an expert. Not to mention how kind and friendly the agents are. I would highly recommend this company to anyone - 5 star service!John Docherty ★★★★★ Amazing Darren and deanne changed our lives helping us Emmigrate to a new country.Chaz Manning ★★★★★ Visa Go Australia were integral in getting our visas granted, without them the whole process would have been so difficult for us to get everything right, they were always so happy to help no matter how silly the question. They split the process up in to manageable chunks and made sure that we were always ready for the next step which really minimised the stress of it all. Can't thank Darren and Kimberley enough. Calam, Charlie and RoryJonas Forshaw ★★★★★ Me and my partner Cynthia have successfully been granted our partner visa for Australia and could definitely not have done it without all of the never ending help from Sue. Any visa process is always stressful, yet they helped so much with any problems we had along the way. I can't recommend this company enough! If you're worried about applying for a visa, you can rest assured that with their experience and knowledge, partnered with how lovely they always are even with the smallest of questions that you will be having your visa granted in no time with minimal stress! Thank so much for all your help! Jonas & CynthiaVictoria Pullinger ★★★★★ We were recently granted a PR Visa and the work that Sue puts in in the background is commendable. Darren and Sue have been great to work with over the last 2 years and we were kept up to date the whole way. I would highly recommend anyone applying for a visa to do it through them. They made sure we had all the information at every step of they way and nothing was ever a problem if I called or emailed. Thank you so much to all of the team! Denny, Victoria and Caitlyn
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Teachers migrating to Australia are required to complete a teacher skills assessment through the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). The AITSL will need to assess your qua...
https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IMG_2814.jpeg15362048Kimberley Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngKimberley Chatt2023-11-17 03:49:392023-11-17 03:49:39An update from Visa Go Australia
https://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/beach-peppermint-grove-2-scaled.jpg1200900Kimberley Chatthttps://visa-go.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/logo-new.pngKimberley Chatt2023-08-24 06:38:322023-08-24 06:38:32WA State Sponsorship Program re-opened 2023-24
