News: Sammy Naghi Australian Migration specialist, an interview for A Place in the Sun Magazine

Article: A place in the sun Magazine, November 2009

We asked migration agent Sammy Naghi of Taylor Hampton Solicitors what Australia has to offer and how straightforward it is for Brits to migrate there.

See pdf of interview:

Three reasons why Brits move to Australia:
Warmer weather – this is one of the biggest reasons Brits emigrate to Australia. Better economic conditions – Australia has so far avoided entering a full-blown recession and recent statistics show the Australian economy grew by more than expected in the second quarter of 2009. Friendly, English- speaking nation – its desirable, low-cost lifestyle and world-class education and healthcare systems make Australia a very
attractive option for Brits.

The type of person suited to Australia:
The lifestyle offers a much more relaxed vibe compared to the UK, with lots of beaches, coupled with an outdoors-orientated lifestyle. Due to the cut-off age for a lot of visa classes being 45 years, we ’re seeing young to middle- aged working families looking for a better life and opportunities for their children’s future.

The most common visa(s)for Brits:
The most common visas for Brits come from the skilled migration stream. The Employer Sponsored visas and the Skilled Independent visas are the most popular, but the State and Territory Sponsored visas have recently seen a big increase due to the government’s decision in January 2009 to shift processing priorities. The most popular Family visas for Brits are the Partner visas,which are designed for people who are married or in a de facto relationship with an Australian citizen.

Processing times and costs for visas:
Predicting processing times since January 2009 has proven almost impossible. The new priority processing direction gives priority to permanent applications in the following order: 1) Employer Sponsorship, 2) State or Territory Sponsorship, 3) an occupation on the Critical Skills List, 4) an occupation on the Migration and Occupation Demand List, 5) All other applications. Be prepared to wait for anything from 12 months for State Sponsored visas and occupations on the Critical Skills List, and two to three years for all other visa classes. The cost of the visa process varies but be prepared for anything from £4,000-£6,000 in total for a whole family, including legal costs.

Why most unsuccessful visa applications fail:
Australia has a visa system that is complex and legalistic, and each year many applicants fail because they either applied for the wrong visa class, submitted incorrect forms or fees, misunderstood the requirements or supplied insufficient, conflicting or false supporting documentation.

The number of Brits emigrating to Australia each year:
30,590 for 2008-09 – 17.9 per cent of the total Migration programme and up from 28,029 in 2007-2008.

Effect of the current economic slowdown:
The Australian government has reduced planning levels for the skilled migration
stream to 108,100 for 2009-10,compared to 180,540 for 2007-08. While the skilled migration programme is not capped,all parent visas are subject to capping. In 2008 –09 there were 2,000 visa places available worldwide under the parent category and 6,500 places for the contributory parent categories.
Emigrant workers currently in demand: The Migration Occupation in Demand List
(MODL)and the Critical Skills List are both good indicators of this. Accountants,
computing professionals, dentists,engineers, gas-fitters, registered nurses, and secondary school teachers are examples of occupations on both lists.

“We moved to Oz within year” Case Study
The King family decided to migrate to Australia in January 008. They attempted to tackle the visa process themselves, but it proved much harder than they had anticipated. After speaking with several migration agents, they found London-based migration agent Sammy Naghi of Taylor Hampton Solicitors, who looked after their emigration application and made he process much easier. The family made visa application in March and it was granted less han six months later, in September. By January 2009, one year after making heir decision to move down under, the Kings flew one-way to Australia, where hey are now living the life they dreamed of on the beautiful Gold Coast, Queensland.
Sammy Naghi (www.emigrate-to-australia.co.uk) will be exhibiting at A Place in the Sun Live exhibition, from 2nd-4th October at EC Birmingham, where you an learn about emigrating to Australia and other destinations.

Three British hotspots:
Perth remains one of the most popular areas for Brits.It has a population of around 1.5 million,of which 12.5 per cent is made up of British expats. Brisbane has recently
overtaken Perth as the most popular migration destination in Australia and has the fastest-growing population of all Australian cities. Adelaide has seen an increase in popularity over the last couple of years,too. Adelaide house prices are affordable and well below those in Australian mainland capital cities, and the city has diverse job opportunities.

www.aplaceinthesun.com

www.emigrate-to-australia.co.uk

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Registered office: 218 Strand, London WC2R 1AT.