Getting a visa to Australia from the United Kingdom has never been easier. You hear about how much Australians pay for their healthcare and how easy it is to buy or rent property in Sydney and Melbourne, but moving there can be an expensive move. Many of you who have thought about moving to Australia have asked yourself whether there is a way to save money on your visa application without jeopardising your chances of being granted the visa.

If you are someone who has decided to settle down in Australia, then you can be sure that every step that you take from now onwards will be a decision where you will have to make the call.Getting an Australian visa is no different from anything else that you have done till now.

The Australian immigration rules determining who can migrate to Australia and become an Australian citizen continue to change and evolve. This has created a great deal of confusion for those considering Australia as their new country of residence.

Apply for indefinite leave to remain (‘settlement’)

You may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain if you’ve spent 5 years in the UK on a UK Ancestry visa.

Indefinite leave to remain is how you settle in the UK. It’s also called ‘settlement’. It gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and apply for benefits if you’re eligible. You can use it to apply for British citizenship.

Eligibility

You can apply for indefinite leave to remain if you’ve spent 5 continuous years in the UK on an Ancestry visa.

In most cases you must have spent no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 month period.

If you think you’re affected by this rule, find out how to calculate your time in the UK (‘continuous residence’).

You must also prove you:

• have enough money to support yourself and your dependants
• can, and plan to, work in the UK
• are still a Commonwealth citizen

If you’re not eligible with an Ancestry visa, there are other ways to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

Knowledge of language and life in the UK

If you’re 18 to 64 you must also:

• book and pass the Life in the UK Test
• meet the English language requirements by having an English qualification with at least level B1 in speaking and listening or a degree taught or researched in English

There are some circumstances where you do not have to meet the English language requirement, for example you’re a citizen of a country which is exempt.