Let’s talk about common and differences in immigration in Canada and Australia.
Immigration to Canada and Australia – what do they have in common?
Both Canada and Australia state that has historically formed precisely through immigration. Despite the similarities in immigration programs, there are differences such as climate and geographic location, which play an important role in choosing a country for immigration.
British roots
Moreover, Canada and Australia are former British dominions, have common political and cultural roots, and are now members of the British Commonwealth. Both countries are part of an unofficial union of five English-speaking countries – the USA, Canada, UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Moreover, The state language is English there.
Immigration programs
Canada and Australia have had skilled immigration admissions programs for decades. They allow those who speak English, have a good education and work experience in the desired specialty, to count on receiving an immigration visa (a permanent residence is a permanent place of residence). In the United States and Great Britain, as of 2018, visas for professionals are not provided, and in New Zealand, although the program exists, it is practically unattainable for Russian citizens due to difficult criteria.
The conditions for participation in the Canada Immigration and Australian Immigration programs are very similar. You need to have a good command of English, which must be confirmed by the presence of an IELTS certificate (without this, documents will not be accepted for consideration). And you also need to be of working age, have education and experience in the profession, not have a criminal history and diseases that affect the ability to work.
Submission of documents for permanent residence in Australia is made only at the invitation of the Department of Migration. This system is called SkillSelect. To have a chance to receive this invitation, you must first apply online and wait: there is no guarantee of receiving an invitation. To apply online, you need two things: have an IELTS score of at least 6 and have a proven qualification. In Canada, a similar system called Express Entry has been introduced since 2015.
Getting Citizenship
Comparatively short terms for obtaining citizenship. In Canada, you can apply for citizenship after three years of residence in the country with permanent resident status, in Australia – after four. Both countries recognize the institution of dual citizenship, that is, they do not require renunciation of the previous citizenship.
Immigration to Canada and Australia – what’s the difference?
In Australia, before applying for immigration, you must go through a qualification confirmation procedure from one of the Australian appraisal organizations. The Canadian immigration scheme, unlike the Australian one, only requires confirmation of the diploma (that is, the curriculum of a university in Russia or another country is compared with the corresponding counterparts for the same profession in Canada).
Canadians do not evaluate seniority at this stage. Australians, on the other hand, require confirmation of exact qualifications, that is, the totality of education and skills acquired in the course of employment. Also, individual professional communities in Australia can confirm qualifications only based on a diploma (no seniority) or only based on seniority (without a diploma or with a non-core diploma).
Requirements for physical presence in the country (after obtaining permanent residence)
Do not forget that permanent residence in Canada or Australia is not yet citizenship, it is a conditional status, albeit an unlimited one. In order not to lose the status of a permanent resident of Canada, it is enough to be in the country for at least two cumulative years out of every five. That is, for three years out of these five years, a permanent resident can be outside the territory of Canada without the threat of deprivation of status.
At the same time, it has an unlimited right at any time to leave and return to the country without special permits. In Australia, for the holder of permanent residence to leave the territory with the opportunity to return, it is required to obtain special permission to return.
Benefit arises
In Canada, the right to benefits arises after 6 months of stay in the country, and even in the case when the newly arrived immigrant has not found a job, that is, has not worked in Canada for a single day. In Australia, again, the situation is more severe, and the right to benefits arises after two years of residence in the country.
Outcome
Choosing a country for immigration is a complex process. Both Canada and Australia have positive and negative traits. Both countries are worthy of relocation and have a long migration history. However, your work will play a decisive role in the movie. If we talk about professional immigration, then Canada is simpler to move. In the case of climate, Australia is the undisputed winner here.