An amazing and peaceful country with breathtaking landscapes, climate, and a top-notch education system. Australia has managed to claim its position as one of the top destinations for migration in the world. Australia’s foundation was built from migrants, and it got a big share of its population from natural growth and foreign migration. The welcoming nature of this country has brought many immigrants with diverse cultural backgrounds, making it easier for new migrants and visitors to adapt and feel like they are at home.
Now the question that rises for older people that tend to move to Australia is can they still make the move if they’re above a certain age? What are their options and how long will the process take? These are some of the questions that we will be answering in this article to help ease your decision-making process. One thing to keep in mind is that some of these visas can be very costly. So it’s recommended that you also talk to immigration experts and get their professional advice on your case.
Age limit
The first thing you should know about Australian visas is that most of them have an age limit of 44, which means that if you are older you will not be able to apply for them. But do not worry because we are going to provide you with alternative options for people over the age of 45. Even though the country has a much higher demand for younger migrants there are still ways for you to move to Australia. Here are the visas that you can apply for:
- Parent Visas
- Business Innovation Stream (Provisional) Visa
- Business Talent Visa
- Global Talent Visa
Parent Visas
These visas are available to you if you are a parent to an Australian citizen, resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen:
Parent visa (subclass 103): You must apply as someone who is retired.
Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa: To apply for this visa you will need an approved Parent Sponsor.
Aged Parent visa (subclass 804): You must be old enough in order to receive the age pension in Australia. You must also have a child living in Australia and ready yourself to wait in line for the approval of your visa. At the moment, the wait time for this visa is around 30 years. But the good thing is that the cost is more affordable compared to the contributory parent visa. Currently, the visa application charges are a little over $4000.
Contributory Aged Parent visas (subclasses 864 and 884): You must have a child living in Australia, and you must be around 66 years old in order to receive the Australian age pension. For the Contributory Aged Parent visa, you must pay higher visa processing fees. But in return, you will have a faster processing time for your visa. The visa application costs are currently around $50000. If you apply for the temporary version of this visa you will be able to split the cost into two parts, making it easier for you to pay. This will spread the costs of the Contributory Aged Parent visa over two years.
Contributory Parent visas (subclasses 143 and 173): To apply for the 143 parent visa and the 173 parent visa you must apply as someone who is retired.
Meeting the balance-of-family test and having a sponsor to meet the health and character requirements are among the other requirements for these visas. The balance of family test is there to determine the extent of your ties to Australia. To meet the balance of family tests:
- At least half of your children must be living permanently in Australia or
- More of your children live in Australia permanently compared to any other country
Business Innovation Stream (Provisional) Visa (subclass 188)
The Business Innovation Stream visa is a four-year temporary visa, and it is the first step towards getting your PR. You will be able to apply for permanent residency through the Business Innovation and Investment visa (Subclass 888). The requirements for this visa will depend on which way you apply for it:
- Business Innovation Stream: Establishing, developing and managing a new or existing business in Australia.
- Investor stream: Making a designated investment of at least AU$1.5 million in an Australian state or territory and maintaining business and investment activity in Australia.
- Significant Investor stream: Willingness to invest at least AU$5 million into complying investments in Australia and maintaining business and investment activity in Australia.
The important thing to note is that for both the Business Innovation and Investor stream, you must be below the age of 55.
Business Talent Visa (subclass 132)
The Business Talent visa lets you establish a new business or develop an existing one in Australia. There are 2 ways you can apply for it:
Significant Business History stream: For high-tier business owners or part-owners who want to do business in Australia.
Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream: For those who have managed to get venture capital funding from an ACVAL member.
State nomination is a must-have if you want to apply for this visa, and you must be 55 years of age or younger. States or territories may remove the age requirement if you can meet specific criteria.
Global Talent Visa
This visa has the purpose of bringing in the world’s best talents to grow Australia’s economy. If you are highly skilful in one of these 10 sectors then you’ll be able to apply:
Resources
Agri-good and AgTech
Energy
Health Industries
Defence, Advanced Manufacturing and Space
Circular Economy
DigiTech
Infrastructure and Tourism
Financial Services and FinTech
Education
The number of your salary must also meet the high-salary threshold which is AUD1583,500. This figure is adjusted annually on 1 July.
There is no age restriction for this visa, but the Department of Home Affairs will require you to have a lot of benefits to the Australian community if you’re older than 55 years of age.
