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Skilled migration to Australia has a strict age requirement. You must be under the age of 45 to apply for a visa. However – there are Australian work visa options for people over 45! You could.. Let’s look at each option in detail: 1. Applying for a Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa (Subclass 482) The Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa (Subclass 482) allows employers to sponsor overseas workers to live and work in Australia on a temporary basis. It allows visa holders to stay in Australia for up to two or four years, depending on the nature of the skilled position. The TSS Visa has three streams: Depending on your eligibility, you could apply for a TSS Visa under one of three streams: Short-term stream: This stream enables employers to hire skilled workers from overseas for roles where they can’t find suitably skilled Australians to fill positions. Medium-term stream: Like the short-term stream, the medium-term stream allows employers to hire skilled workers from overseas for roles where they can’t find suitably skilled Australians to fill positions. Labour agreement stream: This stream is for skilled workers nominated by employers with a Labour Agreement. Labour agreements are developed between the Australian government and employers. Requirements: Short-term stream: You must be nominated to work in an occupation on the list of eligible short-term skilled occupations. Medium-term stream: You must be nominated to work in an occupation on either the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) or the Regional Occupation List (ROL). Labour agreement stream: You must be nominated to work in a specified occupation under the terms of a Labour Agreement. You must also: Have at least two years of relevant work experience in your nominated occupation or a related field Have a relevant skills assessment if it’s required for your occupation Work only for your sponsor or associated entity unless you are exempt under the Short-Term or Medium-Term Stream Meet minimum standards of English language proficiency unless you are exempt. How long you can stay: Short-term stream: You can work in Australia for up to two years, or for up to four years if an International Trade Obligation (ITO) applies. Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to five years. Medium-term stream: You can work in Australia for up to four years. Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to five years. Labour agreement stream: You can work in Australia for up to a maximum of four years, depending on the terms of the labour agreement. Hong Kong passport holders may stay up to five years. Taking your family with you: You can include family members in your TSS visa application. The family members you can add will depend on whether you currently hold a TSS visa or Subclass 457 visa. If you’ve never held a TSS visa or a Subclass 457 visa, you can include the members of your family unit, which are: Your spouse or de facto partner Your child, or your partner’s child, who is not engaged, married or in a de facto relationship and is: Under the age of 18 or Between the ages of 18 and 23 and dependent on you or your partner 23 years old or older and dependent on you or your partner due to a partial or total physical or mental disability The dependent child of the child above Extending your stay: To extend your stay in Australia after the expiry date of your visa to continue working for your existing employer, your employer must submit a new nomination, and you must apply for a new visa. Applying for permanent residence: Short-term stream: Your employer may be able to sponsor you for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) or the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Subclass 187). Medium-term stream: Your employer may be able to sponsor you for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186) or the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Subclass 187). Labour agreement stream: Your employer may be able to sponsor you for permanent residence through the Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186). The application process: The application process for the TSS visa generally has four steps: Before you apply: Ensure you have or will get nomination from your prospective employer, and arrange elements of the visa application such as a skills assessment and an English language test. Gathering your documents: Documents you may have to provide could include documents for your identity, character, skills, work experience, health and English language skills. Applying for your visa: You submit your visa application. Getting the visa outcome: You get the outcome of your visa application. Call us for a free assessment 2. Explore age exemptions options under the Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA) Australia has several Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMA) in place. These agreements are a type of Labour Agreement negotiated between the Department of Home Affairs and employers or industrial associations instead. Their purpose is to enable employers to sponsor skilled and semi-skilled overseas workers for positions they’re unable to fill with local workers and in response to identified market shortages. The advantage of DAMAs is that these agreements have lower entry requirements than standard migration programmes, including concessions to age criteria. The age limit for visa and PR applicants is raised from 45 to 55 for occupations with Skill Level 1 to 4, and up to 50 years old for Skill Level 5 occupations. 12 Existing DAMAs: There are 12 DAMAs in place at the moment in Australia: Orana, New South Wales Goulburn Valley, Victoria Great South Coast, Victoria Pilbara, Western Australia South West, Western Australia The Goldfields, Western Australia East Kimberley, Western Australia Far North Queensland, Queensland Townsville, Queensland The Northern Territory DAMA, Northern Territory Adelaide, South Australia South Australia Regional, South Australia Your visa options: Under DAMA, you have one of two Australian work visa options: Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (Subclass 482) Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) Visa (Subclass 491)  Requirements, Your employer must have a labour agreement with the Australian government in effect. The basic requirements for each visa are as follows: Temporary Skill Shortage Visa: You’re nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor. You have the right skills to do the job. You meet the relevant

All you need to know about eVisas UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are turning the UK’s immigration system digital through the introduction of eVisas. eVisas will replace physical UK visa documents such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs), passport endorsements and vignette stickers in passports. The process started in 2018 with the EU Settlement Scheme and UKVI states it will be completely rolled out for all visas in 2024. Those with physical visas will be contacted when they need to register for a UKVI account, which they will be able to use to view their eVisas. How eVisas Work Every visa holder’s UKVI account will give them access to their eVisa, which will function both as an online record of their immigration status and contain the conditions of their permission to enter and stay in the UK. eVisas will not act as a straight digital replacement of people’s previous physical visas but rather will generate each time the visa holder accesses their account, meaning it will give real-time updated immigration statuses of immigrants. In order to gain access to view and prove their visa status, the visa holder will have to first enter their credentials into the UKVI online portal, after which a one-time password will be sent to their email or phone number, which can then be used to generate the biometric, biographic and immigration records of the visa holder. The system will then examine each of the visa holder’s previous and current applications and determine which immigration status to show for the individual applying. Call us for a free assessment eVisa’s Advantages UKVI argue that a digital immigration system has several advantages. Firstly, eVisas are more secure than physical documents as they cannot be lost, stolen or tampered with. When a BRP is lost it will cause a lot of stress and inconvenience to the visa holder, as its loss must be reported to the police and a replacement ordered from UKVI. Not having a physical document will mean it will be impossible to lose an eVisa, as well as preventing lost or stolen BRPs from being used as fakes for those trying to cheat the immigration system. Secondly, applicants for visas will no longer have to wait for their physical documents to be delivered or be ready for collection – once their application is approved their eVisa will be instantly generated and available. Thirdly, UKVI argues that it will be easier and quicker for a visa holder to prove their status when entering the UK. Another advantage of an eVisa is that it can be used by a visa holder to share relevant details about their immigration status with their employer or their landlord through the use of a share code, which can be generated by the visa holder and sent to the relevant third party, who will be able to access the immigration status of the visa holder for a limited time. This will be a more simple and trustworthy way for the third party to check the visa holder’s immigration status. eVisa’s Downsides The introduction of eVisas does bring several potential downsides. Even if the idea is sound in theory, there will inevitably with teething issues as it gets rolled out to all visa holders in 2024. Hundreds of thousands of visa holders will have to be contacted and told to register for their online UKVI account. There will almost certainly be those who do not get contacted or do not do the steps in time to secure their eVisas. As it quite a complex system, visa holders will have to be told how eVisas work. Another potential problem is that Border Force officials will also have to be trained on how eVisas will work when people enter the UK. There is also the risk of technical problems. When UKVI introduced online-only immigration statuses with the EU Settlement Scheme, which was created after Brexit in order to allow EU nationals to apply to remain in the UK, several glitches in the system became apparent. These included applicants losing their existing pre-settled status when applying for settled status, the incorrect visa appearing when they logged in, successful appeals not showing on the system, corrupted digital statuses, and entangled digital statuses (where a person would login and see someone else’s immigration details). The latter of these was a serious data protection problem, and with millions of visas granted each year, this could be a huge issue if the same glitch occurred when eVisas are implemented totally. Some of these glitches took months to resolve, causing a lot of stress and inconvenience to the affected visa holders. All of these glitches highlight the major problem with the actual concept of eVisas – as soon as something goes wrong and the candidate cannot access their correct visa, then they suddenly have no tangible proof of their legitimate immigration status in the UK.  BRP would have always been there for the candidate to access as long as they are careful with it; whereas, through no fault of their own, someone with an e-visa may not be able to show a Border Force employee or potential employer that they are legally allowed to be in the UK after eVisas are made mandatory. The very nature of digital status not being an object that is retrieved but rather a status that is generated each time a visa holder accesses their account means an eVisa is not tangible and reliant on IT systems working correctly. This leads to the huge problem of visa holder’s legal rights being placed in doubt when IT systems fail. Conclusion In a sweeping change to the UK’s visa system, by the end of 2024, physical documentation will no longer be used by UKVI to ascertain someone’s immigration status. Instead, eVisas will contain all of a visa holder’s immigration information. A visa holder will have to have registered for a UKVI account and linked their passport to said account. The potential disadvantages are numerous, and

Enacted by the UK Government on April 13, 2023. The Innovator Founder route supersedes the Innovator and Start Up visas, serving as the principal visa category for international entrepreneurs intending to establish a business in the UK. This article offers a comprehensive overview of the UK Innovator Founder Visa. Eligibility & Requirements The applicant must meet several requirements and will score points for meeting the relevant criteria. Some points relate to the individual and some points are awarded for the applicant’s business plan. A total of 70 points are needed for a successful application. The individual must meet the following requirements to be eligible:- Meet the English language requirement (CEFR Level B2) Be at least 18 years old on the date of the application Be able to prove that they have held enough personal savings in their bank account for 28 days in order to support themselves whilst in the UK (£1,270 for themselves, £285 for a dependant partner, £315 for the first child and £200 for each additional child) if they have been in the UK less than 12 months Not fall foul of the general grounds for refusal which include having committed certain types of crime The applicant will score 10 points for meeting the English language and a further 10 points for meeting the financial requirements. The applicant’s business idea must also meet the Home Office requirements. An endorsement letter from an endorsing body must have been issued no more than three months before the date of the application. There are several endorsing bodies that are authorised by the Home Office to perform this role. The endorsing body must deem that the applicant has made a significant contribution to the business plan and will have a day-to-day role in running the business. The applicant must also have at least two contact point meetings with the endorsing body within their period of permission. The endorsing body will also examine the applicant’s business plan to decide if it is new, innovative, viable and scalable. The Home Office’s guidance states that the business the Innovator will start must be: New – an applicant cannot join a business that is already trading Innovative – the applicant’s business idea must be genuine and original Viable – the business plan must be realistic and achievable, and the applicant must have the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to run the business Scalable – the applicant must give evidence of planning that includes job creation and national/ international growth 30 points are awarded for the business plan itself, and 20 points are awarded for the venture being innovative, viable and scalable. If an applicant is switching from the old Innovator or Start-up visas, they do not have to show that their business is new so long as their business was the one they used for their previous applications. Furthermore, they may still gain endorsement from legacy endorsing bodies that the Home Office no longer permit to endorse new Innovator Founder visa applications. The business must be shown to be performing well against the original business plan and the applicant must still be active in the day-to-day management of the business. Points are awarded for previous visa application success, business performance and the applicant’s continued involvement in their business. Call us for a free assessment Fees An applicant from outside the UK must pay £1,191 for themselves. Each individual dependant must also pay the same fee. An applicant who is currently inside the UK and wishes to either extend their Innovator Founder visa or switch from a different visa must pay £1,486 for themselves. Each of their dependants must pay the same fee. Applicants must also pay the healthcare surcharge as part of their visa application. This is currently £624 per year of the visa for every adult applicant, and £470 per year for dependants under 18 (due to increase in 2024). The visa would be issued for 3 years at a time. Benefits of the Innovator Founder Visa There are several benefits to the Innovator Founder visa route, including: An applicant may bring their dependants with them on this visa An applicant may travel abroad and return to the UK An applicant may apply to settle permanently in the UK, known as an Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application – under the Start Up visa this was not the case time spent did not count towards a settlement application There is no minimum requirement for investment – the previous Innovator visa required applicants to invest at least £50,000 The applicant may do another job alongside running their own business (as long as it is ‘skilled work’) – this was not allowed under the Innovator visa Downsides to the Visa The major disadvantage to the innovator founder visa is that the applicant’s business must be endorsed by one of the Home Office authorized bodies. This will take time and effort as it is a lengthy and complicated process. It requires the applicant’s business venture to meet the aforementioned criteria of being innovative, viable and scalable. Moreover, if the endorsing body withdraws its endorsement, it could lead to the termination of the Innovator Founder visa, which could lead to the departure of the applicant from the UK. What alternative options are there for entrepreneurs? An alternative route to the Innovator Founder visa is the Self-Sponsorship route. The Self-Sponsorship route combines the well-established Worker Sponsor licence application with the Skilled Worker route. The applicant can, with the assistance of a regulated legal advisor, set up a UK company, apply for a sponsor licence and then go on to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship in support of their own Skilled Worker visa. After 5 years in the UK as a Skilled Worker, the individual can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. Self-Sponsorship does not require a letter of endorsement from an endorsing body, avoiding a lot of time and effort, and also removes the risk of the visa being cancelled because an endorsement is withdrawn. In addition

Canada has set a target of welcoming 500,000 new immigrants by 2025. Canada boasts a globally recognized, open, and dynamic immigration system with over 100 pathways catering to skilled workers, entrepreneurs, and families. Navigate the diverse options seamlessly with the assistance of our comprehensive CanadaVisa page to determine the best fit for you. Overview Are you aspiring to immigrate to Canada? You’ve landed on the right platform. CanadaVisa is here to guide you in realizing your Canadian dream. People choose to immigrate to Canada for diverse reasons, be it pursuing top-notch education, benefiting from free universal healthcare, or enjoying the country’s high quality of life. With over 100 unique immigration pathways, each individual’s journey to Canadian immigration is distinct. For professionals and workers seeking a Canada Immigration permanent resident visa, there are multiple routes. The primary avenue is through Express Entry, the flagship program for economic class skilled workers, where eligibility is determined by meeting the requirements of either the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) or Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) stands as Canada’s second-largest pathway, allowing provinces and territories to select immigrants based on local job market needs. Another significant option is immigration to Quebec, featuring pathways like the Quebec Skilled Worker Program and the Quebec Experience Class. Business immigrants aiming for Canadian permanent residence have various avenues, including the Federal Self-Employed Program, the Start-up Visa, and entrepreneur programs offered by both the PNP and Quebec. In the realm of family class sponsorship, Canada extends numerous programs. Canadian citizens and permanent residents can sponsor family members and loved ones, fostering family reunification through Canadian immigration. Call us for a free assessment Why Does Canada Need Immigrants? Canada embraces immigrants through three distinct classes: the economic class, family class, and refugee and humanitarian class. Under the economic class, skilled workers are warmly welcomed to bolster Canada’s high living standards. Given an aging population and a low birth rate, Canada actively seeks skilled workers to invigorate its labor force and foster economic growth. Immigrants in this category bring robust language skills, work experience, and education, contributing significantly to Canada’s pursuit of economic prosperity and the provision of essential social services, including education and universal healthcare. The second-largest group of immigrants enters through family sponsorship, reflecting Canada’s commitment to the importance of strong families in both society and the economy. Welcoming the loved ones of Canadian citizens and permanent residents not only strengthens family bonds but also provides vital emotional support for thriving in Canada’s societal and economic landscape. The third major class comprises refugees and individuals seeking humanitarian protection. As one of the world’s most privileged nations, Canada recognizes a moral duty to offer safety to those escaping persecution and hardship. Building on a tradition established since the end of the Second World War, Canada has been a global leader in demonstrating humanitarian responsibility. In recognition of these efforts, the United Nations honored Canada in 1986 with the prestigious Nansen Medal, the UN’s highest accolade for excellence in assisting refugees. Canada remains the sole recipient of the Nansen Medal, underscoring its unwavering commitment to humanitarian leadership. Why Do Canadians Support Immigration? One of the most unique things about Canada is it reports some of the strongest levels of public support for immigration in the world. Since the early 1990s, public support for immigration in Canada has steadily increased. Today, some 80 per cent of Canadians agree that immigration is beneficial to the economy. The strong public support allows the Canadian government to target the arrival of 500,000 new immigrants per year. Public support for immigration in Canada is due to the following factors: History: Canada has a history of immigration. British and French settlers joined Canada’s Indigenous peoples to build the country. Since Canada’s Confederation in 1867, it has welcomed millions of immigrants from all corners of the globe. Hence, other than Canada’s Indigenous peoples, all Canadians are immigrants or the descendants of immigrants. As the saying goes at the Canadian Museum of Immigration in Halifax, Nova Scotia, “A Canadian is an immigrant with seniority.” Geography: Canada is able to exercise great control over who enters the country since it is surrounded by vast bodies of water and only shares its border with one country, the United States. The strong control allows Canada to screen people before they enter the country to make sure they meet Canada’s policy goals. Policy: Canada invests billions of dollars each year in welcoming immigrants and providing them with settlement supports such as job training. In addition, Canada invests billions on education, health care, infrastructure, and other important areas to keep living standards high for Canadians and immigrants. Politics: Canada’s largest cities and provinces have high levels of immigration. Politicians need support from immigrants in order to win democratic elections.   Skilled Worker Immigration Pathways Under its Immigration Levels Plan, Canada aims to welcome well over 400,000 immigrants every year. Some 60 per cent of these immigrants arrive as skilled workers. The main way skilled workers can immigrate to Canada is through the Express Entry application management system. The second main way is through the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP), followed by Quebec’s skilled worker programs, and then a few other targeted federal programs. Skilled Workers Can Move to Canada with their Family Skilled workers can also bring close family members with them to Canada. These family members also gain permanent resident status.  Close family members include: your spouse or common-law partner dependent children dependent children of your spouse or common-law partner dependent children of dependent children Dependent children are: under 22 years old and not a spouse or common law partner 22 years of age or older, depended significantly on financial support from their parents before the age of 22 and can not support themselves financially due to a physical or mental condition Express Entry   Express Entry is Canada’s main way of managing skilled worker applications through the three main economic class immigration programs: Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) Candidates who