457/ENS/RSMS | Pathways to Australia

Disclaimer

This section could be helpful for some Youngsters in their twenties and thirties who want to migrate to Australia. These suggestions are made by our principal migration agent, who quit a so-called decent job and vibe lifestyle in Korea to have greater personal freedom. The viewpoints set out in this section may be somewhat different from that of our company, but they are based on our principal migration agent’s personal experiences and views. Visa Lab has no legal responsibility to members of the public who might be influenced by this article.

1. GSM (Subclasses 189 and 190)

The Australian government has redesigned the General Skilled Migration Program to boost the sluggish economy after the decline of the mining boom. To attract more highly skilled workers with good English skills while considering the problem of an ageing workforce, the government has stipulated criteria that favour young people who are keen to learn and have potential. Thus, I strongly recommend this program to people between the ages of 25 and 35.

To be eligible for this visa, your occupation (work) must be on the SOL (Skilled Occupation List for subclass 189) or CSOL (Consolidated Skilled Occupation List for subclass 190), and you must have achieved a grade of at least 6.0 in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), although at least 7.0 typically is required for more points.

For many Korean office workers, meeting the English requirement (IETLS or TOEFL) is the greatest challenge in preparing to immigrate to Western countries. I blame the once-loved Korean corporate culture. Frequent drinking sessions after work are the most detrimental aspect of Korean corporate culture, because people not only have to demonstrate their loyalty to the organisation but also share critical information surrounding the company with their seniors during these sessions. Similarly, unpaid overtime destroys smart and passionate young Korean office workers, and they are pushed to engage in this malpractice with their subordinates like their seniors did with them.

However, if you have decided to begin a new chapter of your life, just go for it, and please DO NOT consider what your seniors are thinking when you leave work on time. Be a little selfish to keep to your itinerary to move to Australia. Enrol at a private institution right now for IELTS or TOEFL, and reduce your alcohol consumption dramatically. If you cannot stop drinking alcohol (or learn to drink in moderation), you won’t be able to make your dreams come true.

In conclusion, if you can obtain a subclass 189 or 190 visa outside Australia, you will save at least A$ 300,000 because you do not have to spend unnecessary school fees and embrace the high cost of living in Australia as a temporary migrant. 

2. Business Skills (Subclass 188 Business Innovation Stream)

This visa option is the best for someone who already has a business career as a sole trader or a partner in the haemorrhaging small business sector in South Korea. I believe the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) market in Korea has been turning into an EXTREME RED OCEAN thanks to the flexible labour market and export-driven economic/political policy.

If you want to have a more relaxed lifestyle while developing your management skills in Australia, I recommend you to do so.

To be eligible for this visa stream,

   a. you must be under 55 years old;

   b. for two out of the four fiscal years, you must have had businesses that had at least a A$ 500,000 turnover(revenue, NOT net income after tax) in each of those years;

    i. you must have an overall successful business career; and

    ii. you, your partner, or you and your partner combined must have total net business and personal assets of at least A$ 800,000 that have been lawfully acquired and are available for legal transfer to Australia within two years.

However, this is a temporary (provisional) visa—you must demonstrate your successful business commitment in Australia for at least two years after obtaining this subclass 188 visa. You can apply for a subclass 888 (permanent) visa later. You also need to meet stricter criteria, such as having additional funds and avoiding restricted businesses (cafes, restaurants, take-away shops, grocery markets and small retail shops), for support from the NSW Government to live and invest in SYDNEY.

※ Please note:

     There are other visa options for people with more assets (over A$ 1.5 million) or business talents that qualify them for the less restrictive criteria for subclasses 132 and 188 (Investor, Significant Investor or Premium Investor) visa options. However, if you think you are eligible for these visas, I strongly recommend you simply stay in and enjoy KOREA, where the property tax rate is significantly lower compared to that of other OECD countries. In addition, as a civilian in Australia you could face greater social responsibility.

3. Business Sponsorship (Subclasses 457, 186 and 187) and Studying Overseas (Subclasses 572 and 573) → Immigration

Another practical way to come to Australia is to find "GOOD" sponsors to secure your visa. The vast majority of Koreans who come to Australia are student visa holders (estimated 23,369 primary holders in Australia as at 31 March 2015).

They might have a vague idea to ‘just go there and find ways to obtain permanent residency while studying English’. If you have that idea, it is just matter of time before you realise that this attitude could have disastrous consequences. Let me use statistics released by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to explain why this could be a disaster.

Apart from 570/571 visa holders (language course and high school students), 21,032 Korean students have been studying and working in Australia in 2015. In addition, 26,893 Korean working holidaymakers are enjoying the Aussie lifestyle, which accounts for the third largest group of working holidaymakers in Australia, followed by visitors from the United Kingdom and Republic of China (Taiwan). Some of them want to study or work more in Australia using other visa options when their current visas expire, while some return to Korea as planned.

For the financial year of 2014/15, 3,006 Korean nationals gained permanent residency (1,990) or temporary work visas (1,016) through business sponsorship (subclasses 186, 187 and 457) with onshore applications, which means ONLY 6.2% of Koreans in Australia (of 47,925 Korean student visa holders and working holidaymakers) have successfully become part of the Australian community.

The figure is even lower when considering the possibility of obtaining a subclass 457 visa with an onshore application. In Australia, 2,540 of Korean 457 primary visa holders are working in various sectors, but the majority are in the tourism and hospitality industry. In addition, 47.2% of applications for subclass 457 visas (1,200 cases) are made within Australia (onshore applications). As a result, ONLY 2.5% of Korean students and working holidaymakers can extend their stay in Australia through subclass 457 visas.

However, more appalling figures have revealed that ONLY 20% of them finally obtained permanent residency via the subclass 186 and 187 Temporary Residence Transit stream. (After two years’ service to their sponsors under subclass 457 visas, they have the opportunity to apply for permanent visas with more relaxed requirements, such as exemption from the skills assessment and a lower English requirement.) The reason the transit rate is quite low is that many workers on 457 visas have been exploited by unscrupulous sponsors who refused to pay the agreed wages the immigration department sets as a safeguard for 457 visa workers, so they cannot submit the evidence that meets the criteria for the subclass 186 or 187 TRT stream.

Moreover, approximately 70 to 80% of Korean 457 visa workers are working in the tourism, hospitality and small retail sectors, which are vulnerable in terms of financial sustainability as going concerns. Therefore, the majority of Korean 457 workers have been forced to find other sponsors or leave the country with empty hands regardless of their contribution to Australia. There is no specific data from the immigration department related to Korean ethnic groups, but I assume that no more than 10% of Korean 457 visa workers successfully changed their visa status from temporary to permanent through the 186/187 TRT visa stream.

Consequently, ONLY 0.5% of students and working holidaymakers have reached their final destination.

In conclusion, if you want to try your luck, just go for it, but you MUST consider these statistics from the immigration department before you make a final decision. You should also bear in mind that the cost of living in Australia, especially SYDNEY, is at least twice as high as that of Seoul, Korea. As a married couple and including your tuition fees at university or a vocational institute, expect to spend around A$ 100,000 per year in Australian capital cities.​