UK visa options for Australian citizens

Under UK immigration law, Australians are visa-exempt travellers, which means they can enter the UK for a short-term visit of up to 6 months without requiring a visa. This is not the case for those nationals wishing to come to the UK for a longer period and to work.

Australian nationals have a number of visa options when it comes to moving to the UK and working.

Ancestry visa

The UK Ancestry visa route allows Commonwealth citizens over the age of 17 who have at least one grandparent who was born in the UK to enter and work, or look for work, in the UK. As Australia is a member of the Commonwealth, you may be able to apply for an Ancestry visa if you meet the UK visa requirements.

If your application is approved, you can remain in the UK for up to 5 years, following which you can submit an Indefinite Leave to Remain (“ILR”) application that will allow you to stay in the UK on a permanent basis.

Youth Mobility Scheme visa

The youth Mobility Scheme allows young people from certain countries to live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. If you are aged 18 to 30 and are an Australian national, you can apply for this visa as long as you meet the financial requirement for this category.

This visa is granted for 2 years, and it is not possible to extend. It does permit any kind of work, without any restrictions on salary or skill level.

Skilled Worker visa

The Skilled Worker visa route is the UK’s most popular work visa and was created for those individuals wishing to work in the UK long-term. Under this route, your prospective employer will need to sponsor your visa application for up to 5 years. This scheme is open to applicants who meet the required salary and skill level and have an offer from a UK government approved employer.

Depending on the duration of your visa, you may be eligible to apply for ILR following the completion of your 5-year residence period in the UK.

How Gherson can assist

Gherson’s Immigration Team are highly experienced in advising on UK visa matters. If you have any questions arising from this blog, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice, send us an e-mail, or, alternatively, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to stay-up-to-date.

The information in this blog is for general information purposes only and does not purport to be comprehensive or to provide legal advice. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the information and law is current as of the date of publication it should be stressed that, due to the passage of time, this does not necessarily reflect the present legal position. Gherson accepts no responsibility for loss which may arise from accessing or reliance on information contained in this blog. For formal advice on the current law please do not hesitate to contact Gherson. Legal advice is only provided pursuant to a written agreement, identified as such, and signed by the client and by or on behalf of Gherson.

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