How to Migrate to Australia from UAE in 2024 (Updated Guide)

Most people don’t know how to migrate to Australia from UAE even though they want to. If you are one of them, don’t worry – we got you covered!

People think the Australia immigration process from UAE is complicated. The good news is that it is not as difficult as in many other developed countries.

There are multiple ways for immigration to Australia from UAE as an expat or a resident.

There are visa options for investors, businessmen, skilled workers, students, and dependents. So you can migrate to Australia from UAE no matter how you want.

In this Dbd immigration guide, we will tell you everything you need to know about the Australia immigration process from UAE.

How to migrate to Australia from UAE?

There are different ways to migrate to Australia from UAE. You can either get a temporary visa and extend it later or apply for permanent residency immediately.

The most common visas for Australia are Employment-based, Investment-based, Family-based, and student visas. These visas lead to permanent immigration to Australia from UAE sooner or later.

Let’s learn more about these visas, their requirements, costs, and processing times.

Method 1. Regional migration visa

Several regions of Australia were highly affected by COVID-19. So the Australian government introduced this visa to attract immigrants.

This visa allows you to live and work in the specified region to help boost the economy. The specified areas are usually outside big cities.

A temporary skill shortage visa is also available to apply under this stream. It lets you stay in Australia for up to four years.

Temporary visas can be extended or used to stay in Australia for a certain period before applying for permanent residence (PR).

If you are a skilled worker, this visa allows you to live and work in the specified regions. You may also be eligible for permanent residence if you meet specific criteria.

Who is eligible for a regional migration work visa?

To be eligible for a regional migration work visa, you must meet several qualifications. There are multiple ways to get a visa under this stream, so the criteria might differ.

Generally, you must have an occupation on the skilled occupation list. You must also meet the English language requirements. ^[1]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa, … Continue reading

An employer in Australia also needs to nominate you with a job offer. Only then will you be able to apply for this visa in Australia.

Moreover, you can apply for the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa only if you are under 45. This lets United Arab Emirates residents become permanent residents in Australia. ^[2]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa, … Continue reading

What are the requirements for the regional migration visa?

You must meet many requirements to qualify for an Australian visa under this category. The general conditions are as follows: ^[3]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Direct entry stream, … Continue reading

• License or registration of your occupation
• English language documents proving your competence
• Police certificate of every country you have been in for 12 months or more
• Age exemption documents if you are over 45 (if applicable)
• Marriage and birth certificates (if applicable)
• Sponsorship from your employer in Australia

If these documents are not in English, you must have them translated to English in Dubai.

You can apply for a regional migration visa if you meet these requirements. This Australia immigration process from UAE will allow you to permanently live and work in Australia.

How to apply for a work visa in Australia?

Applying for a work visa in Australia is a reasonably straightforward process. You can apply for employment visas online or on paper, though the online process is generally quicker and easier.

To apply online, you’ll need to create an ‘ImmiAccount’ account from the Australian home affairs website. If you have an account already, you can log in with the credentials you used to create your account.

Your employer will also need to apply to be a sponsor to nominate you in a profession. Once the Department of Home Affairs approves, they can invite you to apply for a visa.

You can begin the process online when you receive the invitation to apply. Be sure to attach all relevant documents when you apply.

Fees are payable at the time of application. You may also be asked to provide biometrics as part of the visa process.

Once you’ve submitted your application, all you need to do is wait. You should receive a decision on your visa within a few weeks to a few years.

You can always contact the Australian Department of Home Affairs for more information if you have any questions or concerns about your application.

Applying for a work visa doesn’t have to be complicated. These simple steps will lead to immigration to Australia from UAE with ease.

What is the processing time of a regional migration visa in Australia?

The processing time of regional visas varies from case to case. You can shorten the assessment time by providing all necessary documents accurately.

Short-term visas take the shortest time to process, and long-term visas take the longest time.

Half of short-term stream visa applicants receive their visas within 83 days. However, there are cases of it taking anywhere from just 44 days to 15 months. ^[4]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Short-term visa, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-skill-shortage-482/short-term-stream”

For the Employer-Sponsored stream, most applicants receive their visas within ten months. 50% may receive it in just five months, and in rare cases, in as little as 61 days. ^[5]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Employer-sponsored stream, … Continue reading

Immigration to Australia from UAE via direct stream takes the longest time. It can take 24 to 51 months, with half of the applicants getting a visa in 27 months. ^[6]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Direct entry stream, … Continue reading

It is necessary to plan far into the future in the case of Australian visas. You must be prepared to provide any additional documents they may request because it will extend your visa processing time if you aren’t ready.

How much does the Australia regional migration visa cost?

The cost of an Australian regional migration visa depends on your visa type. A short-term visa is cheaper in all cases.

A short-term visa costs AUD 1,290 or more. ^[7]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Short-term stream, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-skill-shortage-482/short-term-stream”

Similarly, the medium-term stream visa options cost AUD 2,690. ^[8]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Medium-term stream, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-skill-shortage-482/medium-term-stream”

Long-term visas and permanent residence visas cost a lot more in the country. A long-term employer-sponsored or labor agreement visa costs AUD 4,115 or more. ^[9]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Employer sponsored stream, … Continue reading

Australian immigration from UAE is quite expensive for skilled migration. So applicants will want to have a decent bank balance before applying.

See also: Check out this Dbd immigration guide on – How to immigrate to Canada from UAE, where we provide comprehensive information on the immigration process, requirements, and solutions.

Method 2. Business innovation and investment visa

Immigration to Australia from UAE for entrepreneurs, investors, or business owners is possible through this visa.

On this stream, you should apply for a provisional visa first. Provisional visas are issued for five years, so you have plenty of time to apply for a permanent visa.

There are five streams in this visa category.

1. The Business Innovation stream allows businessmen to operate a new or old business in Australia.
2. The Investor stream is for people willing to invest at least AUD 2.5 million in Australia.
3. The Significant Investor stream is for people willing to invest AUD 5 million or more.
4. The Premium Investor stream is for people willing to spend AUD 15 million in investments or philanthropy.
5. The Entrepreneur stream is for start-ups and new businesses. They must be endorsed and nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency.

There are also provisions for visa extensions if you intend to continue your business. However, you can just directly apply for permanent residence instead as well.

Who is eligible for an Australian investment visa?

The Australian investment and business visas are point-based visas. You will take a test that gives you a score based on your age, experience, education, certification, etc. ^[10]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Points table for Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188), … Continue reading

You need to score a minimum of 65 points to be eligible for that.

Business visa applicants should also prove their skills as a businessman. You must have a good annual turnover and ownership interest too.

You and your partner must possess personal assets worth at least AUD 1.25 million. If you were invited to apply before 1 July 2021, that net worth should be at least AUD 800,000. ^[11]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Business Innovation Stream, … Continue reading

A state or territory government agency must nominate investors to invest the minimum required amount. They also need to be under 55 years of age. ^[12]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Investor stream, … Continue reading

The minimum amount needed to be invested is AUD 2.5 million. If you were invited before 1 July 2021, this amount was only AUD 1.5 million.

Other eligibility criteria include the ability to communicate in English and have the necessary experience. You must also show interest in living inside that territory for at least two years. ^[13]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Investor stream, … Continue reading

What are the requirements for the business innovation and investment visa?

The requirements vary depending on which stream you are applying for. Each option for immigration to Australia from UAE lets you live and work permanently.

These are the generally required documents:

• Valid passport or identity documents
• Marriage, birth, or divorce certificates (if applicable)
• Documents showing your businesses & assets, and bank statements
• English language skills and proficiency documents
• Business experience certificates
• Entrepreneur documents and proposals
• Police certificates of every country you stayed for 12 months or more in the past ten years
• “Form 80” to prove you are of good character

The above documents are just the basic requirements to immigrate to Australia from UAE. You may be asked to present more certificates and documents depending on your circumstances.

How to apply for an investment visa in Australia?

You have two options to apply for an investor, entrepreneur, or business visa. You can either apply online or on paper. ^[14]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Applying online or paper, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-support/applying-online-or-on-paper”

Be sure to weigh your options carefully before deciding whether to apply online or on paper. We recommend using this for all visa categories online, which is easier and quicker.

For starters, you’ll need to create an ‘ImmiAccount’ account from the Australian home affairs website. If you have an account already, simply sign in.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI). A state will then nominate you and invite you to apply.

At this point, you can then apply for the visa online. Just be sure to attach any required documents – if not, this could cause delays in processing time.

Once you’ve paid the fees, all that’s left to do is wait for the outcome. The waiting time could be a few months or over a year.

What is the processing time for business innovation and investment visas?

The provisional entrepreneur visa takes 3 to 7 months to process, with most applicants getting it within five months. However, it can take up to 2 additional months. ^[15]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa, … Continue reading

The business innovation visa takes much longer to process.

It can take anywhere from 13 to 28 months, with a quarter of applicants getting it in 13 months and half in 16 months. But note that it could take up to 28 months in some cases.

Investor visas take 26 to 39 months to process. For significant investors, this timeframe is 8 to 26 months, with half of all applicants getting their visas in 12 months.

For premium investors, there is no fixed processing time. You will need to contact the embassy directly.

The permanent visas have slightly different processing times.

The processing time for a permanent business innovation visa is 21 to 27 months. Similarly, investment visas & significant investment visas take 21 to 25 months to process. ^[16]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa, … Continue reading

Premium investor and entrepreneur visas do not have fixed processing times. You must contact the embassy to know about the progress of your visa application.

Immigration to Australia from UAE using some visas can take a long time to process. So we encourage you to apply as early as you can.

How much does the Australian investment visa cost?

The cost of this visa depends on the type of business you’re planning to set up.

The entrepreneur visa costs AUD 4,115. Applying for a business innovation visa or an investor visa costs AUD 6,085.

The costs of other investor visas are higher. The significant investor visa costs AUD 8,925, while the premium investor visa costs AUD 9,455.

Note that these are non-refundable fees. If you are rejected, your application fees will not be refunded.

See also: Check out this Dbd immigration guide on – How to immigrate to USA from UAE, where we provide comprehensive information on the immigration process, requirements, and solutions.

Method 3. Skilled Occupation visa

Skilled workers who have the right skills and experience can apply for a Skilled Occupation visa. This particular visa allows you to work and live in Australia permanently.

There are multiple permanent visa streams under this category, such as the Employer Nomination Scheme visas.

Employer Nomination Scheme includes visas such as the Skilled Nominated visa, Direct Entry visa, and Labour agreement visa.

The direct entry stream is for skilled workers nominated by employers. Similarly, the labor agreement stream is for workers whose employer is a party to a labor agreement.

Sometimes, people who submit an EOI are invited by the state as independent workers to apply for a visa. Such people can send applications for a skilled nominated visa.

Several temporary visas allow you to live and work in Australia for a few years. You can also utilize the temporary residence transition stream to get permanent residence.

So, are you skilled and looking for employment in Australia? A skilled occupation visa could be the right option for you then.

Who is eligible for a skilled occupation visa?

Like other visas, the Australia immigration process from UAE with this visa has several eligibility criteria.

First and foremost, your English language should be good. You must also be nominated by either an employer or a state/province.

In the case of a labor agreement stream visa, your employer must be a party to a labor agreement. Furthermore, your skill must be on the eligible skilled occupations list.

You can check it on the Australian home affairs website. If you are applying for temporary residence transition, you must have worked with the employer for three years minimum.

Besides these, if you are of sound health and have a clear background, you are eligible to apply for this visa.

What are the requirements for the skilled occupation visa in Australia?

These are the documents required for the skilled occupation visa in Australia:

• A copy of your skill assessment
• Proof of English language proficiency
• Proof of skills
• Invitation letter from employer or state
• Medical and the police certificates
• Marriage and birth certificates, if necessary

Besides these general documents, the immigration officer may ask for more documents. If so, you must provide them as soon as possible to reduce your processing times.

How to apply for immigration to Australia from UAE with a skilled occupation visa?

For immigration to Australia from UAE with a skilled occupation visa, you must first be invited. For that, you need to submit an EOI to a potential sponsor. ^[17]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Labour Agreement stream, … Continue reading ^[18]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Direct entry stream, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/employer-nomination-scheme-186/direct-entry-stream#HowTo”

In your EOI, you should provide information about your work history, education, and skills. You will be invited to apply for a skilled visa online if selected as a potential candidate.

You will need to attach all the necessary documents to your application. After the application, you should pay an application fee.

Once your application is received and processed, you will be granted a visa. Your immigration to Australia from UAE will then be a success.

When the time comes, make sure you have all the necessary travel documents.

What is the processing time of a skilled occupation visa?

If you apply for a direct entry stream, the visa processing time is between four to 12 months. Most get their visas between 5 to 7 months, but it often takes longer or shorter than that. ^[19]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Direct entry stream, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/employer-nomination-scheme-186/direct-entry-stream#HowTo”

The labor agreement stream takes shorter to process. It can take anywhere from just 47 days to 8 months.

The wait time for the skilled nomination visa is four to ten months.

The application processing time mainly depends on the documents you provide. You can shorten your wait time by providing everything requested as soon as possible.

How much does the Australian skilled occupation visa cost?

All skilled occupation visas cost AUD 4,115. ^[20]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Employer nomination scheme visa, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/employer-nomination-scheme-186/”

Provisional visas that do not give you a permanent resident status also cost the same. ^[21]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa, … Continue reading

See also: Check out this Dbd immigration guide on – How to immigrate to UK from UAE, where we provide comprehensive information on the immigration process, requirements, and solutions.

Method 4. Family-sponsored visa

Immigration to Australia from UAE is also possible if you have family living in Australia.

Your sponsor must be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident. The sponsor must be 18 years or older and meet specific relationship and employment requirements.

This Australia immigration process from UAE has relatively simpler visa requirements in comparison.

There are various types of family-sponsored visas available, each with its eligibility criteria. The most common family-sponsored visas are partner visas, parent visas, and child visas.

These visas take an extremely long time to process. There is a large queue of applicants, so the waiting times can be absurd.

For example, the remaining relative visa and aged dependent relative visa have waiting times of 50 years!

So if you are considering applying for a family-sponsored visa, it is essential to apply as early as possible. However, these two visas are almost impossible to obtain.

Method 6. Student visa

There are several world-class educational institutions in Australia. That’s why millions of international students apply for this visa each year.

Applying for a study visa for Australia can seem complicated, but it is worth being able to go there to study and work.

The first step is to select the course you want to study from an accredited institution. Once accepted into a course, you will need to apply for a student visa.

To do this, you will need to provide evidence of your enrolment, proof of financial support, and a valid passport. You may also need to undergo a medical examination and provide police certificates.

Once your visa has been granted, you can study in Australia for up to five years.

After graduation, you may even be eligible to apply for a work visa and stay in Australia permanently! ^[22]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Graduate Work stream, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/temporary-graduate-485/graduate-work”

So if you’re looking for an amazing place to further your education, look no further than Australia.

See also: Check out this Dbd immigration guide on – How to immigrate to New Zealand from UAE, where we provide comprehensive information on the immigration process, requirements, and solutions.

How to become a permanent resident of Australia?

There are many ways to become a permanent resident of Australia.

If you want to know how to migrate to Australia from UAE, you probably also want to know about citizenship. The good news is that it doesn’t take long to become a citizen after becoming a permanent resident.

You can apply for a permanent visa directly, or you can apply for a temporary visa and then apply for permanent residency after some years.

There are many visa streams for direct permanent residency. Some include regional migration, investor visas, and skilled worker visas.

If you have family in Australia, you can apply for permanent residency. And after four years in Australia, you may be able to apply for citizenship. ^[23]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Permanent residents or New Zealand citizens, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/citizenship/become-a-citizen/permanent-resident#Eligibility”

Regardless of how you choose to migrate to Australia from the UAE, there are some things you must do to increase your chances of success.

First, you should make sure you meet all the eligibility requirements. Then you must gather all required documents and submit them with your application.

Finally, you should be prepared to undergo an interview with Australian immigration officials.

If you follow these steps, you will be well on your way to becoming a permanent resident of Australia.

Benefits of immigration to Australia from UAE

There are many benefits to migrating to Australia from the UAE. These include:

• Stable and strong economy: Australia has one of the strongest economies in the world. This makes it a great place to live and work and start a new business.
• High standard of living: Australia has a high standard of living, with good quality healthcare and education. All other services that you need are also readily available.
• Safe and clean environment: Australia is a safe and clean country with low crime rates. You will also find similar sunny weather as in the UAE, which will be easy to adapt to.
• Beautiful scenery: Australia has some incredible places to visit. It is home to some of the world’s most famous landmarks and beautiful scenery.
• More freedom: Compared to the UAE, you will find Australia far less conservative. There are no restrictions on anything to do with religion and tradition.

Immigration to Australia from UAE can offer you these benefits and more. If you are looking for a new place to live and work, Australia should be at the top of your list.

Research methodology

The main objective of this article is to let UAE residents know how to migrate to Australia from UAE. Our team has spent a long time researching and speaking to people about this.

We have compiled the most helpful information for immigration to Australia from UAE here. We did it to let you easily see which visa you qualify for and how you can apply for it.

We have only used the official sources for the information on all visa costs and processing times. All eligibility criteria and requirements were also obtained from there.

On top of that, we spoke to immigration consultancies in Dubai for any information that could not be found online. They were very helpful in letting us know what to focus on while preparing this article.

We also talked with people who have gone through the Australia immigration process from UAE. We did it to learn about the overall experience of the visa application and immigration process.

To do that, we reached out to people on Reddit. The subreddit /r/Australia/ was particularly useful as we found the right people to talk to.

They told us about their experience and the issues they faced. We also got additional insight into the migration process that only those who have experienced it know about.

The subreddit also had a section dedicated to immigration. While it wasn’t an official source, it did give us a clear picture of what all immigrants must know. ^[24]Reddit, “r/Australia, https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/wiki/immigration/”

Before starting our research on migrating to Australia from UAE, we read some research articles. Reading them can help you learn about trends in Australian immigration.

Here are the research papers we found pretty helpful:

• Australian Government Department of Home Affairs official page. ^[25]Australian Department of Home Affairs, “Immigration and citizenship, https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au”

• “A Preliminary Literature Review on the Effect of Immigration On Australian Domestic Employment and Wages” by Anna Boucher, Robert Breunig, and Cecilia Karmel ^[26]Wiley Online Library, “A Preliminary Literature Review on the Effect of Immigration On Australian Domestic Employment and Wages, … Continue reading

This article highlights the direct impact of immigration on Australian residents. The authors show the importance of skilled migrants to the Australian economy.

UAE residents should know how their skills are valued and the reactions from Australian residents. It reflects how you will be treated when granted permanent residence or citizenship.

• “Immigration and Wage Growth: The Case of Australia” by Courtney Brell and Christian Dustmann of Center for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM), University College London ^[27]Reserve bank of Australia, “Immigration and Wage Growth: The Case of Australia, “>https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/confs/2019/pdf/christian-dustmann.pdf”

The second research paper relates Australian immigration policies to wages. It suggests an interesting theory of how skilled workers are given wages.

The authors theorize that skilled migrants get more competitive wages than unskilled migrants. This is because Australia favors skilled migrants much more than unskilled or semi-skilled.

Let us suppose you enter Australia with a family visa without a high level of skills. Your income will then be less competitive than that of skilled migrants. Of course, your wage will likely still be lower.

We are confident that all information in these articles is accurate at the time of publishing. However, the Australian home affairs might change visa conditions on any date, so take note of that too.

After reading it, we are sure you will easily understand how to migrate to Australia from UAE.

FAQs about Australia immigration from UAE

Final thoughts

If you didn’t know how to migrate to Australia from UAE, we are sure you do now!

The first step to moving there is applying for a visa, which can get confusing. But with a good guide, immigration to Australia from UAE will be much easier.

Australia is an amazing place to find jobs or create businesses. Its economy, diversity, and atmosphere make it a perfect living place.

With visas being available for people from all backgrounds, there’s no excuse not to apply for one. You might even become an Australian citizen soon!

We hope you found our Dbd guide helpful. Feel free to share it with your friends and family if you do. We are sure they will appreciate it.