The reason for moving to Australia is mainly due to my wife. While studying law in Jena, a German university town, she wanted to improve her English. At first, the United States was on the list, which later became Great Britain. For this, the necessary information material was purchased, which she then by chance exchanged with a fellow student for a booklet about Australia. This exchange eventually resulted in a place of study at the University in Wollongong, an Australian public research university located in the coastal town of Wollongong, New South Wales.
Returning to Germany, her wish to return for a longer period of time was reinforced over the years by holidays, work, friends, etc.
Fast forward time
The desire of emigrating Down Under got a boost in 2018 when we signed up for the Skilled Independent Visa. In principle, anyone can apply for a visa, but you will quickly find that certain criteria are necessary, especially for a permanent work visa.
There are many reasons why we converted the migration step at a later stage in our lives. And our approach (but be aware that this is by no means the only way) required significant preparation. For example, in 2013 Juliane decided to start another degree at the University of New England, to eventually be able to practice her profession as a lawyer in Australia, which was obviously important to her. In contrast, I went through a career-change in 2020 and worked for eight months in wildlife conservation for the State Office for Environment in Brandenburg, Germany. Besides my interest in this field, the goal is to get a job in conservation.
There are numerous visa schemes and our Permanent Work Visa was based on a points system based on; age, language skills, work experience and level of education. A process that takes time, with quite a bit of paperwork, a thorough English test and different health checks as a necessary part of the visa program.
At the beginning of 2020, after we had been fully screened, we got a green light from the Australian authorities and things could be set in motion. Keep an eye on my blog for regular updates.
We were among the 2,436 people who received a skilled independent visa in 2020.
Featured image is the Quokka, an apparently happy and small Australian marsupial (source: Westside Veterinary Clinic)
Vasco Bontje 