Age limit to Emigrate to Australia

Some of the most common questions about Australian Immigration are around age limits to emigrate to Australia

What is the age limit to emigrate to Australia

The age limit to Emigrate to Australia is 45 years old. If you are aged over 45 the only way to emigrate permanently is by investment or marriage.

I too old to immigrate to Australia

If you are near to being aged 45 years it will be difficult to emigrate to Australia. The process takes a minimum one year from start to finish and your age is taken at the end of the process and not the start.

Put simply, if you are considering emigrating to Australia, time is never on your side!

We always recommend the process be started as soon as eligibility to emigrate is established. Remember, there is an age limit to emigrate to Australia and the rules are applied without exception in all cases.

Am I Too Old To Emigrate To Australia?

The answer is you’re unlikely to ever be too old to emigrate to Australia, although for the most popular visa routes it becomes increasingly difficult the older you get and Skilled Visas stop at 45.

Migration Consultant have extensive experience in preparing successful skilled visa applications for clients aged between 40 and 45 years old. Take our free assessment today to enquire about visa opportunities that are right for you if you are within this age range.

Am I too old for a 189 visa?

The age limit for the 189 Visa class is 45. This is a hard and fast rule with no exceptions, and whilst you can immigrate on this class of Permanent Residency up until the 45 years cut off point remember that at age 40 you will only be scoring 15 age points.

One factor often overlooked is that age is taken at the end of the process when you are called forward from SkillSelect for your visa and not at the date you begin the process.

Officially you should allow up to two years for this process to complete although in reality it can happen much sooner depending on a number of factors such as points score and occupation.

Why is the age limit for Immigrating to Australia set at 45

The most recent set of changes came into force on the 1st July 2017 and reduced the maximum age for immigrating to Australia on the Skilled Migration 189, 190 and 489 streams to 45 years of age where it was previously 50.

Am I too old for a 190 visa?

45 years old is the cut off point for the 190 Permanent Residency visa class.

I’m between 40 and 44 years and don’t have enough points for Australia

There are plenty of ways in which to boost your overall points total; one way is to take the IELTS exam. IELTS is an English test (and if English is your first language you’ll have a distinct advantage). Scoring above average on IELTS with give you a boost of 10 points whilst scoring even higher will give you an extra 20 points on your SkillSelect expression of interest.

To put it into perspective 20 points is the same number awarded to holders of a PHD and IELTS is certainly far easier than writing a thesis!

Applying for a 190 visa over the 189 subclass will give your application a further 5 extra points and it is always useful to consider the 489 visa class which will add 10 points to your application. We have a handy guide for calculating your emigration points.

Employer Sponsored Visa Over 45

There is still an age limit to emigrate to Australia in this visa category and it isn’t
possible except in some very exclusive niche education and research occupations. The general criteria for immigrating to Australia on a TSS employer sponsored visa is that you must a) have an occupation on one of the current Skilled Occupation lists and b) be under 45 years old; the age limit to emigrate to Australia.

Emigrate to Australia Over 45

With the above age limit to emigrate to Australia it is still possible, although you must consider different visa pathway solutions and at this stage it’s important to note the increased costs and challenges associated with emigrating to Australia over 45.

Whilst we hear regularly that ‘50 is the new 60’ Australian Immigration has yet to catch up! Attempting the migration process is going to require significant amounts of resolve, determination and will require you to be open to different methods of moving to Australia.

Immigrating to Australia Over 45

If one of your children has emigrated to Australia and holds either Permanent Residency (2 years) or Australian Citizenship you can apply for a Parent Visa as long as you pass the all-important balance of family test.

Australia Balance of Family Test

This test is designed to show that the ‘balance’ of your children live in Australia, so for example:

One child, immigrated to Australia over two years ago: Pass the balance of family test
Two children, one emigrated the other didn’t: Pass the balance of family test
Three children, one emigrated two didn’t: Fail the balance of family test

If your family are estranged the balance of family test still applies.

If you have remarried and your new partner has children you would be unlikely to pass the balance of family test because all children (even from previous relationships) are counted.

Parent Visa for Australia

Provided you pass the balance of family test you may be able to apply for the Contributory Parent Visa Class, although note here the associated costs which are significant. The visa is completed relatively quickly although you will require around $40,000 AUD each. For further details on Contributory Parent Visas take our free visa assessment or head over the Department of Home Affairs.

The non-Contributory parent visa is significantly cheaper although not a recommended route as it can take over a decade to receive your visas.

New Parent Visas to Australia

After much debate we finally saw the implementation of a new class of parent visas, lasting either three or five years and prices at $5,000 AUD and $10,000 AUD respectively. These parent visas will be renewable once, for a further five years at $5,000, giving a total stay in Australia of fifteen years for a fee of $15,000.

Study in Australia aged over 45

This route is still an open pathway to stay in Australia. Either one or both of you can elect to undertake a period of Study in Australia during which time the other is free to live and work without restriction. The student visa holder can also work part time and during holidays if they choose.

After the student visa has finished, this can (depending on the original course) be switched for a Post Study Work Visa which is valid for an extra two years.

Investment Visa Australia for over 45 and Business Visas

This is always an option providing you are actually an Investor with a track record in business or investments (simply selling your home won’t class you as an investor). The investment required is high, and your funds must remain committed for a long period of time.

Can I Start a Company and Sponsor Myself

The Dept. of Immigration noticed a spike in these types of visa applications and moved quickly to close the loophole rendering this pathway defunct.

This year sees the launch of a new and innovative visa from South Australia designed to attract bright entrepreneurs to set up their new businesses in the State. Industry and Skills Minister David Pisoni said the scheme is expected to attract up to 30 entrepreneurs in its first year and 100 the following year.

He said the program will focus less on the finances of the applicant.

“Importantly, unlike previous visa classes in this area, the new visa arrangement does not require applicants to demonstrate a minimum funding of AU$200,000 for approval,” he said.

“The success of their application will ultimately rest upon the quality of their startup and idea, and the soundness of their business plan.”

For specialist advice on how you fit within or around the age limit to emigrate to Australia start by taking our fee online visa assessment. We don’t charge for our initial consultations and they give us a way of assessing your case against existing immigration legislation, and to examine different move to Australia pathways with you.

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Age Limit to Emigrate to Australia Questions Answered