Moving to the UK from Australia

If you are applying for a UK visa from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or Canberra, you can submit your visa from your nearest visa application centre once you have submitted your biometric information.

If you are applying from Adelaide or Hobart, you can submit your application by post once you have been to your nearest centre.

In both application processes, you will be required to attend a visa application centre, where you will be asked to give your biometric information, including having your fingerprints scanned. This is essential if you want to submit an application for a UK visa from Australia.

If you have any relatives who currently reside in the UK with British Citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain, you may be eligible to make an application for a Family of a Settled Person Visa when looking into moving to England from Australia.

This visa lets you move to the UK for a period of six months or more, for a maximum of 33 months. After this time you can apply to extend your visa. The requirements for this type of visa are stricter than other visa types.

To be eligible you must be:

• Over the age of 18
• Able to prove that your relationship with your relative is genuine and legitimate
• Living with the person during your stay (who must have enough space for you)

If your spouse, civil partner or long-term partner is living in the UK, you may be able to join them with a Spouse/Partner Visa.

A Spouse Visa allows you to work when in the UK, provided you remain in the relationship with your spouse or partner.

To be eligible you must be:

• Able to prove that your relationship with your partner is ‘genuine and subsisting’
• Able to provide proof of your marriage or civil partnership, if you are a spouse
• Able to provide proof that you have been living together and in a relationship for at least two years, if you are an unmarried partner 
• Able to meet the minimum income requirement of £18, 600 per annum.

There are three primary types of Work Visa which will allow you to undergo the process of moving from Australia to UK for work.

Tier 2 Work Visas allow you to enter the UK for permanent, skilled work for a maximum period of five years.

Tier 5 Temporary Work allow you enter the UK for temporary, skilled work for a maximum period of 24 months.

Both visa types are measured on the points-based-system. To make an application for either visa types, you will need:

• A job offer from a UK employment with a Sponsor Licence
• A Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) from this employer
• Proof that you have enough money to financially support yourself during your travels to the UK and before you receive your first paycheck

If you are a very highly-skilled individual, you may be able to enter the UK using a Tier 1 Exceptional Talent Visa. 

To be eligible for this type of visa, you will need to be exceptionally talented in your field of expertise and sponsored by a regulated institution, such as an arts body.

As an Australian citizen, your visa application will not be affected by Brexit as far as is currently known.

The immigration regulations which are currently set for Australian nationals will remain the same and it is likely that citizens from EU countries will be most affected by changes.