On similarities
1. Both countries are English-speaking and are members of an unofficial but strong union of four states that dominates the world - the USA, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia. In addition to the English language, these countries are united by much else - common cultural roots, legal and political traditions, interpenetration of economies, the same standard of living, etc.
2. Both Canada and Australia have had immigration programs based on the selection of qualified professionals for a long period. Moreover, these programs actually work, that is, they allow most of those who have a good education and work experience in their specialty to count on obtaining an immigration visa. By the way, the USA does not have such a program. The UK immigration program for professionals, adopted quite recently, also does not offer broad opportunities for moving to that country.
3. The requirements for professionals when undergoing immigration to Canada and Australia are very similar. This similarity is especially striking in the immigration program of the province of Manitoba - it coincides with the Australian one in many aspects to such an extent that it leaves no doubt that it was developed on its basis.
4. Short timeframes for obtaining citizenship. In Canada, you can apply for citizenship after three years of living in the country with permanent resident status, in Australia - after two.
On the difference
Let us say right away that, in our opinion, immigration to Canada is in many respects preferable to immigration to Australia, but there are subjective factors that may become decisive. This is only if you become interested in a country, as if it is enough to download pictures for free and without registration and make a choice based on them. In fact, everything is much more complicated. In particular, if you absolutely want to live in tropical conditions, spend time on sandy beaches, and you are a fan of scuba diving, then the choice will definitely be in favor of the Land of the Kangaroo. If, say, you prefer a large cultural center of world significance, you need to be in the thick of events, then go to Toronto or Montreal (that is, to Canada). And if you are a fan of winter entertainment and it is hard for you to imagine your life without skiing, then you cannot find better than Canadian Vancouver and Calgary.
1. The main difference between the Australian immigration program and the Canadian one is that in Australia, before submitting an immigration application, it is mandatory to obtain qualification confirmation from one of the Australian assessment organizations. Canada does not require this.
2. For immigration to Canada, before obtaining a visa, you must provide documentary confirmation that you have a certain amount of money to support yourself and your family for the first time (about $7,500 for one person, about $11,000 for a family of three). This is not required in Australia.
3. A big plus of Canada is that its permanent resident has the right to receive state benefits if he has no means to support himself and his family (for example, if upon arrival in Canada he could not find a job and after some time ran out of money), at any time, regardless of when he entered the country. In Australia, a permanent resident can count on social benefits only after two years of residence.
4. An advantage of Canada is a greater degree of freedom to be outside its territory for permanent residents. Under the new law, in order not to lose permanent resident status, it is sufficient to be in the country for at least two cumulative years out of every five. That is, for three years out of these five, a permanent resident can be outside Canada without any negative consequences. At the same time, he has an unlimited right to leave and return to the country at any time without special permits. In Australia, the situation is the opposite - even to leave its territory for at least one day, permanent residents must obtain a special re-entry permit.
5. An advantage of the Australian immigration program is that failing to score the required number of points does not yet mean refusal. If you did not get the passing score (currently 120), but scored no less than the pool mark (70), then your case will not be immediately refused. It will be deferred for two years to a reserve. If during these two years the passing score is reduced to the number you scored, then your case will be taken out of the reserve and returned for consideration.
Of course, there are significantly more differences between the immigration programs of Canada and Australia than we have listed, but they are not so significant. So - the choice is yours!
Few people know that you can submit documents for immigration to Canada and Australia at the same time - both immigration authorities allow this. Therefore, if you have not decided where you want to go more, submit documents to both countries. The chance of obtaining an immigration visa will increase exactly twofold.
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