Australia has a society made up of many different cultures. If South Africa is called the “Rainbow Nation” then Australia can also be called a rainbow nation because of the presence of people of many different countries living together. Every year thousands of students from multiple countries set foot on this land to receive education and later on plan to stay here. Students apply for a PR status to stay longer here. PR stands for permanent residence.

Because of the premium life Australia offers, it’s no marvel why many folks apply for a permanent residence (PR) as soon as they become eligible for the status. International students in Australia can get PR during their stay in Australia. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection of Australia gives a chance to overseas students to get permanent residence in Australia. We will discuss the various methods by which a student can get a PR.

What is PR?

PR is the abbreviation for Permanent Residence. It is a status given to overseas citizens living in a country after a certain period. The conditions and period after which a PR is given to an overseas national vary from country to country.

In Australia, the Permanent Residence status is given to those individuals who hold an Australian permanent visa. A permanent resident can study, work and live in Australia without any restrictions.

An Australian permanent resident has similar rights and entitlements to that of an Australian citizen with some differences like:

• An Australian citizen can travel in and out of the country without any restrictions while a permanent resident has to ensure he or she has a permanent visa for Australia and a valid travel authority to be able to return Australia and live with the same PR status.
• The right to vote is for an Australian Citizen only and not for a permanent resident.

Other rights and eligibilities for government provided schemes depend on the particular department and the laws related to it.

What is the procedure for a student to become a permanent resident of Australia?

A student can also become a permanent resident of Australia. The Australian Government gives such an opportunity for overseas students to get a PR status after studying in this country. There are many reasons for a foreign student to stay longer after completing the studies. Australia is such a wonderful country and full of opportunities that one might want to stay a little longer to work and earn some money or to gain some fruitful experience.

There are many Student PR Pathways by which you can get a PR. You’ll be able to specify your interest in applying for permanent residency through the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s Skill Select migration program, that could lead on to permanent residency through a Skilled Independent Visa, the Employer Nominated Visa or the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme.

After having your skills assessed through a points test which gives the result in the form of a point score, you will then be invited to apply for a visa. Those students who are not able to pass the points test or meet the necessities of SkillSelect could also be able to complete further studies or apply for one of the temporary visa choices above to remain in Australia and develop their skills.

A student can thus become a PR in Australia. For any more information on student PR, contact Migration Agent Perth.