The United States is a fascinating place to be. For all good reasons, the USA ranks among the top countries that have just about all you need. From beautiful landscape to tropical sunshine, bustling playgrounds, and, most importantly, job opportunity.
An attempt to move to the USA from Australia is such that it guarantees new career opportunities, exposure, and new opportunities to meet people from a different walk of life. Not just this, the country boasts of some of the best colleges in the World. All things considered, moving from Australia to the USA is a worthy endeavor. However, Immigration into the USA is one of the toughest of all the countries in the World.
Do Australians Need a Visa for The U.S?
An Australian requires an approved visa if the visit will exceed 90 days. Hence, if you plan to study or work in the USA, you need either a study visa or working visa. A study visa could either be a J-1 or F-1 visa. Either Visa is available to students from Australia that wish to further their education in the U.S. For this kind of Visa, the student must return to Australia after the completion of the specified course of study.
Another type of Visa that an Australian can apply for is the E-3 or E-2 visa. These visa types qualify you to work in the USA. Interestingly, Australian have exclusive access to the E-3 work visa. With this Visa, you can work in the USA and enjoy the benefits of permanent residency for a specified period. However, it must be sponsored by an employer of the type of occupation that you are eligible for. One advantage, though, is that it is renewable after every two years as long as you are still employed.
The H1B Visa is a type of Visa that is primarily used by professionals looking to live and work in the U.S. However, you can only apply if you find an H1 suitable job. Plus, the Visa is usually sponsored and applied for by the company on your behalf. A big win for the H1B Visa is that you can use it as a basis for applying for a green card. On the downside, though, your spouse cannot work in the United States unless they possess their won H1B Visa.
Green Card for Australian Citizens
While the visas we have explained above offer temporary residence with the option for renewal, the Green card is issued to people who wish for a permanent resident in the United States. An Australian is only eligible for this card through a job offer, marriage, asylum, or refugee status. For any of the conditions to hold, you or your spouse, who is a U.S. citizen, must demonstrate annual earnings that are higher than the poverty line. What this means is that you must prove to have enough funds to cover your stay pending the approval of your residency application.
Whatever the type of Visa you wish to apply for, you must provide funds or sources of funding to finance your upkeep. For an employee Green card, you must show that your American employer will pay your wages during your residency.
Can an Australian Visit The USA Temporarily Without A Visa?
A citizen or national of Australia can apply for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) since Australia is part of the Visa Waiver program country. To travel to the U.S. without a visa, you must be authorized to board a U.S. bound sea or air carrier. Since this type of Visa is different, you cannot change the status of the Visa to extend your stay. To apply, you would be required to submit your valid passport, address, email address, aliases or other names, and employer address and phone number if applicable. Besides Australian being part of the visa waiver program countries, you can only apply if you don’t have a visitor’s Visa. Not just this, your travel must not exceed 90 days, and the visit must be for pleasure or business. Fill the ESTA form online and check ESTA application to monitor your acceptance status.
Is America cheaper than Australia?
The cost of living in Australia is higher than in the United States. So, yes. America is cheaper than in Australia. However, the differences in prices and rates vary from one state to the other. San Francisco, for example, is a much expensive place to reside with an average rent of US$3300 monthly compared to US$1092 in Houston. For basic comparison, restaurant price, grocery price, and consumer price in America is lower than in the United States. Conversely, rent, and local purchasing power is higher in the U.S.
Conclusion
The United States is vast and ethnically diverse. As a result, deciding to move to the USA is possible, rewarding, and promises enormous prospects.
