Extra points to immigrate to Gold Coast
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Have you ever heard about the Gold Coast in Australia? If not, the name already says a lot.
It's a beautiful city on the coast of the state of Queensland with a population of approximately 600,000.
With the high concentration of migrants in the three largest cities in Australia, the government decided to make it easier for migrants to go to amazing smaller towns, like the Gold Coast.
For the first time, the city is included in the list of "regional areas" for migration purposes.
Being part of the list of locations migrants can move to on a regional visa is unlocking opportunities for a lot of overseas professionals and students who were dreaming about Australia but didn't have enough points via the federal points-based program.
The state of Queensland has a list of professions currently accepted which can be updated a few times a year. Look for "Offshore Applicants" here.
If your occupation is there, you can score 15 (out of 65 points) as a bonus. What it means is that, for example, a Plumber or an IT technician could easily reach the threshold if they are 30 years old, have a few years of work experience and can get a decent score on the English test.
You can check how much you would score on the points-table here.
And if you're wondering about job opportunities there, I recommend spending some time on a detailed search on one of the major job websites.
To start an application, you need to follow the same first steps as most other skilled visas in Australia. You will need to use SkillSelect to make an expression of interest (EOI). On your application, you will have the chance to express your interest to reside in a specific regional location.
I hope some of you can experience this easy-going, but vibrant city!
Cheers,
Beto