# Australia for software professionals from India



## ip_28 (Jan 20, 2013)

Hi All,
I am a software developer having more than 4 years of experience in leading firms. I have few questions:-
i) How is Australia for software professionals? (Scopes, opportunities and salaries)

ii) I have gone throught the Skilled migration process in immigration website, it is a bit lengthy (as far as documentation is concerned) , is it advisable to handle immigration process individually or better to contact an agency (I have enquired about few like oasis and y-axis in India and found them little fishy)

iii) I have heard mixed reviews about racism and haterate against Indians/Asians. How true is it for cities which have IT professionals?

iv) What is the demand of IT professionals (web developers and designers) in Australia?

v) After I settle there I want my parents to come and stay with me, how safe is it for the elderly in Australia?

Thanks in advance for your responses


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi ip_28, 

_i) How is Australia for software professionals? (Scopes, opportunities and salaries)_
Many multi-national ICT companies have a presence in Australia. However, due to the global economic development hiring has slowed down quite a bit and many companies tend to be a bit more cautious. However, as usual, the expected demand depends on your specialization and experience. We started contacting potential employers a few months back from overseas - it's very difficult to secure a job in advance but it's a good option to _test the waters_ in advance. Try to google a bit and look for companies with open job offers in your specialization. There are also many industry articles (such as this one) to be found. 

_ii) [...] is it advisable to handle immigration process individually or better to contact an agency _
An experienced agent can smooth the visa process quite a bit by filtering all the information out there and relying on his experience with previous clients. He may provide sample letters or suggest training material, however you will still have to assemble most of the information (reference letters, sit language test, etc.) yourself. You will also have to brief her/him about your situation and you will still be held responsible by DIAC if you (or the agent) provides wrong or misleading information. I believe that it can be done on your own but be prepared for a significant drain on your time . 

_iii) I have heard mixed reviews about racism and haterate against Indians/Asians. How true is it for cities which have IT professionals?_
Australia is a multicultural society and discrimination (by sex, race or religion) is forbidden by law. However, racism (especially against the indigenous population or certain Asian groups) is an issue, as I have been told multiple times by Australian friends. It very much depends on the city/region you plan to settle in. In Sydney almost 20% of the population is of Asian descent. I've only been there for a couple of weeks but loved the cultural mix (and, on a more superficial level, the variety of Asian food). Moreover, many engineering/IT students are from Asian countries and seemed to be well integrated and valued both at the universities and in the job market. I would not worry too much about it. However, I consider the initial hurdle to get a job as a migrant much steeper in any case (independent of race or gender). 

_iv) What is the demand of IT professionals (web developers and designers) in Australia?_
I can't tell because we are not in Australia yet. My partner (web developer) has two job offers, but no contract yet. I guess we'll face the reality when we get there... One thing you should consider is that both web developer and web designer are on the CSOL, so you will need some sort of sponsorship or nomination (employer, state/territory, family member) to migrate. 

_v) After I settle there I want my parents to come and stay with me, how safe is it for the elderly in Australia?_
It is very safe but please note that there is a long waiting list (currently 15 years) for most parent visas. Recently, the Australian government introduced long stay tourist visas, which allow your parents to come over for longer periods during the wait. You should consider that they might not be able to join you permanently at all during their life time ...

All the best, 
Monika


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## ip_28 (Jan 20, 2013)

Thanks a lot for a detailed answer Monika 
15 years for parent visa is too much  I feel the tourist visa is upto 12 months max


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi ip_28, 

yes, but the situation is much better than a couple of years ago - now your parents can at least visit for longer periods during their wait. You can read up on the options for your parents to visit here. But I agree, 15 years is a dreadfully long time... you can look up the Contributory Parent visas, which are processed significantly faster (it takes 12-24 months until they start looking at your application), but cost a huge amount of money (more than 40,000AUD per parent).

Australia is fiercely protecting it's health and welfare system and thus limits the number of parent visas processed by year. I think this is understandable: They want to attract young, skilled migrants and allow them to bring their immediate family (partner and kids), knowing that their support is essential to keep those migrants around long-term. However, Australia has no incentive to allow you to bring your aged parents... unless if pay them up-front for expected health and social expenses.


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## ip_28 (Jan 20, 2013)

more than 40,000 AUD per parent? OMG 
that's way too much


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