Indian migrant finds success and a happy life in Australia’s Northern Territory

A majority of those who move to Australia to study or work wish to become permanent residents. While some may be lucky to get permanent residency in a short span of time, and get a chance to settle down in a big city, others may not be so fortunate.

In such cases, these individuals have to look at other ways to get a PR visa. One option is to go for a state nomination. This can be a good option for migrants who have no second thoughts about settling down in the regional areas of Australia.

This is exactly what Gagandeep Singh Ralh  did when he moved from Melbourne to Alice Springs in Northern Territory back in August 2013.

Mr. Ralh came to Australia to study about 14 years ago and the subsequent long wait for a PR visa forced him to look at the option of getting his permanent residency through state sponsorship.  He had obtained his permanent residency through Northern Territory’s state sponsorship.

He says, "It was relatively easy to get residency in NT as compared to what it takes to secure a permanent visa in big cities like Sydney or Melbourne.”

Mr. Ralh got a state nomination from Northern Territory and became a permanent resident in 2016.

To obtain a state nomination, the position must be listed on the State Nominated Occupation list and fulfill both state and federal government eligibility requirements.

These visas give immigrants the following benefits:

• Get a permanent residency
• Work and study in Australia without restrictions
• Stay in Australia for an unlimited period
• Subscribe for Australia’s universal healthcare scheme
• Apply for Australian citizenship
• Sponsor eligible relatives for temporary or permanent visas

Move to Northern territory

The move to Northern territory was beneficial to Mr. Ralh because there is no shortage of jobs here and there are lots of opportunities for skilled and hardworking people. He is working here as a disability care worker. Like Mr. Ralh, many Indians are opting to move to Northern territory using skilled or regional visas.

Mr. Ralh is settled in Alice Springs which is a tourist attraction and is the cultural and artistic center for the Aboriginal community of Australia. It has beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage which makes it a big tourist attraction.

 He found the place a little hard to settle in initially because he missed the bustle of a big city like Melbourne where he was previously staying.

Initially he was tempted to return to Melbourne but he found that for the “...peaceful and prosperous life in harmony with nature and its creation, Alice Springs is the place to be." He also found that the culture pf the people in Alice Springs had similarities to the Indian culture.

Mr. Ralh does not feel out of place in Alice Springs thanks to the presence of a 7000-member strong Indian community here with a majority of them hailing from Punjab and Kerala.

The Indian community here has a place of worship and comes together to celebrate festivals.