Rosefield

Hello everyone - I was directed here from the Lonely Planet Thorntree. They said you would all be very helpfull. I applied to Vetassess in Jan to have my Qualification assessed (under Marketing Specialist). Eventually I got a letter in April to say that my Qualification was "not on thier list" and would take longer than normal. Aside from that my grades are not fantastic - will that affect the outcome? And how much longer should it take - generally???

If I do get past this stage - on to applying for the actual visa - next problem is - I overstayed my VHV by 4 months in 1989 (yes they did have them then!) I had an old non-machine readable passport - but I suppose I will have to declare this .... And will by age be a problem? - I am 43 ( but dont look a day if it.....)
And generally how long would this stage take????

I didnt go to a Migration Agent - I was being a bit if a cheapskate - but I suppose my application is not "standard" and I really should have....

Please help - I am having a shite time in my personal life and would love a fresh start.

chippie..ste

im realy sorry but at first glance you seem under qualified and to old.im not being rude just honest!if i were in youre shoes i would go to an agent .they should tell you straight off if youre wasting youre time or not.dont dispare though there are more ways than 1 to skin a cat biusness visa for example!!!
im surprised no one has answered youre cry there usualy very helpfull on here.

good luck
steve.

herrchook

I agree, you should probably speak to an agent. Some give free initial assessments, others charge a small amount for this but it would let you know where you stand. Might also be worth posting this on the immiration forum. You may get a better response there.

All the very best,

Gill

wargod

Cant help with most of the above - but i also ove stayed my WHV a few years ago circa 1995 - and my agent told me it wouldnt be a problem - and infac it wasnt as i now have a PR visa. I think the rule is if it is over 10 years ago then it isnt an issue.

wargod

Cant help with most of the above - but i also over stayed my WHV a few years ago circa 1995 - and my agent told me it wouldnt be a problem - and infact it wasnt as i now have a PR visa. I think the rule is if it is over 10 years ago then it isnt an issue.

TeresaG

Can't really offer much help but would advise you to have a chat with an agent. I contacted an agent and gave them a few details and they did an initial assessment for free and told us that we would be likely to be successful. We are now using them for our application and they have been very helpful so far. They should be able to let you know if it is worth applying or not.

Good luck.

stevenpoole9

To reiterate what others have said, you need to contact a reputable agent. Most of them will not charge you for an initial phone or e-mail consultation. You could even do an "on-line" application for free. (we used Australian Migration Associates, A.M.A. Who do offer the on-line service)
From your initial details though I can't see you being granted an Independent Skilled Visa, You will struggle to hit the points target. If you are not on the "on demand list" you won't get the 60 points most people need, and it is generally accepted to be very difficult once you pass 40.
However there are other options, A business visa is easier to get, though more difficult to see through to citizenship, I would imagine. There are also State sponsored schemes available, and also visas where you go into a pool of applicants and can be picked out by a prospective employer looking for the skills you may have. These are not guaranteed to get you into Australia though.
Your passport is not an issue, it would take a matter of a couple of weeks to get a new one, but may be busy at the moment as we head towards the British "summer". Can't help with the over-stay, but according to other posts, that isn't an issue either.
1st port of call needs to be an agent though. If you have no chance, it would be best to find out sooner than later. Good luck.
Steve.

SunshineGirl

You are NOT too old at 43 but you do need to get your skates on. Your visa application must be lodged before your 45th birthday. I lodged mine 3 weeks before I was 44 and got PR 6 months later.

Mine was relatively straight forward, and on MODL, but with some potential glitches (that never materialised) so I decided to get an agent and I'm glad I did.

They can give you an initial assessment pretty quickly.

I used Go Matilda and would happily recommend them.

Good luck!

Rosefield

Hey people - original poster here.

Thanks for all your replies.

Just to let you know - I got a letter from Vetassess today. My Qualification has been approved. Onward and Upward....

Wendy

That's fantastic, really pleased for you.

Good luck with the next part of your application

Max&Ozzy

Hi,

What was it approved as? What it a recognised occupation on the DIMIA Skilled Occupation List? I hope so, or you might find "onward and upward" is short lived.

Graham

Wendy

From the first post, he's applying as Marketing Specialist which is a 50 point occupation on the list.

Max&Ozzy

well that's what i first thought too, but then apparently Vetassess said that his job wasn't on their list, so i wondered if it wasn't quite the 'marketing specialist', but something else. Hence the worry that they'd assessed it under an occupation not on the SOL.

Wendy

Who knows then

Well apart from the OP and Vetassess that is

Kangaroorick

No....her qualification wasnt on their list