ld0595

Hello all,

So with the whole Brexit situation going, an extended stay this summer in Australia and a few other things going on, I've become more and more interested in moving to Australia for work once I graduate this June.

I am due to graduate with my masters in Civil Engineering (on track for a comfortable 2:1) and have a few questions which I can't get my head around.

1. Am I eligible for a class 189 visa? From what I can see, civil engineers are on the skill list, but do I have enough experience? My only experience has been an 8 week placement in summer 2016 and I worked for 13 months on the side on a small research project for the government too. From what I've read online, this doesn't count as skilled as such since I was an intern both times - is this the case?
2. A quick online points calculator online suggests that I only have 40 points, but this can be go up to 60 provided I am IETLS band 8.. (even though I have an Irish passport). How accurate are these calculators, and provided I reach the 60 points required, what is the likelihood of actually passing the application?
3. If I am eligible, can I start the application process now, even though I've not yet graduated? Since I'm on an integrated masters, I haven't yet graduated, but I could graduate right now with a bachelors degree if I wanted.
4. What would the options be for my partner? She's also graduating this June with a psychology degree and would want to bring her along too. One of the reasons why I want to move is that it's seemingly incredibly difficult to allow her to stay in the UK since she's an American, but is this process even more difficult in Australia?
   

Many thanks everyone in advance for any help. I realise this dream may be unlikley in the short term at least, but I still want to see what my options are!

WRUSSELL

1. Only post-qualification work experience is counted for migration points, but what you have, coupled with your bachelors, might be all you need to obtain the mandatory positive pre-migration skills assessment.
2. Do not rely on online points calculators.
3. No.
4. It should be easy enough to include your partner on a visa application.

I suggest you consult a registered migration agent for advice about options and strategy

old.sparkles

To be eligible for a 189 visa, you would need to meet all criteria - which includes a valid skills assessment in your occupation, as well as points total.

Civil engineering would be assessed by Engineers Australia - https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/For-Migrants
You will not be able to start the assessment until you have completed the degree, but I would hope that your degree will be recognised under the Washington Accord.

You can use the DIBP calculator to work out how many points you have - Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) (Points-tested) stream
Without experience, I would think 40 is accurate (not knowing your age, but suspect age and qualification are all you are counting). Even with a valid passport to meet language criteria, you can still sit IELTS (or similar) for points. I had to do that as although I had plenty of experience, I was a tad older applying so not many age points

If you and your partner are in a relationship similar to marriage (living together, shared finances, etc) and have been for more than 12 months I think, you can include them as a dependent in an application but you will need to provide evidence of the relationship.

carcajou

Brexit is not a good reason to migrate to Australia. This is a monumental decision that will shape your entire future - and should not be based on virtue signalling.

Even if you only have an Irish Passport, the Common Travel Area has existed in some form for almost a century and Theresa May has said unequivocally that maintaining it post-EU is a priority.

1. Only post-qualification work will count. If the internships were paid and post-qualification, they will probably count for points purposes. If they were unpaid, probably not. Pre-qualification - definitely not.

2. I concur with WRUSSELL not to rely on points calculators. The calculators themselves are completely accurate; it is the people entering the data who make mistakes, fudge things like experience etc and over-estimate their points.

60 points just gets you entry into the pool, it does not get you an invitation to apply for a visa. You have to look at the latest points round for your occupation to see if 60 is generally good enough. Be mindful that if you overclaim points it is an automatic rejection. Each draw, the applications are ranked by points total; so if you enter the pool at 60 points in October, someone entering the pool at 65 points in December would jump ahead of you.

3. You cannot start the process until you have a positive skills assessment, which won't happen until you have your qualification. You can however start collecting other documents, booking an IELTS exam etc.

4. Brexit has no bearing on her ability to stay in the UK as an American. If you have an Irish passport I would assume that marriage would grant her rights under your CTA access post-European Union. Nonetheless it will be easy to add her to your application for a 189 and if granted she is also an Australian Permanent Resident with the same rights in Australia that you would have. You may also qualify for 5 extra points for partner skills if she meets criteria. Note that in Australia "partner" generally means "married" and I assume that is what you are.

Good luck.