Stormfox

Hi Guys, we need a little bit of help please.

We are thinking of making the big move to Australia but can't get my head around the visa applications.

My wife is a registered nurse with over 10 years experience and I'm a marketing manager with 7 years experience. We also have two boys aged 2 and 4. We are both 34 years old.

Looking at the visa info, my wife could be accepted on the long term skills list as a nurse, however I would only be accepted on a short term nominated basis.

However can I apply on my wife's visa allowing me longer term non nominated working opportunities?

Any advice would be great!

Many thanks.

quoll

You don't need to apply for your own visa. If your wife is eligible based on her skills then she is the primary visa applicant then the rest of the family are listed as her dependents. You can then work at whatever job you can get.

verystormy

Hi and welcome


Yes, you only need one of you to be the main applicant and the other members of the family go on that application. Once visas are granted, everyone gets their own independent permanent visas.


So, the first thing to look at are:
Is your wife degree or diploma qualified?
Any medical issues with any of the family members?


If the above are ok, the first thing is to look at points. She needs a minimum of 60. This needs care as any over claim can result in a refusal. Many people find they are short of points and the most common way of boosting is to take an English test such as ILETS.


Then, look at the skills assessment requirements. For a number of health occupations, it is a requirement to take ILETS anyway and at the advanced standard.


So, the process is, she obtains a positive skills assessment and if required takes ILETS and is able to demonstrate sufficient points.


Lodge an expression of interest (EOI)
Wait for invite and apply with lodging fee and documents
Case Officer will contact her to request medicals and police checks and you all have a medical and get police checks for adults.

Stormfox

Thanks for your advice. My wife is degree qualified and has reached over 60 points when doing the online assessment, which is great news.

Stormfox

Hi all,

Well things have developed a little, my wife has been offered a job with her company based in Brisbane. Great! Although they are looking for us to move out ASAP.

But.. we are only at the early stages of completing the EOI, the plan is then to go for a full independent visa with myself and two boys going in my wife's visa.

Question - is there any way of getting a visa any quicker? We've given an estimate of 8 months (if things all go to plan..) but her company are (not directly) but saying they might not be able to keep the currently vacant position free until then. Obviously we don't want to miss this opportunity, but equally realise we can't just up sticks and leave.

Would it be worth going out on a temporary visa? is that quicker? would we be able to then apply for a permanent visa? We're really stuck, so any advice would be much appreciated.

Many thanks.

Stormfox

Hi guys..

Looking at our options and I think we have either:

1.Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) (Points-tested) stream (preferred)
2. Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)

But, does anyone know how quickly these are usually agreed? The Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection website states 7-12 months, but are they often completed earlier? Do certain occupations complete quicker than others, for example my wife is an experienced registered nurse and would this in theory complete quicker?

Maybe we are clutching at straws with this job offer, but it would be great for my wife to keep working within a very similar role for the same (albeit a subsidiary) company.

Many thanks

Pollyana

Sometimes if a company will sponsor on a 457 people have come on that whilst simultaneously applying for a 189. Once the 189 is granted they then have PR and no longer need the sponsorship. However that depends on the company being willing and approved to sponsor and that in itself can take months at present.
In addition, if your wife is a nurse she will need to register with AHPRA before she can work. Has she looked into that process yet? That can also take many months.

verystormy

At the moment, there are no quick routes. The 457 used to be, but at the moment, wait times are over 6 months and many waiting a lot longer.


Though as Pollyanna says, before she can work, she will need to register which can be slow

Stormfox

Hi all,

My wife took her English test at the weekend, which does seem very ironic.. to her surprise she actually thought it was tougher than she was expecting. The test moderator also mentioned that most people have to retake the test 3 times before a pass!

Fingers crossed, she has passed first time round..

About 7 years ago my wife emigrated to Oz (before she met me!) and worked in Fremantle - we thought her previous registration with the Western Australia Nursing Council might give us a heads up, but unfortunately not. So it's just a case of box ticketing in readiness for the EOI.

As soon as the English test is passed, we can then set the ball rolling with the EOI and hope to be offered a visa application.

We both really are in the mind set of moving to Oz now and can't wait to start our new chapter, providing all goes to plan!

We were originally going to rent out our house in the UK, but I think we are now going to sell up completely. Luckily we have a good sum of equity in our house so can use this to rent initially and then once settled look to buy our own property using the equity as a good sized deposit. We came to the decision that this is something we want to work and don't want to have second thoughts with a property sitting in the UK. But of course this is a few step further down the line yet!!

I'll keep you all posted!

David

Dorothy

Has she done a skills assessment yet?

Stormfox

The english test is needed as part of her skills test. Once the results come through, which should be in a week or so, we can then submit the documents for the skills assessment. Then EOI, then Visa, then (hopefully) dream come true :-)

verystormy

Did she previously have a permanent visa?

Stormfox

Hi yes when she was in Oz about 7 years ago she had a permanent visa, but because she only stayed for 6months, I believe it expires after a certain time? I maybe wrong? But I think that's why we have to go through the process again.

Thanks

carcajou

A few years ago the state nursing boards were abolished and were replaced by one national board. This was in something like 2011-2012, so after your wife would have left the first time.

Pollyana

Anyone who was registered at the time had their registration transferred to AHPRA, but if she did not keep up the registration by renewing annually it will now be a case of starting from scratch.