Biddy17

I will have 55 points when I turn 25 in Feb. Just a few questions I have though..

If I send in my EOI off shore can I be on shore when I lodge the application?

If I lodge the app on shore, to get a bridging visa can I be on a tourist visa or do I have to be on a 457

I've currently been out of the country for about 5 months when my firm went into liquidation. The visa has not yet been cancelled according to VEVO website. Will it be easy for me to get back in after so long out? Even if I find a new employer to take over it while I'm in the UK.

I want to live in WA but would my EOI be better to name all states just to give me more options?

My girlfriend will be coming with me I have all the required evidence of defecto relationship, would a bridging visa apply to her as well and could she work right away?

How much do agents usually charge to sort the applications out and can you give me approximate time frames for how long it all takes?

I know that's a lot to answer but as you know it's quite brain baffling!

old.sparkles

If you only want state sponsorship from WA, that would be what you put on your EOI. WA select EOI's they want to sponsor from the pool and contact you now.

I can't help with the bridging visa's as I don't know anything about them - I wouldn't risk trying to come back into Australia on your 457 though, even if it is not showing as cancelled. Nor would I try and find someone to take it over as you are past the 90 days now. If you do find an employer to sponsor you, you could always try for direct entry employer sponsored PR.

If you have been over here before, do you already have an A license? (I notice from your history you went for skills assessment as general electrician)

Biddy17

Yeah I already have my WA licence which is a massive positive at the moment. To be honest I just want to get over there as soon as possible. Watching Wednesday lose at Hillsboro every other Saturday isn't quite as entertaining as it used to be when I was a bit younger. Thanks for your help

Pollyana

Agents set their own fees so you'd need to contact them individually and ask.
If you aren't currently employed by the 457 original employer then that visa is no longer valid. If you try (or even succeed) to enter on it you may find yourself here unlawfully, which is not a good state to be in if you intend to go for PR. If you can get a new 457 with a new employer then get that first.

If you come on a tourist visa and are invited to lodge an application while you are here, then you might be issued a bridging visa. However, the application could take many months to process and you cannot work during that time. If your de facto partner is listed on the application - you would need 12 months cohabitation in order to do that - then she would be in the same position, if granted a bridging visa she could not work.
If you are on a 457 when you lodge the application you would stay on the 457, if she is your de facto on that visa she would again stay on the same visa, until a decision is made on the PR visa.

Bermudashorts

A lot of questions, here are my thoughts on a few of them.

It is better not to nominate more than one state on your EOI, if you want to go to WA then select them. There is no point selecting any of the others anyway, you need to apply to them directly.

If you lodge onshore from a valid visa then you would get a bridging visa yes. The bridging visa would have the same conditions as the previous visa, so if this is a tourist visa then you will have same conditions as a tourist visa, meaning you can't work. If you came to Australia in a WHV however you would be able to work.

You absolutely should not even think about coming back on the 457, you had a duty to cancel that visa when you stopped working and it certainly is not valid as it had a condition tat you worked for the sponsoring employer. You would seriously jeopardise any future PR application by trying to resurrect this visa, consider it gone.

I was also thinking 55 points is a bit low for a 25 year old, what have you included? If you have not taken IELTS then you really need to get onto that or that EOI could sit there forever.