cat5

Hi All

Help Please!!!

We have just been granted a STNI nomination from Victoria which is great, and now we are about to apply for the 136 skilled visa.
my questions are regarding my daughters:-

1. our 18 year old is just finnishing her a levels now and wants to have a gap year before going to uni next year, would she be classed as a "dependant"

2. our 21 year old is now full time working in the insurance business but does not have the relevent qualifications to apply as an independant, but would like to come with us.

Does anyone know if both of them could be included, as we dearly want to go together as a family.

Thanking you in advance

Bix

Hi cat - welcome to the forum

Can't answer your question but sure someone can offer advice.

Hit the "forum" tab above, scroll down the page, enter the OZ/NZ immigration forum and place this same question on there. That forum is best for visa questions as it has a wider audience and more "experts" on these subjects.

Good luck.

JAJ

You should get some professional advice on this. It's far too complex to be fully addressed by an online forum.

Full time study after the age of 18 is normally ok to keep a child dependent (although there is a maximum age limit of one's 25th birthday). Anything else needs to be argued against the rules, and from the sound of it you will have more chance of making the argument for your 18 year old (although even that is not certain) rather than your 21 year old.

A child who has a spouse (including a de-facto spouse in most cases) or is engaged to be married cannot be considered a dependent.

If you cannot include one or both of your daughters, then if you still want to go to Australia and have them follow you eventually, you and they need to become fully familiar with the following visas:

- working holiday visas; and
- student visas; and
- Skilled Australian Sponsored and Skilled Designated Area Sponsored (including the options available to onshore students); and
- remaining relative visas.

You will need the assistance of a good professional agent to help develop the right visa strategy.

Jeremy

cat5

Many thanks for the advice,

We know we have a battle on our hands and need to do everything correct in filling in the application.

A choice of having a visa without taking our daughters!..............it's a real dilema!!!