Hi

I've been a voyeur on this site for over a year now but haven't actually posted anything so here goes;

My husband and I decided we were going to emigrate two years ago, we first looked into New Zealand but applied just after the points went up in December 2005. We then looked into Oz and decided on Melbourne. I then approached 4 or 5 migration agents that said it would be dificult for us to get a skilled visa as the Australian Insitute of Management is the hardest assesment centre and you basically have to be a director of Coka-Cola to get in.

We then tried to find employment and have been trying for over the year, but i suppose they are abundant with sales managers - although we're still trying!

Our last hope is to go over on a Working Holiday Visa - which i've just received (only just as i turned 30 last year) - but my husband can't work on that. We were hoping that once we were out there we may be able to get a job offer more easily, so i wondered whether anyone on here took the plunge?

We've got our house on the market and are basically selling up, leaving a business and a good job and hope to get out there July this year. I'm starting to worry a little, but sure it can be done

Anyone have any experiences they can share that might stop me worrying?

Thanx

Sam

My skills assessment was with AIM. Its not as bad as you think but its all in the presentation. If you want any help with that then I'd be happy too.

As to migrating on a working holiday visa and selling up everything in the UK on the chance that you may be able to get something sponsored or the like....thats quite scary....a bit too scary for my liking I guess, especially as your husband would be entering basically on a tourist visa and unable to work and you can only work on a casual basis and for not the same employer every few months...

I'd take some serious advice first on this one. Maybe I read your post wrong but

Thanks for your reply Centurion

You did read the post correctly, it has got to the stage where we're selling up and if i haven't had a job offer before July we'll be going over on a year's working holiday visa. The way we've looked at it is that if either of us don't get offered a job during the year, we'll come back to England. We have enough for us to be comfortable on a temporary salary for one year and may treat it as a gap year as such.

All of the agencies advised us against applying for a skilled visa because of AIM. I'm a Sales and Marketing Director for a fairly large national company, but they felt that my age (a hidden criteria apparently) would hinder the application.

May i ask what job title you were being assessed against, and what agency you used?

Many Thanks

Sam

How old is your husband? I know the cut off is technically 30. It has been known that they will still issue working holiday visas to people over 30. I know i have had friends do it. They will ask questions. Like Why have you never gone to Oz before? Why leave it so late? Answers usually. Had kids, career, no funds. If you have a WHV then that may swing it for him.(cant bare to be apart.) Unless he's like over 40 or something.

Hubby told me that where he works there is two people who came out on WHV's and ended up being sponsered for PR. Both of them are managers, one still where he works and another has moved on somewhere.

Start with the little places, they are more likely to need skills than anywhere else.

He's 40 - so thought it was probably a long shot for him to get the WHV!

He's worked for himself for 20 years though so he's not the one worried about not working!

I met with the Victoria marketing people at the Manchester Expo last year and told them my situation, they basically said get yourself over there you're bound to find a job.

My husband was a qualified chef at one point in his life and has said he may go back into it if he finds someone to sponsor him in Melbourne.

My worry is that most of the responses i've had to job applications have been a no because i'm not in the country, or don't have the necessary visa. Although many people have said that it would be easy to get a job once there - even without a perm work visa - i worry that within the year no one will offer us a job. I was hoping someone on the forum may have had an experience similar to this that may give me more hope.

Thanx

Sam


Thanks Wendy - that's great news

Have you got some spare cash?. Look into a 457 business visa. Open a resteraunt somewhere.

Does you OH make curries?, open a good resteraunt in Perth

We looked at the business visa but you needed quite a substantial amount of money to do it -

it's an idea though - we were thinking more of a little cafe in Torquay

no good curry houses in Perth then

Apparantly not

AIM look for *senior* management expertise. In other words, managers who direct other managers.

If that's the kind of experience your husband has then find an agent familiar with AIM and work from there. Alternatively, if he has a university degree, other skill assessment options may be available.

"Selling up" in the UK and going to Australia in the hope of just finding something is a very risky strategy. Others have tried it and failed. Are you prepared to return home with nothing?

Hi Sprucie,

on the DIMA web site it says that under the WHV :

"You cannot include family members in your application for this visa. If a family member or partner wants to come with you to Australia, they must apply for their own visa to Australia."

So, quite apart from the risks of selling up in the Uk which other posters have already commented on, I can't quite see how the plan will work? You will get one year in OZ under the WHV; your husband will get to stay in Oz 3 months under a tourist visa (ETA). And then what? He goes back to the UK while you stay on job hunting?

You also said your husband used to be a chef. Then, why doesn't he get a job in the UK as a chef for 12 months (need 12 months minimum work experience) and then apply under one of the skilled visa categories? Also: it would then much easier to get a job prior to getting out there because chefs are actually in demand.

Gina

I had been directed to two agencies with experience of AIM assessment (it's me who's being assessed) but they said that there was a hidden criteria that they also follow which includes age, and with me only being 30 (albeit with 5 years experience as a manager and 1 as a director with 32 direct and non direct reports) they felt i wouldn't get through. i have a degree but thought there were no other options - my husband has been a self employed second hand and antique furniture dealer for 20 years and unfortuanetly that wasn't on the skilled list.

It is risky yes, but that has been the recommendation of quite a few people i've spoken to. We wouldn't return with nothing, we would have had a years experience - and i'd rather that than be sat here pondering over it in my future.

It may be different if we had children - but when you work all of your life to get a step on the career ladder and then suddenly realise theres more to life than work it makes you take more risks. I am slightly worried though but thouht there would be more people with similar experiences.

thanks for your concern

Thanks GinaUK

We have applied for an extended tourist visa - which means he can stay up to a year but can't work - not that he minds that

We don't want to wait any longer - so another 12 months in the UK is a no go - we've been trying to emigrate for 2 1/2 years and this is our last option.

x

I think that in your situation - no kids, bit of capital behind you, no particular reason to stay in the uk - i would take the risk and go.

So what if it doesnt work out? you just head back to the uk at the end of your year and chalk it up to experience. Many people who HAVE a PR visa dont even stay a year! The only thing you are going to loose is money. If that bothers you dont do it. If it doesnt then go and see what happens.

Tiggs

A risk should be wighted by its potential outcome. I say go for it BUT do not sell up. Rent your house out, you still need a safety net should things go belly up. Alternatively, go out their on your own to try it for a few months whilst your husband continues his work and maintains the house, joining you later IF things look promising, then rent the house out. Only sell up if you get PR at some later stage.