Letti

Hi Everyone

Not been on for a while as we have not been having luck with anything. Husband applying for lots of jobs, but nothing happening. We have to get a job before we can apply for our visa.

I was wondering if anyone has heard anything about the Construction Side of things, e.g. is there work out there for Senior Site Managers, do they have any idea when things are going to pick up. We have heard it could be quite a while.

My main concern is that my husband is 45 years old now and wondered if it gets harder to get to Australia once you are over this age. Heard that it is and we are really wondering if it is worthwhile continuing with our visa etc.

Look forward to hearing from anyone.

Letti

suebrennan

Hi Letti

I stand to be corrected but the age rule applies in the 45th year so if he gets his visa before his birthday he gets until the end of that year to get here.

Re work - not easy to get a job from overseas but lots of people do manage it. If you are really keen then look at the less popular places to start with like the larger inland towns/cities and anywhere that has a "skilled shortage".

Bear in mind that lots of people have lost jobs here or are working reduced hours.

Good luck, Sue

Petals

My friend's husband is civil engineer and manages large building projects in QLD and he was made redundant recently and he knows lots of people but has had no success in finding another job there.

However Thiess are hiring for the desalination plant in Wonthaggi Victoria so may be something there for you.

Have a look at the web site http://www.thiess.com.au/Projects/index.htm

Good luck

jad n rich

My partner runs large building projects currently in QLD but has also worked in Victoria (melbourne) .

Lots of large projects were axed in melbourne and queensland as was the case everywhere in the past year, financial crisis meant few people were prepared to shell out millions on projects that might not sell.

In both states, Proven Experience will be up there with the Qualifications, To be honest guys who have the local experience in the australian systems are probably going to looked at in a favourable way. Things ARE different here, red tape on sites here, you need to know it.

However its the Experience side that brings a advantage, a senior site managers are often the older blokes, the current project everyone at the top is 40ish to 55+. EXPERIENCE, cant say it enough really. You get the young guys too, lots of uni qualifications but the guys running the show are are often over 45.

I guess your challenge would be less projects at the moment anywhere, and your experience is in another country therefor system.

comet555

I'm pretty sure you have to apply BEFORE you turn 45.


http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener...migration/175/
Copied from the above link:

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for you if you:

• are under 45 years of age
• have the skills and qualifications that meet the Australian standard for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)

Australia_bound?

If he's willing to take a big step down the career ladder in Aus it would be possible. 45 is the cut off age for getting a visa, but there are ways around this in skills very highly in demand

Centurion

The chances of anyone offering a job to a prospective migrant from overseas who needs to still apply for a visa will be nil unless its highly specialised and in demand.

Skilled visa applicants, say on a 175 or 176 sponsored have to under 45 at the time of application. Doesn't matter if you turn 45 after making application. But if you were considering that type of visa then I suggest you seek the advice of a migration agent to discuss other options because those will be closed to you.

There are other visa types that don't have that restriction but a migration agent could help in exploring your options. You should bear in mind, sadly not everyone can make an application for a visa and some professional advice might get you the answers you need.

Letti

Hi Sue

Thanks for getting back to me. Things are the same here people losing their jobs or working reduced hours. We are lucky that my husband is one of the few survivors in his company.

He was 45 in July this year so on what you are saying we have until July 2010 to have our visa!!!

Letti

Letti

Thanks for that. We will try there. We have also been told to try Brookefield Multiplex for jobs. Have you heard of them.

Letti

Damson

We submitted our 175 visa the week before my husband's 45th birthday (talk about cutting it fine). With the age restriction unfortunately it may be the end of the road in any event, as it would be too late for a 175 permanent residency visa if that is the route you want to go down. I'm sure others will be able to advise you on age requirement for different types of visa. If you haven't applied, your next step has to be consulting a migration agent or at least checking the Australian Immigration website to see if you would have enough points to apply. As you are no doubt aware, obtaining a visa is a slow old business, especially if you aren't on the Critical Skills List and of course does also cost a fair amount of cash.

My husband is a structural engineer/project manager and it is a concern to us that he will not be able to get a job when we go to Melbourne and it is wise to consider it at this stage. Fingers crossed that the situation could well have changed in the not too distant future though. There are many on here who will say "go for it" and live the dream which to lots of folk is the way forward. Being a cautious person I'm afraid I'm not one of them. Good luck with the future.

Alfresco

The visa applicant must be under 45 yrs i.e.44 yrs or younger on the day you submit/apply for your visa application.

If your husband is 45 yrs old already, it's too late!

See Comet555's post above yours.

Damson

Our of interest, do you know if this is the case for all visas?

Alfresco

It may not apply to all visas, like last remaing relative or family sponsored, but certainly is for skilled migration visas as posted above.

It would be best for anyone to try the visawizard or speak to a registered agent.

http://www.immi.gov.au/visawizard/

Letti

Thanks very much for getting back to me. I really think it could be the road for us also. We have a migration company that we are with and speaking to them today, we might be too late on trying to go to Oz with the age thing and also that my husband needs to get a job before we can even apply for a Visa.

I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel that I did see this time last year!!!

Will just have to live life to the full in Scotland!!!!!!!!

Letti

Safin

Think you may find that employer sponsored is the only route open to you now (unless one of you is the last remaining relatives of an oz based family!!)

The 45yrs age does kind of apply to employer sponsored but can be waived in certain circumstances if the job is specialised/employer can prove they can't get anyone younger type of situations. Not necessarily easy but potentially possible for some.