fairygodmother

Hi folks, have been using this forum for qute a while now, though have only just registered tonight. I'm Trish (29) and am living in Galway, Ireland.

My partner and I are looking to relocate to Melbourne by end of this year, we are both ready to go now- (especially with oldest child at school age for Oz schools) I have an aunt who has been living in Melbourne for over 20 years now and I am quite close to her. I also have an uncle and a cousin there too for a few years now.

The only way we can get into Oz is on a 457 visa - now i'm quite aware of everything that comes with this type of visa - downfalls etc. we can cope with them so long as we just get there!! We are not looking for an employer to cover any costs of relocation etc, just the faith in my partner's ability.

My partner's career is within Retail Banking, 4/5 yrs experience. He is currently awaiting his newly done up resume from a girl based in Oz who specialises in them - should be with him Thurs/Fri now. He has contacted a few recruitment agencies and explained our situation, and we've also been flat-out on seek.com too and the main Banks' Jobs sections online. There are quite a few positions which he would be 100% suitable for and will therefore contact these companies directly.

Now the thing is he has provisionally booked a flight to Melb for the 4th Aug for 2 weeks, hoping to have as many interviews in place for face to face meetings, I realise this may not be relevant at all, maybe he'll get a telephone interview, maybe none at all!!! Am just wondering if anyone else has gone down this route with Banks/Finance Companies??............If so, did you use a particular recruitment company?? A particular person within this company who you could recommend him to speak with??

A 457 is our only option - have no relevant skill sets for PR visa and with neither of us able to work more than 20 hrs per wk on a student visa, this isn't suitable either.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my (very!!) long post and I really hope someone on here with experience within the Banking industry can help us out!! And anyone else just with general advice too - speak away!!

Cheers for now
Trish

NickyC

I don't know anything much about the Melbourne-based banks but here in Sydney the great bulk of banking jobs are handled by agencies and listed on Seek, anyway.

For example on Westpac's own job site there are currently only 20 jobs listed. This is supposedly all jobs, in all areas within the bank and Australia-wide. All the rest (and there must be thousands) are handled by Recruitment Agencies. Westpac do have preferred suppliers but there is no single agency that handles all their jobs.

Frankly I'd say you'd have to be extremely lucky to get an employer-sponsored job from any of the big banks. There is no shortage of local people looking for work in these industries at the moment. If your partner has really specialised skills currently unavailable within the local market then he might get lucky - but for 'ordinary' banking jobs, employers won't want to go through the hassle and delay of sponsorship when they can take their pick from hundreds of local applicants.

fairygodmother

Hi NickyC, thanks for your reply. Yeah, I realise how tough it is there at the minute - we've been dealing with it for nearly 2 years now in Ireland!

We'll just have to keep ploughing away on the internet and try and get to speak to as many people on the phone as possible.

There does seem to be quite a few jobs within seek that he could step right into now, and as far as i'm aware any 457 within the professional sector seems to gets processed a lot faster than a tradies, apparantly 4-8wks wait - nobody kill me if i'm wrong, i'm only saying is all!

Cherry Solutions recruitment agency in Melbourne seem to deal with a lot of Westpac's job's and also their other divisions such as St Georges' bank etc. Of course he's done his homework on all the big banks over there and his current role here in Ireland is a Customer Advisor - dealing with Loans, Mortgages, Financial Planning Advice, and also has quite a long period of experience as Team Leader of a large city centre branch also.

Anyway, thanks again

Rosscarbery

Yes, 457s do go through really quickly, the problem at the moment is with so many people made redundant recently in the industry there is very little incentive for companies to go through the hassle (and cost) of bringing someone over on a 457.

There probably are a lot of jobs on seek that your OH could step into right now, problem is there are probably plenty of people already here who don't require sponsorship who could step into them as well and part of the 457 procedure for employers is demonstrating that they can't find anyone here to do the job.

As one Irish woman to another I hope it all works out for you Be prepared though, it could take some time.

Sal1705

We came out on a 457 two years ago now.

Regardless of the current economic climate we were advised that no company would want to take the risk of employing/sponsoring someone relying solely on a telephone interview (and would you want to work for a company who did?).

We got in touch with a recruitment agent (or two) who set up interviews and then we paid for my husband to fly out.

Geelong Gent

Westpac had a HR policy of only recruiting PR or Australian citizens this might be applicable to all other banks???

kar-kier

As far as I'm aware, the 457 visa has changed a lot recently, and the employer HAS to foot the bill to get you here. Furthermore, i THINK they have to prove that they cannot source employees locally too. We came out in Jan on a 457, with WA education dept - they were due to bring out another 40 teachers in July, but due to changes in the conditions of the 457 visa, they limited it to 11 AND changed the type of visa!

IndieG

Hi - I was in banking (in a fairly senior position) and so is my husband at present. However, we didn't use this route as it didn't get us anywhere near the 120 points required. We got it under sub-class 139 (no points required, just meet basic requirements and my sis-in-law sponsored us) a couple of years back.

I was contacted by some headhunters for positions in Dubai and when I mentioned my move to Mel they gave me contact numbers of their counterparts there (unfortunately am on holiday in India at the moment so don't have the phone numbers handy). But Michael Page, Hays, Charterhouse are a few agencies that are quite active in the financial services industry - so you could go and meet them as also some banks directly. Good luck!

IndieG

You're right - most adverts I saw had this requirement.

JAJ

As far as I know they don't usually, at least not formally, but 457 visas are only available for jobs at a certain skill level. It is a persistent, but false, myth that a job offer on its own will do.

Also, the 457 involves a lot of hassle for the employer compared to hiring an Australian citizen/PR and most employers prefer to hire local people in any case.

fairygodmother

Hi folks - wow! Thanks for all the replies, you're all great.

IndieG -ironically it was a news item about the abolition of the 139 visa that made us first think about migrating to oz and it's only now that we are debt free and in a position to go anytime! Bu it's a catch-22 really isn't it? I'd definately be interested in those contacts whenever you return from holidays, that would be brilliant.

I know myself that if he could just get the interviews set up for when he goes out in August it would be a huge step for us but it's just getting them that's the problem!

We're starting to think about the option of planning for going out a bit a longer in case he has no interviews set up and needs time to be pounding the pavements, if this is the case then would it be the norm to go meet the guys at the recruitment agencies first before going near any of the banks? again, any advice good or bad is welcome.

Thanks again everyone!

fairygodmother

Hi Sal1705, we're planning on OH to go out in August for 2 weeks for interviews, we've put this information in any e-mails and also on his cover letter too, it's just the task of getting interviews in the first place!!

All we can do is stay positive anyhow.

Thanks again

fairygodmother

Hi Rosscarbery, what part of the country are you from originally? What do you think of the state of it now?? lol, are ye thinking of coming back soon, lol?

Thanks for your wishes, yeah, we know it'll be tough work but are determined to do it ( along with millions of others, I know ) I have family in Melbourne and they're mad to get us there but unfortunatley there's no way round it!

As far as I understand it from reading some threads here, the 457 itself isn't that expensive - just agent fee's if you so choose to use them and some may offer or expect to have to pay for flights accomodation etc. but we've already budgeted for these and manage no problem so then that would just leave the waitin 4-8 weeks for visa to be processed which I suppose i turn does cost them money as it's technically 2 months they may have to pay someone else to fill the role for them. We just hopw that OH can charm them in the interview(s) and they'll not be able to resist! lol

Thanks again, best wishes.

MrsTiv

Hi there
I seem to be in more or less exactly the same position as you... We are desperate to get to Oz and my sister is desperate for us to get there lol! My husbands trade is on MODL list but no longer on the CSL and he hasnt worked in that trade for about 2 yrs now so that rules the 175 out anyway. We were thinking of going on a student visa because im planning to go to uni anyway to study primary teaching but its just so expensive and with only being allowed to work 20 hrs a week during term time we would really struggle! Now we're looking at trying to get my husband sponsorship on a 475 and then hopefully onto an ENS to get PR residency after 2 yrs... Heres hoping! Let me know how you're getting on....

fairygodmother

Hey Mrs Tiv!

I know, it's so frustrating isn't it? I wish I had of listened to my aunt all those years ago when she told me I had to back to college and get a trade!! But sure, money for drinking and partying was more important than that at 18!! God - it's really bit me on the arse now though, lol!

Judging by what everyone's saying on here - it's going to be pretty impossible to get sponsorship from here unfortunately, so student visa it is then! At least if he's working the 20 hrs a week in a bank or finance company it will give him some time to get some Aussie experience..........
and if he can get sponsorship through this route before my two years are up then even better!!

We're definatley going to go on the student visa as our oldest boy will be starting school in January over there and we want to be settled a little bit before that and get child-minding etc. sorted!

................would be nice if we won the lotto too though!! ...lol.........

Keep in touch surely - i'll keep an eye out for your posts, see how your doing.

Cheers, Trish