Greetings to all here,
My quest to emigrate started 3 months ago. Me and my OH were sat watching Saturday night TV when she said why don’t you do the online assessment for Australia? I said ok and did it.

When I did the online assessment, I didn’t nominate a trade, just put down what qualifications I have. I had to enter my personal details to do the online assessment. I didn’t expect to hear anything from anyone over the online assessment. Within 36 hours I got a call from the company I did the assessment with. This was a complete shock to me. I didn’t expect to hear from anyone for at least a month. This fella from an MARA registered company said I had passed the assessment (apparently I got 115 points) for a general electrician and did I want to proceed with immigration progress? (I didn’t say I was an electrician). I asked him what was involved in it, and he said he would send me all the paperwork and to look over and call him back when I was ready. I said okay.

I read over the paperwork again and again. I also asked my OH did she really want to go through with it as it was going to cost me the best part of £6000 for their services, and once I started it there was no going back she said yes, it was what she wanted for us and the kids.

A bit about myself. I left school at 16 with minimal qualifications and realised that I was not going to go far without qualifications, so I went to night school for 7 years to gain my qualifications in security alarms, emergency lighting, fire alarms, access control and CCTV. I have loads of qualifications and training certificates for this job, along with electronic servicing certificates. I did this job for 10 years and got tired of the 24hour call after doing a day’s work already. In this 10 year period I did an electrical installation course at college. I have got my certificate for part 1 and part 2 install certificate along with my AM1 certificate. These were the relevant qualifications at the time I needed to connect an alarm installation to the mains.

After 10 years in the security business, I changed career and went to work for a company maintaining and repairing industrial kitchen equipment as a mobile service engineer. I have now been doing this for over 10 years and run a maintenance department for a big hospital, as a site based engineer. I do the fault finding and repair, not an office job for me. Along with an improver engineer, we cover all the reactive faults on everything from small vac to large 3 phase fridge equipment and steam combination ovens. I also fix large walk-in fridge and freezers with roof mounted condensers. This is what I do on a daily basis.

After getting my first set of instructions form the MARA company things started to go wrong. I can’t understand some of the things required by the MARA Company. The MARA Company told me they didn’t want to know anything my alarms history as it was not the trade they have nominated me for. They said I should go for a general electricians group. I, not knowing any different, went along with it.

Now I am sat here again Sunday afternoon whilst she takes the kids out to give me some piece to get my head around this paperwork again. We are getting despondent about the whole thing now as this is all I seem to do. My current employers reference has bounced back over 6 times saying that need to do more work on it. I can’t seem to please them or am I just moaning. One minute they say they are not interested in my alarms history, and the next they want me to do statutory declarations for every alarm company I have worked for.

In this mountain of paperwork is this competency assessment with 4 groups for installation, select equipment, fault find, repair and documentation. I told MARA that I can do most things on the list, but the installation lets me down. Not that I can’t do it, I am not allowed. Hospitals are unique as in; the estates department do all the electrical work on their own electricity supply. I do not work for the estates, so can only fault find on machines and appliances. I also told MARA that if I could do everything on the sheet on a daily basis, I would either be A) a multi-millionaire or B) dead. It appears to me that there is a lot asked of a general electrician in Australia. I am worried I am not going to make it to Oz.

I can’t get through to MARA people that I don’t install and this seems to be causing a problem for me. I have emailed MARA photos and documentation of jobs I do on a daily basis and they say that is okay. I have photographed me repairing big machines, replacing fan motors on roof condensers and mailed them to MARA, but it doesn’t seem to be enough. I can do the install work, but don’t do it on a daily basis, and this is what MARA wants me to include in my paper and evidence assessment. I am trying hard not to “blag it” as it may come back on me.

Another problem I have is that I have not served a proper apprenticeship, but learned as I went along. This is not a problem for me as I have all the relevant qualifications for the job I am doing at the moment, but MARA seem to have a problem with it. They want me to declare what I did 20 years ago as a trainee maintenance engineer. WHAT?? I can’t tell you what I did this time last year never mind 20 years ago. Also the fact that I have got my current natural gas certificate doesn’t seem to interest them at all as it’s not the trade that have nominated me for. Again, I didn’t say I was an electrician. I am a trained, fully qualified alarm engineer who went onto a mechanical/electrical engineer’s role 10 years ago.

On the trade evidence form, the last box is to do with electricity supply. In UK this is part of a utilities company’s engineer’s job. A specialised job not a general electrician’s job. People are trained to work live, in the road underground and not the job for a general electrician. If I could everything on these sheets, I would have my own company.

If this is the first hurdle and I am struggling now there is not much hope for me, I think. I think that the MARA people have regretted taking on my application and don’t want too tell me, as they are confusing me with my qualifications, employment and whether I am going to be successful in getting a visa

To top it all off, in the last 2 days I got an email from MARA to say that Oz have changed the rules on my application. Apparently, the trade they have nominated me fro has gone to the bottom of the list for some reason that I don’t understand, and that my application could take 3 years now....

Has anyone else had this experience or is it just that my qualifications are not good enough to get in Oz?

I came across your post by accident (I usually only hang out in the USA and MBTUK forums...)

I cannot help you with any of your visa / qualification related questions.

But what struck me is that you do not seem to have a clear motivation for emigrating all the way to Australia. I mean......... have you really thought this through? What are you expecting/hoping to gain? Why do you think you and your kids will be better off in Oz?

Speaking as one who moved to the US under - on the face of it - the most auspicious circumstances possible, and having lived to regret it ever after, I would just urge you to think about what you are likely to give up - not just what you are hoping to gain.

Your points are valid and it seems you are uncomfortable with your application. I think you should contact the agent and ask for clarification mate. With regards to the mountain of evidence, this is normal.

Good luck with whatever it is you decide mate

OK, just my opinion - the one thing you need is to realistically understand what your chances are of getting a visa. There are tradespeople with much less experience & drive than you well into the process of emigration to Australia, but then again the rules have changed a lot this week. I read your post & couldn't help thinking, "this is the kind of bloke that every country should encourage". I'm not a soppy git either, and have a very different job to you. BUT I don't know if your skills & experience fit with the current Australian "in demand" lists.

The one thing I'd advise is to get a 2nd opinion from another agent, do a few searches on this forum & find one that lots of people recommend. An initial consultation should cost nothing. I'll recommend mine to you if you want as I'm happy with them, but better that you find one based on your own research.

Best of luck

You may want to check up on some threads about the demands for electricians once they get here - there are licences to be obtained and that sometimes means further study. The regulating bodies are not keen on people who havent done formal apprenticeships and there does seem to be a disconnect between the visa process for electricians and the employment process once you get here - check out that you would be able to get employment in the field if you do get the visa. It sounds like a minefield!!!

Thanks to everyone who read this and replied. Elvira, we are in bed now discussing the questions you asked us. We would like a new start in life, somewhere else. Nowt wrong in that is there? definately don't fancy US at all in any way, shape, or form. OH is african by blood, but english born. she likes a warmer climate as I do. Plus, UK is not a nice place to bring up kids.

Sonlymewalter, Thanks for the advice. I am going to stick it out and see how it goes.

Freebo, thanks for your opinion and advice. I will do as you suggest and do a search for MARA agents.

Quoll, thanks for your input as well. I kinda knew about the licenses thing..kinda? also a bit worried about what you say about formal apprenticeships and this disconnect thing. I am hoping for a company internal transfer, but the way the current economic climate is at the moment, I am not using the transfer as an ace up my sleeve. I was going to get the visa first then approach my company in Oz.

Thanks to all

Ok, first things first. Your agent is not MARA. MARA is the governing body for migration agents in Australia, much like the Law Society is the governing body for lawyers or Medical Board for doctors. Your agent may be registered with them, but that is the extent of MARA's involvement.

Second, are you in fact a licenced electrician or are you a general electronics tradesperson? They are 2 completely different trades and go through different skills assessment bodies. Electricians go through Vetassess and Electronics tradespersons through TRA. With Vetassess you will need to do a 2 part exam while with TRA you will need evidence of formal education and experience. Sounds to me though that you fit the general electronics tradesperson role better than electrician.

You will need very detailed references from your employers going back years in order to qualify for both skills assessment and visas, so that's completely normal. Asking for your employer to provide something you don't actually do, is not ok though. They will need to be completely honest since the skills assessment people and DIAC can and do verify what you say.

Take a very long read of booklet 6 at www.immi.gov.au and then speak to a couple of other agents for free initial consultations. Tell the agent you are with at the moment to put your application on hold for the moment while you do this.


Ok, now for the realities of Australia. Have you done any research into why you want to move? Take a read of the "so tired of the wind and rain" thread currently running in the Barbie section. Weather here is not all it's cracked up to be. It gets cold, it rains for weeks/months on end, it's too hot to go outside, we have dust storms and bushfires and hurricaine force winds. There is crime and violence here just like in UK or US or Canada or any other western nation. We have unemployment (you won't be eligible for any benefits for the first 2 years) here. My husband did a very similar job to yours before we emigrated and it took him over 9 months to find a job. Any job, not just in his field.

Think long and hard about just why you want to move 10000 miles from your home before you proceed any further. However if you do decide it's what you really want then best of luck to you and yours.

Hi Sidnoi,

Having just had someone else come to me with a similar story I think you should do a couple of things to sort this out.

First, take Moderator Dorothy's advice.

Second, look carefully at the Vetassess trade site http://www.vetassess.com.au/migrate_...ade_skills.cfm to see if that helps make sense of it all. There are trades experts who can advise further if still confused but that should be a good place to start.

Cheers,

George Lombard

Thanks to Dorothy and George lombard for replying.

Sorry about delay in reply, not been very well. Firstly, I can't see any booklets Dorothy recommended to view. Dorothy, I am what you may call a service engineer, I fix machines, Single phase and 3 phase electricity. Although, I spent a long time in the security field and have quite a few certificates to back it up from night school and product training.

What is your husbands trade? (if you don't mind me asking)

Dorothy has now got me thinking twice about the whole thing with her perception of Oz. We just fancied a change in life, thats why we chose Oz. Mind you, seeing the duststorm on TV the other got me thinking. I thought the weather was better than you made it sound.

George, looked at the vetassess from you sent (thanks) my trade is not on there so I am going to struggle.

After spending all Sunday on what may be a fruitless cause I rang the MARA agent monday morning. I told her that I was not happy with the situation at the moment. I told her that I was not happy being in the classification of general electrician as I don't install. She told me she would speak with her supervisor. Not heard from her since..........

I will keep you posted and thanks for the advice.

Sidnoi

Where are you again ?

Perth. It rained something like 25 days in September. Today it's 4 degrees at my house.

Try here - http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/booklets.htm

The weather can vary a lot, depending where in Australia you are.

That duststorm for example, was really a one off. I think they said the last one like that was about 70 years ago.

But it is important to select an area, to suit what you want. Some areas have regular bush fires, so you could lose your house every few years, other areas can get flooded frequently. Some areas get really cold and other areas get really hot, and that isn't always dependent on North and South either. But other areas can be really nice. Some parts can be flooded whilst others are in drought.

A lot of homework is needed to check out an area.

My first reaction on reading your post was to get a second opinion from another agent... and if I was in your shoes, I would be talking to agents that are regulars on this forum, someone like George Lombard for example.

Oh my God That's like the UK !!

22°C here,
We had 3 days rain in September, 2 days in August and 2 in July, but half of those were less than 1mm per day.

I know it's cold when I actually want to sleep close to the old man. Roll on summer I say!