Hi all just thought id post a thread regarding my recent experience with the ARTC application. After alot of reading of forums etc. I decided to get a heads start and send off my ARTC application before I got to Oz using my sisters address.

I have my flights booked for mid Jan so hoped to have the trade certificate before landing to hurry the process up. I sent my application off and have recently received an email from the TRA asking for evidence that I am currently residing in Oz. This was around 12 days ago. Since then I have emailed back numerous email addresses several times and received no response.

The email I received noted that all extra evidence should be sent within 10 days (in bold!) otherwise my application would be assessed as is. Assuming that my application will be unsuccessful as it is incomplete I am looking at shelling out another $300 and another months wait when I land in Oz

I will be trying to contact them by phone today however have been shocked
at the inability to contact the TRA regarding the issue.

My advise unless you have done a trip to Oz to verify your visa and obtained a Oz driving license is to wait till your over there before applying to the TRA.

Well I guess I should update this thread as im now living in Oz and have been for a couple of weeks now. I finally contacted the TRA in November to discuss my application. Got through to an extremely unhelpful young lady who basically told me the only thing I could do was to write a letter (email wasnt good enough?) explaining my situation and ask if my ARTC assessment could be postponed until I got to Oz in Jan as I couldn't provide the evidence they were after.

Anyway heard nothing back till I got a phone call of my sister on Christmas day telling me a letter had arrived informing me that my ARTC application had been rejected on the grounds that I had not provided evidence that I was in OZ, fantastic. Also they mentioned that I was more suited to a Electricial Fitter aswell. Even more good news.

I arrived in Perth on the 16th of Jan and sent my application off a couple of days after I got here and yesterday received the email informing me that they have received my ARTC application. Considering my original application took 3 months to be rejected I dont hold out much hope in receiving an outcome any time soon. I am currently a very hot unemployable brit $600 down. Luckily my wife was able to register and find a job as a midwife from the UK otherwise wed be in trouble, why cant this be as simple for electricians?

My argument being why would you deny somebody a ARTC on the grounds that there not in Oz. Im paying the fee and if I didnt intend to go to Oz why would I be applying for an ARTC, it doesn't make much sense. In my opinion the whole system is designed to make it as hard as possible to work over here. Unless you have an endless amount of cash not being able to find work for the first 6 months is going to be a BIG problem.

So im now in the position of waiting and trying to pick up any work I can get my hands on just to be able to afford my weekly rent. I suspect it may be another 4-5 months before I can actually work as once I receive my ARTC I still require to go to a TAFE to complete some expensive training to tell me how to do what ive been doing for all my working life and then to come out with a Electrical Fitters licence which then requires me to do 12 months supervised work to become an actual electrician, because everyone wants to take on an electrician they need to watch over?! So when you watch wanted down under and all this crap dont believe them when they tell you itll take a week or two to get your licence : P

Rant over : ) I love Perth!

You can still work as a TA if you apply to energy safety with your ARTC you will be given a provisional license. Its not easy as i and others have found without an A grade. The reason i think the ARTC makes you wait is that they are making it harder for overseas electricians to get licenses straight away. I am on PR and done vetassess which cost me $2500, plus my gap training course$2000,
time lost at work 3 weeks in total will be around $4000 bringing my cost to $8500. Ridiculous system but i have pretty much got over it now and just want to get the last of the gap training out of the way and put it behind me!

Hi

My husband is an electrician and we are applying for the 190 visa to Perth.

I keep seeing threads about people been told they are Electrical Fitters? what is the difference and on what grounds are they changing it from Electrician?

Thanks

If you are applying for PR you will have vetassess so don't worry about it you will do a gap training year anyway. Generally people are given fitters licenses if they have not done a full apprenticeship or have only done electrical maintenance work in a factory basically.

Does anyone know how long an ARTC application takes for a decision? And, if you have a fitters classifiation - can you still get an A license in SA?

Thanks in advance

Ok thanks for explaining that. It won't apply to my husband then.

Hi r10ley,

I'm looking at applying for an ARTC soon , and I also want mechanical not fitters. I have 17 years experience, and I have all my qual's, including AM2 , parts 1 & 2, inspection testing, 17th etc...

But I don't have an official apprenticeship cert, or a JIB card. Will this matter in terms of Mechanical or fitters do you think?

P.S I can't get a JIB card anyway until I've done an NVQ 3, which seems like a money spinner for the JIB because I've done the AM2, and the NVQ 3 just looks like a watered down version of the AM2!

Cheers mate