L e e

Hi, i'm a qualified electrician in the UK looking to move to Queensland or Perth. I understand that the qualifications i've earned here are not transferable. Is it possible to gain an QLD or WA Electrical Licence from the UK, or will i have to get over to my chosen state and do it all over there?

I started an apprenticeship over here in 2004 and managed to get everything signed off in september '09. This means that despite passing other exams and courses related to the job, i've technically only been fully qualified for a year and a half. Does this mean i can only say that i've got a year and a half's experience or can i include the whole apprenticeship and say that i have 6 years experience?

We'll probably move to Perth, as i have a load of mates and family there. If it's not possible to gain the WA A Grade Electrical Licence before moving over there, then is it possible to work as a trainee or improver over there until i get the licence?

Once over there, what's the first step to take to get the ball rolling? It's likely that my wife will get work first as she's a teacher, so we can move there and i can concentrate on getting the licencing done.

Is it easier to gain a QLD Licence or WA Licence and are they transferable? How long is it likely to take and how much money is it likely to cost?

I realise that this stuff has all been covered on here, but a lot of the posts are a few years old and have conflicting information.

Thanks very much in advance...

derren7

Hi Lee,
I am going to reply with a few assumptions.
1 ) I am assuming that you are applying for PR on your partner's application as a teacher, therefore , you won't be required to be assessed by by VETASSESS and can apply for an ARTC once you have your PR visa.
2) I am assuming that you have just started the process of lodging your visa and this may take some amount of time. Let's say 12 to 36 months for arguments sake.
You have 18 months post apprenticeship experience. Once you have a further 6 months experience you would be considered to be a time served Electrician and would meet the criteria for applying for an ARTC or an OTSR
should you need to be assessed by VETASSESS ,if ,you are the main applicant for PR.
I could be wrong on this and would welcome anyone to shoot me down in flames if this is misleading info.
3) Once you have your visa you can apply for an ARTC or if you have been assessed by VETASSESS and have obtained an OTSR you can attend a 2 week 'Energy Safety' course in Perth and hold aloft the coveted 'A' grade licence by WA, which by the way,seemingly, some people have been having trouble transferring this this licence to a QSLD licence.
Hope this helps. I am sure you'll still be scratching your head but feel free to ask more questions. This is a very helpful forum,.
Regards Derren

L e e

Thanks for that.

Well, she's a teacher at a very posh private school over here, so the plan was for her to look out for a similar job in WA or QLD. her current school has a load of affiliated schools in WA and QLD so there is a good chance of her finding one to work at.

If she applies and is successful, the thinking was that they'd help with the visa process. That would hopefully be her sorted. That would leave me to come over on a spouse(?) or year's working visa or something like that(?) and concentrate on getting qualified over there.

We'd initially like to stay for a couple of years before deciding whether or not to apply for PR Visas, but i'd like to work there as a qualified electrician during this period if possible?

It looks like you need a PR Visa to hold an electrical licence though. Is this correct?

I have a friend who is a geologist working in mining over there who says he'd be able to help with finding a job in mining, but i'd have thought you need a full licence before getting anywhere near a mine as an electrician?

So basically, we haven't made any applications yet, just wondering what how to go about it when we do. Hope this makes sense.

Thanks again.

derren7

Hi Lee,
It is possible to hold pursue a full licence on a working holiday visa but if you want to stay for few years it's probably a better option for your wife to pursue the Employer Nominated Scheme (ENS sub class 457) which, I think , gives your 4 years resident status with the option to change to,permanent status, although you'll best off talking to a migration agent or request some info on the 'immigration, visas and citizenship' section because I'm not particularly au fait with regard to the types of visas on offer.
As a spouse, you would be included in the application without needing to have your skills assessed but ,once over there, or once you have your visa you can apply for an ARTC from the TRA. This is not a licence, just recognition of your skills.
I do know that if you applied for residency with you being the main applicant as a spark then you'll have a very long wait to get in ,whereas, if your wife can go via ENS then current processing times are 5-7 months from time of lodgement.
With regard to working in the mining industry, I would imagine it would be uber, uber health and safety conscious.
Again, it's worth consulting a migration agent. Initial consultations are usually free.
Regards Derren