craiga20uk

I have been working as a technical engineer within British Gas for the past 4 years,I am now looking into the possibility of applying for a visa to move to Australia.Has anyone out there got any tips for me?I have spent hours trawling through the internet trying to find info about Australian gas companies,and jobs within the gas industry,currently to no avail.Would you reccommend applying for a working holiday visa to start off with,travel to Australia and try to get a job offer from there?Any help would be greatly appreciated.It'd be great to hear from any gas engineers who have already emigrated.Craig

Bermudashorts

Have you thought about skilled migrant visas?

The skilled migrant visa process is not a quick one, but it provides PR straight away and you are not tied to an employer. So many people decide they want to emmigrate and it has to be next month, but if you are not in that camp then this might be a good option.

Some people do manage to find employer sponsors but many more do not. Trying to find jobs and a willing sponsor can be futile because most employers do not want to recruit from overseas if they can avoid it. Also, in your occupation, you would almost certainly need to be registered or licensed before you are allowed to work and I think you can only do that once you are in Australia.

craiga20uk

Thanks for the reply,what is the process of the skilled migrant visa regarding employment?Will I have to search for a job from here in the UK then undergo some kind of assessment in Oz?

Pollyana

Have a good read of www.immi.gov.au There are many different types of skilled visa, some with sponsorship and some without - you need to get your head round some of the details on that official site first

Bermudashorts

The skilled migrant visa I am referring to does not require an employer sponsor. You apply for the visa on the basis of your skills and then you have to take a leap of faith, move to Australia and look for work.

In your occupation, yes there will be some kind of assessment before you can work, I am not sure what this entails as I am an accountant.

craiga20uk

oooohhh,get you lol.only joking.Thanks for the info guys,i'll have a good look through that website and weigh up my options.Any idea how long a skilled migrant visa usually takes?I'm 27 nearly,and the clock is ticking down to the dreaded 30!!!!!

Dorothy

Anywhere from 12 months to 3 years depending on your skill and other factors.

Oh, and 30 is hardly old. We emigrated when I was 43

ROMFT_WO2RN

Before even applying for the Visa you'll need to be assessed by TRA as 334114 GASFITTER and get a positive Skills Assessment.

No skills assessment no 175/176 visa although you can still apply for a temp employer sonsored 457 visa.

TRA like apprenticeships, did you do one with British Gas? If not there are several pathways but I believe the pure RPL pathway has been removed?

It can take a couple of months to process the skills side and then there is a proposed change to the points system which effectively reduces the points available to trades workers as opposed to degree qualified applicants. In short get the ball rolling now if you're serious

craiga20uk

Yeah I did do an apprenticeship through British Gas,will this be of any advantage to me?Do you mean that I will have to be assessed over in Oz,before even starting the visa application process?I am looking to visit towards the end of 2011 for a couple of weeks to check out a few cities,i'd like to start the ball rolling before then hopefully though.

ROMFT_WO2RN

The apprenticeship means you should breeze the TRA skills assessment. This is phase one of the process. I'd advise doing this now and it only costs $300

If you want to get to Oz quickly as a PR then check out the state SMPs to see if you are listed. Note also that these may have funds requirements and greater IELTS and experience requirements. If you meet the 175 points threshold (120) then that gives you more freedom than a State Sponsored 176.

I really would get the application in asap to avoid any possible problems with the new points test.

craiga20uk

Sorry if i'm being ignorant,but I didn't understand any of those abbreviations lol.Could you put it in simpleton terms for me please I do wanna get the ball rolling asap,just dunno where to start in regards to this skills assessment.

ROMFT_WO2RN

TRA = Trades Recognition Australia

SMP = State Migration Plan

IELTS = International English Language Test

craiga20uk

Nice one,thanks

humpy

I looked into doing the TRA gasfitting visa, It got pulled up straight away, My apprenticeship was also with British Gas under there adult apprenticeship scheme SFL, it was only a short apprenticeship scheme and the TRA didnt recognise it, load of balls really, I only put a dummy application in, paid about 150 quid to get a basic assessment to get the news back, they want longer apprenticeships, 3-4 years, I ended up coming out on my wifes visa as it turned out, she qualified as a nurse shortly after me getting initial rejection, Ive heard of other British Gas guys getting in so different migration agents say different things