ukmouse

We spoke to my cousin in Sydney the other day and he pointed us to the job boards etc. There are SO many jobs for my hubby in the field which he specialises etc so we are rethinking our moving plans a little to poss Oz due to the work opportunities.

His occupation is on SOL

I visited the official immigration site and he was awarded 100 (we need 120 as you know)...

BUT (and here's my question at last)

when I did the same eligibility check on LIVEinAustralia.com we were awarded an additional 25 points because my first cousin is a permanenet resident and would support/sponsor our application.

There was no mention of this on the first site I visited.

Is this true or a hook to get us to buy into their visa services?

Many thanks....



PS - (Apparently my 10+ years in recruitment management and the fact I'm a director of my own company is worth diddly-squit... ah well!!! )

fifty_pence

Your not awarded ANY additional points if someone in your family sponsers you.. However, the points required to qualify for a family sponsered visa is only a 100 as opposed to 120 for a General Skilled Independent - so you'd still qualify if your cousin is eligible to sponser you..

PS: there MAY be additional points if your cousin lives in certain desiginated regional areas but I'm not sure about that ..

comet555

I would be surprised if a first cousin was able to sponsor you. I don't know enough about this type of visa to be sure, but I don't believe I've ever seen cousins sponsoring people on this board before.

To get the full scoop go directly to the immigration website (not an agents). I know you already did this but you really need to carefully look at the requirements of the visa you think you might be eligible for.
http://www.immi.gov.au/

louie

Comet is right - see http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener...ve-sponsor.htm.

Are either of your cousin's parents in Oz? They would be able to sponsor you.

ukmouse

Thanks for all the responses.

I must admit I was surprised when the family drop down list also had options for nephews and nieces. I would have thought parents / children would have qualified but not more distant relatives.

The 'result' so to speak on LIVEinAustralia etc was that we would qualify on the Skilled Occupation visa, but I cant see how we are supposed to get the extra 20 points because all the other points available were only allocated if you had studied or were already living in Oz.... which seemed odd.

I shall follow the links and see what I can find.

Thanks so much for your help....

louie

This is the link for the 176 visa - http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener...migration/176/.

As advised above, you only need 100 points to qualify for this (but you also need an eligible relative).

ukmouse

UPDATE:

I re-did the eligibility test on www.immi.com.au and, apparently, a first cousing CAN sponsor you.

Also, re-doing the check clarified that if we have sponsor from an employer we only need the 100 points (as someone else mentioned was the minimum for family sponsorship too).

With regards to the degree aspect, my husbands qualification is degree level equivalent.... it was a 2 year course for the first stage and then he undertook another 2 year 'higher' course on top of this. Both courses were accredited by a University although he doesnt have a 'BA degree' as such. I assume this 'equivalent' would be taken into consideration?

Thanks again... I know this one is a bit vague and we would have to let them accredit it and agree... but just wondered if anyone knew.

louie

Cousins cannot sponsor you for a 176 visa, although they may for other visas (possibly for regional ones, I'm not sure). Read again the link I put above and download and read booklet 6 - http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1119.pdf

Edited to add: cousins can sponsor for a 475 (regional) visa, but that's no help to you if your cousin is in Sydney.

ukmouse

Well unless I am thick, and I dont think I am, I followed the Visa Wizard. Below is the information it gave against family sponsorship and who in your family is allowed to sponsor you.
I completed the Visa Wizard and it gave 3 options of Visa namely 175, 176, 475

I followed through the Sponsored 176 option and it gave information on sposorship by families. My family fits into that eligibility... and they are a first cousin.

I'm only going by what www.immi.gov.au says - and it appears that you can be sponsored by a first cousin for a 176 visa.

Please see below... its most confusing!

Here's a link to the page I'm viewing for the 176

ukmouse

Thanks for the booklet.... will take a look see

louie

I agree that the visa wizard isn't very helpful in your circumstances, but what I think it is saying is that these are the relatives who are relevant across the various possible visa categories (ie 175, 176 and 475), but that doesn't mean that all of the relatives are relevant to each category.

If you click on your link, then click on 'eligibility' at the top of the page under subclass 176, then click again on 'sponsorship by a relative' at the bottom of the page, it shows you which relatives are relevant to the 176 visa.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings.

(Also how did you do the hyperlink edit? I've never mastered that on this site!).

ukmouse

Hi Louie

Re hyperlink:

1) Type the words you want to use for your link
2) Highlight those words
3) Hit the Globe icon above (this is when you are in New Reply mode of course)
4) Paste in your URL address in the box provided
5) Hit go... or whatever

Hey presto... you have a hyperlink.

ukmouse

Its most confusing... because when I did the Wizard it asked re family and gave the drop down list, I ticked 'cousin' and it came back as 176

I note that 'cousin' is missing from the list you refer to but all the others relatives are present. Seems odd that niece and uncle would be in there but not cousin.

I know I may be clutching at straws but I cant see the distinction and am hoping it's just missed off this particular list as its present everywhere else I have looked so far.

Most odd... I have a headache

louie

Cousin is not on the list in booklet 6 either.

You could try contacting an agent and asking that specific question, but I'm afraid I think you are on a hiding to nothing. Sorry.