Guidance required please..
 

Hi all

I can only imagine you get these threads all the time and I am sorry to be another boring one! But before I start I thank you in advance for readring this topic and I do truly hope someone can help me in any way, as it would be greatly appreciated..

Basically, as you can imagine, I am in the same boat as everybody else here, albeit at a very early stage.

I am after some advice to make sure that I am going about this the best way possible. Me and my partner are both 21 and looking to live and work im Australia with our young daughter. I'm just a bit overwhelmed with the different types of visa's that are avaiable to me and which is the best route to take..

Firstly, I have been googling Australian Visas etc and have come across the Immi.gov website and have of course read through the information available on the site but I am now looking to progress with a serious application..

I have found a company that operate in London which help me every step of the way during my application process...for a fee of course.

I completed an online assessment on their website (australian visa bureau for what it matters) and they claim I can get a skilled migrant visa that is sponsered by couple of state in Aus. I am keen to know if using a third party is the best way to go?

I am an Electrical Fitter by trade and have finished my Advanced Apprenticeship with Rolls-Royce in August this year, I have a B-Tec National Certificate (ONC) with the highest possible grade, my fiance used to work in the Halifax but is on maternity leave. I currently work for the National Grid.

Basically, I am keen to know what the highly intelligent and clued up people on this forum would do in my position, and a bit more information in regards to the variety of the visa's I can apply for.

Can anyone help? Is there any information that you require to give you a more informed decision?

I am not really in any rush am more looking for information about the process in general. What sort of ball park figure in regards to fees should I be looking at?

I will be checking every evening so please ask any questions..

Re: Guidance required please..
 

Welcome to the forum. :)

It's good that you've come across the DIAC website already. You'll spend a lot of time on that site before, during and after application, believe me! :D

Okay, first things first. Have you checked the skilled occupation list (SOL) to see if your skill is listed? If it's on SOL schedule one, you could look at an independent visa. If it's only on the consolidated sponsored occupation list (CSOL), you would need a state/territory or employer sponsor. Check to make sure that you meet the minimum points score too.

The types of visas for general skilled migration (GSM) are:

• 189 - Independent, permanent residence.
• 190 - State/territory sponsored, permanent residence.
• 489 - State/territory or family sponsored (FS applicants must have an occupation on SOL schedule one), provisional residence (up to four years, but if you fulfil the obligations (two years living in & one year working in a designated area), you could apply for an 887, which is a permanent residence visa).

The 189/190/489 all cost AUD $3060 (about £2080) - per application, not per applicant. The only time you'd have to pay more to DIAC (that I know of) is if your adult dependent(s) have less than functional English.

The application process changed this year. The new system is called SkillSelect. An expression of interest (EoI) would need to be submitted first, and if you get invited to apply, then you could apply. Before you submit an EoI, you would need to have already received a positive skills assessment & have proof of your English language ability. If you have an eligible passport, then you could use that as evidence. However, many people find that they need the extra points (just meeting the minimum sixty points doesn't guarantee an invite), and so they take the IELTS test. For ten points, you would need to score seven in each of the four bands, and for twenty points, you would need to score eight in each of the bands. As I mentioned, you would need to have those before you submit an EoI. You can select as many visa types as you like (and are eligible for) on your EoI, but bear in mind that if you decide to go for state sponsorship, some states will refuse to sponsor you if you select more than one state (lack of commitment to the one state). If you are interested in being sponsored by a state, I'd start researching the states to see which one would suit you (as well as which one has your skill on their list (state migration plan (SMP)), if any, obviously!), as you would be required to live and work in that state for two years. Not much of a sacrifice considering what you get in return! The state migration websites have a fair bit of information on. I've listed them below.

Victoria.
Queensland.
New South Wales.
Tasmania.
Western Australia.
Northern Territory.
Australian Capital Territory.
South Australia.

Further down the line (once you've been invited), you would need to look at medicals and police checks (PCCs). There aren't as many doctors authorised to do the medicals as there were, so you would have to choose one from the DIAC list of panel doctors (I'm assuming you're from the UK, so I've linked the UK list). There is a list of prices for the panel doctors on this thread. They are a few months old, so they may have changed. I'd recommend contacting the clinics to confirm the costs yourself. You would get the police checks from the ACPO Criminal Records Office. They cost £45 per person for standard service (ten working days) or £80 per person for premium service (two working days).

I wouldn't recommend getting either the meds or PCCs done until requested by a case officer (CO), because they have a limited validity, and if it takes longer than you thought, you may end up having to do them again. It would also give you a limited time to validate your visa after grant if you get them prematurely. That being said, make sure that you have the rest of your documents ready to upload after you've applied. You have twenty eight days to upload your evidence after application.

It's up to you if you decide to use an agent or not. It is doable without the help of an agent, but if you have a complex case (i.e. health problems or convictions), then it's best to seek help from a professional. If you decide to employ an agent, ensure that they are MARA registered.

There's bound to be something I've forgotten, but hopefully it's a start. :)

Re: Guidance required please..
 

Hi and thanks so much for your reply it truly is invaluable to us at the moment!! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Another question though...I understand that I have to submit an expression of interest but its asking me to have my skills assessed, how do I go about doing this?

Once again I thank you in advance and look forward to your reply!

Ps. If I apply under a skill code most suitable to me and hey disagree what is the procedure then? I believe I somewhat fall between the "fitter (general)" and electrician (specialist). Which would be my best bet!

Thanks again!!

Re: Guidance required please..
 

No problem. :) Basically, check the SOL for your occupation. The skills assessment body is listed next to it. I would imagine (at a guess), that you would be assessed by Trades Recognition Australia (TRA). Sometimes the skills assessment people recommend different codes (they think) are more appropriate.

Re: Guidance required please..
 

Thanks MrsGreenstar,
Your post is very helpful for others as well.

Re: Guidance required please..
 

No problem. Glad to help. :thumbup:

Re: Guidance required please..
 

Make absaloutly certain that any agent you use for visas is MARA ragistered. Any advice that is not from a MARA registered agent should not be regarded as fact

Re: Guidance required please..
 

Hi,

Not sure if this has already been said, but I notice you have just finished your apprenticeship, both IMMI and TRA would require normally at least 3 Years work experience which is normally always post apprenticeship, so basically anything from August will only be counted

Good luck

Re: Guidance required please..
 

The work experience requirement (twelve out of twenty four months) was removed on the 1st July. That being said, many people require the experience for points & their skills assessments.

Re: Guidance required please..
 

Actually TRA state you need 3 years post apprentice and the 12 of the last 24 months still applies for TRA skill assessment

Re: Guidance required please..
 

You might want to read the last part of my comment more thoroughly. :rolleyes:

Re: Guidance required please..
 

Hope my info helps OLZA 23 and best of luck too you

Re: Guidance required please..
 

Thank you Mrs.G... it is a good starter guide and useful to people like me.
Is SS result compulsory before submitting EOI (I hope it was not mentioned in the thread)? Is there any limitation in applying for SS at a time?

Re: Guidance required please..
 

Regarding your current qualifications, it makes NO difference what quals you have obtained in the UK, once your here you must do the state electrical exams at a RTO most Tafe's (Colleges) do a top up course some in the evenings some a block course for a week or so. i know it may seem unfair doing the extra exams in the UK but thats how its done here.

Re: Guidance required please..
 

No, you can select which state(s) you want to sponsor you in your EoI. Be aware though, that some states won't sponsor you if you select more than one state (shows a lack of commitment to that state).