Dale_Katya

Hi All

Ok, so first of all, I apologise for the very open ended question I am able to post, but you may be helping to shape our future I have already spent a long time reading, and often find it mind boggling!

We are a married couple, both well travelled individuals and completely flexible on where we live/work in the next stages of our lives. This is what we want now to consider, but first we must understand our options? Where can we go? that can we obtain visas/permission/or what ever it is we need, to live and work?

Dale - British Citizen - Degree & Masters - self employed IT contractor Ltd Company - Software Test Management - have over £150k cash savings and additional regular income from 2 x UK rental property. Currently resides in UK.

Katya - Ukrainian Citizen - (non EEA / EU). Degree & Masters. Currently resides in Ukraine.

Our intentions: to start a new life together, buy some property, maybe start our own business - investment into the local economy.

Soon we will be together again in Kiev, Ukraine. We are already aware of the possibility of living in the UK or Ukraine.

What other options do we have? is Australia an option?

Thank you in advance for all your help and comments.
Dale & Katya

mikelincs

Anywhere is an option, as long as you can get a visa, so I would look at the requirements and see if you qualify, and which visa you qualify for.

Dale_Katya

Hi Mike, haha yes thats what im looking for some guidance on... it seems to be minefield when it comes to Aus Visa's.

I checked the Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List (CSOL) and my occupation is listed, I also checked the ACS requirements and I can meet those after having degree minor and 10yrs experience.

But where to go with this?

carcajou

Where to go after this - apply for a skills assessment.

That is the next step.

When/if you get a positive skills assessment, that will give you a far more realistic view of whether you can land an Australian visa.

old.sparkles

I would slightly amend that and check that assuming you would get a positive skills assessment, can you meet the points requirement for a visa? ACS publish guidance (Summary of Criteria) that shows how much experience would be needed in different situations to be deemed skilled. Experience used for this is not counted for points.

If you think you can meet the points total (and you can take IELTS or similar to get the English points), then check what evidence you will need for the skills assessment and make sure you have all that is needed before applying.

You may also want to check if your occupation code is subject to pro rata arrangements (check skill select), or is at its occupational ceiling (also on skill select). If it is subject to pro rata, you will need higher points to get an invite most likely. Again skill select will have results of previous invitation rounds and can tell you the lowest score issued an invite previously.

One other thing to consider, and spouses / partners are not my thing, is proving a genuine relationship to DIBP as even though you are married, you are not currently living together so you will need to show how you maintain the relationship I think.

But work through the first bits, and come back with any further q's

Pollyana

That will be a big issue, as even being married DIBP will want plenty of proof that this is a genuine relationship with the couple living apart.

To the OP - you'll need plenty of evidence as to why you live apart - jobs, visas etc can all be used here -and how you keep in touch while you are apart. You'll need good evidence that your lives are joined together - things like financial arrangements, whether you have any joint accounts, whether one of you supports the other by sending money regularly etc. Links to friends and family on both sides are also good - do your families keep in touch with both of you, do you often chat to joint friends. And any plans for a life together, plans to start a family, stuff like that, can all be put in a statement.

However the first step is to look at whether you qualify for a visa, just be aware of the need to start collecting any and all evidence of your relationship.

carcajou

Pollyanna is correct. We migrated as a married couple, and I remember having to send DIBP wedding photos and invitations - and we haven't lived apart.

Dale_Katya

Thankyou all for your replies.

Regarding points:

Age 30points
English 20points
Skilled Emp certainly 10points maybe 15.
Education 15points (degree & masters)

Total 75 or 80.
* Partner skills points I do not think we can get, as does not have occupation on the same SOL/CSOL.

I have a few queries:

1) Software Tester is on the CSOL
Software Engineer is on the SOL

I believe career could fit comfortably into both of them, 90% of my focus is in Test Management. I would not say that my career is as a Software Tester, this was only in the first 1-1.5 yrs of my career (9yrs total). Although it is of course highly related and I do get hands on occasionally, I do not write test cases, scripts, data etc.

Still, Testing is also part of a Software Engineer's role, and also I am also involved with the architecture and design side. As I understand it, a occupation on the SOL rather than the CSOL is better to apply with?

Maybe I should I email ACS to ask this query?

2) English tests, do we both need to take them? I can see it says I must attain at least Competent level. Can anyone recommend which of the test types may be better or more international? ie. maybe useful if the visa request is unsuccessful.

3) Given we submit an EOI and get invited through SkillSet, Given you meet the points requirement, I get a positive assessment of the skills assessment, I get at least English competent.... is it then highly likely we get issued a visa?

carcajou

1. If you can apply as on the SOL rather than CSOL, that is probably the preferred option (unless you need the extra 5 points from state sponsorship). This is also why I said earlier to focus on the skills assessment - I don't know how your assessor will feel about "test management" vs "software tester" or "software engineer." A lot of people get excited when they see a profession similar or related to their own on the list and think that they qualify but don't. The skills assessment is not a formality and close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. I recommend finding a MARA-registered migration agent who has experience in guiding applicants through the skills assessment process to assist you.

2. The English tests, if you are a native speaker you should have no problem achieving Band 8 or 9 and getting the 20 points, in the academic version of IELTS. If memory serves - my wife is Italian - she had to take it, but the issue was needing a Band 4 to avoid having to pay a large supplement for English lessons.

3. If you get invited through SkillSelect, and you did not fudge/overclaim points on your Expression of Interest, don't have a criminal record etc. then yes it is likely you get the visa.

Keep in mind, 60 points is the minimum, but does not guarantee that you will be invited to apply for a visa. That depends on the strength of the pool for your profession - ie, if there's a lot of people with 90 points in the pool for your profession, they get invited before your 75 or 80 points, and there are not an unlimited number of invitations.

old.sparkles

ACS have a description of the roles and responsibilities of each of the occupation codes on their website. If you apply under one, and they believe you have chosen incorrectly, I think they ask you if you would agree to the assessment under another code.

With skilled employment for points, if you have 9 years total, you will lose some with the ACS assessment since they require a mix of qualification and experience (minimum 2 years experience plus highly relevant degree closely related to occupation if I remember correctly). If employment is before or during qualification, then skill is met when you have both (possibly at date qualification is issued).

DIBP specify which English tests they allow. IELTS is most common, and you need only take general if not specified for skills assessment (assessing bodies sometimes specify the academic test). As a UK passport holder, you only need to take a test if you need points or assessing body requires it. Spouses need to take English if not citizen of certain countries.

If you meet all requirements when applying for a visa, there would be no reason to refuse. You need to not overclaim points, have valid skills assessment at time of lodging EOI, etc. DIBP do not refuse without cause.

Dale_Katya

Ok it's good to know they may simply suggest another occupation.

I read that even for UK passport holder, I also am required to take an English test?

Do you mean I should apply for the Skills assessment and only then submit an EOI?

carcajou

Dale_katya, old.sparkles is correct in his/her posts. As a UK passport holder you don't need to take it; however, it is 20 extra points if you get a Band 8 or Band 9 in IELTS and most people need those points. It can often mean the difference between getting or not getting a visa. Even if you think you are on 80 points and would still be on 60 without IELTS so you have some cushion - don't think that, because as I explained in my previous post, being on 60 points does not guarantee you anything, it depends on the strength of the other EoIs in your profession and there may be other applicants in your field with higher points than that. They rank the EoIs by highest points and so if you are only on 60 points that can be problematic. You need to get as many points as you can without overclaiming. IELTS is a very cheap 20 extra points for a native speaker.

You don't just get the 20 points for English language because you hold a UK passport - you have to take the test and upload the result with the rest of your documents.

I believe you cannot submit an EOI without a skills assessment, or your other documents (except meds and police check) so yes you need a positive skills assessment first, as well as IELTS results etc. if you want to claim points for that.

If you overclaim points on your EOI, it results in automatic rejection of your visa application, even if you would otherwise still have enough points.

scot47

Band 8 or 9 on IELTS will not come automatically. Not all "native speakers" can get a score like that.

Richard_Gregan

We had a Vehicle Painter tradie who scored four 9s on his first attempt.

And a Management Accountant who had to sit the exam 3 times.

You can never tell for sure how individuals will fair in the test.

Also, some people do better with Pearson Academic, and yet there will be others who didn't get on with Pearson and went on to do well with IELTS. One size definitely does not fit all!

Regards,

Richard

verystormy

I would reiterate the above about the English test. I have seen many proffessions fail it. In fact I have known an individual with a PhD in English fail it - twice!