Craigus1984

Hi all
Please don't bite my head off..

Me self and my family want to move to WA
I'm and engineer in the uk and believe on the SOL I'm a fitter (general)
I have a NVQ apprenticeship and have been working as an engineer for 12 years now.
I have filled in a few online points test and score 60.
And we now feel we are ready to make the big jump.
I have looked into the agent route but at £9k seems to be a massive amount of money which we would rather have to take with us..

What's people's thoughts on agents or doing it your self.
How hard is it to complete all the paperwork needed.

can anyone advise on a good company any help is much apriciated..

Thanks Craig

Dorothy

So are you an engineer ir a fitter? They're very different things and are assessed by different assessing bodies.

As for going it alone, the vast majority of us did. It just takes a lot of reading and making sure that you have all of your forms filled in correctly.

And not sure why WA. You do realise that the state is kinda in the crapper as far as work goes. Right?

Craigus1984

I'm an engineer in the uk..
But looking at what's advaties and engineer in oz tends to have a degree.
I don't but fitter positions seem to fit what I have on paper and exsperiance.

Was not aware of any problems in WA?
reason for WA is I loved that part of oz
Perth to Broome..
I may have to look into doing the process my self as I think 9k is a huge sum to stump up

Dorothy

Your previous thread from August said 7k including visa fees. What happened to thst?

xizzles

Inflation maybe?

I paid the equivalent of £2000 in agent fees for my recent 189 application. The visa fees were an additional AUD5500 (£3000) or so. Total sum paid is still a lot less than the £7000 or £9000 quoted!

msmyrtle

An engineer in Australia tends to either have a 3 or 4 year degree from university. If you've done an apprenticeship or 2 year program + work experience you will most likely be looking at a trades role, fitter / welder / etc

I was in WA during the boom, and most of my friends have moved on (either east coast or back to UK/Ireland(!)). The friends that are still there are no longer on the $$ but rather getting by.

It's up to you whether to engage an agent or not. If you're good at reading forms and filling out paperwork then most people don't have any issue. I would say it is half and half of the posters here that used an agent or not. I didn't, and still the costs were probably around the $5000 AUD mark all up.

Craigus1984

Cheers for the replays guys.. I'll crack on and see about doing it my self.
I'm not after the $$ just to get by and enjoy the sun that's what most of us do here in the west of uk but no sun. And feel as a family the kids will have far more going for them..in my opinion the uk has lost its identity and is far from what it was.. so getting by with the sun and the beach is all we need..

Cheers Craig

verystormy

First, I am a big believer in using an agent as it is very easy to make a simple error resulting in a rejection. In the overall scheme of the costs of the move, a couple of thousand to an agent is a drop in the ocean. The majority of that fee is the visa fee that is payable with or without an agent.

Second, as others have said, WA has major issues at the moment with its economy. We lived there for 8 years until March and returned to the UK mainly because we were unable to get work. When we stood in the que at the airport check in, it was full of people in the same boat.

It is all good thinking you don't need much, but you still have to pay the bills, put food on the table and keep a roof over your head.

As for Australia being better and offering your kids more, you won't find many that would agree. It is just another first world country with the same issues. Same pluses and minuses.

teza

Very true VS, seeing it daily, real struggle for people to find jobs, any jobs, let alone without local experience...
I also wondered why WA, probably the worst place for newbie to look for employment unless he has iron clad local contacts.