Marko86bfc

Hi Guys

I currently possess a working holiday visa and understand as part of the terms of the visa you can only work for one employer for a 6 month visa despite this being a 12 month visa to work.

1) What is the process if you wish to stay with the same employer past this 6 months? is it possible or a difficult process to go down.

2)Additionally, upon the 12 month visa expiring what are your options to stay longer/permanently in the country?

I am currently in Vancouver, Canada on a working holiday visa here and contemplating switching this for Oz but only if I cam able to stay past the 12 months and make this a permanent move.

Your help would really be appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

old.sparkles

I think if you qualify for the second WHV it is possible to work for an employer for longer - 6 months on the first WHV and 6 months on the second - sure there has been posts on this before but could be wrong. Generally though there is no way round the 6 month limitation.

To be able to stay in Australia on a permanent basis, you would need to qualify for a PR visa - skilled migration or partner of an Australian citizen are the most common (although partner often starts with a temporary visa).

Do you have a skill on the CSOL? - Consolidated Sponsored Occupations List

Marko86bfc

Thanks for your advise there.

So once the 6 months is up you would have to switch to another employer if you wanted to carry on working in the country for the remaining 6 months?

Iv just looked at the list there and I am an Accountant here in Vancouver and was also back in the UK and its actually on the list there which you sent across.

If this a simple procedure or do you have to have sponsorship from an employer and their recommendation for you to be able to get the PR visa?

Thanks for the help

old.sparkles

If you check the list, the assessing bodies for accountants is listed. Check their sites to see if you can pass the skills assessment for that occupation.

spouse of scouse

I think you might have the wrong idea of a 417 visa. It's specifically designed for young people to have a holiday in Australia, and supplement this holiday with some work. The intention of the visa is that you then go home. The typical jobs done by people on a 417 are bar work, fruit picking, sales in shopping centres - that type of thing.

To qualify for a second year on this visa, you have to complete 3 months work in a designated regional area in the first year.

You might be lucky and get a job for 6 months in your field, but realistically employers for accountants would be looking to recruit people who could stay for longer than that - ie citizen, permanent resident.

If your intention is to settle permanently in Australia, take Sparkles advice and look for a skilled migration visa.

mr.sifter

You could do your specified visa work in your first six months and then start another job on the final 6 months of your first visa, apply for your second visa and work for the same employer for the first 6 months of your second visa. The six months per employer is tied to the visa your on, so when you get the second visa you can start again and potentially work for the same employer 12 months straight if you get your timing right, alternatively go through a recruitment agency after 6 months on the books an employer.

Bermudashorts

There is a process for extending the six months with one employer but it is difficult and would perhaps be used if your employer decided to sponsor you but you were already approaching the 6 months before a different visa could be applied for.

Somebody that works for my OH was considering this, although they decided not to as it was too complicated and needed the companies support as well. Certainly the average WHV cannot just extend because they want to.

Your options for staying permanent at the end if the 12 months are pretty much unchanged versus your chances today. Unless you meet an Australian and get married or start a defacto relationship of course.

ETA: Just saw your second post about being an accountant. Well in this case you could get a skilled migrant (PR) visa quite easily. On the other hand, you are likely to find it quite difficult to find work on a WHV and I would be amazed if you could find sponsorship. The job market for accountants is highly competitive. If you are sure you would like to move to Australia, forget about the WHV and get skilled migrant visa.

Marko86bfc

Great thanks for your responses guys.

As I am actually on a working holiday visa here in Canada I have been able to land a full time job as an accountant and thought it would be the same process in Oz. But going off the reply's there it looks as though in Oz its more bar work etc which you can do whilst there which isnt what I would be looking for.

I was thinking I could use the WHV as perhaps a stepping stone to finding a job there as an accountant with me being in the country and accessible.

Just two questions really:

1) Would I be able to transfer from a WHV to a skill migration visa whilst there?

2) What is the process of the skilled migration visa then? do I need find a job in Oz before hand or am I able to apply for this visa without being employed by a Oz employer.

I take it some of you have been down this route before so your help and wisdom is much appreciated.

THanks

Mark

old.sparkles

To qualify for a skilled visa, you would need to be able to pass the skills assessment for your occupation. You would also need to be able to pass the points test. If you check the link - Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) - which is for a skilled independent visa which does not require any sponsorship, you should find the points test. If you meet all criteria, you lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) and have to wait to be invited to apply for a visa.

You can apply whilst here on a WHV but due to the length of the process, if you wait until you are here to start you may run out of time. Did you check to see if you can pass the skills assessment?

Bermudashorts

Perhaps the job market is different in Canada? Here is Australia, the job market for accountants is saturated and there are hundreds of applicants for every role and a lot of good unemployed accountants.. A WHV will only hinder you, it will be no stepping stone, you will be at the bottom of a big pile. To be honest, even in better job market times I would not recommend a WHV to somebody who wants to make a permanent move, it would still limit your job prospects but at the moment, personally I think it would be madness.

To your questions in same numbering:

1) There is no concept of "transferring" to a skilled migrant visa. You just apply for it and whether you are on the WHV or not will make no difference to that process.

2) Employers do not come into skilled migration. You take an academic IELTS test, get a skills assessment, put in an expression of interest, make visa application when invited to do so. Obviously you check you meet the criteria first.

Marko86bfc

Great, thanks for the advise there guys.

My thinking was that a WHV would help as a stepping stone with me being in the country an accessible to the Oz employers. But like you guys have rightly suggested that WHV will not help in anyway for me to secure this permanently. I will look at the Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) as take the test and if I pass will apply accordingly.

In terms of timescales, does anyone know what the processing times are for this skilled visa at all?

Thanks

Mark

laura644

Hi Mark, I am currently starting the process to apply for a PR visa as an accountant, I am CIMA qualified, what qualification do you have?

I am using CPA to assess my skills, they say they will take about 15 days to do that, you need to sit the IELTS, the results take a couple of weeks, so technically speaking you could submit an EOI within a month (providing you have all the paperwork you need, certificates etc. & get the IELTS mark you need) As far as I know invitations rounds happen twice a month and by the sounds of what I have been reading people with good point scores get invited fairly quickly, you then have 60 days to lodge visa application, then timescale for processing I think it says 6 months on the government website...

This is all the info I have found out, I am not an expert & quite new to this so if anyone reads this and I have anything wrong please feel free to correct me!

Laura

Bermudashorts

Arrive on a permanent visa and employers might take a look.

Arrive on a WHV and, in this highly competitive market, your details go in the bin..

Marko86bfc

Hi Laura

Thanks for the reply that's really useful.

I'm actually part qualified through CIMA but not completed this fully. However, I am an accountant by experience so I am not sure whether this will lower my point score as I am not fully CIMA qualified like yourself.

So my fist step really is to sit the IELTS and then once the results come back submit an EOI. Then upon submitting this they will then indicate whether I am able to submit the visa application.

Can I ask whether you are currently in Australia at the moment or are you submitting your paperwork in the UK and then heading out there with your PR visa In due course?

Thanks
Mark

Bermudashorts

Oh dear. This is a game changer I am afraid.

The accountant skills assessment is based entirely on qualifications. You do need to have passed the exams or this is a non starter for you. Did you take an accounting degree perchance?

The steps are IELTS, skills assessment, EOI. You need to establish if you have enough to pass skills assessment. This is nothing to do with points, it is a step that needs to be completed.