Karen40

Hi Guys,
I am looking to move to Victoria with my partner and i was wondering how to get started. I am a trained nurse so going for the skilled visa. Did anyone use a agency to help them complete the process or did you all do it on your own.
The agency want £1500 + vat which i am happy to pay if its the best option but if the process is easy to do i would rather put that money to another use.
Would be grateful for ANY advice on how to get started.
Thanks

DickDePilot

It's probably something that you could do yourself and save the money, if you have the time to do it. My OH, who will be the name on the 175 is 45 in August and we have decided that an agent is the best option because they know the system, will drive us to produce what documents are required, will make sure that nothing is overlooked and ensure that the application isn't rejected because of an administrative error on our part (you lose the money paid to apply and in pour case miss out due to her exceeding 45).

There are ways to save money if time is on your side (even if you go with an agent as they don't control the fee's for nursing registration etc.

To save money (if you have time on your side) make a registration with one of the nursing boards first, getting the NMC to send the required paperwork to that board and the ANMC at the same time. It doesn't matter which nursing board just find the cheapest and apply. Once you are registered with a state board do the "Modified" Skills Assessment (as opposed to the full assessment) with the ANMC. If I remember rightly the ANMC fees this way drop from $AU695 to around AU$280. Cheapest State Nursing Board is around AU$190, saving you around AU$225 for a skills assessment! If you know where you want to go then apply for that state board as it will have to be done at some time and that way you won't pay twice for the sake of it.

Karen40

Thanks DickDePilot,
It seems that most people use agents so thats probably the way that we will go. It seems the safest option to make sure that we get it right first time.
Hope your application is going well
Karen

DickDePilot

We've only just decided to take the plunge though we've been thinking for what seems like ages.

Posted paperwork back to agents one evening and was hit with an e-mail next day requesting info, followed by mail the next day with ANMC application to complete.

They have prepared references for her last 2 employers and listed what, when and in what order of priority we need to get things done by for the skills test.

Certainly don't sit back and relax, really pleased with them so far.

Unfortunately my OH has to do the IELTS test to gain the additional points we require. You would think that being born, educated and working in this country as a professional they would accept that you can do the language and hand the points over.

To avoid the inconvenience I would happily still pay the test fee as I suspect it is just another way of making money.

Do you know exactly where you are going?

I am the problem one between the 2 of us as I am geographically limited as to where I can get employment. Thankfully nurses seem to be wanted all over though it would be nice to go to Perth as we have 'rellies' there.

Our agents are Overseas Emigration Ltd based in Edinburgh, if you need it, their contact number is 0131 625 6900. Our initial agent was Owen Small. Their fees for us 2 adults a 19yr old Uni student and a 16yr old are just short of £2000 for a 175 PR Visa. With other fees on top the figure comes to around £3800 in total.

Hope all goes well with your application.

DickDePilot

Karen40

Thanks, We are hoping to settle in Victoria, initially at least. We have friends on the mornington pennisula and have been there a couple of time and loved it. Have also seen New South Wales and Queensland but vic is first choice.
The agent i have been to has quoted £3300 in total (£1500 + vat for their work) for two adults.
all of
the prices from what i am hearing are roughly the same.
I only had 115 points and was told i could either do the IELTS or go for Skilled-sponsered (subclass 176) which is where a state sponsers you to give you the other points.Apparently there is nothing written in stone but the like you to go to work in their state for a minimum of two yrs. So i was going to go down that route rather than put myself through an exam.
Will let you know how we get on
Good luck with your progression
Karen

sunflower7

Hi Karen

I too did what DickDePilot explained regarding the ANMC, which saved me some money. At the time (still trying to get there!...), I applied and completed the forms myself as other nurses on here had done it iindependently It was sstressfuland confusing at times, but manageable,.... however It would have been sooo much harder without the assistance of people on Expats. Money was an issue, time on my side, also I only had me on the application.

Looking at your post it appears that you are taking the 176 route. I would be interested to hear how you get on with it, as my partner is also after a temp visa.

Karen40

HI Sunflower,
Thanks for the advice, i think that we are going to use an agent though as i am sure i will mess it up.......will have to do a couple of thornbury shifts to pay for it!!
I am going for permenant residancy not temp. I was led to believe that sub class 176 was permenant.
Have looked at your other post regarding pay and iy all looks a bit confusing to me!
Hope your application going well
Karen

dandan1

Hi, Karen. Your situation seems to mirror mine. I, too, had only 115 points but decided to sit the IELTS test,(results on the 29th!!), because I want to apply for the 175 for maximum choice and flexibility.
I got my assessment done by the ANMC, it took 10 weeks, but it now enables me to apply for the 175. Unfortunately, because of hours worked I cannot apply until October so will get my QNC done while I'm waiting. I have spoken to a registered agent who quoted me £1500 with the assessment and £750 without after I'd explained I'd already got the skills assessment, so it was much cheaper to get the skills assessment done myself and it was quite straightforward really. I still think, though, that we will use an agent for the main application just to be on the safe side!

Tracey

Karen40

Hi Tracey,
Thanks for that. I have everything crossed for you for the 29th.
I don't know where to start to do it myself, who to contact or anything. I keep looking on here and have scoured various websites and i just seem to be confusing myself.
Did you contact the ANMC direct about the skills assessment and whats a QNC, I am sure i am having a senior moment and as soon as you tell me i will realise but at the moment i cannot think.
Hope to hear from you soon
Karen

dandan1

Hi, Karen.
If you look on the ANMC website it tells you which assessment you need. Ineeded the full assessment cos I didn't have a state registration, (QNC -
Queensland Nursing Council!!), then I downloaded the form and filled it in.
It tells you what documentation you need, as I recall it was birth cert, marriage cert, nursing certificate,(or diploma - depends how old you are!),
certificate of registration, reference from ward manager and statement of employment from service manager. All these needed to be certified by a solicitor,( £5 ). And Bob's your uncle!!

sunflower7

Hi Karen

I'm the confused one, did my application a couple of years ago. I expect much has changed since then, all the visa numbers are sending me a bit
I assume the 176 is for permanent residency and/or sponsorship? Is that for nurses? Do you know of a quick temp route for a couple of years with a view to longer if wanted?

Karen40

Morning Sunflower,
The 176 is a permenant visa but because i only had 115 points i will get sponsership from a state rather than a particular hospital. This allows me to work and live in Australia permenantly. My adgent told me that although it is not written in stone, there is a moral obligation to live and work in the state that has sponsered you for the first two yrs but if you don't there is nothing done about it. We won't be moving around much initially so the two yrs will fly by i am sure.
My advice would be to giive an agent a call and ask about temp visa'a cause they know about them all.
Is you friend a nurse? If so there are always adverts in the back of the Nursing Standard for international careers and i think they organise visa's accomodation etc.
Sorry that i haven't been much help
Karen

sunflower7

Thanks Karen. Yes we're both nurses so will look more into different types of visas. I'm sure your right and 2 yrs will pass very quickly esp with all that working, n great sun and sea etc! Good luck

brucekaren

We have done it all ourself, without any agents.

Heres how my OH's done it so far..........

Sent a CV off to a couple of hospitals in Brisbane. One emailed back and mentioned they would call the following night (Wednesday). They did!! General chat about why she wanted to move to OZ and was the family ok moving too. Set up a conference call with other Unit managers for the following night (Thursday). Interviewed over the phone with 3 unit managers at the other end for nearly 50 minutes. Job offer on the Monday. Sent the initial nursing registration info the following day (Tuesday). Was advised to register with NSW NB, because there was a large backlog of registration at QNC. After a couple of incorrectly certified documents and over 7 months later. Her NSW reg is ready. Just got one small porblem that is delaying further progress (http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=516176).

Employers are taking care of the 457 Sponsorship Visa, and are willing to help with PR when we finally get there, and OH has to apply for mutual recognition with QNC.

At the moment, we have spent only £200 on certifiying and sending appropriate documents (Qualifications, Transcripts, etc) for her nursing registration with NSW NB. Transcripts and qualifications are in place at QNC in anticipation of the mutual recognition application. Medicals and QNC recognition to pay for.

If we had went through an agent, we might have been in Brisbane by now. But we aint in a hurry, so we seem to have saved a few ££'s.

Only time will tell if it was the right or cheapest way to go about it.

sunflower7

That all sounds great, quick and much cheaper than some others. A job offer so fast. Is that amount for both of you?
We've contacted SCG hospital in Perth via an agency link in MSN, also emailed. Noticed that the agency for the hospital is going to be in UK in 2 months, so may go there. Perhaps better to go to hospital direct, but assistance offered by Healthstaff is appealing.