[Gollywobbler]

Hello Kath

Honey, I think the best thing you can do is to ring round some Registered Migration Agents. Good firms do not charge for 10-15 minutes on the phone. In that time they can go through all of your possible options with you and explain all the drills involved briefly so that you would get a clearer idea about everything than you have at the moment.

I see that Veronika (SOMV) responded to your thread yesterday, so I would suggest a phone call to her:

http://sortoutmyvisa.com/somv_content/australia/index.html

The two firms below are also very well known to users of this forum:

http://www.gomatilda.com/home.cfm

http://www.ianharrop.co.uk/

You need to study the DIAC website as well:

http://www.immi.gov.au/

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/booklets.htm

With regard to VETASSESS, the plan seems to be for four practical sessions in the UK each year. You say that Hubby will turn 45 in February 2009. For skilled independent migration, Hubby’s age will “freeze” on the date that your visa application is submitted to DIAC so it will be enough if they get your visa application the day before Hubby’s 45th birthday.

Why are you looking for an employer-sponsored visa at this stage, please? It is quite possible that you could migrate under the skilled independent subclass 175 or 176 visas, in the latter case nominated by the State you wish to move to. For this visa he would only need to score 100 in the points test instead of 120 for the subclass 175 visa. In terms of the pay that Hubby would be able to command in Australia, either of these two visas would put him in a stronger position than an employer-sponsored visa would be likely to do.

I would focus solely on the 175 & 176 visas for the moment if I were you and consider other possibilities only if you find that you have to do so later on. I wouldn’t even consider employer-sponsorship at this purely preliminary stage.

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/books6.htm

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/visa-options-outside.htm

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/skilled-occupations/occupations-in-demand.htm

http://www.immi.gov.au/asri/a-z.htm

An Agent could make the whole thing vastly less confusing than it might all seem from trying to understand the DIAC website on your own. Have some free chats, I would suggest.

Best wishes

Gill