gandalfsbeard Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Ok first of all hello, just joined and excited about the long road ahead of getting stuck into attempting to emigrate to OZ! now ive have a look at the skillset website and the different visa etc and frankly im blown away but hopefully itll all fall into place with some internet trawling and site research etc. now for me as a paramedic i havent been able to find the profession "paramedic" (im aware its not a registered profession over there yet) under the Skilled Occupation List so im guessing this means that i cannot apply for this visa with my profession at the moment? however it is, under the guise of "intensive care paramedic" in the consolidated skilled occupation list which i believe means i must gain sponsorship from a specific territory, i.e. get a job basically with an ambulance service in OZ and then have this sponsored visa for 2years with that service? is this correct and am i understanding it roughly correct at this very early stage? cheers so far! bleeding heck this is complicated! thebeard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hi and welcome to pio. :-) I can't answer all your questions (the different visas still confuse me a bit) but I'll do what I can. Have you looked into the 'ambulance officer' postings? I think that covers paras also. Most services in Oz have, in the past, sponsored on a 457 visa, this means they pay for the visa (you pay for medicals etc) and they seem pretty good at sponsoring for PR ASAP also. It also forgo's the need for the points test and possible IELTS if you need extra points for the 189 etc. It is however a 'temporary' visa so you would have to weigh up pros and cons of that to your individual circumstances. I believe WA will be looking into the 457 again in the next year or so but you may find others actively recruiting at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandalfsbeard Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hey thanks for the reply. When you say it's a temporary visa, how do you turn this into a permanent? And how does this benefit the ambulance service if you are only temp? ill have a look into ambulance officer postings cheers dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Hey thanks for the reply. When you say it's a temporary visa, how do you turn this into a permanent? And how does this benefit the ambulance service if you are only temp? ill have a look into ambulance officer postings cheers dude A 457 is only valid for 2 years, but everyone I know who've gone over with the amb service on that visa have been sponsored for a permanent residency visa within a relatively short space of time (of course only if they wants to stay). And I personally don't know anyone that's returned from that profession (obviously not everyone that goes to Oz stays but the amb service's seem to be doing something right). I 'think' you say to the service you want to apply for PR and they 'put you forward' for it if tree aren't any issues. Not sure if you pay or they do so again something to look in to but it seems to be dealt with easily and without much hassle. I can only guess they start with the 457 as it's because it's a quick way to fill the gaps in staffing, I.e get 20/30 (however many people) over quickly instead of waiting for that same number of individuals to pay a lot of money for their own PR visas (could take a while if they don't have the funds to hand), finding migration agents to help them with the process as (again I'm guessing) the amb service sort it 'in house' every step of the way as they do it so much (no specialist migration agent needed as they take you through the process). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandalfsbeard Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Ah I'm with you. Cheers have you done this? Have you worked or do you work in oz? I notice your location states Cornwall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 Ah I'm with you. Cheers have you done this? Have you worked or do you work in oz? I notice your location states Cornwall Hubby applied in Aug 2011 (interview Feb 2012) when WA were taking on techs, but due to him being on secondment and off the road for a year (even though he had been a tech for 10+ yrs and still did OT shifts on the road, his full time job title was different) he failed at interview stage as he didn't meet the criteria for the 457. :-( WA now don't take techs (I don't think any state does anymore) so we're waiting for him to get his paramedic training done and get the relevant experience after qualifying so we can apply again. It was crushing I can tell you, but things work out for a reason and we just have to be patient. Tough at times but we'll get there. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 The first thing to do is on the CSOL next to the occupation there is a code. If you google this code you sould be able to find out what is needed to pass the skills assessment for that occupation. If you can pass the skills assessment then the next stage is to see if any states are sponsoring it. If so, then you may be able to get a permanent visa - 190 or worst case scenario 489 (the 489 has some restrictions so the 190 is better). If no states are sponsoring it then the only option is a 457. This needs some careful thought. First you need to find a job with an employer willing and able to sponsor. Then you need to undeerstand its limitations. It is a temporary visa valid for up to 4 years and renewable. While some go on and gain permanent visas, many do not and if you were to lose your job while on a 457, you have 90 days to find another or leave the country. While healthcare is one of the more safe industries, it is not immune. I advise people coming down the 457 route to negotiate with the employer before coming out to get them to agree to sponsor permanent residence reasonably quickly. If you go over the age of 50 while still on a 457, you will not be able to gain PR. You also need to be aware that some states NSW and WA charge the holders of 457's a fee to send their children to school. In WA this will be $4000 for the first child and $2000 for subsequant children per year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Hey thanks for the reply. When you say it's a temporary visa, how do you turn this into a permanent? And how does this benefit the ambulance service if you are only temp? ill have a look into ambulance officer postings cheers dude Be very clear, you cannot "turn" a temporary visa into a permanent one, a temporary visa is temporary and always will be. I think you have correctly assessed the situation, if your occupation is only on the CSOL you need sponsorship by a state or an employer. Have you checked the state sponsorship lists as this would be the better of the two options, providing a permanent visa or a provisional one, different to temporary as a provisional visa can lead to a permanent one. In all honesty though, I have only seen paramedics move with employer sponsorship. The 457 visa is not two years it can be anything from one day to four years. And there is no guarantee that the employer will agree to sponsor for a permanent visa down the track. No matter that in somebody else's circle this has always happened, it might not happen for you and you should view the 457 as a temporary visa for as long as you are on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 (edited) The first thing to do is on the CSOL next to the occupation there is a code. If you google this code you sould be able to find out what is needed to pass the skills assessment for that occupation. If you can pass the skills assessment then the next stage is to see if any states are sponsoring it. If so, then you may be able to get a permanent visa - 190 or worst case scenario 489 (the 489 has some restrictions so the 190 is better). If no states are sponsoring it then the only option is a 457. This needs some careful thought. First you need to find a job with an employer willing and able to sponsor. Then you need to undeerstand its limitations. It is a temporary visa valid for up to 4 years and renewable. While some go on and gain permanent visas, many do not and if you were to lose your job while on a 457, you have 90 days to find another or leave the country. While healthcare is one of the more safe industries, it is not immune. I advise people coming down the 457 route to negotiate with the employer before coming out to get them to agree to sponsor permanent residence reasonably quickly. If you go over the age of 50 while still on a 457, you will not be able to gain PR. You also need to be aware that some states NSW and WA charge the holders of 457's a fee to send their children to school. In WA this will be $4000 for the first child and $2000 for subsequant children per year. It that a new thing, about the schools. I thought WA you didn't have to pay school fees on 457. :-/ Edit; just found this about school fees for WA. Not starting 'till next year apparently. http://www.workpermit.com/news/2013-09-30/we Edited April 21, 2014 by Tappers2oz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandalfsbeard Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 thanks all so far for the replies, this visa sh-meeza lark really does get complicated! still its not like its gotta be done in 2 weeks so plenty of time to research it. re: territories that are looking/recruiting, so far (again it has been a bit tricky knowing where to look etc but now i know i bit more i can go back and re-look) ive only found 1 but have a couple left to look into, and also Stjohns thebeard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Correct - the school fees in WA are being introduced in January. I would also not be surprised to see them increase given the mess the state budget is in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 thanks all so far for the replies, this visa sh-meeza lark really does get complicated! still its not like its gotta be done in 2 weeks so plenty of time to research it. re: territories that are looking/recruiting, so far (again it has been a bit tricky knowing where to look etc but now i know i bit more i can go back and re-look) ive only found 1 but have a couple left to look into, and also Stjohns thebeard Look on each individual state's official amb service website and you should find a 'join us' type page. If they aren't recruiting currently then ping them an email and ask when they might be again, my hubby contacted most of them at one time or another with queries and they were all quick to respond and very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robanne12003 Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Hi all, We have been applying for state sponsership to most of the Ambulance services in Oz but generally the response has been not recruiting internationally. There has been a change in the 457 in that agencies have to show that there are no suitable Australian applicants available. We have all but given up I am afraid. Our daughter is living in Perth and we were hoping to move out there. I am very interested to note somewhere on a thread that St Johns WA may be open for international applicants sometime this year and if so we will definitely be applying. However, the Visa process is a nightmare but well we will see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Hi all, We have been applying for state sponsership to most of the Ambulance services in Oz but generally the response has been not recruiting internationally. There has been a change in the 457 in that agencies have to show that there are no suitable Australian applicants available. We have all but given up I am afraid. Our daughter is living in Perth and we were hoping to move out there. I am very interested to note somewhere on a thread that St Johns WA may be open for international applicants sometime this year and if so we will definitely be applying. However, the Visa process is a nightmare but well we will see what happens. Oh that soon? I thought next year at the earliest. I'll be keeping an eye on that. Best of luck. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missus B Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I was sponsored as a Paramedic by the Queensland Ambulance Service in 2012 for a permanent visa. I understand now, they are still sponsoring but you are expected to pay the fees for the visa. I think St Johns in WA are sponsoring and possibly doing overseas skype interviews. Best of luck and give me a shout if you need to know anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 I was sponsored as a Paramedic by the Queensland Ambulance Service in 2012 for a permanent visa. I understand now, they are still sponsoring but you are expected to pay the fees for the visa. I think St Johns in WA are sponsoring and possibly doing overseas skype interviews. Best of luck and give me a shout if you need to know anything. Hello lovely lady, we have missed you. How are things going now you are back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missus B Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Hello lovely lady, we have missed you. How are things going now you are back Hello! I'm taking it one day at a time. My time is Oz feels like a distant dream now but I still have a pull to go back. I don't know where that came from but I wouldn't rule out going back in the future. But I'm still enjoying life here when I'm not working. It's nice to be back on this forum. It might help me with my pangs to move back.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnebarclay Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 hello dont know how far youve managed in the process for moving to oz as a paramedic as this post was April 2014. I am a paramedic with the scottish ambulance service and have applied for my visa through a migrant agent as if you mess up the visa application (which is very complicated) they can time bar you. As a Paramedic you will not be accepted for a 457 temp visa as you cant work for the government unless you get permanent residency. Im applying for a 190 state sponsored visa and the only state at the moment sponsoring is South Australia, I would have preferred Queensland but eventually i can move after 2 years if i get a job or if when the agent applies for my visa other states could be sponsoring so fingers x. Also you need to be under 45 to work for ambulance services. you need to have at least 3-5 years experience as a paramedic. You have 2 different grades of paramedic in oz. Ambulance Care Paramedic and Intensive Care Paramedic, as a UK paramedic we are inbetween this, you would need to sit another degree to become an ICP. Your skills need to be assessed by VETASSES which takes around 3 months (where i am just now) cost $600 and once these are assessed you can apply to be considered for a visa and then if accepted you can apply for the visa, its all very time consuming and confusing, hence the reason why were using a migrant agent, which i think works out to be around £2000 but i think its worth it as this is what they do on a daily basis and if your going to be successful then these are the guys to get you your visa. The total visa bill will be around £7000 for a family of 4. hope this helps but maybe you know all this now as was a while ago you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 hello dont know how far youve managed in the process for moving to oz as a paramedic as this post was April 2014. I am a paramedic with the scottish ambulance service and have applied for my visa through a migrant agent as if you mess up the visa application (which is very complicated) they can time bar you. As a Paramedic you will not be accepted for a 457 temp visa as you cant work for the government unless you get permanent residency. Im applying for a 190 state sponsored visa and the only state at the moment sponsoring is South Australia, I would have preferred Queensland but eventually i can move after 2 years if i get a job or if when the agent applies for my visa other states could be sponsoring so fingers x. Also you need to be under 45 to work for ambulance services. you need to have at least 3-5 years experience as a paramedic. You have 2 different grades of paramedic in oz. Ambulance Care Paramedic and Intensive Care Paramedic, as a UK paramedic we are inbetween this, you would need to sit another degree to become an ICP. Your skills need to be assessed by VETASSES which takes around 3 months (where i am just now) cost $600 and once these are assessed you can apply to be considered for a visa and then if accepted you can apply for the visa, its all very time consuming and confusing, hence the reason why were using a migrant agent, which i think works out to be around £2000 but i think its worth it as this is what they do on a daily basis and if your going to be successful then these are the guys to get you your visa. The total visa bill will be around £7000 for a family of 4. hope this helps but maybe you know all this now as was a while ago you posted. The bit in bold is incorrect, if the amb service are recruiting overseas you can. We know many people that have gone over on 457 (paras and techs but no one takes techs anymore) and almost did ourselves. Good luck with your app though. Hope it doesn't take long. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynnebarclay Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 hello tappers2oz, this is what i have been told my QAS as I have been there and worked on a few shifts with the crews. maybe in different states the rules are that they allow 457 visas for paramedics but not QAS anymore, yes they used to around 6 years ago when most of my friends moved over but as usual they change the goal posts when i apply lol. so are you in the process of applying for a visa or just waiting until they are recruiting overseas. I also applied to SA and they are not recruiting overseas but thats not to say when i get my visa they wont employ me, it just means they wont pay or sponsor a visa for us. My husband is also a lecturer in paramedic science so we might possibly set up our own training business, there are loads of oppertunities to use your skills in oz instead of being stuck in an ambulance :-) which after 21 years im a bit fed up with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted July 14, 2014 Share Posted July 14, 2014 Hubby is still a tech, hoping to get on a para course this year and then just biding our time. Would love to get pr visa but not sure what points we'd qualify for. If we can only get 457 then we'll have to try that. Like you say goal posts are always changing so we've just got to be patient and cross our fingers. Training business sounds like a brilliant idea! If you can do it, go for it. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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