Thank you for this but you & I agree that I usually mmanage to find 'curly' queries!
There are several truckies who are desperate to get to Oz, and Australian hauliers are crying out for them, I gather. The last I heard -about 3 months ago - was that the idea is being considered, though they were being described as possible 'guest workers.' Hmmmm. What's a 'guest-worker?' A week-to-week visa or something?
Do you happen to know, Phil? Please - what is a 'Guest worker?" Also, is there any progress on truckies getting onto one of the 'on demand' lists? I am aware that there are several such lists and not much demand for road-train drivers in the main conurbations. I know from involvement with the London Boat Show over the years that the boats on low-loaders are not allowed to go through central London except at 2am and they are less than 1/2 the sixe of a road-train. So I guess there may be similar restrictions in Oz.
But for the sake of the truckies (a favourite breed of mine because they've always been very kind to me) is there any progress for them, do you know? I have a job to drive a VW Golf without reversing it into walls, lamp-posts and similar traps, so I think we can all agree that I'm better off without an HGV licence myself and Mankind is definitely safer because I haven't got an HGV licence!
This is an interesting topic you raise and one of much debate in Australia at the moment (front page of Fin Review - equivalent of Financial Times).
The papers grasp a story, shake it and throttle the truth mostly.
I will give some background to the issue.
At present Australia is in the grips of a CHRONIC skills shortage which will not last for ever. But, as most poli's do, they are playing point scoring with the problem. The Liberal Government has recently floated the idea of opening courses to Australian Resident people to retrain to solve the shortage (not overseas people). The previous 'thought' and topic of the day was to open up the country to all skills and lift the restrictions for employer sponsored visa's to which I think you are referring. That is still in discussion and is a HOT topic here meeting strong resistance from the unions and others. I have not heard it called a guest visa and it basically would extend the 457 visa in metropolitan areas to ASCO occupations classifications 5-7 (see below).
Skills are listed in the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO). Every skilled person that comes into Australia is allocated an ASCO classification. Certain ASCO codes are on the Skilled Occupation List and certain on the MODL (see original post).
The in MODL contains professionals and trades which are in classifications 1 to 4. However, truckies MAY get onto the skilled occupation list, who knows.
So to truckers ........
Truckers are within ASCO classification 7. As such, they will not appear on the Skilled Occupation List or the 457 Nomination list. From this, all seems lost, but its not.
It is possible for a trucker to get to Australia on a permanent or temporary visa. I will not give advice on the route here for 2 reasons. Firstly, all individuals have different circumstances and it would be remiss of me to post something here which someone may misinterpret to their circumstances and secondly, finding these routes is what my business is all about for my clients (being upfront and honest).
It is possible to get truckers here straight on a permanent visa, or a temporary visa leading to permanency. Indeed, the following can also get in given the right circumstances.
- over 45's
- Occupations which require lower qualification levels
- non english speakers
Hope that answers the query and opens some thoughts for your acquaintances.
Thank you so very much for this very helpful reply. You can trust me to ensure that the truckers I have come across will be encouraged by me to read this thread and hopefully some of them will then be able to take it from there via you.
In fact there has never been a better time (except perhaps for the 10 pound pom times) for anyone to apply to Australia, as long as they have some sort of skill.
There are many people coming to our Regions whose skills one would not suggest that they could become permanent residents of Australia.
Best wishes
Phil
__________________
Phil Olsen BEng ACA MMIA
Registered Agent number 0637276
email philipo@imaus.com.au
I was directed here by Gill, (Hi Gill I will get round to thanking you).
Very Interesting read, I am 1 of said Truckies that has been knocking on the door of Australia for 2 yrs to no avail, I was gutted when Truckies didn't make it on to the list.
I have been in New Zealand now for 3yrs (on my second work permit) as a Truckie, originally from Scotland.Do you think you would be able to help me get to Australia?
Just a thought. As I vaguely understand this skilled stuff, truck-driving is not on the right list(s) so the only way in would be via employer or employer-type sponsorship of some sort. If that is so, what are the chances of John getting some joy if he makes say a one or two month visit to Oz for the purpose of banging on the doors or a few haulage companies? Or is Oz just too vast for this idea to be viable?
Also, John, an old schoolfriend of mine is married to an Australian trucker. She'd be about the same age as me (50-ish now). They live in the general direction of Cairns, I believe. She is a lady of leisure and their kids are grown up.
I will e-mail her in the next few days and ask her to get all the information she can lay her hands on about hauliers in Oz who are short of drivers (names, addresses etc) and I'll also pick her brains about her husband - his job, what sort of driving he does, does he work for himself (if so, how about an extra driver) etc.
If you want me to ask her any specific questions (bearing in mind that I haven't a clue about road-haulage) please send me a list and I'll pass them on.
Their romance began when she was in Oz for a year, backpacking after leaving school. (I got sent to university and was told to get swotting on a Law degree, which wasn't half as exciting, I can tell you!) Anyhow, Sue and Will were over in Queensland but Sue had to leave to return to the UK since her year in Oz was nearly up.
He said, "I'll drive you to the airport." The airport concerned was in Perth. But he kept his promise, drove her to the airport and they've been together ever since,I gather. Now that's what I call a nice guy. :)
I have contacts in WA that I am starting to explore.
You are absolutely right about the employer visa.
One of the thoughts I have for the insudtries which are not straightforward is working with groups of people which can be organised as a body to help each other into Australia. Truckies is such a body of people.
it really aligns with the community concept of these sites. It goes like this:
Most businesses 'cream off' money for saying they can get jobs for people and just send emails. However, that is the most ineffective way of marketing. I am really interested in helping people from a migration perspective.
What if a body of people can organise themselves to identify employers in Australia, with the aid of all resources available, friends, contacts etc;
Employers are identified for nominations (a number of the employers are 'scared' of migration because they do not understand it).
We offer the job search service and maybe I am taking income from ourselves, but I always look for more effective ways to get people in. I can advise on the migration strategies and assist the employers and potential migarnts as a service.
We create momentum for the truckies. It could be that one truckie does a trip to identify potential employers (no doubt belly to belly is the best way to find opportunities). That person then benefits from others which may come in when he has secured a foothold. Oz is vast, but by mobilising resources it can be covered.
We create a momentum body to help the others which want to come in
Just a thought and it could be a topic type post.
The main question I have is about the qualifications of drivers in Australia (eg road train driver vs others. The differences from State to State would also be useful (I understand broadly teh qualifications but nothing can replace practical solutions.
Best wishes
Phil
__________________
Phil Olsen BEng ACA MMIA
Registered Agent number 0637276
email philipo@imaus.com.au
Thanks for this message. I couldn't agree more. There are companies in Oz who retain Migration Agents (as you know.) When they identify the employee they want, in goes the agent to sort out a visa, often at the employer's expense, I believe. This is not the same idea as the recruitment agencies which often treat foreign workers appallingly. This is a respectable company (eg Australia Wide Haulage Pty to give is a hypothetical name.) It keeps a Migration Agent in tow so that when it identifies a foreign worker that it wants, it can get the agent involved quickly.The company wants the employee's bum on the seat quickly. Also, recruiting people is an expensive process, so it doesn't want an attractive recruit becoming lost in the migration maze and giving up.
I thought all trucks in Oz were road-trains. Ignore my terminology.It means nothing technical. It means only "The vehicle has more than 4 wheels and Gill hasn't a clue how to drive it, far less a licence to do so!"
Is there an Association of Road Hauliers or similar in Oz? If so, they are the people we need to get chummy with, I'd have thought. Having said that, though is there a Union which must not be upset? I gather that some unions are hostile to foreign workers because (understandably) the Union would like to be able to push the pay of its existing members through the roof, not necessarily grasping that too much of that might simply cause the industry to go bust and put them all out of work.
I entirely agree that a sort of "I wanna be a trucker in Oz" co-operative group would also be an excellent idea, as long as the Members weren't all trying to cut each other's throats for the jobs. But again, the vastness of Oz might make it viable because some some would insist on WA but others would insist on Queensland or wherever.
As far as I can gather from the several posts on the topic, the truckers do need the sponsorship and it is almost impossible to strike up thesort of relationship which would lead to that in this type of industryfrom offshore , I would have thought. This group of employers is unlikely to any active searching offshore, I suspect. But if the bods with the skills come onshore to meet them, they might get a good reception from the employers.
Let us see whether John wants to add anything, I suggest. He might be able to tell us about the licences, if those are likely to cause problem, and his other opinions would be valuable as well since neither of us works in this industry.
Final question: Phil, if someone goes to Oz in order to look for a job, can they do that on a tourist ETA or would it be "work"?
