Ajhorsman Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Hi all, I'm Alex. I'm 29 years old, a qualified bricklayer (SOL 331111) with 10+ years experience. I have previously spent 16 months in Australia on a WHV working as a bricklayer and as a Drillers Offsider. I have been back in the UK nearly four years now and it feels time to make a go of it properly in Australia. I have no debts, dependants, criminal nor medical issues. I'm looking at a visa 189 as i want things to be in my own hands as opposed to being sponsored. Also having previously spent time in Australia i'd like this to be permanent so the 189 suits. Having read through the forum i still have a few questions, any help would be much appreciated (the questions vary...) - at what point or how do i obtain the required TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) whislt in the uk? I have my NVQ level 2 and City & Guilds certificates. -same question towards getting a proficient or superior english test. Are these difficult to pass? im not daft but im not educated past college. I am native to the UK so would class myself as at least proficient right? - When leaving Australia previously i wanted to pay my tax return however was told that unless i am leaving permenantly i cannot pay my tax as it wasn't the end of the financial year. I figure that i owe roughly $3500 i dont want to apply only to be told i have an outstanding debt, would this be put down to descretion? I have a decent amount of savings so can pay no problem - Have the majority of applicants immigrated via an agency? I have soured a company on the registered list for immi.gov so would prefer to do so as im not confindent and don't want to make silly errors in my application. Basically could you just fill me in on the process please. Thanks very much for your time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozmaniac Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 (edited) Hi all, I'm Alex. I'm 29 years old, a qualified bricklayer (SOL 331111) with 10+ years experience. I have previously spent 16 months in Australia on a WHV working as a bricklayer and as a Drillers Offsider. I have been back in the UK nearly four years now and it feels time to make a go of it properly in Australia. I have no debts, dependants, criminal nor medical issues. I'm looking at a visa 189 as i want things to be in my own hands as opposed to being sponsored. Also having previously spent time in Australia i'd like this to be permanent so the 189 suits. Having read through the forum i still have a few questions, any help would be much appreciated (the questions vary...) - at what point or how do i obtain the required TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) whislt in the uk? I have my NVQ level 2 and City & Guilds certificates. -same question towards getting a proficient or superior english test. Are these difficult to pass? im not daft but im not educated past college. I am native to the UK so would class myself as at least proficient right? - When leaving Australia previously i wanted to pay my tax return however was told that unless i am leaving permenantly i cannot pay my tax as it wasn't the end of the financial year. I figure that i owe roughly $3500 i dont want to apply only to be told i have an outstanding debt, would this be put down to descretion? I have a decent amount of savings so can pay no problem - Have the majority of applicants immigrated via an agency? I have soured a company on the registered list for immi.gov so would prefer to do so as im not confindent and don't want to make silly errors in my application. Basically could you just fill me in on the process please. Thanks very much for your time. You will need to sort out your Australian tax affairs and pay any outstanding amount or it will bite you when it comes to getting a visa. As I understand it, you won't get a visa until you have paid any debts to the Commonwealth in full or have made appropriate arrangements for repayment (by instalments) of any such debt. You may not have been able to lodge a tax return when you left but you've had plenty of time since then. On the visa front, the first thing you need to do is get skills assessment. Bricklayers come under the TRA Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP) so you go through one of the RTOs based in the UK. http://www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au/Programs/Offshore/Pages/default.aspx OSAP Many native English speakers find IELTS difficult when they're after high scores but alternative English tests are now available and the recent consensus seems to be that PTE Academic is a better test and easier to pass if your English is good. It tests your English ability alone whereas IELTS tests your English ability AND your knowledge and understanding of IELTS. Many people do everything without using an agent but if you're not confident, it would be a good idea to use one. We've seen an example on this board over the last few days where an applicant will lose their Visa Application Charge because of a tiny misunderstanding of one line in a skills assessment report - something a decent RMA would have picked up in an instant. Given your tax situation, a good agent to consult would be Go Matilda as they have expertise with tax as well as being an extremely highly recommended RMA. Edited March 27, 2015 by Ozmaniac Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Que Sera Sera Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 If memory serves me right they do ask if you owe money to the Australian Government. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parley Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hi all, I have no debts, dependants, criminal nor medical issues. - When leaving Australia previously i wanted to pay my tax return however was told that unless i am leaving permenantly i cannot pay my tax as it wasn't the end of the financial year. I figure that i owe roughly $3500 i dont want to apply only to be told i have an outstanding debt, would this be put down to descretion? I have a decent amount of savings so can pay no problem I think evading $3500 in tax will be considered a criminal issue. Your excuse for not paying it is flimsy and not believable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hi all, I'm Alex. I'm 29 years old, a qualified bricklayer (SOL 331111) with 10+ years experience. I have previously spent 16 months in Australia on a WHV working as a bricklayer and as a Drillers Offsider. I have been back in the UK nearly four years now and it feels time to make a go of it properly in Australia. I have no debts, dependants, criminal nor medical issues. I'm looking at a visa 189 as i want things to be in my own hands as opposed to being sponsored. Also having previously spent time in Australia i'd like this to be permanent so the 189 suits. Having read through the forum i still have a few questions, any help would be much appreciated (the questions vary...) - at what point or how do i obtain the required TRA (Trades Recognition Australia) whislt in the uk? I have my NVQ level 2 and City & Guilds certificates. -same question towards getting a proficient or superior english test. Are these difficult to pass? im not daft but im not educated past college. I am native to the UK so would class myself as at least proficient right? - When leaving Australia previously i wanted to pay my tax return however was told that unless i am leaving permenantly i cannot pay my tax as it wasn't the end of the financial year. I figure that i owe roughly $3500 i dont want to apply only to be told i have an outstanding debt, would this be put down to descretion? I have a decent amount of savings so can pay no problem - Have the majority of applicants immigrated via an agency? I have soured a company on the registered list for immi.gov so would prefer to do so as im not confindent and don't want to make silly errors in my application. Basically could you just fill me in on the process please. Thanks very much for your time. See here for tax return info - https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Lodging-your-tax-return/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Your skills assessment with TRA is one of first things you will need to do. You can look into doing IELTS or similar at the same time, most people like the extra points it wil add to an application. It is not hard for any literate person that uses good English generally and your English looks perfectly fine to me. You will definitely need to pay off your tax debt before a visa will be granted to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Have you lodged the tax return for the year of your previous departure? If not the ATO may not have you on their records as owing tax - it may simply be that you have an overdue tax return to submit. Best regards, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oetielts Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Call the ATO and ask them. You can do a tax return (even if its a few year late) and add up all of your work expenses. This will bring the tax level down. On the ATO website you can find clear information about what you can claim as a tax deduction. This will lower the amount of tax you need to pay. The tax office staff are very nice and helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 No, don't contact the ATO. This is akin to tipping off the Tax Office that there is a problem. Consider instructing a registered tax agent who can check the lodgment position on your behalf via the Tax Agents Portal - what is outstanding in terms of Tax Returns, and whether there is an outstanding tax obligation. To the OP: please feel free to contact me via a PM or (preferably) an email - click on my name to the left of this posting. Best regards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oetielts Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 No, don't contact the ATO. This is akin to tipping off the Tax Office that there is a problem. Consider instructing a registered tax agent who can check the lodgment position on your behalf via the Tax Agents Portal - what is outstanding in terms of Tax Returns, and whether there is an outstanding tax obligation. To the OP: please feel free to contact me via a PM or (preferably) an email - click on my name to the left of this posting. Best regards. Maybe thats a better idea the ATO can be helpful. Its only really if you are stealing millions of dollars that they will care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) - When leaving Australia previously i wanted to pay my tax return however was told that unless i am leaving permenantly i cannot pay my tax as it wasn't the end of the financial year. ..so why didn't you do it at the end of the tax year? The first thing you need to do is complete your Australian tax return for that year and submit it. If you're not sure where to start, get a tax agent to do it for you (Alan is a good place to start). A lot of people do the application themselves, but these days the forms are so complicated that unless you're really confident (which it sounds like you're not), then an agent is a good idea. Edited March 28, 2015 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) The tax office staff are very nice and helpful. Until they find a soft spot to sink the dagger. Edited March 28, 2015 by wrussell sp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I figure that i owe roughly $3500 i dont want to apply only to be told i have an outstanding debt, would this be put down to descretion? I have a decent amount of savings so can pay no problem. Well you do have an outstanding debt and if you can pay it no problem, I am failing to see the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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