Hello Dean
Welcome to Poms in Oz.
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i have full british engineering qualifications to take with me.
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You may not have enough work-experience as yet, but I think there might (I am not sure) be extra points available if part of your relevant work experience is gained in Australia. Please see here:
A-Z Occupations List - Australian Skills Recognition Information
Workers - Visas & Immigration
Applications & Forms - Visas & Immigration
Read any of the Information Booklets that might seem relevant to you. They are usually excellent.
You may not necessarily need employer sponsorship in order to be able to migrate permanently, especially if you are interested in South Australia. You may become eligible for skilled independent migration or yu may be able to get State Sponsorship instead.
You have not mentioned your age. Are you aware that you may still be young enough to qualify for a second year in Oz on your working holiday maker visa? If not, please see here, but read my next paragraphs too, please:
Visa Options - Working Holiday Makers - Visas & Immigration
There has been a very recent development on the question of extending WHMVs.
As you probably know, Australia seemed pretty inhospitable and barren to start with, but it terms out to have some of the most important (and largest) mineral deposits in the world. The mining industry is playing a massive part in the current economic boom. The mines are desperately short of skilled, semi-silled and unskilled workers and although there is no shortage of foreign workers at all skill-levels who would gladly help to fill the demand, the visa process for any visa other than a WHMV can only be described as pathetically slow.
Where you have mines you also need construction, to build the mines, build the railways to take the ores to the ports, build ports big enough for the ships to take the stuff away and also to build something a bit better than shanties for the mine workers to live in. If a job in the mines is likely to be long-term, the man expects to take his wife and children with him, which means building towns rather than relying on nothing but a collection of static mobile homes. Such a town needs schools, doctors, shops etc etc.
The Minister has announced that he intends to make it possible for WHMV holders to extend their visas for a second year if they spend at least 3 months engaged in "construction." He has not tried to define the word "construction" so far. However, the Minister reckons that WHMV holders, in their first & second years in Oz, can and will make a rolling workforce of an extra 5,000 people a year available for work in the mines.
I read this morning that the guys laying big pipes in WA to take whatever the minseral is either to or from the coast are being so well-paid that they won't get out of bed for less than $10o,000 a year. Something like that would not be bad going at your age, I suspect!
There is a company in Adelaide called Global TradeSearch which is a recruitment agency. Sandy Coats from there told me that they have recently secured a massive contract to recruit for a new mine which is due to open in SA. Digigng into this on behalf of someone else recently, I think it could be a new uranium mine up in the Flinders Ranges (Mt Gee) which is to be called the Honeymoon mine. I don't know for sure, but nothing much else came up when I scoured Google Australia about this. Please see the following links:
Global TradeSearch Recruitment - providing skilled trades people and professionals for the Australian workforce
They seem to want other types of engineers too. Sandy was introduced to Poms in Oz by one our members. She found a job in SA for one of the member's friends recently.
I wouldn't take too much notice of your friend. Engineers Australia definitely DO recognise British qualifications.
Best wishes
Gill
