Job offer on 457...yay! Only thing is its in middle of nowhere...

[Andy & Kelly]

My wife and i have been waiting for this pathaway thing to sort itself out, we both have jobs on the modl but no qualifications, so in the meantime have been applying for jobs all over the gaff, when all of a sudden...jackpot, we have an offer on the table via a 457, good money, relocation allowance etc. The only thing is its in Mt Isa. If you're unsure of its whereabouts, its north Queensland...middle of nowhere! The thing is, we've wanted to get there for so long we feel that this is our only option to get our foot in the door. We are at the conclusion that we should do it then apply for pr once we are there then move on. My question is is how easy is it to go from 457 to pr? And would anyone else take the plunge?......sort term pain, long term gain! To be honest we quite like the idea of living in the outback for a year or two, but each to there own i suppose. So....what would you do??? Please discuss!...............

[The Pom Queen]

Just wanted to say CONGRATULATIONS on the job offer, hopefully Jill or Allan can offer you advice on the visa side.

[thewebweazel]

I don't want to scare you but... Have you seen Aldo's Thread

Mount Isa needs you!!

Any Takers?

Mount Isa's invite to ugly women | Townsville Bulletin News

[the hutchies]

I don't want to scare you but... Have you seen Aldo's Thread

i thought that place rang a bell
congratulations with the job offer and good luck whatever you decide
Lisax

[julesbazz]

hi

hell yeh go for it, we were prepared to o that as well, just to get your foot in the door. We were in the same predic. but luckily one came up in brizzy. We are also goona apply for pr once we are there. We have been told as long as we dont do a bonnie and clyde and keep our noses clean for 2 years we shouldn't have a problem.

I say go for it!! Good Luck

Jules x

[Andy & Kelly]

I don't want to scare you but... Have you seen Aldo's Thread

Yeah saw that article, quite funny really, thank god i aint single!

Andy

[Gollywobbler]

Hi Andy & Kelly

Are you aware that in your situation it may be possible to get an RSMS visa without first getting a positive skills assessment and without spending two years on a 457 visa before you can upgrade?

I don't know the details of how it works, but I've seen one of the Agents saying this to somebody who wants to move to South Australia. The guy isn't a locksmith but he has no formal qualifications in his MODL occupation and none of the people doing the AQF III skills assessments in the UK are assessing people for whatever this guy's skill is.

He was offered a 457 visa in South Australia. I think it was Alan Collett who said that, if handled properly, it might be possible for him to go straight for a subclass 119 RSMS visa instead, which would give the family Permanent Residency in Oz from Day One.

The guy asked his would-be employer about this alternative, because immediate PR would be better for him and his family. The Aussie employer is only too willing to help with whichever visa will suit the guy best so as far as I know, an RSMS application is under way.

I think that the trick in your case would be to use a Registered Migration Agent in Oz who knows all about how to document the various stages of an RSMS application in detail. If the stuff that goes to the various authorities is "decision-ready" before it reaches Mr Official, then Mr Official can process and grant an RSMS visa very quickly. It need not take any longer than a 457 visa application provided that the Agent concerned has plenty of experience of handling the process on behalf of both employer and employee.

You would have to prove "exceptional circumstances." Well now:

1. There can't be many locksmiths who aspire to live and work in Outback Mt Isa, which is nearly 2,000 kms from Cairns and roughly the same from Darwin or Brisbane, it seems. The place is about as "regional Australia" as it is possible to be.

2. It is not possible for you to get any formal locksmith qualifications in the UK because there is no such thing in the UK. It is not possible for you to do an AQF III assessment in Australia either because the only TAFE that could do it is unwilling to consider the idea unless someone is willing to pay them to investigate what they would need to do etc.

(Incidentally, the TAFE in Mount Isa offers Cert III in locksmithing, but the blurb doesn't say anything about CRICOS so I don't know whether it is QF III and also you might not be eligible for the course; however, they might be able to organise an AQF III assessment for you particularly if you are in Mt Isa as they are - might be worth asking.)

3. Mt Isa is so far from any major city or town that very few migrants would agree to go there without the security of PR on Day One.

4. The continuing uncertainty about TRA and their new (shelved) MAP scheme puts you into an impossible position in terms of formal qualifications but there is no doubt about your experience, knowledge etc.

I'm sure there are other arguments that could also be used.

My understanding about RSMS visas (admittedly vague and very patchy) is that you would have PR from Day One but you would be required to live and work for your sponsoring employer, in Mt Isa, for not less than two years. In theory DIAC could cancel your visa if this does not happen. However, there have been cases where the new migrant genuinely couldn't get on with his boss for whatever reason and there was no possibility of finding an alternative sponsor/employer in the same remote part of Oz. In these cases, apparently DIAC does not cancel the RSMS visa: instead it releases the migrant from the visa conditions, leaving him to go to some other place where he is more likely to be able to find work in his field. That is the general gist.

Which may be a lot safer for you: if you fall out with your prospective employer whilst you are on a 457 visa, you would need to find a new employer/sponsor within 28 days and start the whole 457 process all over again. When the nearest other town of any size is at least 500kms from Mt Isa, nipping to a job interview after work one evening is simply not a do-able option. DIAC are strict about the 457 visa: no new sponsor = leave Oz within 28 days.

Hence I think you should chew the cud with an experienced Agent and work out with his/her help whether it would be in your best interests to try to insist on an RSMS visa from Day One.

The DIAC blurb is below but I don't think it is detailed enough about the RSMS visa. In your shoes, I'd want to talk with an Agent who has a lot of hands on experience with this visa.

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (Subclass 119/857)

Employer Sponsored Migration Booklet - Australian Immigration

The stuff about the 457 visa is below and I think you should read every word of it very carefully indeed:

Sponsoring a Temporary Overseas Employee to Australia

Temporary Business (Long Stay) - Standard Business Sponsorship (Subclass 457)

Best wishes

Gill

[Andy & Kelly]

Thank you for that Gill. I will get on it ASAP. I'm sure i read on here somewhere that you would still need to go through TRA to gain the visa. And as TRA dont know what planet they are on at the moment it could take forever. To be honest we have put our life on hold for too long now since the pathway d farce, so just want to get over there ASAP regardless of where it is. But as you say, need the advice of Mr Collett i think.

Thanks again

Andy

[BullcreekBob]

...And would anyone else take the plunge?......sort term pain, long term gain! To be honest we quite like the idea of living in the outback for a year or two....

G'day

Well there's outback and there's outback. Be careful with what you assume it will be like. Have you lived and worked in a mining town before? For some, it can be a pretty good life, for others it can be hell on earth.

If you've never tried it (perhaps in Botswana or South Africa) before, I'd suggest going on a visa like a 457 that leaves you with no get out clause would be a mighty brave thing to do. By brave, I guess I really mean "pretty stupid".

However, if it is your only way into Aust and you're determined to come here then give it a try. However if there is any possibility of another visa or a sponsored visa in a less "challenging" environment, I'd suggest you fully explore all those possibilities first.

My view, is not just an opinion based on what I've read, I have been there and I've been to other mining towns too. I've been to plenty of other outback towns too. However, your views may be very different from mine so do as much homework as you can.

[Gollywobbler]

Thank you for that Gill. I will get on it ASAP. I'm sure i read on here somewhere that you would still need to go through TRA to gain the visa. And as TRA dont know what planet they are on at the moment it could take forever. To be honest we have put our life on hold for too long now since the pathway d farce, so just want to get over there ASAP regardless of where it is. But as you say, need the advice of Mr Collett i think.

Thanks again

Andy

Hi Andy

It is definitely possible to get an RSMS visa without first getting a positive skills assessment if the employer/sponsor can demonstrate that he has been unable to attract a suitably qualified local person or an offshore applicant who has a positive skills assessment in the relevant field.

Exactly this question cropped up a few months ago in a PM. I didn't have a clue so I asked Alan Collett to comment on the PM. He told the OP that is is sometimes possible, and to ring him up for a chat.

As far as I know, the RSMS proposals are now in train. I can't remember what the guy does but it is an MODL occupationn. He can't do AQF III in the UK because none of the companies that presently do that in the UK do it for this particular skill. I think there is a TAFE in Oz that would be willing to consider it, but they would want the candidate to go out to Oz and they are unwilling to incur the TAFE's set-up costs to do it unless they can be sure of enough candidates to justify the cost.

Meanwhile the employer wants to move to semi-retirement and then retirement, so he doesn't want to wait for longer than he must, plus he is in South Australia somewhere, the whole of which is "regional Oz." Mt Isa is even more "regional" if you ask me! Alan would not say that it is worth a more detailed chat if he is sure that the idea would not be a goer. So I think it would be worth giving Alan a ring on the Melbourne number for GM:

Go Matilda - Your Gateway to Australia - Contact and Feedback

Apart from that, I agree with BullcreekBob 100%. I think that to go straight from the UK to somewhere that is completely out back plus is a mining town is an enormous culture shock and therefore an enormous challenge.

My inclination would be to look for an RSMS visa because there are some protections with that if the job doesn't work out. Or, as Bob says, maybe a rekky trip to Perth where your uncle is and bang on the doors of a few locksmiths there?

Best wishes

Gill