Ozmaniac

You should answer EVERY question honestly including the one that asks if you have ever overstayed on a visa.

In the last invitation round on 27 March, Accountants with 60 point EOIs lodged before 28 February were issued with invitations so in that round, they were about a month behind. If you can get your EOI in the moment you get to 60 points, you have a reasonable chance of getting an invitation in the 10 April round but that will be cutting it very fine and there's no way of knowing how many other EOIs from Accountants will be in the pipeline by then. If you're not already claiming 20 points for English, see if you can do PTE Academic to try for the extra 10 points that will provide - their results, unlike IELTS, come back in a few days. That would get you over the 60 points without needing to wait until you can claim your Professional Year points.

Thanks for the heads up.

After the first 5 years of your permanent visa, you need a Resident Return visa(not a Bridging visa) to re-enter Australia. When you apply for an RRV, if you've spent a total of 2 years out of the 5 immediately before applying, you get a 5 year RRV which resets your right to re-enter for another 5 years. If you've spent less than 2 years out of the 5 in Australia, you can still get a 1 Year RRV. If as you say "combined I'll be in Australia a lot longer than the four years", a 5 year RRV should be achievable. Admittedly, it's not as secure as citizenship but it's a whole lot better than needing a BV whenever you want to leave the country - even a 1 year RRV is better than needing a BV. http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/155-157.aspx And, just to add... I've been around the immigration traps for a long time and I don't think you would have much chance of getting a Ministerial discretion waiver for the situation you've described. That waiver is intended where the Australian partner must work overseas and the PR holder must stay with them or for a few other fairly specific reasons. Choosing to backpack overseas with your Australian partner is most unlikely to fit the bill. If you can get a 5 year RRV, you probably won't need it anyway but by all means, apply for a waiver. The worst that can happen is that it won't succeed.

You can lodge your visa whenever you wish. Medicals can be added later if necessary - they are not a 'time of application' requirement.

When applying for a 457, if you have a relevant degree and some experience in the nominated occupation and provided the employer can show that they really do need someone in that position with your educational and employment background, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting the visa though of course it's impossible to say. Every application is assessed on its merits and it's quite possible that someone with years of experiecne might be unsuccessful - it depends how the CO assesses the application. If you were applying for an employer sponsored 186 permanent visa via the Direct Entry stream that would be a different matter as you would then need formal skills assessment. For a positive skills assessment as a Marketing Specialist you would need a highly relevant degree and at least 1 year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level and highly relevant to the nominated occupation. For a 457, skill requirements are less onerous and more flexible. After 2 years working for an employer on a 457, you can be nominated by them for a 186 permanent visa via the Temporary Residence Transition stream without needing skills assessment.

1. If he's eligible for a points tested visa (he may not be - depends on his occupation), he will need skills assessment before he can go any further down that path. Once he has skills assessment and 60 points, he can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in applying for a visa. After he receives an invitation to apply and lodges a visa application, the whole family should be included on his visa. That way, you will all get Permanent Residence when he gets his PR which is MUCH better in the long run than you and your children being in Australia as Kiwis on SCVs. Kiwis can live here permanently but they are not PRs in immigration and Centrelink terms. They never become eligible to apply for citizenship and there are several major income support benefits for which they are not eligible. You may never need those benefits (e.g. Newstart Allowance a.k.a. the dole, Youth Allowance when the kids get older, government student loans for tertiary education and so on), but if you do, you'll need PR or citizenship to get them. 2. It's usually a Very Bad Idea to put the house on the market until you have visas. I guess though in your situation, it's probably not such a consideration given that the Kiwi part of the family will definitely be able to come and your OH will be able to get a 461 without problems if he can't get a skilled immigration visa. Still better though to wait until you're much further down the track if you're going for a skilled immigration visa unless he gets a 461 to move here and holds off on going for skilled immigration until he's here. 3. Your paperwork will need to be up to date before you can lodge a skilled immigration visa application. Your husband will need a heap of paperwork for skills assessment

On a WHV, there is no visa condition that stops you from doing any work you can find. If an employer is willing to employ you, you are free to work for them with the only visa restriction being that you can on work for each employer for up to 6 months. I've heard of a number of WHV holders who have worked in care positions though I don't know if they needed particular qualifications. I suspect that for a short term job, the qualificaions you already have will be acceptable for employment at some level.

On a 457, you have the same rights as any other worker in Australia. One of those rights that isn't specifically spelt out on the following is that you cannot be discriminated against because you are pregnant. http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/_pdf/457-your-rights-work.pdf http://www.fairwork.gov.au/about-us/policies-and-guides/fact-sheets/rights-and-obligations/457-visa-holders-workplace-rights-and-entitlements

@dmjg is right - an informative title usually leads to more answers. Would you like me to change the title of your thread to something like 'Working in South Melbourne. Where to live?' Please PM me if you do.

The date by which you must make your first entry to Australia is usually 12 months from the date of your first medical or PCC and once the visa is granted, that date is set in stone and can't be changed. You don't then need to stay in the country if you're not ready to make the big move, but you must enter to validate your visa even if you then leave immediately after you clear immigration.

No occupations are guaranteed to stay on the SOL. We have a huge oversupply of Secondary Teachers in most areas, large numbers of Engineers who can't find work, an over supply of IT people who don't have years of experience in a few specialities, more nurses and doctors graduating every year, poor employment prospects in many trades etc etc. You should probably steer clear of the flagged occupations but beyond that, who knows? Anything that is removed from the SOL will almost certainly stay on the CSOL so there would still be a chance of a sponsored visa but make sure that whatever course you do leads to an occupation that you really want to work in even if it isn't in Australia. http://www.awpa.gov.au/our-work/labour-market-information/skilled-occupation-list/Pages/Flagged-Occupations.aspx Flagged occupations

You don't need a re-assessment. An updated letter of employment and payslips or bank statements to prove that you really did stay there will be enough.

You should tell her that you're pregnant and discuss what you should do. Apart from the fact that it is the right thing to do, she'll find out anyway before you get PR either because you won't be able to have your medical while pregnant or because you'll be showing well within the 4-6 months or so before the visa is granted. If she gets upset because you haven't told her earlier, she can withdraw the nomination at any time before the visa is granted. On the bright side, you're entering your second trimester now and most women are surprised at how much better they feel in comparison to the first 3 months.

Leave loading is usually 17.5% paid in addition to your normal salary for Annual Leave payments. It looks to me as if it's only calculated on 4 weeks though it doesn't work out exactly - maybe the rate is different. 17% superannuation is higher than the compulsory 9.5% but remember that those payments are locked up until you reach retirement age. Not sure what you mean by 'where or what is the 85 k range do you think ?'

When medicals, PCCs and all documents are uploaded, it's not at all unusual to never hear from a CO and many complete applications simply get a Direct Grant. You will only be contacted if something else is needed. When it comes to 189s, 'no news is good news'.

In addition to what you've already been advised, it's important that you realise that employers are only allowed to sponsor people who have acceptable qualifications and experience in an occupation on the CSOL. Until you determine exactly what CSOL occupation you would qualify under, you won't even know where to look for potential sponsors. When you've narrowed the choices to a single occupation, do a great CV and start contacting potential sponsors directly. Your chances of finding sponsorship from overseas are low but with the scatter-gun approach, they're non-existent. Start with the CSOL: http://www.immi.gov.au/Work/Pages/skilled-occupations-lists/csol.aspx The CSOL

Sorry, but why would you believe the 20 days quoted by some online agent when the DIBP processing time standard for low risk applicants applying offshore is 1 working day. Admittedly, DIBP are not renowned for always meeting their standards, but 20 days rather than 1?? http://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/1.0.htm

If he is a fully qualified Automotive Electrician with 8+ years of post qualification experience, he should scrape through with the 60 points required for a 189 Independent visa but will need to get 20 points for Superior English. http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/189.aspx 189 visa Before he can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in applying for a visa, he must have a positive skills assessment. In the UK, Auto Electricians are assessed under the TRA Offshore Skills Assessment Program (OSAP). http://www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au/Programs/Offshore/Pages/default.aspx OSAP At the same time, he needs to do one of the English tests and achieve a level of Superior English. Of the available tests, I suggest that he does PTE (Academic). It's not long been acceptable for Australian immigration purposes, but it seems to be easier to pass than IELTS. http://www.immi.gov.au/FAQs/Pages/how-can-i-prove-i-have-superior-english.aspx How can I prove I have superior English? If he falls short of points for experience or English skills, his occupation is sponsored by several states so as long as he has a positive skills assessment and 50 or 55 points, a state sponsored 190 (permanent - 55 points required) or 489 (provisional - 50 points required) visa should be possible. When you add the time it will take for skills assessment to the time for visa processing, you're probably looking at 6-9 months before getting a visa. It may be less than that, but skills assessment can cause delays if limited testing dates are available. If state sponsrship is required, that will add to the time.

You can submit your EOI now or you can wait for the NT though if they see an EOI and it doesn't nominate any other state or territory, that may help a little in selling your commitment to the the NT.

Many people come on Visitor visas while their Partner visa applications are being processed. Make sure you CO knows you're onshore and can contact you reliably and they send you a pre-grant notification so you can get offshore for the grant to take place. Most people go the NZ but Bali is another cheap destination. The time you spend in Australia waiting for your visa can be included in the 4 years residence requirement for citizenship provided you meet the other residence requirements i.e. outside Australia for no longer than 12 months in total in the 4 years immediately before applying including no more than 90 days in the last year.

I'm afraid you'll need more than a basic qualification to be able to get a visa as a Medical Administrator. Unless you can find sponsorship for a temporary 457 visa (probably impossible given the very senior nature of the job), you must have a positive skills assessment from VETASSESS before you can get any other visa. The VETASSESS assessment requirements are: [h=3]Medical Administrator (ANZSCO Code 134211)[/h]This occupation requires a qualification which is assessed as comparable to the educational level of an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher degree, in a field highly relevant to the nominated occupation. In addition to this, applicants must have at least one year of post-qualification employment at an appropriate skill level completed in the last five years which is highly relevant to the nominated occupation. If the qualification(s) are not at the required educational level, or if the employment has been completed prior to the qualification, then the employment will be assessed below the required skill level. The role of Medical Administrator is usually the most senior medical management position in a hospital or hospital department. They may also be known by other titles such as Medical Manager, Director of Clinical Services, and Director of Medical Services. Medical administration is administration or management utilising the medical and clinical knowledge, skill, and judgement of a registered medical practitioner, and capable of affecting the health and safety of the public or any person (RACMA). A highly relevant field of study is Medicine. Medical Administrators may also hold additional higher qualifications in Health Administration and Public Health. Please note that this occupation is at a higher skill level and tasks are different to practicing physicians, medical officers, nursing managers, interns, administrative hospital staff and non-hospital practice managers. Other managers in health care settings may better fit under other related occupations and therefore would not be assessed positively for this occupation. These other occupations include 134213 Primary Health Organisation Manager, which covers out-of-hospital health services, and 134299 Health and Welfare Services Managers nec, which includes Directors of Health Professional Services not elsewhere classified. Qualifications in Nursing or allied health fields such as Dentistry and Homeopathy, would not usually meet the requirements for this occupation.

If they're colour scans of originals, they don't need to be certified. Definitely!

Well, a 186 and not a 187! That makes a huge difference! On a 186, you have no visa condition requiring you to stay for 2 years. You're free to go at any time and there is nothing your employer or DIBP can do about. You're a PR and you're free to work for anyone, anywhere, in any occupation. Best of luck for the future.

Medicals are required for family members who were included on your visa application under 'Non-migrating dependents'. If they are not dependents but are simply family members, you should submit a Notification of Incorrect Answers Form 1023 and medicals will no longer be needed. http://www.immi.gov.au/forms/Documents/1023.pdf Form 1023