sonofthesoil

Ok quick update. Employer advised me that sponsorship is highly unlikely because my salary does not meet th Temporary Migration Income Threshold (TSMT) of $51400pa. Even if I were to get that kind of money, the Immigration will compare it against market rates, meaning if the market rate for a Service Desk Entry Level, is less than TSMIT, there's no way through. Honestly this is getting to my head. Why were we given 485's to allow for at least 1 yr work experience, yet it would amount to nothing? And yeah, I've been in contact with an MA, but basically any visa that I was pointed to, has got that Skills Assessment Pre-requisite. I should've done the Professional Year when I had the chance, but I was of the idea that work experience is better.:arghh:

I am definitely going the 457 route. Initially I would've wanted to go for for 186, but that one seems far-fetched. I have only been working as an IT Customer Support Officer for 6 months. Before getting the 485, it was hard enough to get a job whilst on my BVA. Then it took me 6 months to get my first professional job, hopefully, this amounts to something because there's a lot that I have gone through to get to where I am, at the same time, there's a lot more to do in order to be settled.

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/books9.pdf I'll need to have a good read of this booklet over the weekend, then keep you updated. All this information though, points at the fact that I need a good MA.

Thanks for that, my skill was removed as well. The introduction of the 485, was definitely intertwined with the slashing of skills on the list, hence why it was put in place to allow for some sort of transition for many of us who no longer were eligible for direct entry into 885/886. So what are your plans Blossom79?

I agree, especially considering the fact that they get a lot of varied inquiries regarding different types of visas. I am not sure how other 485 holders are holding up, and would love to hear their views and experiences. In the meantime, I will now start by renewing my IELTS, Police Clearance, Medicals etc, and make sure that within a month, I will have my stuff ready for submission. What I do need as well, is to engage in a good Migration Agent. The sooner this starts, the better; you never know when we wake up to another new announcement.

Indeed it is very frustrating, given the fact that, as we all agree, the 485 was introduced as a way of assisting many of us who were no longer able to apply for 885/886, mainly due to the slashing of skills on the occupation list. It was a very noble idea to give us time to either acquire work experience or pay about $13 000 for Professional year. Fair and fine, but now it looks like going the Professional Year route would've been more viable. I had a meeting with my employer this morning, and they advised me that they will now start the process of finding out how best to get the ball rolling. After that, I called the immigration trying to find out about the 457 visa, and they told me that I have to satisfy the criteria of Qualifications, Skills and Experience. I asked them how it can be possible for me to gain minimum 3 years post-qualification experience whilst on a 18-month visa, but they just repeated that same statement to me, in other words, they're saying if my time is up, without the required work experience, better work elsewhere. Thank you for all the ideas though, the goal-posts are being shifted faster than I can keep up with.

Thanks Rupert, if I may seek clarification, considering that the skill I would like to nominate, is on the CSOL, I only need to mention it (in this case, 313112 for ICT Customer Support Officer), but do not have to through the Skills Assessment process with the TRA? Sorry if this seems like a silly question :unsure:

Here is a rundown of events, I am one of those people who were still on a student visa during the time of the 8 February 2010 announcement. I finished uni in July 2010, and applied for a Subclass 485, which was granted in Nov 2011. I had a Skills Assessment with ACS (2231-79) Computing Proffessional (nec). Then managed to secure a job this year in April as a Service Desk Analyst. The primary aim of having a Subclass 485, as the gvt put it, was so that those who did not qualify for an 885 or 886, would use that opportunity to either find employment or do a Professional Year. My main hurdle is that that the ACS does not consider someone in my position to apply for Skills Assessment as an ICT Support Officer (313112), and at the same time, TRA, which is the assessing authority, requires applicants to posses 3 years work experience, of which 12 months would have been prior to applying for Skills Assessment. My current employer has expressed interest in trying to sponsor me through Subclass 186 or 457, but the Skills Assessment pre-requisite is what is giving me nightmares. I dont know what would be expected of me, if I am on a visa that allows me to spend at least a year gaining work experience, yet when it comes to applying for a subsequent visa, the bar is set so high, you can only but wonder whether 485 was meant to be the end of the road. Any ideas on alternative pathway, would be much appreciated.

Hello Dave, I am in the same boat as well. I finished my IT Degree in 2010, received my 485 visa in November 2011. The Visa expires by the end of May 2013. I recently got an ICT Support job and there are currently 2 dilemmas. The first one is that I seem to only qualify for 313112 and I am not sure if TRA will give me a positive assessment, considering that I do not have 3 yrs, let-alone 1 year experince. The second one is that with what I have been hearing about the lengthly waits for Assessment outcomes, the result would come at a time when it might be too late. I am planning to submit my application by the end of the month, after further consultations with my employer on the possibility of being nominated on a 186 (Direct Entry Visa). Fingers crossed, I am currently sifting through whatever I can found out to make sure my chances are favorable, but it's just frustrating and stressful, as I said before, same boat buddy.