Taylors4

Ali, I think its worth your while speaking to an agent. Some of them give a free initial assessment, just to find out properly what position you are in. Its worth it just for peace of mind, knowing you have the correct information. At least then you can decide which way to progress.

Oh right, didn't realise that. Great at least I know for forward planning, thank you.

Ok so it was a very very long time ago and it may not be the case now, but when I did a WHV I left Aus in 1990, I put in a tax claim and got ALL the tax back that I paid in. Lots of people said I wouldn't get a penny, but someone I know had done it, so I figured I had nothing to lose. I was well impressed. Worth considering (if you paid it in the first place). I would try my best not the upset the tax man in any country!!

Have you looked at the Vetassess website (Trades Recognition Australia), they do a lot of skills assessments for trades people, pretty sure that when you get your carpentry one this gets you your conversion of your skills to the Aussie equivalent and also if/when you do come to apply for a visa you will already have proved your skills. The bricklayer one costs about £300 for the paper based section (which when you pass you go on to do a practical assessment which costs roughly £1,000). Think it will be either the same price or very similar for yourself. If it was me I'd do it before I got to Oz, so you can then work straight away (think you also need a white card - like the UK CSCS card). Lots of people/companies like to make money out of this process, just be wary .....

Hi just wondering really, as its a new visa just wanted to know if anyone had obtained one, and if so, when you get your visa how long do you have to verify your visa? Just wondering for time-scales is it 3, 6 or 12 months?

Hi, I've been keeping my eye on this one, when you look at their monthly update for August, at the bottom of the list there is an asterix with the sentence 'Please note SWMA reviews availability of occupations on a monthly basis. If an occupation becomes available this will take place on the first working day of each month from 12pm WST'. But, they don't post this information until the 7th of said month. To me that would indicate that there is a possibility that your occupation may become available again, as they say its a 'monthly' review but I'm no expert, and maybe when its off its off. Hopefully someone else can shed some more light on this one. I too would be very interested to know the answer, my occupation is still there, but my skills test isn't till end of September, so am hoping next month that one won't be off list when I come to do my EOI hopefully in October.

Just thinking, but have you had advice from an agent - its worth it as bricklayer is now off the main list and on the CSOL, before you spend a load of money, just check out that you know what the goal posts are - its not an easy journey and its worth taking any advice you can get. Good luck. We've been on it now for nearly 2 years and still don't know if we are every going to get the visa ......

Put it this way it seriously took me about 3 months to get everything together. I used an agent to help me, so not sure if it was over the top, but got through it to Level 1, with no queries. Off the top of my head, detailed everything from my training at college and work (I did an apprenticeship and and City & Guilds to Advanced Craft), who I'd worked for with references, covering all dates. Got references from clients (from running my own business) and suppliers, also got a letter from the tax office to say during my self employment as a bricklayer I had fulfilled my duties towards taxation, van signage etc. Basically its anything that you can provide them with that will prove without any doubt that this is the job you have been doing for x amount of years, leaving no stone unturned and no gaps in dates etc. Hope this helps, it was a very daunting and tedious task, good luck with it.

Hi Trish, not sure where in Cheshire you are but I got mine done at Dixon Rigby Keogh in the Northwich branch, they also have offices in Sandbach and Winsford. Hope this helps.

You pay in 2 stages, think the paper based was about £300, and the practical works out at £1K, obviously depending on exchange rates. Hope this helps. I'm just waiting for the next practical assessment date to be released.

Don't know the answer, but looks expensive to me. I rang around about 10 solicitors and got one to certify 35 documents (some were pages long) for £30, some quoted a lot more. Worth my time spent on the phone. Worth a try maybe?

Please can you explain why this is no longer a problem for new applicants???

Thanks for that, we are interested in Perth as we have an aunt and uncle and 5 cousins with their own (grown up) families, so about 20 in total, so already got a good network of family, who we have been in contact a lot with over the years, one of my cousins lives in Mandurah, the others live in Rockingham/Baldivis and one in Queensland. We too went over December 2010, and the kids just loved it and didn't want to come home!! Still keep pestering us, when are we going to Oz - gotta love em! We just got to wait for Vetassess as OH hasn't done the practical test, as we didn't want to waste £1K if there was no chance of getting a visa, so going to do that, then its all systems go, will do what you suggest (as will need a the skills test result), and just see where it gets us. One of my family have a good contact who is a boss on one of the big mining projects, to that's another avenue to look at. Hopefully, we will get there after a lot of hard work, and waiting .......... So are you hoping for Perth too then as your first option?

I think if you have enough points, you can apply for a 190 with state sponsorship, (so you will probably need your IELTs score if you have not got enough points for 8 years experience). We are in the same boat. Bricklayer taken off Sol 1, but on Sol 2, we are still trying to muddle through too. We are trying for a 489 state sponsored regional (as this is our only option), as OH doesn't want to retake the IELTs (cannot face the thought). We used an agent and to be perfectly honest, we couldn't afford it either, both of us out of work and 2 kids!! Hey ho. You really do need as much evidence of you work based background - we did the whole hit, letters from clients explaining what the extensions/brickwork carried out, photographs of work being completed, van signage, letter from the Inland Revenue to say he had paid tax for x number of years and also got them to put in the capacity of bricklayer (not easy, spoke to about 10 different people till got some kind soul to do that). Also got a statement of service detailing the whole apprenticeship and what he did after qualifying at the same company. Had this verified by the MD of the Company who is also a Justice of the Peace (this was no easy task, as my OH left the company about 8 years previous, they didn't want him to go and made it very difficult, so grovelling for this was not an easy thing to do, he wouldn't even meet my OH face to face, just told him to leave it on his doorstep and picked it up off his doorstep the following week, but at least he signed it and even added a covering letter attesting to his abilities ha ha). Real in depth stuff leaving nothing out, think you need as much work based evidence as possible. Make sure there are no gaps. OH got a Level 1 with no queries at all. Hope this helps Good luck, its not an easy task. Keep looking into it and getting as much information as you can. Someone on here told us that SA have bricklayer on their State Sponsorship list, so there's a start.

Also, yes I completely agree IELTs is a money making machine. Secret society or what, they won't tell you where you went wrong, don't publish any statistics. I really would like to know the percentage of people taking these exams and the success rate - but they are very good at taking your money!!

Hi Dibongo. We are now really considering 489 RSMS, have thought about ENS, but being a bricklayer have been told its a bit like here, who you know, and a lot of turning up on site asking for work. Seek don't seem to have any bricklaying jobs at all. Have been told construction is slowing down, which is why moving to a developing area such as Mandurah wouldn't be a bad idea for us. A lady I know who is also a hairdresser did what you're doing and got positive feedback. She also took the step to say they would be out for a reccie, they went for 1 week, she had a few interviews lined up and got sponsorship, so I think there is work out there for hairdressers. Good luck

Yes, think your right on that one, seems a much better chance of success and visa costs are the same 190/489. Thanks for your help

Not enough points for 190, 5 points short - would mean sitting the dreaded IETLs again! We have only got the paper assessment done to the skills assessment, as its £1K to do the practical, so we were hoping to find a visa with a 'way in', before we part with such a large amount of money. Just trying to make sure we are doing the right thing. We really wanted WA, as we have 16 or so family members who live in Perth, so already have a family network set up, which is such a help. May have to go for Regional and just hope and pray we can get work out of the Met area, Mandurah would be good!! Thanks for your help

Hi Lebourvallec, thanks for responding. I know you've told me that before, I'm living in hope I think lol! My next question is - as and when WA update their list of occupations, if bricklayer is still on it, would that not mean that they are willing to sponsor (regional or family), it is confusing me somewhat? WA are supposed to be updating their website within the next couple of weeks and also the DIAC and updating the booklet 6, which goes with the 489 visa, which is due out on 30th July. I know its wishful thinking, but I'm really hoping this visa is going to be my way in. This whole process is a nightmare, so complicated ..........

Ok thanks for that, the family sponsored thing was my next question. The booklet that goes with the 489 visa is being updated and isn't available now till 30th July, hope they don't change much in it!! WA are also supposed to be updating their website in the next 2 weeks (when I rang them on Friday), so fingers crossed. Thanks for you reply.

Am I correct in assuming "off list" means off the Sol 1, therefore if your occupation (as is mine) is on the Sol 2 you are in fact, unable to apply??

Oh right, thank you. Like most people, I was hoping it was a bit sooner, but patience is a virtue!

Keep everything crossed!! There is hope yet. In all my life I've never been so confused as I have in the last week of my life. Nothing seems straightforward. Tying to get information from the DIAC website is hard work!

It only says it will be published in July, but as yet, its still showing 2011-12. Any ideas anyone?

Hi can anyone clarify if the whole of WA is now classified as regional for the 489 visa, if you go state sponsored. As in the booklet for the 489 visa, it does stipulate that you cannot live or work in metropolitan areas of Perth, but I have heard it mentioned that the whole of WA is now classed as regional? If anyone can help, I'd be grateful. Many thanks