Marisawright

Other countries are banning flights from the UK because they have no facilities to quarantine visitors on arrival, and don't have time to set them up. Australia already has quarantine in place so it's not the same.

That sounds good. However, the difficulty you'll face is that experience only counts if it's AFTER you're qualified and it has to be in the specified occupation. Bear in mind that on your WHV, you can't work for the same employer for more than six months, and you're likely to have breaks between contracts, plus time off to do the essential work, so you shouldn't bank on getting more than about two years' experience while in Australia. The 482 is your only practical option to stay after the WHV. I'd say it would be worth booking a one-off consultation with a migration agent (like Paul) now, to understand exactly which occupations you could apply under, and how to tailor your plans to maximise your success. It's a cost, but it will give you more certainty. If you rely on your own research, it's very easy to get the wrong information which either gives you false hope, or sets you off on the wrong path.

Some owners would rather die than leave their cat behind, and if that applied to you, then I'd be saying, "lots of people transport a nervous cat, and although it must be an horrible experience for the cat, they do get over it, so he'll be fine in the end." However, the very fact that you've said you're in two minds, means you have the option to leave him behind - and if that's the case, I would leave him. If there is a loving home he can stay with in the UK, then putting him through 24 hours of hell and two weeks of anxiety would just be selfish. Secondly, his air fare will cost far more than yours, and migrating is already an expensive time, so leaving him will take some stress off your budget. And finally, as you may already know, some Australians can be quite anti-cat so depending where you end up, he may have a more restricted life than he does in the UK.

No, but some WHV'ers do manage to stay by getting a 482 visa (temporary employer-sponsored), and then they may be able to get a permanent visa after that. However: they are in the 28-30 age group, ...so they've already been in the workforce for a few years, and they arrive with qualifications AND most of the required experience already under their belt, and ...they stay in one city and find contract work in their chosen occupation to get more experience, instead of traveling round Australia doing casual work and having fun (though they may do the farm work so they can stay for a second year). The issue is that employers can't sponsor just anyone. You still need to have an occupation that's on the skilled list, and you still need all the qualifications and experience specified. So a typical WHV'er in their early 20's has absolutely no chance of getting an employer-sponsored visa, because they don't have enough experience. Really, the options for migrating to Australia are NOT endless, they're very limited. Only people trained in an occupation on the skilled list, with the specific qualifications and experience stated, can get a permanent visa to live in Australia.

How do you manage it? I switched my Google account over to Australia and now it won’t let me switch back because it auto detects my actual location

The question "are you renting or do you own?" refers only to the property you're living in. If you own in the UK, that's an investment property so it would go in a different section (if they ask about investments).

Hmmm, in other words, tell the truth to the consultant, and let them decide whether to be honest on the form, or fudge the figures so they can sell you a bigger loan. Since you still have to sign or certify that the information on the form is true and correct, I think that's a risky option. If you get found out, then you've lied on your application which means your loan is in default, and they can repossess your property. I wouldn't want to risk losing my house, for instance.

Actually, I believe they are still offering temporary visas to "priority" occupations, which is basically medical personnel. So you might have a chance. Having said that, I know you need registration before you can work, and registration can take months, so I'm not sure how the timelines would work. I notice you say you don't want PR "straightaway", implying you'll apply for it a few years down the track. I would just say, don't just blithely assume you'll still be eligible when you feel like applying. Nurses are in demand right now due to staffing up for Covid - but before Covid, nurses were finding it hard to get visas because some states were over-supplied. Once the pandemic is over, the oversupply situation is likely to be worse, not better, so you could find you're out of luck. So if you are eligible for a permanent visa now, I'd go for it.

I'd say the most likely option is that they'll make announcements saying the vaccine is available to a certain group, then it's up to you to go to a vaccination centre and prove you belong to that group.

At the moment, I don’t think you’d even be allowed to cross the border into Victoria

I think Parley only bought one.

Does it work on an Australian phone? I've been tripped up by a couple of British apps which aren't downloadable on an Australian phone.

You would have to quarantine in Melbourne too, because the state borders are closed due to high covid infections in Sydney. I'm not even sure if you'd be allowed into Victoria. There are international flights into Melbourne now, so you would be well advised to wait until you can get a direct flight.

The employer can't revoke the visa. All he can do is report the situation to Immigration. Then it's up to Immigration whether they revoke the visa or not.

I'd say you'll have more chance of a 482 because the processing time is much faster. With a 186, they're sponsoring you then having to wait a year for you to arrive, which I can't imagine many employers doing - and if you're in the medical field, then you'd be better off going for a skilled visa in your own right, since it takes about the same amount of time.

I should add that currently, you can't even get a 482 visa. Employers aren't offering them, owing to the fact that 482 holders aren't allowed into the country during the border closures. The only exception is people in the medical field. As for the permanent visas, if you apply now, you'll be looking at a possible visa grant some time in 2022.

If you have two children, then it wouldn't be wise to move on an employer-sponsored visa (482). It is only a temporary visa for 2 to 4 years, then you go home. There is a possibility that you may be able to apply to get permanent residency after the 482, but it is far from guaranteed (it used to be a lot more certain, so you'll still see some out-of-date websites suggesting it as a viable option). For a family, the cost to move over to Australia and back again, within a few years, would be prohibitively expensive (unless one of you is highly qualified and therefore can find an employer willing to pay your relocation expenses both ways). If you want to move permanently, then you need to apply for a skilled visa (189, 190 or 491). There's no point looking for a job before you get the visa, because the whole process will take a year or more, and no employer is going to wait that long. If you get a 491 (the easiest of the three to get, since it's only provisional and you have to serve a kind of probation for a few years) then in some states, you'll have to pay school fees. If you get the 189 or 190, you're permanent residents as soon as you arrive in Australia. Your best first step is to book a consultation with a migration agent to see whether you can even qualify for a visa, and of so, what your chances are. Try Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda. To explain what that means: there's a shortlist of occupations which Australia accepts, and one of you must have an occupation on that list, otherwise it's no dice. Even if one of you does have an occupation on the list, it's not just a case of applying and you'll get a place. It's competitive, like applying for a job. There's a points system, and only the people with the highest points get picked. You're allowed to apply with only 65 points - but in recent years, competition has been so fierce for the 189 visa, only people with 90 points have stood any chance at all. Everyone else just loses their money. The 190 and 491 are more variable and an agent will know what the chances are for different occupations.

Y-e-e-e-s but where is the app? Isn't it on a phone?

Yes, but that's going to cut no ice with Immigration. An employer wanting to sponsor a joiner to come to Australia, must prove that they can't find any local candidates to take the job. So if the OP can get a visa and get into Australia, he'll probably be fine, but he's going to have to get here on his own steam first.

It's probably bad news, I'm afraid. If you want to move permanently, you need a skilled visa (a 189, 190 or 491). No point in finding a job first, because it takes 12 months+ to get one of those visas, and no employer is going to wait that long. To even be allowed to apply, you must be qualified and experienced in an occupation that's on the skilled list. If not, you can't migrate permanently, end of story. If you just want to spend a few years in Australia, you can find an employer who's willing to sponsor you for a temporary visa (a 482), but that's only for 2 to 4 years, then you go home. However you'll have to wait until the borders open, as temporary visa holders aren't allowed into the country right now, even with a job to go to. To be honest, I wouldn't fancy your chances of finding an employer willing to sponsor you, as there's a lot more age discrimination in Australia compared to the UK, especially if you're a middle-aged woman. There is a Last Remaining Relative Visa but even if you qualify for that, the waiting time is about 50 years. You could arrive in Australia on a tourist visa (once the borders open) and apply for that visa onshore - then you'd be allowed to stay on a bridging visa, which would allow you to stay while you wait. But that would mean living in a twilight zone for the rest of your life, no longer legally a UK resident but not a permanent resident of Australia either, so not eligible for benefits anywhere and possibly not allowed to work.

I don't know if you need to include it, however if you worked for an agency, the agency was your employer. So there's no need to list the individual companies they assigned you to.

I doubt it somehow. I don't know if a "London loading" is still a thing, but in Australia, people are paid according to what they do, and location doesn't enter into it. That's a problem for Sydneysiders because they're paid the same as someone in Adelaide but their housing costs twice as much.

You say you're looking for work, but you sound as though you'd like to migrate to Australia permanently, is that right? If you just want to work in Australia, then you can get an employer-sponsored visa. That means finding someone who's willing to give you a job, then they apply for a 482 visa for you. However, that's only temporary for 2 to 4 years. There's a possibility that you might be able to apply to stay permanently after that, but it's far from guaranteed. I wouildn't recommend it if you have a family, as the cost to move over, and then move back after only a few years, would be horrendous. If you want to migrate, then there's no point looking for a job. You need to get a skilled visa (a 189, 190 or 491), and it takes a year or more for it to be processed. No employer is going to offer you a job, and then wait 12 months or more for you to turn up! So it will be a case of applying for the visa, waiting to see if it's granted, then heading off to Australia without a job to go to. The problem you'll face is that you don't just apply for a skilled visa, and then wait in an orderly queue until it's your turn. It's a competition, like applying for a job. It's a points system, and the people with the highest points win. You only need 65 points to be allowed to apply for a visa - however, competition is so fierce, it's not even worth applying if that's all you've got. For the 189 visa, you'll need at least 90 points to stand any chance at all. For the 190 or 491 it's a bit better, but not that much. And you don't get a refund if you're not picked! You get points for qualifications, experience and age. At 40, you'll have a lower score so that might scupper your chances.

I don't think that's legal. The employer usually uses an agent to do their side of the application, but they can't make you use the same agent.

I use my Australia mobile with no problems. I’d suggest keeping your UK mobile until you are sure you can get it switched over though, as you’ll need it to login in order to make the change