Adam Grey

That field is still for the visa number, not the grant number. If you do not have a label you won't have a visa number so leave that field blank but fill in the rest. The DIBP have your visa history on record anyway.

Do you need an agent? - First thing is no, you do not need an agent. Whether you decide to use one or not depends mostly upon how confident you feel to complete your own application. Nobody should ever advise that you have to use one and nobody should ever advise you to go alone, only you know your own capabilities. Recommendations - Thousands of independent reviews and testimonials can be found at http://www.migrationagentreviews.com. Highly recommended that you only use a MARA registered agent. Searches of the register can be made here: https://www.mara.gov.au All MARA registered agents must supply a written quotation of fees before taking you on as a client. They should not make any guarantees of success, and if the application stands little chance of success they must make this clear to you. No agent should take you on as a client without a thorough assessment. Even if an assessment is given over the phone a good agent should follow this up in writing so that you are fully aware of the factors in your case before engagement. Some agents do not like to give away too much information at the assessment stage. It's understandable because there are so many enquirers on a daily basis who ask question after question with no intention of using the agent's service, taking up time that could be spent on clients, but at a bare minimum you should be going into an agreement knowing full well the cost, timeframe, visa pathway, risks and overall chance of success. Horror stories - Like any industries there are always good and bad service providers. Though not illegal I would personally avoid companies outside Australia that are not MARA registered, or those that act as a third party drawing clients in before outsourcing the work to a MARA registered agent. Avoid companies that have auto-assessments that give you a points score without anyone looking into your details. Avoid companies that give very high points scores based upon assumptions.

This can happen for a variety of reasons. Often it's where an applicant enters onshore as their location but the system shows them as offshore or not holding a visa, other times it's just a system error. I would double check the responses given, if all are correct contact the DIBP and explain the situation.

I take it that you didn't complete 3 months specified regional work to qualify for the 2nd WHV?

I've learned in life that no matter how much I like planning ahead, i have to be prepared that those plans can fall apart through no fault of my own, and it's how I adapt to it that really matters. On one hand 2017 is a really long time away in migration terms and nobody can predict what will be happening by then, on the other hand every country in the world will always need nurses.

I would suggest reading up on what's required for a 457 visa from both your and the company's perspective. Lots of Australian businesses are completely ignorant of the system and it helps if you can alleviate any fears they have regarding the sponsorship. For the 457 they will have to pay you a market rate of salary set either by a comparable worker in the company or external sources (salary surveys, job adverts, government statistics etc). Those will give you an indication of the salary you can expect.

They all have pros and cons, but are similar enough. If I was an Indian Metal Machinist I wouldn't use TRA though.

Yes that's fine as supporting evidence. The content of the stat dec is also very important though, it has to be detailed and can't be just "I declare I worked here between such and such dates".

I think what Wesley is getting at is a stat dec will not be sufficient on its own. If you can't get a reference there's no other choice but a stat dec and plenty of other supporting evidence to verify the info on the stat dec.

I think the more important question is are you eligible for ENS direct entry and/or independent skilled migration?

They're liable for all costs associated to the Sponsorship and nomination. There's no obligation to pay anything or provide any assistance towards your actual 457 application.

That, that, and that again. Sometimes it can take 20 emails, phone calls and several weeks to get someone to send you a copy of their passport! Biggest cause of delay is a client that has to be pushed and chased throughout the process.

Yeah it's a Catch-22 situation, but what can you do. The CSOL is such an extensive list of occupations, but they don't want every Apiarist, Wool classer or Sailmaker being able to get in the country independently. Instead the list is there so if an employer or state really needs that particular skill bad enough they have the ability to be able to bring that someone into the country. I was at the London Embassy once for an information seminar and a DIBP dept head said something along the lines of "I don't care about your client's dreams or whether they have wanted to live in Australia for ages. I don't care if the system isn't fair, it's not designed to be fair. All I care about is bringing in the people Australia wants. It's about what we want, it's not about what your clients want". I honestly wonder sometimes if they want anyone, some cases can feel like a battle from start to finish! :biglaugh:

Yes it can get rejected. Sure the really big companies do tend to get a degree of 'flexibility' in certain areas, and if they are accredited sponsors they will get priority processing, but the regulations still need to be met and if they're not it can be rejected like any other application. Nothing is ever guaranteed. We constantly get asked by clients if they can go and hand their notice in, and even though we can be 99.9% sure of the result when we lodge a 457 visa, we will never recommend it.

.....And yeah lots of agents have some form of commission arrangement with a health insurance provider to refer clients to their service. Still have to remain ethical about it though.

Travel Insurance doesn't always meet the minimum level of cover, but in very general terms if you're a UK passport holder and it is travel insurance from a 'decent' company there's rarely any issues. Some case officers are more relaxed than others regarding it and after all they know it's only to allow the grant of the visa and you'll likely sign up for medicare when you arrive. There is a very long, detailed letter somewhere on the website that lists each and every thing that must be covered, but I very much doubt the case officer actually sits there matching each detail between that letter and the policy you give them.

If you have an Aus qualification that's even more confusing. This isn't advice, just my opinion - It sounds to me like the CO is taking issue with the credit/exemptions received when you obtained your diploma through the RPL process. Quite frankly they should not be looking at it in that much depth so I do not know what's triggered that reaction. If you've supplied your Aus certificate and diploma as well as the cert and diploma for the qualification that gained you exemptions I don't see what else they could want. If they're worried about the authenticity of the documents they could request originals and investigate, if they're concerned you don't meet the skill level they could just request you take a skills assessment....Either way they need to be pushed into doing something or clarifying exactly what their concern is. 12 months is ridiculous. If it were my application I would now be forcing the issue, listing every single regulation and demonstrating convincingly how I meet it. Push a decision and escalate it until one is made. Nobody can ever tell 100% what their decision will be, but if you're adamant all the criteria is met and they do refuse it then MRT is the next step. A very large number of decisions get over-turned by the MRT because they focus on the regulations whereas some case officers (wrongly) get driven by policy.

Hi John, It depends on a wide variety of factors, number one being whether you believe that you can do it yourself - and really only you can answer that. Occupation is also significant. I saw from your previous post that you're a tradesman which can sometimes add difficulty, especially for self-employed applicants. It's stereotypical I know, but I always see a lot of tradesmen that have been a little 'relaxed' about their paperwork or payslips/tax which can often be a problem that needs addressing. Like anything, if you're prepared to put in the research and work there's no reason why you can't do it yourself, if not there are Registered Migration Agents who charge a fee to take you through the process.

Going off topic a bit, but this is one of the most abused sections of the code. For example a lot of RMAs are quite happy to take clients on for a visa such as the 190 knowing full well-or being ignorant of the fact that-the state sponsorship will be extremely limited or require extra criteria such as a job offer. It's difficult from a business perspective when a prospective client is told that there's little chance of success as things currently stand and they say "but so and so told me I'm eligible so I'll go with them".....1 year down the line they will still be waiting for that occupation list change, job offer etc. The system always changes and there are often genuine times when an eligible applicant becomes ineligible through no fault of their own or the agents and the constant changes make it very difficult to assess if the agent is breaching the code at the time of engagement. I always laugh that a large amount of the people that enquiry with us reckon they've already had an assessment already and received 75+ points, so they just want a quote for services. We obviously insist on an assessment first and that 20 points given for IELTS 8 or 15 points they were given for work experience (without looking at the relevance, qualification attainment date or assessing authority criteria) suddenly isn't so guaranteed. We'll give them an honest assessment and point out the many variables that could affect their eligibility and the risk factors, what happens?.....They go to the people who made it sound easier and gave them higher points! Sometimes you can lead a horse to water.......

You've been delayed for 12 months because of this? Is your MA registered? Because this isn't a big issue and if he has lodged anywhere near 23,000 cases previously he would be lying on a beach somewhere in Bali with a cocktail and a wad of cash. You can show the case officer the equivalence of your diploma through AEI-NOOSR if necessary. Under policy the case officer is instructed that they can even request a skills assessment if they're not satisfied you meet the skill requirement, would you meet the skills assessing authority criteria for you occupation? Sometimes case officer make unusual and needless requests and while it can often be successfully argued that it's not required (applications should be assessed according to regulations, policy is a guide) it's often quicker to just do as asked. If you do argue you directly show them why it's not a legal requirement, you don't ask them to prove it to you!

If you've changed your name they generally want to see a birth certificate

Documents only need to be uploaded once. They put that document list in to supposedly simplify things, but it's next to useless. Most of the 'recommended' documents are completely unnecessary or not applicable to the applicant.

Hi Nik, There's so many factors involved for both the company and your son it's impossible to say if he can be sponsored or even if it's the best option without looking into a lot more detail. You're just going to get assumptions and guesses otherwise. I'd suggest an initial consultation with an RMA (him and the company) or a thorough search of the 457 or RSMS requirements. Only thing I can say for (almost) certain is that ENS or Skilled Migration through 189/190/489 isn't an option because he would need more post-qualification work experience to pass the skills assessment. All the best,

The problem with comparing times/processes is every applicant and application is different. Applicant A may tick a certain box and suddenly need to submit more documentation or wait longer, Applicant B may be in a high-demand occupation, Applicant C may have supplied everything required, Applicant D may not have....On and on. The number one reason for a delay is not supplying the correct documentation to meet the regulatory requirements for your or your company's specific circumstance, and for a 457 visa that delay could be at the SBS, nomination or application stage (maybe all 3).

If you're just starting it's a good idea to get an eligibility assessment. A lot of agents will offer this service for free, just be wary that you may get some unscrupulous companies that over-state your chances or give guarantees of success to entice you to sign up. Though it's not illegal in the UK to provide Australian migration advice/services without registration, I would still recommend that you only use an agent registered with the office of the MARA. for reviews and testimonials visit http://www.migrationagentreviews.com. Ring around, get some advice and quotes, research the company, make an informed decision.....Best way to approach it.