CaptainC

9 minutes ago, Peach said:

Hey welcome back. Has been a long while since I thought about visas, but pretty sure the wording is that "PR visas don't expire, only the part that allows you to travel into Australia does". Hence you can be in Australia as a PR 'forever' without needing a visa or to become a citizen.  However if you want to travel you need a new visa -- this is where the RRV comes in. From past posts, immigration can be quite generous with RRVs i.e. if this your first time of asking for one they will likely grant you one and getting a job offer would be sign of a commitment to Australia (which is one of the criteria).

Not sure how true it is, but was often said that applying for an  evisitor/visitor visa is a terrible idea, as the risk is your overwrite your PR status and are left in a worse state than before you started.

Is prolly worth getting some agent advice, to not stuff it up.

Thanks Peach, I guess that ‘overwriting’ is what I was worried about, but at fairly short notice I think it’s my only option for a quick travel visa.   Will have to consult with an agent to get a definitive answer.  

Hi all, I’m back here again after a loooooong hiatus, I was a moderator on here for a while.  

I applied for and was granted a 189 Skilled Visa in 2015, I activated the visa before returning to the UK.  For various complicated reasons I was unable to return to Australia and instead remained in the UK.

Obviously my 189 has expired now, I’m aware that there’s a chance I could apply for an RRV, but before all that I may need to travel to Australia for an interview in the next couple of weeks.

I have an old drink driving conviction when I was stupid teenager so I’m aware that I can’t apply for an eVisitor, but presume I can travel on a 600 visitor visa, but wonder if this will/can affect further visa applications? Or am I overthinking it? 

It's not on the OSAP list so you must apply through the TRA MSA programme. Here's the link to the applicant guide >>> http://www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au/Programs/Migration/Documents/33.%20TRA%20MSA%20Applicant%20Guidelines%20V9.0.pdf

Thanks to the senior member for putting their efforts and providing useful information. I hold NZ CoC for deck watchkeeper, and currently doing my mates & masters in Australia.I already got immigration assessment from the AMSA .I was going through Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act (TTMRA) , under TTMRA NZ qualifications are straightway recognised to Australian qualifications.My query is that under that provision can I apply for COR.I am in touch with AMSA in this regard and the correspondence with them is still in process. I got different replies within the AMSA. They said for this you must be NZ citizen or Permanent residence or must have working rights in Australia as per the navigation act .but there is no such condition within TTMRA. Any senior member having some knowledge on this query.

I'm not quite sure that I understand your query.

But if I am reading it correctly, you aren't a NZ citizen?

If you wish to apply for a CoR to recognise your NZ ticket then you would just go about it the same way as if it was any other foreign certificate. AMSA won't issue this unless you have permanent residency or Temporary residency with work rights, or be a NZ Citizen.

You can make all of the arrangements to apply for a CoR, but you will not receive this until you prove that you've been granted a visa.

Good day!

 

189 Visa granted today! (Applied 23/Nov-16, Grant 17/Mar-16)

Thanks to this forum for all the valuable information and support.

 

Regards

Well done!

Hi Captain C,

I have read somewhere that the occupation remains "flagged" for at least one year before being actually excluded from the SOL list. As for instance, SOL 2015-2016 list has certain flagged occupations which will be potentially removed from 2016-2017 SOL list (w.e.f. 1st July 2016) - https://www.education.gov.au/flagged-occupations-sol-2015-2016.

In your opinion, is the information credible?

Brgds,

Mariner

I don't know for certain but I did hear that occupations can be removed at any time. Likewise the visa applications can be suspended or removed entirely.

We have to remember that emigration is a privilege and not a right. The commonwealth have the power to close the borders completely to new arrivals should they so wish.

The minister for immigration proved this recently by cancelling several thousand applications for certain visas, leaving a lot of people without any hope of obtaining a visa.

I'm trying not to overdramatise things, but it's been done before and it's a real possibility that it could be done again. The shipping industry in Australia is all but destroyed, and there are only 14 ships currently operating under the Australian flag. It's really dire, and Australian seafarers are suffering a lot.

@CaptainC, r u there?

Please email admin@pomsinoz.com to change username. Provide at least three alternatives to change it to, in case your first choice is already taken.

Great combo, I would bring it over, for sure. Yes, this is for personal import scheme

Thanks for that!! I definitely will.

Firstly MA but I wont to talk to them in person as well. i wont explain them that I wasn't trying to do anything dodgy. Only mistake is my company hired an incompetent MA.

 

It's a really long shot I know it, and frankly I don't have much hope. I just want a chance to explain myself...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Firstly I would strongly suggest that you report your agent to OMARA, explaining the problem that you've had and that you think that they may have been negligent.

If you send a sob story to DIBP it will likely fall on deaf ears. But, if you have an outcome from OMARA that your agent was negligent, then you can seek some recourse to your fee from the agent.

Go to http://www.mara.gov.au and have a look.

Captain C , Thank you very much for the information. I am still in the process of collecting employment letters and deliberately delaying one till 15th of March , so as to get full points for employment (8yrs out of 10 yrs). Considering this, even if I apply to AMSA by mid or 3rd week of march, I may get a chance to take orals by 2nd or 3rd week(depending on the availability) or even ending May. Do you feel I should initiate the process or wait till new SOL is out for this year, coz otherwise all effort and money will go wasted.

waiting for your suggestion

Sid

I can't offer any advice really. It is up to you if you think that you can do it.

IMPORTANT NEWS

I've just found this document that was submitted to have Ship's Engineer removed from the SOL.

https://submissions.education.gov.au/forms/archive/2015_16_sol/documents/Australian%20Institute%20of%20Marine%20and%20Power%20Engineers.pdf

Because Ship's Engineer falls into the Marine Transport Professionals (2312 code), and a pretty compelling case has been presented. We can also assume that Ship's Master and Ship's Officer would also be removed from the Skilled Occupation List.

I don't know when this will be, or even if it will actually happen, but with the recent press coverage of the plight of the Australian Seafarers aboard MV Portland, there's a strong possibility that it will happen and also possible that it will be this year (1st July 2016).

Anybody who is near to the point of submitting an EOI, or who is invited and still to submit their application, I would recommend that they get their applications in quickly.

Any applications received after an occupation is removed will not be processed, and you will not be issued a visa.

If it does get removed, then it is likely to be 5-10 years before it is back on the list again.

Dear Captain C,

After going through first 10 pages of the thread , I started from the last posts and realized you also faced the same problem regarding bermuda PCC, but Captain R's views on this were also very interesting as to why seafarer's need it. Also Sierra had to contact australian high commission for his Stat decl. But one thing i did not understand is you had to submit your pay slips...... what exactly is a pay slip, coz what we get is a contract letter and monthly allotments sent to our bank accounts. Just a small chit is distributed among the crew with all the wages detail, but its neither an official document like portage bill nor it has got any official stamp on it, just master's initial are there. Moreover I have'nt kept any of them with me, but I have the old contract letters which we sign before joining the vessel.

Do we really need them and if so, will bank statements do the needful...... Kindly give your views

 

Rgrds

Sid

Yes, I had the same issues and had to go to the Australian High Commission for a statutory declaration because I couldn't actually obtain the PCC that was needed. I had to get references from former employers to say that my conduct was good, and I also had to prove that I had exhausted all efforts to obtain the PCC.

Payslips are posted to workers which detail their pay, and itemise any tax, pensions, and national insurance contributions that they have made.

Bank statements are likely to be a good substitute for payslips if you don't have any. As long as they detail the company name on them.

Here goes. Hope I get this right.

2012 (MY13)

Audi A5 Coupe (19" RS Wheels)

S-line (Black Edition)

2.0TD

6 Spd Manual

2WD

24000 miles / 38600 KM

Folding Mirrors, Bluetooth, Bang & Olufsen speakers, HDD Sat Nav, Black embossed S Line Leather seats, iPod/iPhone dock, Active Distance Cruise Control, Auto Emergency Braking, Lane Assist, Aircon Climate Control, F&R visual parking sensors (no camera), hydraulic handbrake.

U.K. Market Val £26,000

Red book (can't find)

Aus mkt val around $60,000

QLD

This is for personal import scheme right?

Before you do anything more have a really good read of this thread and also some of the threads in the migration section. It will give you a good idea of what to do and when.

Don't be too hasty in actually getting the PCC's. You have to enter australia as a new resident before they run out. So if you got the PCC today and it takes you until Christmas to do everything else and get a visa granted, then you'd only have a very short time in which to enter australia to activate your visa.

Dear Captain C,

thanks for your valuable comments and guidance. I will start making enquiries regarding PCC asap. I had stayed in UK from Sep 2006 to Aug 2007 and already have Police clearance for that, so shall I apply for my next tenures Oct 2013 to Feb 2014 and May2015 to July 2015 also ??

On my Police certificate for Immigration purposes they have not mentioned any dates for my stay but yes Date of issue of the certificate is 10/09/2009. Does that mean I will have to apply again (but no where its written validity of the certificate). I guess i may have to apply for it again coz I have to include my tenure on british registered ships ( Oct 2007 to feb 2011) also. Am I correct Sir ??

Sid 007

PCC's are only valid for a maximum of 12 months to satisfy Australian immigration requirements. So yes, you will have to apply for a new one.

Oh and just one more thing. Processing the British PCC's is very efficient and are very easy to get, so there's one less worry.

Dear Captain R,

You are correct...... its indeed a very slow process where I am finding new hurdles after every step. To add insult to injury, australian economy is going through recession and like you said work / job opportunities are very limited at the moment. I am nearing 38 so thought its better to have a go at it, coz I will be loosing more points next year due to the age.

I will go through the old thread also to get some info as to how others have managed to get this flag state clearance / ceritified statements. Determination is Ok, but the zeal just fizzes out sometimes, when I realize its very tough for mariners as compared to people from other fields. Really Sir, it gets frustrating sometimes, even the AMSA website is like a Jigsaw puzzle. Thank heavens I found this thread otherwise since last one month I was like Alice in wonderland. All the immigration agents i have contacted are after their commission only and dont have indepth knowledge of our line. What I have figured out till date is :----

 

 

1. Get Sea time / Employment letters from previous companies . ( A tedious task/ coz old companies dont show interest in emlploys who have left and present employer asks too many question coz they fear you might leave them.)

 

 

2. Pay the fee and get the Skill asssessment done by AMSA.

 

 

3. Pay the fee and book your orals.

 

 

4. Fill up all the forms to get COR for GMDSS also.

 

 

5. All STCW courses to be updated as per 2010. (My COC is expiring after dec 2016)

 

 

6. Medical test before the orals.

 

 

7. Clear the orals. ( Had goosebumps after going through the sets in the drop box, unlike MCA orals, theres no pattern, no hot topics, just random questions. Seriously thinking of taking some prep classes , otherwise spending all the money , flying all the way, medicals....... oh boy !! Arsenal had more chances of beating Barcelona last night as compared to me clearing orals .......)

 

 

 

 

8. IELTS or PTE ( I had appeared in IELTS last year and got listening: 8, Reading:9, Speaking 7.5, Writing 6.5 and my agent told I wont be getting any points . So I was thinking of having a go at PTE this time, coz the public opinion is its not easy but the markings are quite fare as compared to IELTS. In our forum also theres a fantastic thread on this subject)

 

9. Get Police clearance..... ( Another Monster waiting to get his share........ Just imagine the plight of a person who after clearing all the previous steps get stuck here!! // anywayz tonight I will try to go through all the posts (probably 1000 of them) to find a solution to this , coz getting a reply from panamian, liberian , japanese flag states in itself is mission altogather.))

 

 

Well Captain R, this is what I have figured out so far, the odds are heavily stacked against us.

Still I was thinking of initiating the process coz next year I wont qualify bcoz of the points (age bracket).

By the way Sir, Is there any agency who has done all this paperwork for a seafarer and can guide me also ?? My local agent here is useless, I beleive i have gathered more information from the forum than from him.

 

 

Just wanted to give vent to my feelings, thats why wrote all this.

Your and captain C's comments are eagerly awaited.

 

 

Kind regards

Sid007

It's not an easy or quick process. With regards to the Police Clearances, start making enquiries on these now, as it can be a long process to get them.

Also remember that the PCC, lasts only 1 year. So bear that in mind.

You only need the foreign PCC for countries whose flagged ships you have sailed on for 12 months in total, so if you've only done 11 months on the Panamanian flag, don't bother getting the PCC, you won't need it.

You need to be able to prove to the department that you have exhausted ALL efforts to obtain a PCC before you can apply for a waiver from the requirements. It's not an easy task, but with this, nothing is.

Dear Captain C,

Previous reply which I typed got erased ( i dont know how ) but thanks for the morale boosters. I have already received seatime letter from one of my previous company and the other one I am deliberately delaying for another 10,12 days, so as to get full 8 years total in last 10 years. Regarding English proficiency I was thinking of having a go at PTE instead of IELTS this time.

While going through orals questions in the drop box, i realized AMSA surveyors are very thorough, inspite of the fact oral examination is not for COC but for COR. Last year while preparing for UK masters COC at South Tyneside College it was a different story altogether with regular prepatory classes, group discussions with classmates and so many past question sets. But here it looks like entering totally uncharted territory.

Anywayz looks like I am jumping the gun here, must go step by step. Will go through AMSA website in detail, so that I dont miss any nitty gritty in hurry.

 

regards

Sid007

Absolutely, it's not something to be taken lightly. I'd been sailing as Master for some years and I still got the full treatment.

A lot of people fall into the trap of just learning the Australian legislation. While it is very important to know, they want to see your all round competency as well.

You'll need to structure your answers while quoting Marine Orders, much like your MCA Orals where you demonstrated that you were familiar with M Notices. Also don't neglect the OH&S regulations, and also be fully aware of MASTREP, and ways to receive MSI's. Remembering that NAVTEX is not available on the Aus coast.

I found that getting hold of AHP20 helped an awful lot. You can buy it from most chart agents.

Dear Captain C,

I was searching the internet for Aussie PR related queries and out of the blue I came across this amazing forum. Really Hats off to you and Captain R for putting so much of effort. I obtained my masters COC (unlimited) MCGA Uk, last year and am very much interested in initiating the process. Infact I started contacting my previous employers for seatime letters also but alas !! they are not issuing the letter in the same format as u have mentioned in the drop box. So I fear I might loose those valuable 5 points for my sea service (5 out of 10) instead of (8 out of 10). Moreover that GMDSS and continued onboard training remark (as mentioned by you) is also not there in the letter. Kindly suggest shall I go ahead with my application or this may cause some trouble.... i mean objection by AMSA during my sea time assessment.

Another thing is my Masters COC is issued by UK maritime and Coastguard agency, where as my GMDSS is issued by government of India, will that cause any conflict ?? I had appeared in IELTS last year and scored band 8 in all except writing , where i scored 6.5, my local agent says I wont get any points bcoz of that and suggests me to appear of a new test called PTE which is recognised by Aussie immigration authorities. As its a computer based test so chances of scoring high marks are much more in this.

Your expert advice in all these matters are awaited.........

regards

Sid

First of all welcome, Sid.

The sample letter is not definitive and in fact one of my prior employers didn't provide all of the information as requested by AMSA, despite me asking them to do so, but it still got through. Also I don't think that any of the letters mentioned anything about GMDSS, so don't worry too much about it, but do try to make your skills assessment application as complete as possible.

The Indian GMDSS that you hold should be ok, I'm pretty sure that AMSA recognise them.

The only way to see what experience level AMSA says that you have is to submit the documents to them and see what they come back with. I'm betting that you'll get the full 8 out of 10years as long as you can back up with certificates of discharge or Discharge book

I can't comment personally on the PTE test, but from what I've heard it is far superior to the IELTS, and is well worth taking. The results come back quicker, and the marking appears fairer. It's not necessarily an easier test though.

Best of luck and don't hesitate to ask anything if you're unsure.

Dear Capt C

 

Please provide link

 

cheers

It's within the first couple of posts in this thread, under the heading 'Orals Preparation'

For those that are interested, the Dropbox has been updated with a few more Orals papers.

Gday all

 

I'm looking to move permanently to oz. been there for 2 years under working holiday 7 years ago and worked on tourist boats.

and looking now to move under the ship officer/master visa. ive been in contact with amsa and as you all know they are not always the most helpful.

I'm unfortunately not as highly qualified as some of you. but have my mca master 200gt/OOW 500 unlimited and almost all OOW unlimited Certs and doing my blended learning Nautical Science degree. I'm working at the moment as a master on the offshore oil & gas and wind on multiple vessels, multi cat and mono hull on the North Sea.

those anyway know if i have any chance getting in with these certs or is it to low?

 

much appreciated.

I'm not too sure how it works for the restricted tickets, so I couldn't advise. But once you have OOW Unlimited I don't foresee a problem.

If you wanted to you could complete the form for migration skills assessment now and see what AMSA come back with. Will cost you a few quid, but might be worth it to see where you stand.

How long have you got to go, to get your OOW unlimited?

Hello captain,

Thanks for the detailed information on migration for sea farers. If you can please clarify few things.

I m an engineer from India sailing on oil product tankers as a 3rd engineer with total sea experience of 24 months. (Including junior engineer etc). For purpose of showing my professional experience do I only show sea time or the time I have been with my company?

Will my current job hold good for visa and pr application purposes? (Showing them that I already have a job but from a non Aussie company)

Financial requirement?

How's the market for engineers in Australia?

For experience you count all employment, ie when you signed the contract to when you ended your employment, including any owed leave periods.

Your current job will be ok for the migration process.

No financial requirement although the whole process is expensive, you do not need to prove you have available funds.

The market is steadily declining, there is a fair number of seafarers out of work since the oil and gas market took a tumble in recent months.

I can't help with that one, but possibly someone who works ashore will see your post who has experience with completing it