ABG

This is what I was I was thinking. Most people look at parent visas for older parents but I would have thought it would work just as well for young children. Easy to pass balance of family test with only one child. I would think though that you'd need to stay friendly with your child's mother though as I would guess that she would be needed to sponsor the application as the child is a minor. If this path is open it would however require a significant investment as the contributory parent visa is not cheap. The other option is to play the long game, gain suitable qualifications and make your way over in a few years on a skilled migrant visa.

We weren't asked for it - only for Form 80. I think it will go down to risk analysis of your background and if DIBP need information over and above that provided in the application and Form 80

I find it hard to believe that if you've been living together for 5 years you can't prove it. In the age of smart phones, there are always photos, especially when there are young kids in the picture.

If the main applicant never arrives my gut feel would be that the application in its entirety could be viewed as fraudulent and all dependant applicant visas consequently cancelled. If I've followed the conversation correctly: you haven't yet applied and on your own are not eligible for a PR visa and need your 'wife's' skills to qualify as a dependent. Your 'wife' may however may never move to Australia, even though you are planning on moving there permanently. I've used the word 'wife' loosely as to me it doesn't seem like your relationship is genuine. That you're asking the question before you've even applied suggests to me that your intentions from the get go are not honest and I don't think any registered agent would want to help you cheat the system. Apologies if I've missed the mark, but to me that's what it looks like you're asking

We gave what was asked: full history plus gaps going back until I was 18. I didn’t bother with jobs whilst in school.

The grant letters for my family (SC190), granted in Sept 2016, classify the visa holders as either MAIN APPLICANT or DEPENDENT APPLICANT, but there is nothing in the letter indicating that applicants should enter with the main applicant. It only says that other applicants should not make plans to travel unless they have received their own visa grant letter.

I was there on holiday over August and it gets pretty chilly! The houses are designed to let heat out rather than keep it in so we felt the cold more than we do in the UK. I’d recommend bringing the same cold weather clothes that you use in the UK

They're looking out for things that will cost the healthcare service a lot of money in the long-term, things that could be contagious and pose public health risk, or things that will require scarce resources (e.g. dialysis). Something like rheumatoid arthritis might be a red flag as the drugs for that can be really expensive, but if its 'regular' back pain that is controlled with over-the-counter pain killers its barely worth mentioning as half the adult population suffers from that at some point in time.

I can't speak for what Vic looks for in an applicant and my only experience with them is from when I applied (and received) sponsorship. I tried to position myself, through my CV, as someone who would bring value and skills to the local economy. More experience is obviously preferential, but if your experience is valuable then it would be considered favourably. You can always try different English test to boost your scores - lots of people here have had better results doing the PTE test over IELTS. Also remember, you don't need to do the academic IELTS, only the general one which is probably a bit easier.

If you're looking to invest into a business that you are going to run yourself then the first thing to do is decide what interests you and what are you good at and explore from there. If you are looking at it from a pure investment perspective and you are not going to be actively involved then I'd suggest linking up with some Brisbane based business angel groups so you can look at various business plans and choose something that fits your risk/reward appetite

I believe it is based on equivalency to Australian qualifications and the determination on equivalency is made during your skills assessment. I'm not familiar with OTHM but from reading their website the qualifications are equivalent to the corresponding UK university level and is accepted by universities in the UK as sufficient expertise/training to allow progression to study at a university at the next level. What I'm not entirely certain about is whether its considered a degree, as degrees are awarded by universities - I also don't know if that distinction is important or not for emigration purposes.

That's good to hear. As you are at the lower range of points, I think it will come down to how well you've written your CV for the Victorian Gov to position your skills and experience and how they will translate for the Victorian market. I haven't seen many people on here posting about Agri Consultant so competition is going to be lower. I can see that someone with 60 points without sponsorship (6.0 IELTS, 5 years work experience) was sponsored by Vic, and one with 65 points (8.0 IELTS, 2 years experience) is still awaiting sponsorship after submitting an EOI in July this year.

It sounds as if you may not have gone about things in the correct manner. Have you completed English competency testing and had your skills assessed by the correct body? Those results will determine how many years work experience you can claim, how many points you claims for English, what level your qualification are adjudged to be. With claiming points for your husband, I believe you can only claim points for them if their occupation is on the same list as the primary applicant (i.e. if you occupation is on short-term list, and theirs in medium-long term then can't claim), and they will need to have had their skills assessed as well by the correct assessment body who will determine if they meet the eligibility requirements. If you have submitted an EOI without doing the above, I would suggest you withdraw/cancel the EOI and start over because if you've incorrectly claimed points and get invited to apply you will forfeit your visa fee if you can't back up the points claimed. Equally, if you fail in getting State sponsorship, there is a cooling off period in which are can't resubmit an application for sponsorship.

If you're planning on using an agent, most will give you a free assessment of eligibility. That might be the quickest way to determine what the path of least resistance will be

I'm no emigration expert, but I would have thought that hypothyroidism would be treated, from an immigration perspective, similarly to diabetes. Both are going to require long-term treatment with cheap medication. The visa category you are applying for will have an impact as the calculations are based on how much you will cost the healthcare service over a certain period of time, so non-permanent residence visas have more leeway. If you are otherwise fit and healthy I think you should be alright but if you have co-morbidities then it would complicate things. Probably worth getting some paid-for advice as everyone's medical history is different and where one person got through/rejected, someone similar may have the opposite response.

If you google 'Australian immigration visa tracker' there is a community tracker from people around the world who list the status of their applications. It has historical figures as well so you can (gu)estimate from that info.

How many points are you expecting to get when you submit - that should be factored into your decision making. Higher point scorers get invited quicker. It may be prudent to get a second opinion from one of the agents on this board; the agent you spoke to may simply be wanting to get fees out of you for the upfront work.

It’ll be tight. The big cost however comes when you are invited to apply for the visa - costs before than are substantially less. You need to be invited before the age limit deadline as your EOI auto-updates until you are invited, at which point your details are locked in. I’d advise using an agent if you go for it as they’ll know all possible shortcuts

First contact I had with CO, and first time I knew someone was working on the application was the day before grant. They asked for Form 80, I uploaded it 8pm UK time, woke up the next morning with visa grants in my inbox

Mine was the same as Snowflake - heard nothing and nothing changed until the day before it was granted

The examination of my kids was pretty simple. Height and weight, Dr listened to their chests, abdominal examination (kids thought they were going to get tickled), then basically just observed them for anything out of the ordinary.

Good system and agreed, should be universal, not age related. If you want to buy luxuries like cigarettes and booze, then work for it. Dole should be for essential items only

If you are going for 190 visa, you automatically get invited when you get state sponsorship. Applying for a PR visa is a marathon, not a sprint. Find out all you can if you are applying without an agent. There are a few key things you need to do correctly. Lots of members here have successfully navigated the path, just take it slow and get it right first time.

My understanding of SA website is that they are only sponsoring 489 visas for 272499 with at least 1 year relevant experience, unless applicant is an international graduate with an advanced degree. If I've understood that correctly then it might be worth waiting 3 months until your partner has completed the PhD and she can apply for the 190 visa and get the work experience waiver.

If the masters was also from a SA uni then at face value it looks like she'd qualify for a work experience waiver. When I applied for sponsorship from Vic, points weren't so much an issue (I also had a high score), although they did ask for indicative points. Once she's secured sponsorship, she'd automatically get an invite to apply for the visa, so again, extra points aren't necessary. If I was applying on my own, I'd play it safe on the work experience. Mention it but not claim points for it. As it was during PhD, might be adjudged to be part time and so less than 20 hours per week (especially if the PhD is completed in 3-4 years, i.e. full time student).