ExperienceIt

Welljock - that is how we understand it too. The question is - how do we 'cease' her 457?

Thanks for your reply... From what we understand, she has a BVA linked to her 820 application. It is totally separate to her 457

Hi all, My partner is currently on a 457 visa which expires November 2019. We have just lodged an 820 defacto partner application, with me sponsoring her (I'm on a 189 visa). Although she doesn't have any serious issues with her current employer we are living in a different state to her family and we want to move closer to them. We are both very keen to move soon, hopefully in the next 4-6 months which would mean cancelling the 457 and going onto a bridging visa somehow. What are our options regarding her visa route? We did have someone suggest applying for a short 600 tourist visa (say 1 week) to legitimately 'cancel' her 457, and then, when that 600 visa expired she would go onto the BVA associated with the 820 application. Is this a route anyone is familiar with? Just cancelling her current 457 isn't an option because given the processing times she doesn't want to be on BVE. She could look for another company to sponsor her, but would rather not be attached to another company if possible. We really don't want to stay in our current situation for another 16 months. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

Having been granted a 189 visa last week, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who contributed on this thread a year ago. Your collective knowledge and wisdom, believe it or not, was what pushed me to go down this visa route and led to me getting permanent residency. Nothing happened nearly as quickly as anyone suggested unfortunately (not your fault!), even though I paid for various 'priority services' along the way. The whole process took pretty much a year, and for reference, cost (for everything, inc. agent fees) pretty much £7k. Whether using an agent was worth it / good value vs. doing it myself is hard to know, but all I can say is I used them and got a positive outcome! To anyone currently awaiting a visa - stay patient and positive!

Thanks javadxster, interesting to hear of someone else who's been there before. I'm actually in aus already on a tourist visa, waiting, so the quickest route is the best... Looks like I'm going to have to go home for a couple of months to work though since it's taking so long.

Thanks Raul. Neither of those stipulations apply to me thankfully, I think this request from my agent is more about showing my worth, but am not sure how helpful doing it would be.

You're absolutely right - no-one is interested without a grant - why would they be?! Yet the agents have suggested that it would 'add strength to the application', which I understand but don't feel is very practical in reality. I think receiving interest or a job offer is more relevant for someone transferring over from, say, a temporary visa.

I've recently had a 189 visa EOI lodged through my visa agent under '233914 Engineering Technologist' which is likely to take time to go forward as the quota for this is full until July, so to hedge my bets I plan to also lodge an EOI for a 190 visa for Victoria. The agents have said Victoria are very picky and reject a lot of cases, so suggest it may be helpful to try to get a letter from potential employers either showing interest from them or actually of being offered a job. I've done so and applied for jobs/contacted employers with no real success. I was wondering if anyone else has experience of getting a positive/negative outcome for a 190 Victoria visa, and can advise how important this letter is, bearing in mind time is not on my side for various reasons? Is it worth just going forward with the application as-is, bearing in mind I have 70 points? Thanks in advance

I'm a little overwealmed by the encouragement towards the 189 route, and annoyed that I've lost 2 months having been steered towards another option by a professional. The govt website says 3 months, though obviously doesn't take everything involved into account. However, the 9 months figure also came from some good friends who emigrated last year so I still don't see it as unrealistic. I've read elsewhere that it is possible to apply for a 189, then travel out on a tourist visa to pass the time (as long as you inform your CO), and if this expires before the 189 is granted get a bridging visa with full work rights as an interim measure. Can anyone else back this up? The assessment process for the category I'd apply for 'engineering technologist' is pretty long and difficult from what I understand, requiring writing a 6000 word competency demonstration report (CDR) which I've been told is very involved and this phase can take 2-4 months. You also only have one shot at it. It's obviously just something that would need to be done regardless though. I'm now seriously considering the 189 option and will act quickly if I am suitably reassured this is the right way. Things to bear in mind- 1. I have already handed my notice in at work and put my house up for rent, 2. I don't want to sit around unable to work in Aus for months and months, but most of all 3. don't want to jeapordise the ability to live in the same country as my other half. Choosing the right visa is therefore very important. Has anyone here applied for a 189 on their own, or do people generally use an agent? Anyone else feel the same as Bungo, xlornax and AwdAmr?

Bungo - thanks for your reply, all good points. My other half applied for her WHV in the last week of being 30, and activated it a year later aged 31, just before she turned 32. For her skillset, a 457 was the only route in as far as we could see, hence why she went on ahead whilst I still had commitments here, so the delay was actually necessity rather than choice. The reason I didn't go for a 189 is that after paying to seek professional advice from an agent, they told me that in their experience 9-12 months was a real-world typical turnaround time on it, and they advised going down the 457 route given my circumstances. I'm not so sure on reflection that this was the best advice but I'm heading out in January (on a tourist visa) so don't feel I have an option now, as on that basis it would be between aug-nov 2017 before a 189 would be granted. I've ruled out the WHV age limit changing as being an option, in fact it would be a bonus rather than anything to be relied upon now. A partner visa is only going to work if we are able to spend a year living together... which we haven't and can't, unless I'm granted some way of staying in Aus for a year This leaves me with the only way forward being trying to get a 457 visa no matter how hard it is, unless anyone else knows otherwise?

I'm not sure I was aware of that. OK that's that route ruled out then...

Thanks everyone for the range of replies, I really appreciate it. There is so much uncertainty in everything which is very stressful, but I've just got to get on with it somehow. We will be living in the Central Coast area - about an hour north of Sydney, but I suspect will end up commuting as necessary. --Evets - my girlfriend is on a WHV with a company that has agreed to give her 457 sponsorship after a trial period. I've not done a skill assessment for a 189 yet, though for my particular situation I know it involves writing a 'Competency Demonstration Report' which is no mean feat. --robfromdublin - thanks. I realise there is an element of risk. If i don't get a 457 I'll have no choice but to apply for a 189, no matter the hassle. The 2 year 417 followed by partner visa is a neat idea which I'd not thought of in that way until now. --VERYSTORMY - Good points. I found this out yesterday since writing my original posts, which may put a spanner in the works. I'm going to dig deeper to try and ascertain if and when this change will be made. --northshorepom - I work as a Product Design Engineer, which isn't actually a chartered engineering discipline (ie - not a 4 year bEng course), hence the 'engineering technologist' title - which is basically an 'other' category for less common design/engineering jobs. --xxlornaxx - I'll survive money and accom wise, but would rather not have a period off work. Fair point on the 457 though. So now options are: 1 - holiday visa > 457 > 186 (or 417 > 457 if the scheme changes to 35+ in the next few weeks. Alternately go to NZ to get 417 if things are going slowly to buy myself time). (the best route in terms of bureaucracy and costs, but worst in terms of security) 2 - holiday visa > 417 for 2 years when it launches > partner visa (the most time consuming, but mid-priced route) 3 - holiday visa > 417 when it launches > apply for 189 straight away (the most expensive, but most secure route)

Think this one went under the radar last time - hoping someone can offer their advice please As another route, I'm also considering working on a 417 working holiday visa when I arrive to get me going, but applying for a 189 skilled visa almost immediately. Any thoughts on this option as well?

Hi all, I'm hoping for some re-assurance (or re-directing) for my plan. My girlfriend (32yo, been together 18 months) went to Aus a couple of months back with the intention of emigrating permanently, as it's been her plan for many years due to most of her family living there. With both of us unwilling to give up on our relationship, I intend to follow in early January (other commitments having delayed me). I'm 33, British, and having paid for an initial consultation from a registered agent, learnt I am should be able to emigrate under 'engineering technologist' on a 189 skilled visa, having got the relevant education and experience. However, the processing time of 9-12 months would put such a difficult strain on our relationship, that they suggested the best route if I want to go in January would be to try to get a job sponsored on a 457 visa. I plan to start applying for jobs now, and continue when in Australia if nothing shows up beforehand. Since receiving this advice it has been announced the age limit on a 417 working holiday visa will increase to 35 (as of 1st Jan) therefore making me eligible. I now see getting a WHV as way to allow me to prove myself with an Australian company for a short period before they commit to 457 sponsorship, and hopefully get a 186 visa after that. To avoid having to wait 2 weeks for a paid consultation just to ask a simple question I'm hoping for some simple advice on: Whether my 417 > 457 > 186 route is both practical and the most sensible in my circumstances, as the agent suggested? How quickly people feel a 417 working holiday visa is likely to be turned around in the first week of Jan, bearing in mind both a probably Christmas backlog, and high demand due to the age limit change? (I realise this may be hard to predict). I ask, as I want to both hand in my notice at work, and book flights to go as early in Jan as reasonably possible. Thanks in advance