jazzdavis

Thank you!

So like, some kind of philosophical dissertation on. Oh dear, That's silly. I'll stick with PTE.

Yes, I didn't realize the skill test would cost that much. It feels like a cash grab. It's a bit disheartening. Thank you for your help.

Wow, I just called vetassess and 1. They don't have offices in Canada and 2. It costs 1600 for the initial stage of them deciding if your experience is valid, the second stage costs another 1500 just for a telephone interview. Ouch. I think that is on top of the 3700$ for the visa itself?

Thanks. I've taken two points assessments. One on this website that gives me 85 points. https://assessments.visabureau.com/australia/assessment/skilled/default.aspx?s_cid=20198846&r_url=https%3a%2f%2fwww.google.co.uk%2f And then on this website it says that my points only add up to 65 and that 65 is all you need. But I've read from different sources that they don't accept you unless you have 90 points? So I find the points misinformation very confusing. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/489- Can anyone clarify that pls?

Yes, it does look as if that is true. Thanks! Second question then. How much does the skills assessment cost for cooks and how hard is it? Are they very strict about the kind of experience you have? I have been a cook on yachts for 10 years but it's not been in a commercial cooking setting (ie. restaurant) so will that be ok for me?

Hi there, are you sure about that? I think the English test is required. Can anyone confirm this please. thanks

Ok thank you. Thanks for this advice. I wasn't keen on losing 400 CA on a failed English test when I'm a native English speaker. For anyone else seeing this thread, here is the link for PTE-A. https://pearsonpte.com/ It's cheaper than IELTS as well. And you can do a practice test on the site as well to get an idea of the questions. I must say, even for someone who writes and reads a lot, I had to really concentrate. Karstedt, when you did it do you remember the section about reading graphs? I found that part absurd, as that's more of a comprehension style question and leaves a lot of room for interpretation and error. I'm not very impressed with these tests. Being a native English speaker should be enough to get you into the country. But anyhow, it is what it is. Do you remember how long the test was? Thanks!

Hi Everyone, I'm going to apply for the 489 visa and I need to do the skills assessment test. (Strangely, I can't find where to take it in Canada, Vetassess does not do them in CA). I was hoping someone could tell me what it was like doing a cook assessment. I work better if I'm mentally prepared for the questions that will come my way. Can anyone remember what kinds of questions they were asked. If they were asked about food safety, temperatures, cooking techniques and methods? How much was it for the skills test? And for the English test. Were there a lot of grammar questions. Did you have to write an essay. Did the questions feel easy or tricky and was it multiple choice. Thank you for any insight with this!

Oh great! I'll get in touch with him for a preliminary consultation. I'm just between jobs at the moment so it's hard to commit to putting down big money.

From what I understand it's 3000-4000 pounds for an agent. I'm happy to pay for the other things to get into the country but not an extra 8000$ Canadian. Too steep. I'll just do my homework. How much is the state application. The visa is about 4000$ alone.

Going down the agent route or the visa route in general. I'm usually pretty good at figuring things out regarding visas. Did you get your visa granted Jetblast?

Also, how much does a consultant fee usually run?

Ok thank you for that. Do you know where I can find someone like that in the UK?

Unless it's free for the initial assessment.

Thanks for your suggestion. I cannot afford that route right now so I am trying to gain information via what other people have been through. Thanks.

I had originally written a detailed thread in order to glean information about skilled visas. I was confused about the difference between the 190 visa and the 489 visa. A kind woman wrote a very detailed response and suddenly the site went down with an error message. My account was not recognized and now the thread is gone. Very bizarre. Anyway, I'm back and going to try to remember what I wrote the first time around. Below is a part of what I wrote however, the first part has weirdly disappeared. Some questions were this: How stringent is the cooking skills test? Where in the London can I do my English and skills test? As in the name and and address of a place in London if anyone knows, would be great. The lady who replied said that it took 10 months to be granted the visa. Did anyone run into any problems applying for their visa (190 or 489) I'm applying as a cook. Thanks for any help. Below is my original message. Thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions = major help. You're a star! May I clarify a few things. Is your husband a native English speaker. If yes, he still had trouble with the test? And when you say I will need an agent. Do you mean for the permanent residency or the first stages of the applications. So on top of the 1500$ skills and English test you also had to pay for the 489 visa yes? Thanks again!!! I'm glad the cook test is simple! That's a relief. Once you get the visa and are in the country they don't check up to see what kind of job you have? I hope to work as a culinary instructor and not a commercial cook so I hope that is the case. Even native speakers can have trouble with the English test, it's not unusual. There is an application fee for all visas. Once you get your visa and arrive in the country, you are not obliged to work in your nominated occupation. Finally, using an agent is not compulsory. You can do the whole thing yourself. Applications made through agents don't get any special treatment. HOWEVER it's a complicated process and if you make a mistake, they don't always give you a chance to fix it - they just reject the application and you've lost your money. So although it's expensive to use an agent, it's a heck of a lot safer. I suggest you arrange a consultation with an agent now. An agent doesn't just fill in the forms. It's their job to look at your qualifications and experience, and tell you (a) what visa you should go for and (b) your chances of success. They will help you calculate your points accurately. Then if you decide to go ahead, they'll do the application and steer you through the process and answer all your questions. There are several good agents, I would pick the ones who are particularly generous with their time on these forums, like @wrussell or @Raul Senise