Ausvisitor

30 minutes ago, newjez said:

But they could take a gap year couldn't they, as long as they were resident in the UK, and reapply after the gap year?

Technically that's true, there are a few gotchas to be aware of though.

1) The period of A Level will need to be "habitual" residence in the UK not just for schooling, so can't be boarding school (unless the family residence is also in the UK) and can't be spending all school holidays outside of the country

2) The gap year needs to be in the UK, if the parents stay in the Uk but the kid goes off round Malaysia (for example) that won't count either - equally if the kid stayed in the UK but both parents went back to OZ that also often doesn't count.

It can be done, but there are lots of legal residence landmines hidden away that can trip you up

2 hours ago, CornishDoc said:

I’m Australian in London planning a move back to Australia. My kids have done all their schooling in England.  My eldest son is in UK Year 9. I am trying to work through all possibilities and I wondered if anyone has any experience of coming to the UK for A levels? 
We hope it will work out long term and appreciate that it would probably be better for education to be in the one system from 15-18, but would like to know if it’s feasible to rejoin the UK system at A levels. 
He is bright and currently at a good school. 
Thank you. 

It is perfectly feasible, international students do it all the time in the UK boarding schools.

However if you are coming back in order to do A Levels and then go to a UK Univeristy on a UK Student/Loan and pay home fees and not international fees, beware....

The Uk government have already seen through that "move" and so you only qualify for UK home status on uni fees (and hence pay less for teaching and can access loans from student finance) if you have resided in the UK for the last three years.

Moving for A Levels would only give 2 years and hence your son would still be an international student.

If you aren't planning ona UK university or are loaded this isn't an issue (also home or international fee status is set on day one of admission - so you would be paying international fees for all 3 years even though at the end of year one of Uni you would have been resident 3 years - this is because institutions hav quotas on places and onmce you are granted an overseas place you can't switch out)

11 hours ago, Marisawright said:

You don't become a citizen until you've had the actual citizenship ceremony.  Then you'll have to apply for an Australian passport.   All that will take several months. 

Consider whether you'll need to travel overseas before then (maybe you don't plan a holiday, but what if there's an emergency?).   If you think you will, then apply for the RRV to be on the safe side.  If you think you won't, there's no need.  You only need the RRV if you need to leave the country (because the RRV is what allows you back into Australia when you return).  

Note that if you meet all the requirements, the RRV will be approved very quickly.  So you won't even need to apply for it until September.

And if you've met the residency requirements to have applied for citizenship , you have more than met the mark for a "computer generated" yes within a day or so of applying.

3 hours ago, Kaleem said:

Hi all,

I was sponsored for 190 by Tasmania and I moved here in April 2019. My family and I loved it and we were very happy. But unfortunately, some 8 months ago I lost my job due to covid and hasn't been able to find work in my field of work. I have tried to survive without job for 8 months but it is becoming increasingly difficult and moving interstate seems like the only options. I am now planning to move to mainland but I was wondering if this will cause any troubles in the future e.g. citizenship application and resident return visas etc since I will be moving before completing two years commitment ? Some people have said that there is no condition attached to the visa to spend two whole years in the nominating state but I still want to be sure.

Any help is appreciated.

 

Regards

 

If you moved to TAS in April 2019 then you are only a month away from 2 years anyway, I'd imagine by the time you sorted an out-of-state job you'd be at two years anyway

Or am I missing something?

You aren't in control of your age points, it is the age you are at when you get invited out of the queue to make a formal visa application.

16 minutes ago, rammygirl said:

And keep copies of the travel portion of the 80. It will come in handy when you do your citizenship application down the line!

And remember to keep it up to date as well after applying, as you'll need this for citizenship eventually

My agent told us that the form 80 wasn't always asked for, but that they can ask for it at any time.

Their view was that for a few hours of form filling it was better to just submit it rather than wait to be asked for it.

It isn't a big deal, we turned around all three Form 80s for is in under a day, you'll probably spend more time reading and replying to people's comments on here about it than you will actually filling it in.

(Back to our agent, they actually got us to fill out the Form 80 at the same time as doing the skills assessment and EOI - on the assumption that the process involved in getting all those bits of paper together would speed up the response any invite that might come along)

On 17/02/2021 at 11:49, Dre in Vic said:

Hi all,

 I’m wondering if VETASSESS will contact overseas employer (particularly Vietnam) for employment verification? 
I have contracts, employer letter, payslips from overseas employment. Are those enough? Do they require original copies?

thanks

Of our refences, VETASSESS did call one of them to verify what was written.

I suspect they don't undertake calls for all applications and probably don't call all references in a single application, but they can and will call your employer (or past employer) if they feel they need to (or in fact just want to)

11 minutes ago, armada said:

All helpful points and kind of leads us back to where we started, going for a 190 but not in WA as they only offer this to midwives for regional work. Ho hum.

There is nothing to stop you posting an EOI for a 190 for a state and also posting a seperate EOI for a 491 for a different state (just don't do this on the same EOI - I'm not sure you can anyway if you are going across visa types)

You can then make your call when you see which comes in quicker.

Remember that after a few years you can move anywhere (and maybe even quicker than that your OH could apply with his skills onshore for a 190 where you want to be)

Just now, Ausvisitor said:

It is a lot more difficult than this.

If the employer can force you to come into the office (despite you working from home) then you are still technically office based.

Most contracts (almost all) do not state your place of work as your home address they say you are employed by XYZ corp, Perth and the employee is allowed to work from home to complete their duties. - This is still a city job; if it says you are employed by XYC, Perth however all work will be perfomed from Nowheresville, WA then you are OK.

It will all come down to the actual specifics of the contract, now unless you are an absolute "rock-star" no multi-national (or even multi-state) company is going to mess with their carefully crafted employment contract to allow someone to bend the visa criterion to fit their specific needs (firstly it means they hae loads of different contracts hanging around so can;t make decisions easily without checking all contracts, secondly if the change is seen to be only to allow them to employ a 491 visa holder it is likely they'd be in trouble legally)

This is of course all academic.

You first need to find someone who would employ your OH

Next, you need to highlight your needs to have them assign working rights to your regional area

Next, you need their legal team to craft a contract that categorically states this

I'd imagine you could easily find someone who'd employ you, the majority of these would probably say they are happy to write whatever in the contract, only after accepting the offer will you run up against HR/Legal and they won't normally be as accomodating. 

Every company will be different, so there will be no size fits all answer to this question (it has been asked many times on this forum - including by myself, and it's why I went for the 190 rather than the (as it was then) 489)

1 minute ago, armada said:

So if a large multinational was headquartered outside of WA, but they had a satellite office somewhere in WA (e.g. Perth) - if the contract of employment stated that your primary place of work was your home address (e.g. in regional WA) would this be considered a violation of the 491 visa? In this instance you would be whole invested in regional WA, living there, spending money in the local economy, but just had an employer out of the area? 

It is a lot more difficult than this.

If the employer can force you to come into the office (despite you working from home) then you are still technically office based.

Most contracts (almost all) do not state your place of work as your home address they say you are employed by XYZ corp, Perth and the employee is allowed to work from home to complete their duties. - This is still a city job; if it says you are employed by XYC, Perth however all work will be perfomed from Nowheresville, WA then you are OK.

It will all come down to the actual specifics of the contract, now unless you are an absolute "rock-star" no multi-national (or even multi-state) company is going to mess with their carefully crafted employment contract to allow someone to bend the visa criterion to fit their specific needs (firstly it means they hae loads of different contracts hanging around so can;t make decisions easily without checking all contracts, secondly if the change is seen to be only to allow them to employ a 491 visa holder it is likely they'd be in trouble legally)

9 minutes ago, armada said:

Yeah even before Covid he was working from home a lot and had been given the equipment to do this and now he has just changed jobs they have couriered all his equipment to him so I think it's pretty standard for what he does

I do something not a million miles dissimilar to what I suspect your OH does, that being said whilst I almsot never work outside my home I am still technically employed in the City, it is what the contract says not the actual working patterns that govern regional working in AUS

This of course works in reverse also. He could therefore work for a local data science company but be deployed to a client contract in the City, so long as this was not a permanent move and he was still employed by the local company the fact he went to work in the City would not mean he was no longer a regional employee

18 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

The problem is the OP's husband who is a data scientist, which I suspect means his work opportunities are all in the capital cities?  

This sentence is worth some consideration as well.

Data scientist opportunities in WA without Oil or Mining experience are few and far between. Yes you could drop a rung or two and work back up, but the majority of the big data science players are in Sydney (Parramatta and North Sydney), Melbourne (or a few in ACT).

14 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

Sydney isn't regional.   It's true that it's doable, but it's doable in the same way that London is doable.  Sydney housng is double the price of everywhere else in Australia except Melbourne.   

If I understand correctly, the problem isn't the OP's job - a midwife could find work in many regional areas.   The problem is the OP's husband who is a data scientist, which I suspect means his work opportunities are all in the capital cities?  

Yep Sydney isn't regional.

I was joining two of the OP statements, one that they might apply for 190 and two that they had discounted Sydney as it was too expensive.

It comes down to what you want, I wouldn't want to move all the way around the world and not have the amenities of a world class city on my doorstep, whilst I know plenty others have moved to Australia specifically to miles from anywhere (and plenty more want something in between those scenarios)

But if the only thing stopping you doing Sydney is money, then it doesn't have to be, there are many compromises or options to make it affordable 

Don't discount Sydney. Whilst it is more expensive than the rest of the continent, it is doable.

Two salaries at around the 70k dollars each mark would give you a decent life, certainly not a huge house with a pool, but a decent life all the same (unless you commute hours).

Remember if you are buying a property, Sydney property is basically a cash asset like London property (by that I mean it will sell in days so it's really just a savings account, where as a house is a regional area may take a long time to sell)

Just now, armada said:

I just checked the immi website and it seems they are restricted to the same regional conditions

 

Yes they are.

Reading your description of the visa as you wrote it, you misunderstood the process a little

Your husband is on your application, his ability to get a visa is tied to your ability to get one.

Once granted the link is removed, you both have a visa and they (almost always) will have the same restrictions applied to them. But he is not "on your visa" he has his own that is no longer tied to yours after the grant is given

1 minute ago, armada said:

Ah ok, thanks. As a midwife I am the main visa applicant so the plan would be for us to live and work near a regional maternity hospital so that I am living and working regionally. Would my spouse on my regional 491 visa be held to the same restrictions as me? We have a migration agent but not due to talk to her until next week...

Yes - whilst you are the main applicant, you will end up with two visas (and any kid visas) that are essentially the same as if you had applied separately.

You will both be bound to the same regional restrictions

Otherwise every IT consultant on the planet would be getting together with a nurse/doctor/midwife etc to get a visa for (e.g.) the Kimberley's on the healthcare workers application and then just go work in Sydney or Perth anyway

4 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said:

Be very careful here...

A job offer from a Perth company that **allows** you to work from home (and home is a regional area) does not qualify as regional working - the job is still based in the city you have chosen to do it at home

However working for a company based in Perth from home in a role that **requires** you to be based in a regional area would qualify. However I don't know many companies that would tie themselves up in this sort of contractual construct

 

Even in the UK during COVID a worker in Milton Keynes that used to commute to London to do the job and is now doing it from home is still employed in the city.

It would require a massive rewrite of contracts to make them "regional" employees.

Remember that as soon as they say you have to work from home contractually they become liable to paying expenses when you need to go to the office and providing "office level" kit for your home and "office-level" Comms.

Whilst it remains an allowance and not a requirement the above expenses aren't required.

1 hour ago, armada said:

... My hubby already has a work contact in Perth so he's going to explore options for remote working or flexible hours...

Be very careful here...

A job offer from a Perth company that **allows** you to work from home (and home is a regional area) does not qualify as regional working - the job is still based in the city you have chosen to do it at home

However working for a company based in Perth from home in a role that **requires** you to be based in a regional area would qualify. However I don't know many companies that would tie themselves up in this sort of contractual construct

1 hour ago, Jia said:

I was thinking the OP could get a head start on getting an Australian degree during the pandemic, before Australia's borders re-open (the latest I've heard on the news is that the borders will not re-open till mid-2022 but don't quote me on this). Points are not relevant if OP is hired by an Australian company and goes down the employer sponsored pathway to permanent residence (ie. 482/186 or 494/191).

Also, not necessarily relevant but Australia's digital technology industry is growing and will create a demand for more skilled workers in the next couple of years: https://www.hcamag.com/au/news/general/australias-tech-skills-gap-putting-10bn-economy-growth-at-risk/246503

Might be something OP could look into. Bear in mind that the occupation lists are going to be updated so I would not make a career choice based on the current SOL.

I agree points aren't relevant if you have an employer sponsored visa (at least until you decide you don't like your employer and want to get a visa in your own right).

Getting a head start on a degree isn't a bad idea but if you are doing it online I'd certainly be choosing the US or the UK (where the OP is already based) rather than AUS. None of the top 25 IT courses are based in AUS, where as all of them are in the UK or US.

On 10/02/2021 at 10:57, Jayyyy20 said:

Hey everyone,

Basically I've had the thought on my mind for a while of wanting to move to Aus but feel as though I've definitely taken the wrong route to achieve that so I'm just after some advice.

I'm 24 years old and in the final year of a generic business bachelors degree (finish in May), I've noticed that most business-type jobs on the SOL are either those that are very difficult to get (e.g. Management Consultant) or only on the SOL (e.g. Marketing Specialist) - which has recently been removed from any state's sponsorship list.

I'm still at a point of confusion on where to go with my degree by this point, and the idea of undertaking a Masters conversion course into Quantity Surveying has been quite appealing to me, partly because its on the MLTSSL but also because I feel as though I'll probably prefer this to a corporate-type career. The only issue I have is that I'll be tied to working in the UK for a few years following this and I'm worried it might be taken off the MLTSSL in that time and I don't want to shoot myself in the foot; I've noticed that its not on any state sponsorship lists at the moment but I'm wondering if I'm right in thinking that could be temporarily due to COVID? The maximum points I could probably get through this route is about 85 if I apply in my early 30's following 5 years of experience, or 80 in my late 20's following 3 years of experience, and I'm fully aware that for independent visas I have no chance unless I get 90 points so it seems like a bit of a gamble, does anyone have any advice or views relating to this?

Another option is to do an ICT conversion course which I'm aware is in high demand but there are no local universities to me in the UK that offer such a course, so I'd end up spending a lot on commuting which doesn't feel like it would be the most sustainable option.

Thanks in advance.

 

An independent skilled visa of a class beginning "4" (which is provisional) probably only requires a 75 points threshold in a lot of cases.

Equally a 190 can be acquired on a points tally way below 90 (mine was 70 last year)

Granted a 189 is a different beast and the higher the better

I'd be careful about an ICT career path if you are doing it just for migration. Whilst it is in demand, there are also many many more applications for the available slots in those careers than there are spaces.

Find a job you love, enjoy doing it, and hope one day it gets you a pathway to AUS (if indeed you still want it once you've made a career in the UK). As you are under 30 - once COVID is a memory - you can head over on working holiday visa and give AUS a try without having shelled out thousands and then finding out it isn't for you

On 12/02/2021 at 14:39, Jia said:

Hi Jayyyy20, sounds like you need career advice more than migration advice (although I understand those two go hand in hand).

You may want to explore your career and course options on Australian careers websites such as:

https://myfuture.edu.au/

https://www.joboutlook.gov.au/

Perhaps research the Australian job market first before making any decisions. This might be a good place to start: https://www.employment.gov.au/lmip

Some Australian universities offer online courses for international students. You may wish to look into this option as well.

I'm not sure what point there is in looking at online courses at AUS universities, this doesn't contribute to the studied in Australia points for immigration (as you haven't studied in AUS)

I'd disagree with the poster's original assertion. Most of the careers on the SOL aren't hard to get. The are generally really easy if you have the required experience to meet their description.

They made the specific comment about the management consultant role, which is the one I applied for, it was relatively painless, paid the vetassess money, never heard anything from them except for the positive outcome email.

If you've got the points and the experience you can get out to AUS, but if you are trying to get a Mgmt Consultant role straight out of uni (rather than with the minimum 8 years experience) then of course you will struggle

On 05/02/2021 at 06:10, bezdo said:

Hi,

 

Planning on applying for a 190 visa as a Registered Nurse (nec). Lived in NSW for over 5 years, graduated from an accredited University with a Bachelor in Nursing. Have my registration and 1 year of work experience so far. Currently residing in NSW, working here and have superior English.

 

Sitting at 85 points so far. How likely am I to get invited?

Any additional tips and info appreciated.

When you say you have superior English is that you assessing your English as superior or have you actually taken the IELTS or PTE test to prove it.

For immigration purposes unless you have the test proof then you can't claim the points.

9 hours ago, scondes said:

G'day, 

I'd like to submit an EOI for the Global Talent Independent visa and wanted to talk to people who have been through this process.  

I'm currently not sure which sector I fit best under, although I am sure I would be considered a distinguished talent. I am a cognitive scientist currently working as a researcher at a university in Australia and have completed my Ph.D. in the last three years. My research area does not directly come under MedTech or Data Science but straddles these two sectors. 

Does anyone else have experience of this?

Cheers

Unless the Oz definition is significantly less than the US definition I don't think being a researcher with a 3 year old PhD is enough to qualify as a distinguished talent. There are over 3 million PhD holders in the US alone, thats a lot of distinguished talent - more than 10% of the Australian population