motheraugust

16 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said:

I wouldn't wait a couple of years, I would get on the phone/email to one of the Migration Agents on this site and talk through what you want. Even though VIC has closed its programme, that's not unheard of at this time in the year (migration runs July 1st - June 30th) so to be full with only a month left of the year isn't that strange.

The programme will almost certainly open again sometime after July so you want to be ready to submit. Use this time to collate the documents you need (the agents will tell you what they are) so you are ready when they re-open so you can beat the scramble of people applying then

Thanks Ausvisitor, I have already applied for my skills assessment and so will proceed to hope to be invited to apply still. 

1 hour ago, VERYSTORMY said:

Just be aware that Victoria has now announced it will no longer offer sponsorship for any off shore applicants 

I thought that was going to be the case.  I think I may be best waiting out the storm and seeing what I can do in a couple of years.  Thanks

2 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said:

 

It looks like ACT is also an option. Until after COVID-19 situation clears up, NT is not an option (see red text from website below)

In response to the evolving COVID-19 outbreak Migration NT will stop accepting OFFSHORE General Skilled Migration applications for the Northern Territory nomination effective from 12 midnight on Tuesday 24 March 2020 until further notice.

VIC is an option for a 190, however it requires a 7 IELTS score in order to be eligible to apply, so you are going to need to take the IELTS (or equivalent) test anyway so you are going to be spending the £200 no matter what. A 7 (which you need to be allowed to apply for 190 in your career code in VIC) will give you 10 extra migration points as well

I am going to have to do the IELTS regardless, and I am happy to spend the money as ultimately gaining the most points is the goal.  It is also very likely that those states will stop migration also.  But I am proceeding with my skills assessment and English test with the hope that when those are completed that I can still apply.

8 hours ago, DukeNinja said:

Have you had a proper look at what ANZSCO code most closely describes your work, and what visas that may be available to you?

 

Hi, yes I have, the subcode is 233512 and is a Skill Level 1 which can apply for any permanent or temporary visa, with a 190 Visa it is only applicable in VIC or NT though.

5 minutes ago, paulhand said:

As mentioned above nearly all native speakers will do an English test to improve their points score. I think you may be underestimating points slightly, but if you have an employer who is willing to actually sponsor you for a permanent visa then you don't need to worry about points at all. Happy to have a chat, if you want to get in touch (details below).

Paul, thank you, I will definitely be in touch.  I am going to proceed with doing the English test as another 10 points will be very handy and an extra 20 points will be a fantastic boost.  I will approach the employer who offered me the job and see about sponsorship, but I worry the timing for that might be bad with COVID.  I am also going to get my skills assessment done ASAP to validate my qualifications.  A bit of a steer on which visa to apply for might be required though.

57 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said:

Ok - so I wouldn't wait, I'd get on the phone to @paulhand / @Raul Senise / @Alan Collett or one of the other migration agents on here who can give you an opinion. Immigration can take a long time and careers that are on the list today may be removed at anytime (and particularly at this time of year as the AUS immigration year runs July-July).

Once you have an invite to apply the "clock" stops - you are measured on points at time of application so if you got an invite within the year you'd be applying with high Age/medium Exp and if you didn't you'd be applying with med Age/High Exp points

The reason I say get talking to these guys is that they know what they are talking about, and you want to have a sensible 30 minute conversation with someone who can give you a view of how likely you are to succeed before you waste any time on collating documents or dreaming too much - get the facts and then decide what to do

I started my application 2 months after my 44th birthday, got my invite to apply for a 190 at 5 months after my 44th, and finally got my 190 the day before my 45th birthday - it's doable in a year; so why wait?

Thank you!  I am so keen to get it going but was unsure about risking with such low points.  Will definitely get talking to one of those you have suggested as as you say, if I miss my current age bracket I really need to wait another 3 years in order to maintain the same level of points.

3 minutes ago, Lavers said:

Would you still fall under 33 years old if you waited another 3 years to get max points in experience also?

Sadly not, I only have 1 year to get in under 33 years of age, at that point I'll only have 6 years experience.  But if I do wait I would lose 5 points in age category and gain 5 points in experience, so really evens itself out.

3 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said:

Thats not quite true, the marker isn't looking to grade you on your knowledge of the subject (although human nature in the candidate makes you think that they will), they are instead looking to see how you use the constructs of the English language and understand instructions.

In Lavers example above " why kids should only read educational things instead of fictional" they are looking for your opinion on why they should do something, not an argument about why you think the statement is incorrect.

You could write something like.

 

It has long been suggested that children should only engage in reading for Education purposes and not partake of fictional works. This is a view that I agree with. There are many studies that show children with a high propensity to reading fictional stories are addicted to smearing Jam all over their face, which results in them getting attacked by bees which obviously is a health risk, whereas those who only read Educational tomes are much more likely to adhere to advice to eat their five a day

 

See it's a load of rubbish but it uses different sentence types, multiple words for the same thing (avoid repetition) and includes a smattering of larger/uncommon words used in the correct context to show you understand them. The fact that reading and Jam have no scientific correlation is irrelevant and wouldn't see you marked down

 

YOU SHOULD ALSO LOOK AT PTE tests - they are marked electronically so are not subject to human bias and as a result you can "train" yourslef to answer the questions according to the marker algorithm they use

Very helpful, thank you!  I will take a look at these types of tests also.

3 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

There is no point in applying for the 189 visa unless you can get 90 points.  However there are other visas.

If there is an employer willing to sponsor you, you can get a temporary employer-sponsored visa. That will give you and your family the right to live and work in Australia for  2 to 4 years.   Obviously if you have a family, you need to consider the costs and upheaval of moving across the world, and make sure the employer is going to give you enough help with relocation costs to make it viable.  However,the advantage is that the temp visa is much quicker to process than the permanent visas - there aren't many employers who'd be willing to wait the year or more for you to get a permanent visa of any kind.

If you don't want to take the risk of a temporary move, then look at the 190 visa or the 491 visa.  These are both state-sponsored visas, and points are not nearly as important.   You will need to check which states want your occupation and what extra conditions they impose.   

Your best bet is to book a consultation with a good migration agent.  All the reputable ones offer the first consulation free of charge.  These days, visas are far too complicated to tackle yourself, especially if you're time-poor.

 

Thank you, this is very useful information.  I have sent all the details to an immigration site which helps with Visa's and so hopefully they are able to advise.  You are right that upheaval for potentially only 2 years may be too much with a family, but even 2 years would be a great experience at this point.  Hopefully it is not a dead end and I can bolster my English points and an expert can point me in the correct visa direction.

2 minutes ago, Lavers said:

I wouldn't say that the IELTS is hard, if you can keep your concentration well then the listening & reading part should be fine.

The writing one is the tricky one as you could be asked anything on the day. My 1st go was writing about speed limit control measures which was easy enough, but on my 2nd test it was writing about why kids should only read educational things instead of fictional, which I struggled to write enough about.

My 1st test I got above 8 in all subjects apart from speaking haha, then my 2nd test was above 8 in all apart from writing.

I called it a do after the 2nd test and went down the 190 visa route.

I did a few practice tests online and I am only a trade worker. 

 

Thanks that's really helpful.  So really not only is it testing your English ability but your ability to spout about a specific topic you may have no knowledge of.  I am doing a bit of research in to the tests now so hopefully I can get a feel for whether splurging nearly £200 on the superior will be money well spent or not.

3 minutes ago, Ausvisitor said:

If you are under 33 and have a masters degree and 5 years experience in a jpb on the immigration list and a job offer you should have no issues getting a temporary sponsored visa.

Even without the temporary sponsored option I would suggest you do the IELTS (or PTE) and get some points. Whilst Superior english (20 points) is a stretch, the level below that should be possible for any native without any real preparation (which gives 10 points).

Now if you are currently thinking you can get 65points (including the 5 points for 190 sponsorship) just taking the IELTS and doing "ok" in it will put you at 75.

At 75 points you have a decent chance at a 190 if the state you apply to wants your skills

Thanks, I read through a , lot of other forum posts and apparently people with points under 90 are not even considered.  So I would perhaps only go ahead with applying if I can guarantee at least 85.  But I will look in to doing the IELTS and perhaps with a lot of study I can achieve the holy grail 20 points.

3 minutes ago, VERYSTORMY said:

ILETS or one of the most common ways of getting points. Most (the vast majority of applicants from the U.K. take it) 

Do though make sure you revise for it. Do not assume you will just pass it because English is your language. We regularly see things such as English teachers fail it. 

Thanks, I read through a lot of other topics on this forum and seen that many people fail the superior test.  I will definitely look at undertaking a test as an extra 10 points would be good.

Hi All,

I am a chartered engineer working in the UK with 5 years experience in Mechanical Engineering (Building Services), under 33.  I would like, in the next few years, to move to Australia to work and live (ideally PR).

I have a husband and a young daughter (3) who I would be bringing with me.

My question is, how do I increase my points in order to have a greater chance of success?  All of the points seem to be related to Australian study, Australian qualifications and professional experience within Australia.  I obviously have none of these as I received my Masters degree in the UK (Washington Accord).  Is it unrealistic for me to think that I could gain more than 65 points?  I can of course take an IELTS test and improve my score on the English front (my native and only language), but it doesn't look like there are any other ways in which the score can be improved which is heartbreaking.

I have been offered a job in Melbourne by a company that I worked for in the UK, but obviously without the points I won't waste the money on the visa without a glimmer of hope.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Lindsay