Cobs_Ahoy

Oh I didn’t think you had to give a region with 190 nomination? How exciting to have submitted all the paperwork! Hunter region looks lovely. yes I was originally wanting to go to the Sunshine Coast but Queensland said they wouldn’t open to offshore candidates before July, and I just though who knows what rules they will put in place when they do reopen?!?! I looked into sponsorship opportunities around the Sunshine Coast but they were so few and far between it was a bit of a non starter really. At least in the Northern Rivers area it’s not too far from the Sunshine Coast so we can have a couple of trips up there to see if we fancy moving in a couple of years, but Northern Rivers looks amazing too, probably a bit out of my price range though for when we are ready to buy!

Oh that’s fantastic news @elaine n when were you invited? 22 months though but yes, it feels like at least there is some progress. where in NSW are you looking to move to? I’m hoping that if this job works out then we will be based somewhere around Lismore/Byron/Tweed.

Hi @Elaine N how are you getting on? The 186 is permanent residency, but it’s employer sponsored based on you remaining with them for 2 years. So once the two years is up I can go anywhere, but the positive is it’s PR from the get go. And actually, technically I can live anywhere, so in theory if I had a job in tweed heads (NSW) I could live in Gold Coast (QLD). although 491 isn’t employer dependent, I do have to live and and work in the region that’s sponsored me, so in that respect it’s still limited and who knows what could happen in the three years between getting the 491 and transitioning to the 191PR visa. So I think I’d rather have 186.

Hi all, I’ve been invited to apply for a 491 visa by the Northern Rivers RDA, has anyone got any experience of the towns in this region? Cheers!

Well I’ve woken up to good news today! An email from NSW with the pre-invite for a Northern Rivers Area 491. And an email from the recruitment agent telling me he has a meeting with NSW health on Monday about offering 186 (instead of 482) to applicants with school age children @Bluey128 yes I thought relocation packages were a thing of the past, but think in areas where they are expanding/understaffed they still occur from time to time. Townsville were great to be honest, really helpful and put me in touch with a MH nurse who had moved from NHS a few years ago, sent me details of the relocation package So I knew exactly what was on offer, were really good at answering questions. I would totally have gone with them if not for the recent development re PR.

Are you a nurse too then @Bluey128 ? I’d rather avoid the wards too if possible, all my experience has been in the community so I’m hoping for something similar even if it is at a lower band. But yes, I think the ratios and general work culture are better for mental health nurses on the wards too. I would prefer QLD, for a few reasons, but also happy with north NSW, only problem with NSW is you have to pay for school fees if on a temporary visa, and I’ll be moving over with two children so would need PR or 491. Have put a 491 RoI into NSW northern rivers district and also have a recruitment agent trying to convince NSW Health to offer 186 rather than 482 for a post in the Northern Beaches area. Townsville Hospital have also said they will sponsor, even though it’s only 482 the school fees are waived in QLD even for temporary visas, plus the health service are offering a decent relocation package so that offsets the ‘gamble’ element of it. And they have community posts available so that’s a big incentive! The heat is slightly worrying in far North Queensland though..... your migration agent experience sounds appalling, why did they withdraw the EoI?!? All that wasted time in the queue!

@Bluey128 I have a vague memory of reading somewhere that they would only look at EoIs submitted during the ‘window’ of time they were open to new applications, but if you’ve got an agent then they would hopefully know. I think the problem is the rules vary between states and change regularly, hard to keep on top of it (which I suppose is the value in using an agent!). Yeah the job searching is time consuming. RCN international jobs is a good one, there isn’t loads on there but the listing are generally for Australian positions and targeted at UK nurses. I haven’t had much luck with seek as lots of the posts are for those with Australian work rights. I have found contacting hospitals directly has been helpful, for example I look at specific job adverts on the Queensland health job search site (where you can also find email addresses for the recruitment departments in each area to see if they are offering sponsorship generally). im a mental health nurse, currently a clinical lead but from what I understand I will have to go in as an entry level ‘registered nurse’. Will your partner be looking for jobs as a Nurse Practitioner or will he have to start from scratch again? I’m actually quite looking forward to working as a Band 5 equivalent for a bit!

Oh really? That’s interesting! If/when the window reopens will you do another EoI just in case, or does your agent think they will look at EoIs submitted outside of the window? im looking into sponsorship opportunities too, through recruitment agencies and contacting hospitals directly. So far I’ve had positive responses from Townsville Hospital and Health service (direct contact) and NSW Health (via a recruitment agent), still waiting to hear back on some details but this is feeling like a more likely route than independent visas for me. What speciality is your partner?

I didn’t think QLD was open to offshore nominations at the minute? From what I understand they will only look at EoIs that are submitted during a specific window, and on their website it says closed to offshore applicants (and if you read the ‘news’ section of their website it says unlikely to open before the new financial year )

Yes it’s not as great as getting PR straight away, but I reckon it’s still worth considering. Another benefit of 491 is that the arrangement with school fees is different (for example in NSW 491 holders don’t pay school fees, but 482 holders do), so if @Jaym is moving over with kids it’s another potential thing to look into. There are so many bits of info out there, I agree it’s worth having a paid consultation if options seem limited or time is running out. I’ve spent so much time googling and cross referencing various forums/websites, in hindsight I would have got things moving quicker if I’d used an agent. Good luck OP with whatever you decide!

Are you sure Marisa? I’ve read on a couple of agent websites that it’s linked to when you lodge the 491, not the 191. Although from what I understand the details won’t be confirmed until November anyway as that’s when the first lot of 491 holders will become eligible. https://truebluemigration.com/visa-services/employer-sponsored-visa/skilled-regional-permanent-residence-visa-subclass-191/

If I were in your shoes I would consider going for the 482 to get out there ASAP, and while out there start trying for the 186 (PR employer sponsored) and 491 (Provisional Regional sponsored). After a year of being out there you would get 5 additional points for having AustralIan work experience, plus you might have gone up a band for your overall experience? And if you get the 491 invitation that’s another 15 points. If this offsets the points you lose from turning 40 then it’s something to think about......

Hi Jay, Have you looked into the 491 visa? I know you said you changed careers a couple of years ago, I wonder if you might make the minimum points up with a year a two to enable you to apply. I *think* the transition to the 191 (which is PR) is locked in as long as you are under 45 when you first get the invitation to apply for the 491 (and have abided by all the other visa conditions for the 3 years before applying to transition to PR). I believe the allocation for skilled regional visas is going to more than double from July, so might be an avenue worth exploring.

I’ve no idea I’m afraid, you are further ahead than me, I’m hopefully submitting my registration application today and was hoping to present in person once out there. My guess though is that you are supposed to contact them when you are onshore (or have a confirmed arrival date) to arrange it. I have emailed AHPRA a couple of times and they’ve always got back to me pretty quickly.

Hi Brian, I had a chat with a recruitment agent a couple of weeks ago about registering with AHPRA, and he told me that due to the pandemic they are being much more lenient with extensions to the present-in-person requirement. However, he did also tell me they were still giving a 6 months time frame to PiP (rather than the usual 3 month timeframe), so I guess either he has some out of date info or they have very recently returned to the shorter timeframe requirement. Either way, it might be worth asking them if you can get an extension if you were looking to move over sooner rather than later.

Thanks @Marisawright , I’m hoping that the agencies are open to sponsoring via 186, but I had been (perhaps out of frustration) starting to consider a 482. My worry with this was exactly what you said - back where I started in few months/years only broke! Is the 2 years tied to the same employer a condition of the visa, or a contractual clause with the employer whereby You would be expected to repay costs?Obviously I’m hoping this wouldn’t happen, but if I was to be laid off by the employer then there is still a degree of risk if the 2 years with the same employer is a visa condition.

I’m wondering if there are any particular limitations/benefits that others have found with going via the sponsored route (temporary or permanent)? I’m hoping to go to Queensland, but as they aren’t opening for offshore nomination this financial year, so I have started exploring sponsorship. I have a couple of recruitment agencies (I’m a nurse) ringing me later this week and am thinking through what to ask them. It would be really helpful to hear others’ experiences or thoughts

There are so many variables now that we have no control over that I think we will just aim to head out ASAP, whether that’s with a sponsored job offer over the next few months (unlikely though), or as soon as we are able to get a 190/491 (no way will this be happening before October) I’d been desperate to move during October as it meant a bit of time to find an area we want to settle in, and would allow my daughter to start school at the beginning of the school year. But at this point just getting out there would be enough!!

Cheers @Ausvisitor it’s a tough time to do it that’s for sure, even more uncertainty around timeframes and shifting goal posts than usual. Thankfully I’d been reading this forum for a bit while mulling it over, so have been able to chip away things slowly with (what seemed at the time) a realistic timeline..... Seeming less realistic now though! @Elaine N have you got a time you are aiming to be out there? I’ve been aiming for October/November this year but that’s starting to look like a squeeze since QLD announced no offshore nominations this financial year! My eldest is 7 in September and am aware it can get harder to move them then older they are.

Yeah we are holding out for QLD, they aren’t reopening to offshore applicants this financial year though, which is why I’ve started looking into sponsorship. I’ve emailed a few recruitment agencies and had an email back from one of them this week to arrange having a chat so hopefully something positive will come out if that. But if not then at least July isn’t too far off now, although getting the EoI is just the start of the next stage of waiting....

Hi again Elaine I can’t help with your invite question, but I did see a post on a Facebook group for nurses looking for sponsorship that WA public health hospitals are currently offering sponsorship (I think 186?). No specific details were given so you’d have to do a bit of digging, but 186 is a good option as I think it’s processed as priority if your occupation is on the PMSOL. I’ve contacted the Sunshine Coast recruitment department of Queensland Health, I didn’t have any luck unfortunately as they aren’t looking to sponsor right now, but I had a conversation with the very helpful director of nursing who gave me some advice and is now a point of contact for when I eventually land. I would definitely recommend getting in touch with hospitals/departments directly, even if it only ends with making some contacts for when you arrive.

That's great news! Was wondering about your case the other day as I saw that Tasmania put out a statement about only having a minimal allocation left, glad you made it through without having to wait until the next financial year!

thats good that it wont be a total shock to them, I feel like I’m going to drop a bomb on my entire family when we get to the stage of telling people. My sister lives in Melbourne so at least someone will be pleased about us moving there! Fingers crossed things move a bit faster for you now you’ve increased your points, keep me posted on how things progress, it’s helpful hearing how others HCPs are getting on with it all.

Yeah, I hadnt realised about the 491 PR after 3 years until recently, I know in some states you have to pay for public schooling if you are a temp visa, but not sure if there are other financial differences. how old are your kids? Mine are 2 and 6, we haven’t told them yet as want to wait until we can give them some concrete info, such as move dates etc.

I keep an eye on the ISCAH facebook page as they often post updates about invitation rounds, from memory the latest 189 round had a lowest score of 90 for mental health nurses, so not holding out much hope for my 75 point EoI! And unfortunately Queensland has said they aren't opening up for offshore nominations this financial year, so I won't be able to get a 190 in there until July at the earliest. So I'm looking out for jobs and planning on contacting employers directly to see if they will offer 186 sponsorship, also considering whether its worth putting an EoI in for 491, but slightly apprehensive about that as I'll be coming over with a family so really want PR. My points go up on 4th August as will have 8 years experience at that point, so hoping that the stars will align for me then - QLD reopening for offshore applicants and I'll have 85 points for a 190, fingers crossed that's enough!