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My partner and I are at that critical decision stage in our process. The housing market is booming so we want to sell. SA have sponsored my partner as a registered nurse. We are still waiting on AHPRA to grant the registration, so that we can apply for jobs that will support an application for a travel exemption. Visa granted October 2020 and the clock is ticking on activating it. Does anyone have any advice or experiences that they can share regarding the supporting evidence required in order to get the travel exemption over the line?

Hi I am getting Skilled Temporary Visa subclass 408 for entertainment activities for an Australian Vfx company on a 1 year contract. Will my medical results are going to scrutinised in the same way like PR or citizenship. I was previously recipient of the same Visa subclass 408 for the same company in 2019 to 2020 on 6 months contract. But this is the first time I am going for any medical examination for immigration so I have no idea what is going to happen. I never had TB, hepatitis, cancer or any heart disease. I was worried for blood sugar and urine as I am bit obese being 29 Year old but they came out normal. Can anyone advice what they generally look for with this test. And if any condition comes up that what needed to be done. Thanks

Hi guys, I was on a student visa till two weeks ago (20 January 2021). I lodged a subclass 476 - skilled graduate visa in 2020 (11 November 2020) and was issued a bridging visa C with no work rights. I have two issues now. Firstly should I have been issued a Bridging Visa A with work rights? Secondly when I do a VEVO my status does not display, I am scared the bridging visa is not in effect. HELP ME PLEASE!

Hi all, Any help appreciated. Applied for this visa in July - 28 days before my 417 visa had expired as I was offered a job in one of the critical sectors (Agriculture) Even though I completed my 88 days regional work I was unable to apply for a second year due to already being 31. Since Aug 3rd I have been on a bridging visa. After 4 weeks I had an email asking for extra information, a police clearance. I attached this to the application and this morning received a visa grant notification. The visa has only been granted until 30th Nov 2020. In the application I stated the length of employment to be from Oct 2020 to Jan/Feb 2021. Can anyone offer any advise on why I would have been granted such a short term on this visa when the employment timeline was clearly stated in the application. I have called up and spoken to a lady that said once the decision has been made there is nothing you can do but apply for another visa when it's due to expire - but what are my options!? My employer needs me for the full harvest season and is unlikely to take me on now my visa isn't for the full amount of time!! Thank you!

Hi everyone, I’m just looking for a bit of advice on a travel exemption application I currently have open, I’ll give some background info first: 491 visa granted March 2020 based on partners skills - secondary school teacher. Obviously corona is here and our plans to travel to Oz in September were scuppered but I’m not one to give up! Ive secured a job in Australia as a mental health practitioner so have applied for a travel exemption for me and my partner on the basis of critical skills. I supplied as much evidence as I had available at the time (it all happened quite quick). They have since come back and asked for some more evidence, one being the contract which is no problem but the other is a supporting letter from the employer about why my partner should be exempt. I have no idea what they are expecting an employer to say about that, does anyone have any idea what they’re looking for? I have provided financial evidence as well which suggests we have more than enough money for a year unemployed in Australia but they still want the employer one for him? Thanks in advance!

Hi guys, I am holding 489 since Sep 2019. I have been working full time ever since... Until Covid hits. I have been stood down for 3 weeks (but I claimed holiday pay for that period) Now I came back to work. However, the company gave Aussies first priority to work, which makes my work hours to be less than 35 hrs as per 887 work requirement. Would that affect when I submit application for 887 visa?? I know that Immigration has made some exemption for temporary visa but I do not know for how long. https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/davidcoleman/Pages/Coronavirus-and-Temporary-Visa-holders.aspx If I could not bring my hours back to Sep 2020 this year (Requirement for work full time is 1 year), do I need to continue working until I meet the requirement. I am so worried right now. Any one please suggest. Thank you so much.

How’s you doing friends, Actually I was wondering should I assess my Australian work experience or it will accepted without as I need to assess my degree that done overseas. I will be thankful that if anyone can let me know should I assess my experience with my degree or not because I am about to go thru this process. Regards Garry

Hi everyone, I am seeking some guidance in regards to the situation I am in, I have struggled to find any information on this topic so far. Basically I did my 1st year working holiday visa and applied for my second while still in Australia upon completing my farm work with the intention of leaving Australia before my 1st year visa was officially up. However, it was granted from the date I applied and so I chose to cancel it as I would have missed two months of the visa if I stayed from the date it was granted. I returned back to the UK and tried reapplying and was told since I cancelled it I could reapply again. My case has been escalated but I have no idea how long I will have to wait for a response and am desperate for any advice anyone can give me on this. I have very limited help from the department of home affairs. Thanks so much for reading.

I graduated from a 3 year Bachelor's degree (NOT honours) from a reputed Australian University. My question is, if I work 2 whole years on a temporary 485 visa, will all two years of work experience be considered if/when my employer applies for a TSS 482 visa making me eligible for the visa or will my initial 2 years of experience be deducted making me ineligible for the 482 visa.

Hey guys, So the story goes, I am on a 489 visa (skilled regional occupation). My husband and I are both from the UK and we have satisfied the visa requirements and our 887 visa is being processed. However, there is a 12-15 month wait. We have another 12 months to go. I just found out I am pregnant (my husband is a pom too). So realistically I am going to give birth whilst still on a temporary visa so the baby will also be a temporary resident. My main concern is whether medicare will cover the birth as I have read it can cost $10,000 just for a normal natural birth (no complications). Just after feedback from those who have given birth that aren't residents and what their experience was and what costs they had to fork out during the pregnancy, during birth and after birth Eg children's vaccinations etc. Also is it straight forward to inform the government that we are expecting? Is this done through immiaccount where the 887 visa application was done? Help!!!! Thanks in advance

The Australian government will create a new visa to compete with other countries for “high-tech skills and talent”, with companies allowed to sponsor migrants for jobs paid more than $180,000. There will also be a new visa for start-up companies seeking talent in STEM fields like biomedicine and agricultural technology. Both visas will require the migrant to have three years of relevant experience, while the sponsor companies will need to demonstrate they tried to hire Australians first. “The Government recognises there is fierce competition globally for high-tech skills and talent, and that attracting these people helps to transfer skills to Australian workers and grow Australian-based businesses,” a Turnbull government media release reads. There will not be a cap on the overall number of visas, but individual companies will have a limit on how many migrants they can employ. Businesses will be able to take up to 20 skilled migrants under the new stream per year, while start-ups will be able to take up to five. The visas for jobs paid more than $180,000 will only be available to businesses with a turnover of more than $4 million. The start-up visas will be available to any that is authorised by an industry body, yet to be chosen by the government. The migrants will have the option of a "transitional pathway" to permanent residence after three years in the country. The details of the scheme will be ironed out over the next few months before a 12-month pilot begins on July 1. The need for visa changes to attract high-value employees from overseas has been the “number one priority” in the emerging startup sector, according to an industry group. StartupAUS chief executive Alex McCauley said the government’s changes to 457 temporary work visas last year, which restricted the list of occupations and cut off the path to permanent residency for many jobs, had made it harder for start-ups to compete. “The single biggest challenge for Australian start-ups is getting access to the best talent in the world,” “It got more difficult when the 457 visa announcements were made last year and start-ups in this country are really crying out for a way to get access to talent.” “Everybody’s looking to hire product managers, software engineers, digital growth specialists, data scientists.”

Hi was wondering if you can get a 3yr to 5yr temporary working visa when you are 56 plus, we want to spend time with our daughter and grandsons but need to work, any information would be great

Just wondering if anyone has applied for a subclass 400 recently? My previous one was granted within a week but that was before the rules changed in July '17, this one has taken nearly 5 weeks. Any advice would be appriciated

By Robert Williams Email: admin[at]pomsinoz.com 04/05/2017 In a speech given at the McKell Institute, the Leader of the Opposition,Bill Shorten has vowed to ramp up the fees for controversial temporary work visas (such as the 457) in a bid to make sure Australian employers firstly seek to employ local workers before turning their attention overseas. At the same time, Bill Shorten also pledged to establish and implement a new visa to ensure Australia remains an attractive proposition for the 'best and brightest' talent. In the speech, Labor has promised not to ratify any trade deals that forgo labour market testing and they have also pledged to establish an independent labour market testing body that would restrict temporary workers’ visas to skills shortages. These announcements come less than a month after the Prime Minister announced plans to abolish the 457 visa in March 2018 and replace it with the new Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) Visa in addition to slashing over 200 occupations from the list of eligble skilled occupations. "We’ll no longer let 457 visas be passports to jobs that could and should go to Australians”, commented the PM at the time. However, the Leader of the Opposition said the Federal Govt's changes were a "con job". “Malcolm Turnbull’s proposed changes to 457 visas are little more than a con job that barely make a difference,” “Under the Liberals, too many local workers are being left at the back of the queue for local jobs.” said Bill Shorten. Under the opposition's plan, the cost of a 2 year visa would sore from $575 AUD a year to approximately $1,600 AUD per year or $6,400 AUD for the 4 year visa. This change would represent an increase to 3% of the temporary skilled migration income threshold, with the additional funds raised being directed to a training fund. Describing the policy, Bill Shorten said “This is a strong price signal to employers that they should be looking for local workers first,” “Under Labor, putting local workers first won’t just be fairer – it will be cheaper.” Running along side this, Labor would roll out a new “Smart” visa for what it calls world leaders in science, medicine, academia, research and technology to ensure highly skilled migrants were still attracted to Australia. An Australian Skills Authority would have a remit for producing a single skills shortage occupations list and advise the government of the day on current skills shortages and future skills requirements.

Hi There, I found this Forum about an hour ago, and from having a quick look I can't find anything that suits what I'm looking for, so I thought I'd post a new thread and try my luck. So I'm a 30 year old male, officially classed as "unskilled" and about to move to NSW to be with my Aussie girlfriend. I have been granted a 417 temporary work visa, and I would like to find some work so I can support myself. I am a bit worried about just arriving there without having some kind of work. Here in the UK I have been running bars for a number of years and have qualifications and experience coming out of my ears. I know I have to gain the RSA and the gambling one (I think its RSG or RCG) to be able to work in a similar position in Australia, which is fine, but I am worried that due to my visa I will struggle to find employment as I am only allowed to work for the same employer for 6 months. Is there a specific website or agency that would specialize in helping someone in my position or am I going to have to wing it and hope for the best? I intend to apply for a permanent residency visa when I am there, or gain some sponsorship from an employer, as I am confident that I can prove myself and become a valuable member of staff... I would be happy to accept any position in any industry that is offered, as long as I'm within commutable distance of Newcastle or Sydney. Any comments are appreciated, especially from anyone that has been through a similar situation... or if you have a job that needs filling with a reliable, adaptable and ambitious POM :-)

Hi everyone! I have a question about primary school education in Western Australia, hopefully someone'll know! We have been granted State Sponsorship but have to apply for the 475 temp visa as we fell just short of points for PR visa. We have a 6 year old daughter. I understand we're not entitled to any benefits when we get there, but what about school fees? I'm reading conflicting information online and I am confused and concerned! We will most definitely be struggling for a bit when we get there, all things considered, and need to account for everything we need to be thinking of financially. We are under no illusion that it's a cheap place to live, we just want to make sure our daughter gets a good education! Any info would be great! ps.. we're going on the regional sponsored programme so won't be in Perth. Cheers!

My OH has had a phone interview over a week ago and has to wait a few weeks before he knows if it goes any further. We are also in the process of sending skills assessment off to Engineers Australia, my question is do you still need to have a skills assessment done if you go over on a temporary visa and then apply for permanency?

Hi I have a partner visa which is temporary at the moment. It should be converted to permanent in the next few months but I have had no luck getting a permanent job despite my visa saying I have full work rights. Has anyone else experienced this? I'm a librarian with many years experience and whilst you do need certain skills which many people do not have, its not rocket science!! I have applied for many jobs which I have plenty of experience and qualifications only to be told after interview that I dont have enough experience or too much. I was told recently, despite having over 10 years experience and proof of it and excellent references. I am finding this extremely frustrating as some of them have been dream jobs and excellent pay which would set us up for a life here. I have not had much trouble getting interviews and been interviewd for most jobs I have applied for but I get the impression that this is just an excuse to racially discriminate. My current contract is finishing at the end of May and so far I have been lucky in only being unemployed for a week but until my permanent residency is approved I fear that I am not going to get any job now and I have no idea how long that is going to take. Trying to get a job in government related fields has been impossible and the APS rules state that only Australian citizens can apply (although they do have discretion to waive them). The irony of this is that my case officer for approving my visa in the UK was neither Australian or British but from somewhere else in the EU, so this policy gets changed when it suits the Australian authorities. Has anyone else experienced this problem? Cheers Mark

Hi I've been here 6 months now and loving it. However, I've been trying to get an Aussie credit card and been refused by Bankwest and ANZ as I don't have a permanent visa. This is despite having a UK credit card for over 20 years and all of my savings (not a small amount) and current accounts are with these banks. I don't use my UK credit card generally but need it to hire a car and for energencies. I thought UK banks were bad but Aussie ones are much worse. Has anyone managed to get a credit card....prefereably without any rip off charges too?