Where to start when deciding to move to Australia?

[helenhere]

Hello, First of all, my husband and I are not British. I am from the USA and my husband is Greek. This is the most informative forum that I have found so far, so I hope you do not mind that I post. Currently, my husband and I live in Greece. He is a Geophysicist (Phd) and I am a housewife. We have a 16 month old son who has dual citizenship (USA/Greek). We desire to live in Australia, but do not know where to begin. We have looked at online job sites for postions for my husband in Australia. There are some, but after reading a bit on the Australian Visa website, we are confused as to whether my husband should follow the skillselect procedure or continue with his job search. Maybe he should do both?

 

I also would like any advice on the English test for him and the job assessment. The assessment seems expensive, but seems that it is crucial for the visa. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

[Rupert]

Hello, First of all, my husband and I are not British. I am from the USA and my husband is Greek. This is the most informative forum that I have found so far, so I hope you do not mind that I post. Currently, my husband and I live in Greece. He is a Geophysicist (Phd) and I am a housewife. We have a 16 month old son who has dual citizenship (USA/Greek). We desire to live in Australia, but do not know where to begin. We have looked at online job sites for postions for my husband in Australia. There are some, but after reading a bit on the Australian Visa website, we are confused as to whether my husband should follow the skillselect procedure or continue with his job search. Maybe he should do both?

 

I also would like any advice on the English test for him and the job assessment. The assessment seems expensive, but seems that it is crucial for the visa. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

 

In my view, starting by looking for jobs is doing things the hard way. Australia has a skilled migrant program which does not require a job offer, so I would first if all investigate this and see if you can do this by yourselves.

[ItchyFeet76]

Hi there, welcome to the forum! Have you taken the points test yet and is Geophysicist on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)? If so (and assuming your husband is under 50 and has competent English), you can go down the 189 visa to get PR. Or, if your job is on the CSOL (Consolidated Sponsored Occupation List) for a particular state, you could get state sponsorship, but you need to commit to living and working in that state for 2 years. AFAIK it tends to be quicker than the 189 but some states (e.g. Vic) can be very strict, and occupations have a 'ceiling' as to how many people they can sponsor in said occupation - this info. can be found on the state's website.

 

Even if you get PR before you go, I'd still recommend finding employment before landing, so you're not wasting money on living costs whilst you try to find work.

 

Your husband would need to do a skills assessment with his relevant assessing authority (not sure who that is - if his job's on the SOL / CSOL then it will say on there who (which regulatory body) assesses his skills), and also an English test (IELTS) to prove he can score at least 6. The points you claim when you submit your EOI have to be backed up by the skills assessment and IELTS results, and it's very important you don't overestimate your points score (always better to err on the side of caution).

 

Further down the line you would have to undergo medicals and police checks, but these would be requested by your case officer at a later stage. Full information on how to begin the visa application process can be found on the DIBP website:- http://www.immi.gov.au

 

I'm sure someone professional will be along shortly to offer more help (or correct any errors in my advice!).

 

Good luck!

[helenhere]

I did a quick check and he is on the CSOL list. I looked at one of the territory lists and it said high availability. Another problem is that he is a Geophysics professor. I don't know if that puts him in another catagory. I did a rough point test and he got a 70. Unfortunately, he turns 40 this year, so that took many points away. Oops! Gosh, I shouldn't say "unfortunately". 40 is not old at all. Young, young, young... Anyway, we do not mind about the 2 year thing. We are ready to find somewhere permanent to live. Thanks so much for your advice. I really appreciate it.

[Rupert]

I did a quick check and he is on the CSOL list. I looked at one of the territory lists and it said high availability. Another problem is that he is a Geophysics professor. I don't know if that puts him in another catagory. I did a rough point test and he got a 70. Unfortunately, he turns 40 this year, so that took many points away. Oops! Gosh, I shouldn't say "unfortunately". 40 is not old at all. Young, young, young... Anyway, we do not mind about the 2 year thing. We are ready to find somewhere permanent to live. Thanks so much for your advice. I really appreciate it.

 

Make sure you get the category right, perhaps he should be applying as lecturer? Have a good read of both, especially if claiming work experience points.