Graduation Visa - 485

[Dom Churchill]

Hiya All,

 

Ok some advice please. I'm nearing the end of my two year TAFE Course and wish to stay and work in Australia (forever is my goal).

I've been told about the Graduation Visa which enables me to work, live and study in Australia as long as I meet the requirements, which I do.

Now I have tried searching on the Immigration Website about this visa, but not getting my answers I need.

Basically, I have been told from friends, that the Visa is 18 months in length and if I am able to work for 12 of those 18 months in the trade I graduated from, I should accumulate points that'll help in gaining a PR Visa.

Now the questions I have are:

 

1) Am I able to work self employed during this visa? I have recently completed Work Placement with a Company and they are willing to employ me but only as a Self Employed Worker with an ABN.

 

2) What, if any, proof would I need to provide to satisfy the Immigration Dept that I have indeed worked for the length of the Graduation Visa?

 

I know I may be asking questions that won't be able to be answered, but I have emailed the Immi Dept a few weeks back and as yet, had no reply.

 

Many thanks in advance for any help given.

 

Much love

[blossom]

First off, is the job on the SOL or the csol? To get the 485 visa it must be on the sol.

Have you looked to see what you need to pass the skills assessment? For some of these (such as tra's job ready programme) I believe (but am not 100%) that you have to be employed rather than on an Abn. Back when I was looking into it they were telling me you couldn't even be a casual worker, but you'd hope they've seen sense by now.

[Ozmaniac]

There is no condition attached to a 485 visa that requires you to work in your nominated occupation or indeed, to work at all.

 

If however you want to be able to claim points for Australian work experience when it comes to applying for a skilled work visa, you will need evidence that you have worked full time at an appropriate skill level in your nominated occupation for at least 1 year. Self employed work is OK but you will need to provide evidence such as detailed invoices to your employer, showing hours worked, detailed invoices if you do work directly for customers, employment references, tax returns, group certificates, evidence that you have been self-employed (e.g. a contract) and any other documents that you provided to the relevant assessing authority to obtain your skills assessment, including any documents relating to your employment history.

[Dom Churchill]

Ok thank you @blossom79 and @Ozmaniac....much appreciated. I will be qualified as a Carpenter and Joiner. I have already accumulated well over 500 hours of Carpentry related Work Experience and the Company I have just been doing my latest block of Work Experience with, have offered me a job but on a self employed basis, whereby I will be required to get an ABN. I am assuming they will pay my wages straight into my Bank Account, so would that be evidence to show the Authorities?

[Ozmaniac]

Yes, use your bank statements to prove that your invoices are genuine. Anyone can mock up an invoice these days but if you have a matching bank deposit from the debtor, it must have been legit. Just the bank deposits would probably be OK by themselves but I'd be submitting invoices as well to be on the safe side.

[blossom]

Who is the assessing body for that job? If it's TRA you will need to check if they will accept self employed work for the job ready programne (it takes a year). I know that job used to be tra, but there were a load of changes a while ago to trades.

[Ozmaniac]

Who is the assessing body for that job? If it's TRA you will need to check if they will accept self employed work for the job ready programne (it takes a year). I know that job used to be tra, but there were a load of changes a while ago to trades.

Good point @blossom79

 

From Step 2 of the Job Ready program on the TRA site:

Requirements of JRE participants

 

JRE participants will be required to:

 

 

• remain in employment for a minimum of 12 months

• work at least 1725 hours in paid employment in a genuine Australian workplace, which can be with more than one employer

• have an employee–employer relationship with each organisation they register with TRA. TRA may also consider participants who identify on the ERF that they will undertake subcontractor work in a building construction trade

• keep a Job Ready Journal.

  http://www.tradesrecognitionaustralia.gov.au/Programs/JobReady/Pages/default.aspx

 

[Raul Senise]

There are two different ways to qualify for the subclass 485 visa.

 

As you have not studied a degree qualification, you will need to apply under the older system which is more difficult as it requires a skills assessment in an occupation on the SOL.

 

For a carpenter, you will need a positive skills assessment from the TRA.

 

The 12 months of employment experience for points for a future PR application is not a straight forward issue. Only skilled employment will give you points. You will have to go through the Job Ready program for a PR skills assessment and it is this process which will determine when you are considered skilled.

 

Basically, I have been told from friends

Be careful with advice from friends and people who have done a 485 in the past. These can be tricky visas and a lot has changed.

 

I have emailed the Immi Dept a few weeks back and as yet, had no reply.

 

You are unlikely to get any meaningful reply and will most likely get a standard generic email. Even if you do get a specific reply be careful of relying on advice from the Immigration Department as they are not liable for any incorrect information they may give.

[Sean Golding]

I have actually been looking at taking the exact same route as you, doing carpentry at TAFE followed by a Graduate visa and a Job Ready Program with TRA for PR Skills Assessment. However I am being told that you can only get the full Level III Certificate if it is studied as part of an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are only open to Aussie citizens. Maybe your work placement covers this part of the qualification?

As far as I am aware, in order to do the JRP you have to be "Employed" as the company will have to be registered with TRA. However I would contact TRA regarding this as it is a permanent place of subcontracting so there may be exceptions since you won't be contracting to lots of various companies. I think it is more so that on a contract it's easier to prove the amount of hours you have done as this is a requirement for certain steps of the program.

The 485 visa itself will give you the same full working rights as a permanent visa, you can do whatever occupation, if any, for the duration of the visa. It is however wise to work in your nominated occupation in order to claim points for Australian work experience and to gain skills assessment.

You will also need to do step 1 in the Job Ready Program with TRA to gain skills assessment for the 485 visa itself.

What exact qualification did you do?

[Dom Churchill]

I have actually been looking at taking the exact same route as you, doing carpentry at TAFE followed by a Graduate visa and a Job Ready Program with TRA for PR Skills Assessment. However I am being told that you can only get the full Level III Certificate if it is studied as part of an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships are only open to Aussie citizens. Maybe your work placement covers this part of the qualification?

As far as I am aware, in order to do the JRP you have to be "Employed" as the company will have to be registered with TRA. However I would contact TRA regarding this as it is a permanent place of subcontracting so there may be exceptions since you won't be contracting to lots of various companies. I think it is more so that on a contract it's easier to prove the amount of hours you have done as this is a requirement for certain steps of the program.

The 485 visa itself will give you the same full working rights as a permanent visa, you can do whatever occupation, if any, for the duration of the visa. It is however wise to work in your nominated occupation in order to claim points for Australian work experience and to gain skills assessment.

You will also need to do step 1 in the Job Ready Program with TRA to gain skills assessment for the 485 visa itself.

What exact qualification did you do?

 

Hey Mate, sorry for the belated reply, only just seen the notification.

I did the Cert 3 in Joinery and Carpentry at Midland Polytechnic West.

 

AAfter I completed the course, the College sent a letter to the TRA outlining all my achievements and all the Work Experience and thehours undertaken, which goes to wards hours worked in the trade.

[FutureNOZ]

Hey Mate, sorry for the belated reply, only just seen the notification.

I did the Cert 3 in Joinery and Carpentry at Midland Polytechnic West.

 

AAfter I completed the course, the College sent a letter to the TRA outlining all my achievements and all the Work Experience and thehours undertaken, which goes to wards hours worked in the trade.

 

Hey Dom I know this is kind of an old thread but I hope you are still around. How did the whole thing turn out for you? I am looking at also studying carpentry at tafe and doing the work ready program. Getting some information from someone that has first hand experience would really be helpfull. Were you able to get your PR? Still working in Australia? Any advice?

Cheers

[Dom Churchill]

Hey mate. Sorry for the late reply.

Basically I applied for and got the Graduation Visa when I finished the Carpentry Course.

I also did the Work Ready Program with Trades Recognition Australia, which, upon completion, you are trade recognised and it is waaaay easier to get a job in your trade with this qualification. It also adds massive weight in applying for PR.

The only thing is, it costs money.

There are stages to undertake through the process.

The main one is filling out monthly journals of tasks you've completed. Then every quarter you need to print off your journals summary, copies of evidence of being paid in the Occupation you've nominated (bank statements) all of which needs to be signed by your Supervisor.

The main cost is the Workplace Assessment which is $2000. This is when an Assessor visits your workplace and sees what you do, has a chat to you and your supervisor. He then sends the report to the TRA and this then unlocks the next stage, which is the Completion of the required amount of hours in the 12 months the TRA Program goes for - off the top of my head, I think you need to have worked a minimum of 1548 hours in the 12 months.

Once you've satisfied this, you then pay the $200 or so to get your certificate.

Then, you use this to apply for PR.

I didn't end up going this route, as the company I worked for (a decking company) couldn't find me enough work to satisfy the requirements of the TRA Program.

I know this is heaps of info to take in, and understand, but I hope it brings some clarity to you and answers some questions/queries you may have.

 

Bestest of luck mate.

 

Dom

 

 

 

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[FutureNOZ]

Thanks for your response Dom. So in your opinion if you work hard l, dott your i's and cross your t's it is a pretty solid program? Did you find it a challenge to find part time work while going to school??? Did you end up getting sponsored?

Thanks bro

[Dom Churchill]

Thanks for your response Dom. So in your opinion if you work hard l, dott your i's and cross your t's it is a pretty solid program? Did you find it a challenge to find part time work while going to school??? Did you end up getting sponsored?

Thanks bro

 

Yes I think so. When you undertake the Cert 3 Carpentry and Joinery course, you need to find work placements. If you impress the Company you are with for your Work Placement, they may well employ you on the days you are not at TAFE. It is hard going sometimes, financially speaking, but, like you say, if you work hard enough, put yourself about and in the shop window, so to speak, there's no reason why you can't get success from it.

I personally found it very hard to find a company that would sponsor you, but you never know.

[blossom]

Also, take into account that many trades companies aren't eligible to sponsor as they keep most of their staff as casuals or on abns, and they do no staff training.

[FutureNOZ]

Yes but the whole point of the work ready program is you do not need to find a sponsor am I wrong? After you graduate you work. And then get a skills assesment...no need to be sponsored or at least thats how it was explained to me by the agent??? I really appreciate your imput as I am really on the fence and trying to get as much info as possible.

Thanks

[blossom]

Yes, I was referring to Dom saying he found it hard to find a company to sponsor him.

 

For the job ready program, take into consideration that rules change often. I was 20 hours off being able to pass the TRA skills assessment and being able to apply for PR when they announced they were bringing in the job ready program. It was a week before Christmas. The official date was from January 1st, but TRA said even if my application got there before that, they wouldn't open it until after that so it wouldn't count. So I was stuck with an extra year and an extra $2k odd for the sake of three days!

Then after Christmas every time I phoned TRA nobody knew how it worked. I left applying until someone could tell me what I had to do. Just after I applied they took my job off the SOL so I couldn't apply for PR anyway, only a 485. Luckily my work place was willing to sponsor me, but that was nowhere near easy either and ended up taking about a year too.

It's a rollacoaster, and immigration are not out to be fair to people already part way through the process. I know lots who had no choice but to leave Australia. So just be aware that it's by no means a 'safe' option. Apply for PR the second you are eligible.