Lari Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Myhusband and I are planning to move to Australia. However, we are not sure whenit would be the best time. Wecould get working holiday visas and move there with GBP 15K in savings.However, this possibility won’t last very long as I will be 31 by the year end.Therefore, perhaps I should apply for the WHV right now. The idea is to live inAustralia permanently, so we would need to get another visa once there (scary). Onthe other hand, I believe I am eligible to request the 189 visa. But this wouldrequire spending more money and waiting top find out whether a visa would begranted or not. Rightnow we both work in the legal industry and aim to work as paralegals in OZbefore going through the requalification processes. We live in a furnishedflat, no kids, therefore I believe it would be easier to move now rather thanlater, but I am not sure whether we can make a permanent living there andneeding to return to the UK would be heart breaking. Myquestions are: 1– Could we get jobs in the legal sector with a WHV and secure a work visa oncethere? Would GBP 15K enough to give us a safety net? 2– Should we wait and get the 189 visa? I believe during that time we would getfurniture and have a baby, would these things complicate the move? Seekingthe advice of people who have experienced similar issues. Thanks in advance foryour help. My husband and I are planning to move to Australia. However, we are not sure when it would be the best time. We could get working holiday visas and move there with GBP 15K in savings. However, this possibility won’t last very long as I will be 31 by the year end. Therefore, perhaps I should apply for the WHV right now. The idea is to live in Australia permanently, so we would need to get another visa once there (scary). On the other hand, I believe I am eligible to request the 189 visa. But this would require spending more money and waiting top find out whether a visa would be granted or not. Right now we both work in the legal industry and aim to work as paralegals in OZ before going through the requalification processes. We live in a furnished flat, no kids, therefore I believe it would be easier to move now rather than later, but I am not sure whether we can make a permanent living there and needing to return to the UK would be heart breaking. My questions are: 1 – Could we get jobs in the legal sector with a WHV and secure a work visa once there? Would GBP 15K enough to give us a safety net? 2 – Should we wait and get the 189 visa? I believe during that time we would get furniture and have a baby, would these things complicate the move? Seeking the advice of people who have experienced similar issues. Thanks in advance for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Hi, I am not sure of the complexities of the visa issues, but in relation to a 189, what skilled employment would you be going with? My understanding is that until you requalify as a solicitor in Australia you are not "skilled" so can't get a 189. Certainly the case in QLD. Have a look at the Law Soc for the state you are hoping to move to because they have quite a lot of information on skills assessments for solicitors. If you aren't going as solicitors, and under a different code, the situation could be different. Not sure that this reply helps you move forward and someone with more experience re WHV may be able to provide more guidance. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engaus Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 What is your post qualification experience? My partner spent over 12 months trying to find a paralegal position in Victoria last year, first on a WHV and then on a BVA as we had applied for a partner visa. He had a degree, a little post qualification experience and had had his degree assessed and completed additional units (had to complete 4 additional units at $4,000 each). Still no luck. He kept being told that they wanted someone to stay in the paralegal position and not use it as a stepping stone for becoming a solicitor - seems to be the opposite in the UK. He was also told time and time again that he needed Australian experience. So I would say in your position you might be seen as over qualified and might had just as hard a time when you are competing with Australian Graduates for paralegal positions. The legal sector in general isn't doing well in Australia - so if you are coming over I would suggest doing it on a skilled visa and ensuring that you have a good amount of experience under your belt already. My partner is now back in the UK working for Leigh Day to try and build up some additional experience before heading back over again. If you need to re qualify on top of everything else you will need more than £15,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Engaus, What area of law is your OH in? A little concerning re job position, despite re-qualifying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engaus Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Engaus, What area of law is your OH in? A little concerning re job position, despite re-qualifying. My partner only had 6 months post qualifying experience. But with a good firm. But his lack of post qualification experience was never brought up as being a reason for him not being successful (although i'm sure more experience would have been beneficial). They always said they wanted someone to stay long term in the paralegal position (in Australia being a Paralegal seems to be a career as opposed to a stepping stone for a lot of people to be a solicitor), or that he didn't have Australian experience. He would have applied for about 200 jobs and got 3 interviews. He is in employment law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 That is a scary state of affairs. He is clearly v employable in the UK if he has got a job at Leigh Day! Family in Oz report a similar problem with not getting office roles due to lack of Australian experience, but you can't get the office experience unless someone gives you a job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 My husband and I are planning to move to Australia. However, we are not sure when it would be the best time. We could get working holiday visas and move there with GBP 15K in savings. However, this possibility won’t last very long as I will be 31 by the year end. Therefore, perhaps I should apply for the WHV right now. The idea is to live in Australia permanently, so we would need to get another visa once there (scary). On the other hand, I believe I am eligible to request the 189 visa. But this would require spending more money and waiting top find out whether a visa would be granted or not. Right now we both work in the legal industry and aim to work as paralegals in OZ before going through the requalification processes. We live in a furnished flat, no kids, therefore I believe it would be easier to move now rather than later, but I am not sure whether we can make a permanent living there and needing to return to the UK would be heart breaking. My questions are: 1 – Could we get jobs in the legal sector with a WHV and secure a work visa once there? Would GBP 15K enough to give us a safety net? 2 – Should we wait and get the 189 visa? I believe during that time we would get furniture and have a baby, would these things complicate the move? Seeking the advice of people who have experienced similar issues. Thanks in advance for your help. The WHV is not meant to be a "back door" to Australia. When you apply for a WHV you have to tick a box confirming that you have no intent to stay permanently, so what you propose is technically not allowed. In practice many people do it, but just be aware not to let the cat out of the bag to any immigration official! Are you hoping that once you get to Australia, you'll find an employer who's willing to sponsor you and therefore they will pay all the costs of your permanent visa? I think that's a big assumption unless your skills are in demand. My experience as a manager wanting to hire a Brit is that many companies just think it's all too hard, and will settle for a lesser local candidate rather than go through the paperwork. I think you need to check what visa you could apply for once you're in Australia, what it would cost, and how long it takes. My understanding (but I could be wrong) is that onshore processing takes even longer than offshore, so you could be in limbo for a long time. I'm concerned you say you would "collect furniture and a baby" while you're waiting, if you go for the 189. If you know you're going overseas, then surely you can plan accordingly - make do with second-hand furniture and put the baby plans on hold for a year or so. Although that concerns me too - having a baby and migration are two of the most stressful things you can do, and doing them both together is a recipe for potential disaster. I've only been on these forums for a year or so, but I've seen a frightening number of young couples who have broken up over just that. Having a baby is a life-changing event and many women find they either can't get through it without their family, or they develop a strong need for family that makes it impossible to live in Australia. You may not think you could possibly feel like that, but until you've had a child you don't know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engaus Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Yeah - I think it was the excuse they gave him because they just had so many applicants to choose from. But you are right, it's such a common thing to hear from employers these days. I frequent another forum that is predominately partner visa applicants and it's a constant discussion over there - people complain that they can't get work these days because they don't have Australian experience. My partner ended up working in a warehouse for a few months stacking boxes until he caught a plane back to the UK. We are going to stay here for a few years before giving Australia another go when things start to (hopefully) look up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 My husband and I are planning to move to Australia. 1 – Could we get jobs in the legal sector with a WHV and secure a work visa once there? Would GBP 15K enough to give us a safety net? 2 – Should we wait and get the 189 visa? I believe during that time we would get furniture and have a baby, would these things complicate the move? I've been thinking about this again and my honest advice would be - go for the WHV visa. You will never get a chance like that, ever again, because you'll be too old, so why not grab it while you can? You have no ties, you don't have to worry about furniture etc, so it's an ideal time to do it. More importantly, if you're planning to have a baby soon, this is your last chance to have an adventure before you settle down to family life. However, I would stop scheming to get a long-term visa and just enjoy the WHV. If you do manage to secure a job, that's great - but if you don't, you've had a fantastic experience and you've learned a huge amount about Australia. Go home happy, have your baby and plan to move out as a family later on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killara Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 andneeding to return to the UK would be heart breaking. Myquestions are: 1– Could we get jobs in the legal sector with a WHV and secure a work visa oncethere? Would GBP 15K enough to give us a safety net? 2– Should we wait and get the 189 visa? I believe during that time we would getfurniture and have a baby, would these things complicate the move? 1. Yes, you can get jobs in the legal sector with a WHV. I know plenty who have (including my own personal experience of it when I got my WHV at the same age as you). However, what @engaus has said about the legal sector in Australia is correct, and also the difficulties encountered by being over-qualified for a paralegal role. However, the more experience you have, the more likely you are to be able to get a job on a WHV provided you are prepared to accept a cut in pay until you have been admitted as an Australian Lawyer. Overseas lawyers with less than 3-4 years experience would struggle to get a legal position in Australia in my opinion. With more experience than that, you should be able to find a legal role, even on a WHV. 2. To get a 189, you will need a positive skills assessment from a State Legal Admission Authority. That can be difficult to get without being admitted as an Australian Lawyer, though it is possible. A complicating factor is your intention to have a baby in the near future. This raises issues about eligibility for WHV, cost considerations, and visa status / citizenship of the child. I would suggest that you consult a registered migration agent who has experience dealing with these type of cases. Consideration of your case goes beyond the general advice that can be given on this forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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