Madis Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 Hello and sorry for a long post. I'm new to this forum and after about 9 months of trying to deal with the visa details I have realised that it can be even more complicated than I previously thought. I would like to ask some advice and tips from this forum. Thank you for any help! But before, I would like to explain where we are currently: 1. A little bit about our family: Me - 32y old (33 at 29.03.2019) Qualification: Bachelor degree on ICT Project Manager (graduated in 2009) Masters degree on ICT Business Analyst (graduated in 2011) Job experience: Different positions in IT sector (mainly Software Tester) - since 2008 Product Analyst in IT - since 10/2014 My wife - 33y old Qualification: Bachelor degree on Marketing (graduated in 2008) Job experience: Different positions in journalism and HR Manager/Owner in her own company specialised on event planning - since 2011 1st child - 5y old 2nd child - 1y old 2. Where we are in visa process so far: I have finally got all the papers together and applied for EOI, as ICT Business Analyst (261111) my skill, with following points: 189 - 60 points 190 - 65 points 489 - 70 points For that I: Got my diplomas and latest employer referal translated to english, signed by a laywer and applied for assessment by ACS Got my successful qualification assessment by ACS Took Cambridge English CAE test - scored 194 points and C1 level, Proficient level for SkillSelect Applied with that information for EOI 3. Our plans: We are planning to move to Australia for at least 4 years, most probably permanently. I was planning to move to Australia and start working in the end of this year (2018), followed by the rest of my family after about 2 months or so, after I've had time to settle in and prepare everything for my family - settle in with new job, get familiar with environment, find a place to live etc. Our first child would need to go to school in the beginning of next year so time pushes us. We have planned that my wife would take some time off from work for the first year or two to help children settle in to different environment. And so I could concentrate on my work. We are currently leaning towards Perth, Brisbane or Melbourne. Most probably Perth, but it all depends of what job offers are on the table. 4. My concernes and questions: I have realized that 60 points for 189 is currently not enough to get invited, the current cut off seems to be 70 or even 75 for my profession. I see that I might be able to get more points from: 5 points - getting my wife to get her skills assessed as Marketing Specialist (currently in the list) and do her English exam aswell; 5 points - add more work experience. I have currently added only my recent Product Analyst work experience to my assessment (as it's the only closely related one for ICT Business Analyst, the rest of my experience is also IT related, but mainly in IT Quality Assurance). I currently have 3-5 years of experience which gives me 5 points. Getting my work experience to 5+ years would give me 10 points. What do you think - would that be possible?; 5 points - come and work in Australia with another visa, get work experience for 1+ years and add it to my EOI; Minus 5 points - in about 9 months I will be 33 years old and I will loose 5 points instead. Meaning that all above would be pointless if I don't get an invite within the next 9 months. Am I right?; So here's my question - given my timeline (work in Australia by the beginning of 2019), do I have a shot to get visa though 189, 190 or 489 by that time at all or should I start looking for alternative ways (482 or other)? I've tried to get everything set up on my own, but I hear and read warnings that people might get rejected for silly mistakes. I have quite a lot at stakes here, due to my whole family needs and plans. Should I use help from a migration agent, based on my situation? How much would that service cost me about, given the fact that I've already got so far? Can you recommend a good migration agent that would suit my needs? Should I find a job first, get 482 (or something else), work and live in Australia for a year or two and follow another path for a permanent visa? My end goal would be to apply for citicenship and stay in Australia permanently. What would that path look like? Finding a job. I've started looking around and I have a few questions: Should I use a recruitment agency that is specialised on expats or it doesn't really matter? If yes, which recruitment agency would you recommend? If I apply for a job as an expat, are the employers generally up for sponsoring my visa? What should I pay attention to? What should I keep in mind getting visa for my family members aswell? As I've understood so far, all the visa forms I've been interested to (189, 190, 489, 482) give me the opportunity to include my family aswell Any other thoughts/ideas? I will be very grateful for your input, even the smallest ideas and suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beffers Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 1 hour ago, Madis said: Hello and sorry for a long post. I'm new to this forum and after about 9 months of trying to deal with the visa details I have realised that it can be even more complicated than I previously thought. I would like to ask some advice and tips from this forum. Thank you for any help! But before, I would like to explain where we are currently: 1. A little bit about our family: Me - 32y old (33 at 29.03.2019) Qualification: Bachelor degree on ICT Project Manager (graduated in 2009) Masters degree on ICT Business Analyst (graduated in 2011) Job experience: Different positions in IT sector (mainly Software Tester) - since 2008 Product Analyst in IT - since 10/2014 My wife - 33y old Qualification: Bachelor degree on Marketing (graduated in 2008) Job experience: Different positions in journalism and HR Manager/Owner in her own company specialised on event planning - since 2011 1st child - 5y old 2nd child - 1y old 2. Where we are in visa process so far: I have finally got all the papers together and applied for EOI, as ICT Business Analyst (261111) my skill, with following points: 189 - 60 points 190 - 65 points 489 - 70 points For that I: Got my diplomas and latest employer referal translated to english, signed by a laywer and applied for assessment by ACS Got my successful qualification assessment by ACS Took Cambridge English CAE test - scored 194 points and C1 level, Proficient level for SkillSelect Applied with that information for EOI 3. Our plans: We are planning to move to Australia for at least 4 years, most probably permanently. I was planning to move to Australia and start working in the end of this year (2018), followed by the rest of my family after about 2 months or so, after I've had time to settle in and prepare everything for my family - settle in with new job, get familiar with environment, find a place to live etc. Our first child would need to go to school in the beginning of next year so time pushes us. We have planned that my wife would take some time off from work for the first year or two to help children settle in to different environment. And so I could concentrate on my work. We are currently leaning towards Perth, Brisbane or Melbourne. Most probably Perth, but it all depends of what job offers are on the table. 4. My concernes and questions: I have realized that 60 points for 189 is currently not enough to get invited, the current cut off seems to be 70 or even 75 for my profession. I see that I might be able to get more points from: 5 points - getting my wife to get her skills assessed as Marketing Specialist (currently in the list) and do her English exam aswell; 5 points - add more work experience. I have currently added only my recent Product Analyst work experience to my assessment (as it's the only closely related one for ICT Business Analyst, the rest of my experience is also IT related, but mainly in IT Quality Assurance). I currently have 3-5 years of experience which gives me 5 points. Getting my work experience to 5+ years would give me 10 points. What do you think - would that be possible?; 5 points - come and work in Australia with another visa, get work experience for 1+ years and add it to my EOI; Minus 5 points - in about 9 months I will be 33 years old and I will loose 5 points instead. Meaning that all above would be pointless if I don't get an invite within the next 9 months. Am I right?; So here's my question - given my timeline (work in Australia by the beginning of 2019), do I have a shot to get visa though 189, 190 or 489 by that time at all or should I start looking for alternative ways (482 or other)? I've tried to get everything set up on my own, but I hear and read warnings that people might get rejected for silly mistakes. I have quite a lot at stakes here, due to my whole family needs and plans. Should I use help from a migration agent, based on my situation? How much would that service cost me about, given the fact that I've already got so far? Can you recommend a good migration agent that would suit my needs? Should I find a job first, get 482 (or something else), work and live in Australia for a year or two and follow another path for a permanent visa? My end goal would be to apply for citicenship and stay in Australia permanently. What would that path look like? Finding a job. I've started looking around and I have a few questions: Should I use a recruitment agency that is specialised on expats or it doesn't really matter? If yes, which recruitment agency would you recommend? If I apply for a job as an expat, are the employers generally up for sponsoring my visa? What should I pay attention to? What should I keep in mind getting visa for my family members aswell? As I've understood so far, all the visa forms I've been interested to (189, 190, 489, 482) give me the opportunity to include my family aswell Any other thoughts/ideas? I will be very grateful for your input, even the smallest ideas and suggestions. I don't know much about the visa stream you're interested in, but have the following two comments: Firstly, due to not quite having enough points, and other factors you mention, use an Agent who can assess your situation properly and provide a proper assessment. Secondly, you'll probably find it easier to get a job once you have a visa, as most employers can't offer work to someone who doesn't have working rights. But. Erin Networking, lots of Aussie firms look at LinkedIn so make sure that's up to date. Put the feelers out and network with agencies in your chosen locality but bear the above in mind about work rights etc. good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leighbee98 Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 We are using Alan from GoMatilda (on this forum) as our agent and I highly recommend. Alan is guiding us through the process, detailing all the options and strategies in order to stand the best possible chance of success. We thought the benefits far outweighed the cost. Our plan (if successful) is to migrate then seek employment even if that means volunteering to gain that local knowledge and show commitment. (My wife is the main applicant but i am an IT business Analyst specialising in Manufacturing) Drop @Alan Collett a message, he is very knowledgeable and detailed in his response. (There are other agent on here too) Wishing you all the best with the application 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lothar Posted June 27, 2018 Share Posted June 27, 2018 What is the breakdown of your points for 189? Do you have the full 20 points for English? If you have 30 for age, 20 for English and 15 for degree you should already be at 65, add the 5 for experience takes you to 70. Unless I missed something in your post. To answer your other question, yes if your age changes while your EOI is in the queue, your points will automatically be updated and your EOI date will move to that date. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madis Posted June 27, 2018 Author Share Posted June 27, 2018 12 hours ago, lothar said: What is the breakdown of your points for 189? Do you have the full 20 points for English? If you have 30 for age, 20 for English and 15 for degree you should already be at 65, add the 5 for experience takes you to 70. Unless I missed something in your post. To answer your other question, yes if your age changes while your EOI is in the queue, your points will automatically be updated and your EOI date will move to that date. My points breakdown for 189 is as follows: Age - 30 English - 10 (got level C1, not C2) Qualification - 15 Work experience - 5 Total - 60 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 (edited) 16 hours ago, Madis said: We are planning to move to Australia for at least 4 years, most probably permanently. In the current climate, I would never suggest making a temporary move with a view to becoming permanent later. With a young family, I'd say, go for the permanent visa or don't come at all. I say that because the Australian government is making so many changes, cutting down the available visas and lowering the quotas all the time. So the reality is, if you barely qualify for a permanent visa now, the chances of you qualifying for a permanent visa in a year's time, or two year's time, is even worse. If you have a window now, grab it. It would be awful to uproot your family and bring them all to Australia on a temp visa, only to have the rules change a few months before you're due to apply for permanency. We've seen so many families here who've experienced exactly that, and that was on the old temp visa in a less changeable environment. I'd say a one-off consultation with a registered MARA agent, like one of the reputable ones on this forum, is absolutely essential to get a realistic view of your chances. They will then give you a quote for their services. Edited June 28, 2018 by Marisawright 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul1Perth Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 You are pushed for time due to your age and losing points. Might be worthwhile talking to an agent as it's definitely better to get a permanent visa. Not sure what all the numbers mean now but a temp one with the hope of upgrading later can lead to heartbreak. Especially with a family. Perth is great and brilliant for growing families. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rammygirl Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Invites from this July will require 65 points minimum according to Alan Collett of Go Matilda in a recent post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rose Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 (edited) If 65 points is minimum from next week, it seems the quickest way to reach that number or get to 70 would be to sit another English test to obtain the full 20 points. Is this something that is possible (I.e. to resit) and if so, how achievable is 20 points under the Cambridge English CAE test? Edited June 28, 2018 by Red Rose Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madis Posted June 28, 2018 Author Share Posted June 28, 2018 1 hour ago, Red Rose said: If 65 points is minimum from next week, it seems the quickest way to reach that number or get to 70 would be to sit another English test to obtain the full 20 points. Is this something that is possible (I.e. to resit) and if so, how achievable is 20 points under the Cambridge English CAE test? I share you opinion. To be honest, the C1 test for me was pretty difficult as it required that mindset for exams which I last time had maybe 10 years ago. I was surprised that I even did that well, but now I discovered that I need to do even better. The average result I got was 197 points, but to get full 20 points for SkillSelect I would need to have 200+ points. I am now investigating next exam dates and if I should take the C1 test again (which I am familiar with and which has potential for C2 level (200+ points)) or do the C2 test right away. People in the exam center told me that the C2 level is extremely difficult. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beffers Posted June 28, 2018 Share Posted June 28, 2018 Given all the comments since my last comments and more information coming to light, I'd speak to an agent if I were you, to make sure you're going down the right path. They can guide you on your best options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABG Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 My only input would be to retake English test as it’s the quickest and cheapest was to get an extra 10 points. If Cambridge didn’t work for you, try PTE or IELTS. Now that you’ve done it once you know what to expect and should be able to improve your score if you’re a English first language speaker (which I’m guessing based on your English usage in your posts). Migration agent also worth exploring as the migration pathway is tricky if your case is not clear cut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madis Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 On 29/06/2018 at 20:41, ABG said: My only input would be to retake English test as it’s the quickest and cheapest was to get an extra 10 points. If Cambridge didn’t work for you, try PTE or IELTS. Now that you’ve done it once you know what to expect and should be able to improve your score if you’re a English first language speaker (which I’m guessing based on your English usage in your posts). Migration agent also worth exploring as the migration pathway is tricky if your case is not clear cut Thank you for your input. English is actually my second language, I'm from Estonia But I will most probably do the C2 level Cambridge exam in 2 weeks and I have already contacted a migration agent. And thank you everyone for your information. I will let you know how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rose Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 What is the C2 level Cambridge? Sounds hard as your English needs to be PhD / research masters proficient. Wouldn't IELTS be a lot easier to get the 20 points? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madis Posted July 3, 2018 Author Share Posted July 3, 2018 Cambridge English C2 level is achived with this exam:http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/exams-and-tests/proficiency/ I'm not actually sure if Cambridge English was the right path. Do you think IELTS is easier? I can also do IELTS exam here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red Rose Posted July 3, 2018 Share Posted July 3, 2018 IELTS is not hard, judging by your written English I think 9 in each category would be very achievable for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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