190 Project/Programme Administrator - Help Required!

[Neil7908]

Hi there,

Apologies if this is a bit of long post but I've been looking seriously into applying for the 190 visa in project/program administrator category over the last few days but still have a few questions before I take the plunge and start paying for agents, VETASSESS, medical etc.

Questions below and very grateful in advance for any assistance:

1. I've taken the basic points check but I'm having a hard time determining how many years experience I have. I would say I have 8+ years in the field but some of that is lower level. I live in the UK and have worked at the same company for over 8 years. My job titles from current to oldest are Programme Manager (1 year, 10 months), Assistant Programme Manager (4 years, 2 months - not sure why my company use this title but equivalent is to a Project Manager), Programme Coordinator (1 year), Programme Administrator (1 year, 6 months).

All roles have been with the same organisation, a not for profit in the environmental sector. My roles have primarily been focused on delivering grant programmes for the Government in UK on an annual funding cycle focusing on promoting environmental policies and action. When I look at the description of the tasks they are looking for it matches a lot with my core tasks, although I'm not sure the kind of work I'm doing is exactly what they are looking for as I'm not generally building anything, doing IT etc.

I have a fundamentals qualification with the Association for Project Managers (APM) but no other educational qualification in this area (I have a Honours degree from a UK university in Politics which does score me some points in other areas but not a lot).

Any thoughts on how I might get on with VETASSESS?

2. I have a congenital heart and lung condition which is giving me slight concern for the medical section. I know that all cases are assessed individually but I'd love any experience shared on this. I am 34 and very stable, dont have any medication and havent had any surgery for decades. I do see a cardiologist every year though and get some fairly basic checks.

I fully appreciate here I wont get a full answer but I would love any personal experiences from those that have gone through the medical exam with any related health issues.

Also, can anyone confirm if I should get the medical done prior to even submitting the EOI?

3) Language - Both my partner and I are native English speakers, UK citizens and have got degrees from UK universities. Am I correct that we still need to take an English language test? And does this also need to be done prior to submitting the EOI

Apologies for the length but would love some feedback before I start parting with my hard earned money.

Thanks in advance

Neil

[Ausvisitor]

You don't need the English test, but if you want to stand a decent chance of being selected you will want the points that come from taking it.

It's a lot harder than you think it will be (I didn't get the top level when I did it first time - over confident - and I've got a master degree in English).

You need to have the points in place before you lodge your EOI so you'll need to take the English test first unless you can already reach the minimum threshold (60pts + 5 for region sponsorship without the test).

 

The only places that offer a 190 for your career are NSW, TAS and North Territory. NT has also suspended applications until COVID situation slows down

 

On the health issue, sorry no advice there

[Tulip1]

I cannot help with your questions but the best feedback I can give you is to speak with an agent before you do anything else. It is worth spending a little on sound advice that you know will be correct. They will be able to access how many points you are likely to get and your chances. You have a medical condition and again, they are by far the best people to talk to about that.  If you’re going to pay for an agent anyway as you’ve mentioned, why wait. Many excellent agents regularly post  on here and are well regarded. 

[Neil7908]

5 hours ago, Ausvisitor said:

You don't need the English test, but if you want to stand a decent chance of being selected you will want the points that come from taking it.

It's a lot harder than you think it will be (I didn't get the top level when I did it first time - over confident - and I've got a master degree in English).

You need to have the points in place before you lodge your EOI so you'll need to take the English test first unless you can already reach the minimum threshold (60pts + 5 for region sponsorship without the test).

 

The only places that offer a 190 for your career are NSW, TAS and North Territory. NT has also suspended applications until COVID situation slows down

 

On the health issue, sorry no advice there

Thanks for the information, I'll look at getting the language tests done  and also helps to know I shouldn't take it lightly. 

 

In terms of the health stuff totally understand, wondering if the process requires me to get the health check done prior to submitting the EOI or the can I do it if I receive an invite? 

[Neil7908]

4 hours ago, Tulip1 said:

I cannot help with your questions but the best feedback I can give you is to speak with an agent before you do anything else. It is worth spending a little on sound advice that you know will be correct. They will be able to access how many points you are likely to get and your chances. You have a medical condition and again, they are by far the best people to talk to about that.  If you’re going to pay for an agent anyway as you’ve mentioned, why wait. Many excellent agents regularly post  on here and are well regarded. 

I'm thinking about agents but I'm slightly more of sceptical at the moment given COVID-19, as ultimately the advice will have a massive caveat as it seems unclear how immigration will be impacted. 

I'll take a look though and see if I can find any with the good reviews for reasonable costs. 

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, Neil7908 said:

I'm thinking about agents but I'm slightly more of sceptical at the moment given COVID-19, as ultimately the advice will have a massive caveat as it seems unclear how immigration will be impacted. 

I'll take a look though and see if I can find any with the good reviews for reasonable costs. 

All reputable agents willl offer a free initial consultation.  

The best agent for people with medical conditions is George Lombard.  He specialises in that area.  

[VERYSTORMY]

7 hours ago, Neil7908 said:

I'm thinking about agents but I'm slightly more of sceptical at the moment given COVID-19, as ultimately the advice will have a massive caveat as it seems unclear how immigration will be impacted. 

I'll take a look though and see if I can find any with the good reviews for reasonable costs. 

Using an agent in your situation is going to be vital. 

As for using them in the current Covid times, even more so. The department will be making changes to policy, rules and regulation. It might publish 1% of these. The rest it will only make known to agents. If you do it on your own and fall foul, you can’t complain as they will simply say you should have used an agent 
 

 

[Ausvisitor]

3 hours ago, VERYSTORMY said:

Using an agent in your situation is going to be vital. 

As for using them in the current Covid times, even more so. The department will be making changes to policy, rules and regulation. It might publish 1% of these. The rest it will only make known to agents. If you do it on your own and fall foul, you can’t complain as they will simply say you should have used an agent 
 

 

Many people DIY an application each year, but they have straightforward circumstances. (OFTEN these also end up contracting and agent to help deal with an issue that arises, which you can imagine is more expensive per hour of work than it would be to just use them anyway).

When you have health, occupation, criminal or child-custody issues I would say it's essential

 

One of the agents on here uses a "glib" signature to their posts - if you think hiring a professional is expensive, wait until you see the cost of not doing it.

 

[Neil7908]

12 hours ago, Marisawright said:

All reputable agents willl offer a free initial consultation.  

The best agent for people with medical conditions is George Lombard.  He specialises in that area.  

Thanks, I'll look him up. Some of the total agent costs I've read seem very high but it would be great to have an initial discussion and find a good one I can trust before committing. 

[Ausvisitor]

4 hours ago, Neil7908 said:

Thanks, I'll look him up. Some of the total agent costs I've read seem very high but it would be great to have an initial discussion and find a good one I can trust before committing. 

Depends on what you counf as "very high"

The overall migration cost (pre-landing in Oz) is already large

Skills Assessment - £1,000 to £2,000

Language Test & Med - £600

Document Validation and Other things - £200

Visa Fee - £2,000

So you are looking at £5k for a single person if there are no complexities. Add in another adult and you are talking another £1,500 each

By the time you add in lost earnings when you land, travel costs, living costs when you land and rental costs until you find home/job and most families of 4 would need at least £25K to get them over and through the initial months. When seen in that light the usual migration fees are under 10% of what you are willing to invest anyway in the process

[Marisawright]

14 hours ago, Neil7908 said:

Thanks, I'll look him up. Some of the total agent costs I've read seem very high but it would be great to have an initial discussion and find a good one I can trust before committing. 

Although an agent is expensive, it would be even more of a waste of money to make an application that stands little chance of success.  That's why I think having a consult with George is vital.  

With health issues, Immigration doesn't look at your current health.  It looks at your future health needs, and how much they will cost the taxpayer.  There is a threshold, and if you're likely to go above that, you'll get refused.   

So, for instance, I have a niece with a congenital heart condition.  In her early twenties, she's fit and healthy and requires no treatment, just occasional checkups.  However, ever since she was born, we've known she will need a heart transplant before she's forty. A transplant would take her way over the threshold, so she would stand no chance of getting a visa. 

https://austimmigration.com.au/

Edited June 1, 2020 by Marisawright