Undergrad wanting to emigrate to Aus from Eng

[JayC]

Hi all,

I'm 24 and currently live in england and have just completed my Bsc degree in Biological Sciences. I have experience working as an electricians mate and was thinking of pursuing this to become a self-employed electrician but would rather get into a career relevant to my degree. I also have some barwork experience and have worked various odd jobs over the years but haven't had any tangible experience so to speak. I have around £30k in savings and have decided I want to live permanently in Australia but am confused as to what the best way to go about it would be.

Opinions and advice would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

Jay

 

[ali]

You probably don't yet have enough experience to pass a skills assessment for a skilled visa.  You could get a WHV but there is no certainty that avenue would lead to a permanent visa. 

[Quoll]

You may have decided you want to live in Australia but from what you have written it is highly unlikely that Australia would be in the least bit interested in you - at least for the time being.  Maybe when you have some skills which are on the visa list and some experience under your belt then perhaps you might get lucky but, unfortunately, it's not about what you want but about what Australia needs and for lots of folk there is just not a way in.  At least you are young, you can check your career options and skill sets and work on them to find a career that you love that might be on the list one day - it's all about qualifications and experience in Australia, just having been a "mate" isnt good enough in a trade which values apprenticeships.  In the meantime you can come on a WHV but understand that you will be going home at the end of it (and that would be the end of your £30k savings!)

[Marisawright]

6 hours ago, JayC said:

Hi all,

I'm 24 and currently live in england and have just completed my Bsc degree in Biological Sciences. I have experience working as an electricians mate and was thinking of pursuing this to become a self-employed electrician but would rather get into a career relevant to my degree. I also have some barwork experience and have worked various odd jobs over the years but haven't had any tangible experience so to speak. I have around £30k in savings and have decided I want to live permanently in Australia but am confused as to what the best way to go about it would be.

Australia used to be a developing country, crying out for workers.  That's not the case now.  We are like most other countries, very fussy about what immigrants we allow in.  Right now, no new visa applications are being considered due to Covid, and immigration will be reduced by about 85% this year.

There is a Skilled list (a list of occupations that are eligible to migrate).  Take a look at that and see if anything appeals to you - but be warned, occupations are taken off the list every year.  So you could choose an occupation now and start working towards it - but it will take you a few years to get the required experience, and you may find it's disappeared from the list by then.  It happens to a lot of people!  Therefore the best advice is to choose an occupation you'd genuinely like to pursue in the UK as much as in Australia.

Edited August 5, 2020 by Marisawright

[Skani]

Information about work visas here (and keeping in mind the comments above about the current situation):

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia

[JayC]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'm wondering if pursuing Master's Degree in Oz would be a viable option?

 

[Marisawright]

11 minutes ago, JayC said:

I'm wondering if pursuing Master's Degree in Oz would be a viable option?

 

No, unless you are very rich.  You'll have to pay full international fees (which are eye-watering) and you can't get any student loans or grants.  In theory, you can get a part-time job to help with expenses, but it's very difficult to find work that fits around lectures so it rarely works out.    Most international students here either have very rich parents, or are living on cockroach-infested share houses and living on pot noodles.

Once the pandemic is over, you'll be able to apply for a WHV (working holiday visa) which allows you to come and work in Australia for one or two years.  But it doesn't give you any rights to stay.   

You'll hear stories of people on a WHV managing to find an employer to sponsor them for migration.  But actually, the job still needs to be on that Skilled list, and you still need all the qualifications and experience specified, so you still need to get all that sorted first, if that's your goal.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Marisawright

[Quoll]

44 minutes ago, JayC said:

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'm wondering if pursuing Master's Degree in Oz would be a viable option?

 

How rich are you?  And even then, once you've done with your studies what next?  Dont think you can stay just because you've studied in Australia, expect to be heading home.  If you want to pursue a masters because it will lead to the career you want then do it, but do it at home where you are likely to be supported, get scholarships etc.  If your career is still on the list at the end of that then you might be able to apply then.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Quoll

[Joe/Rose]

If I was you, I would keep working with the electrician(if your enjoying it & it’s what you want to do)...go to college, get the level 3 & NVQ3, work for 2-3 more years, Post NVQ 3. Now this is important as what you’ve done before the NVQ is worthless to Australia as you were not qualified!!!  Then have a skills assessment etc. 

After this is COVID is over, in the mean time of what I’ve stated above, go on a WHV. As hearing what people say & looking on the internet is no indication of whether you personally would enjoy Aus.

Hopefully within the next 5 years you could make it happen, if electricians are still on the list that is & you hit the formula of qualification, work experience, age & English ability correctly.

That’s the timeline we’re talking here!! Good luck.

[jack13]

The responses to this post are the most insaine thing I have ever seen. 

You have 30k, so nearly 60k in dollars, a degree in sciences and are 24. Mate take no notice your laughing!

I came here with a couple of grand, got the student visa and got sponsored in my job. You my freind with that kind of money would be fine. Yes international fees are Hella expensive but it's doable with that kind of cash, if you really want it! And all that about struggling to find a job that fits around your course? What rot! I know hundreds of international students who manage school around work. I'm not saying it's easy but with your kind of cash and that degree behind you, you stand a very good chance. I would get a whv first and look into what fields you may like to work in. 

You could train in something new here and then get the graduate visa after with that kind of money. Just be prepared to do something you otherwise may not usually do. But you may find a new career you like. Also yes there are no guarantees but there's not with anything in life.

And lol spending 60k in two years? How on earth does someone do that? Have champagne for breakfast?!

The truth is though if your looking to get further qualified to better your chances even further, it is cheaper and easier in the UK for you. All depends how desperate you are to make the move? 

[jack13]

One thing to bear in mind though is or may be harder to find a job after covid because there is a recession here now. But you have your savings. Spend wisely.

[ramot]

1 hour ago, jack13 said:

One thing to bear in mind though is or may be harder to find a job after covid because there is a recession here now. But you have your savings. Spend wisely.

There have been several reports recently that international students are really struggling, as work is very hard to find now. Some apparently are relying heavily on help from their overseas parents, and I think it was in Hobart? that students are relying for food provided kindly by a charity, or it was a group of very kind people, cooking every day for them, otherwise they would go hungry.

In case you think I am anti international students, I’m not as my son came that route, but it is expensive and after the horrendous time in about 2010? when Chris Evans was the immigration minister and students were treated so badly by the retrospective visa changes, it has become harder to get a visa after studying here.

[jack13]

Yer like I said it's not easy to get work currently because of covid. What happened in 2010?

[ozuk]

Even harder for me, if you're over 50 chance of getting a job is about 0.0000001%.

[Ausvisitor]

1 hour ago, ozuk said:

Even harder for me, if you're over 50 chance of getting a job is about 0.0000001%.

I know loads of people over 50 getting jobs and changing jobs, why do you think it is so difficult?

[JayC]

18 hours ago, jack13 said:

The responses to this post are the most insaine thing I have ever seen. 

You have 30k, so nearly 60k in dollars, a degree in sciences and are 24. Mate take no notice your laughing!

I came here with a couple of grand, got the student visa and got sponsored in my job. You my freind with that kind of money would be fine. Yes international fees are Hella expensive but it's doable with that kind of cash, if you really want it! And all that about struggling to find a job that fits around your course? What rot! I know hundreds of international students who manage school around work. I'm not saying it's easy but with your kind of cash and that degree behind you, you stand a very good chance. I would get a whv first and look into what fields you may like to work in. 

You could train in something new here and then get the graduate visa after with that kind of money. Just be prepared to do something you otherwise may not usually do. But you may find a new career you like. Also yes there are no guarantees but there's not with anything in life.

And lol spending 60k in two years? How on earth does someone do that? Have champagne for breakfast?!

The truth is though if your looking to get further qualified to better your chances even further, it is cheaper and easier in the UK for you. All depends how desperate you are to make the move? 

It's nice to hear some optimism haha.

I know the risks people are pointing out are very real but what's life without a bit of risk and experience? I've always wanted to go to Australia and was brought up on Steve Irwin as a kid so it must of been ingrained in my subconcious from a young age and now I'm answering the calling lol. So yeah, rightly or wrongly I'm just gonna do it and go the international student route.

It's great to hear you made it, I hope I can too!

Oz here I come!

[ramot]

17 hours ago, jack13 said:

Yer like I said it's not easy to get work currently because of covid. What happened in 2010?

Prior to 2010 studying an international student was encouraged to study here, as a route to PR. Unfortunately there was allegedly a lot of rorting of the system.

Almost Overnight Chris Evans the labor immigration minister changed the rules retrospectively.

My son had studied to an MBA, submitted his front loaded visa application, which up to then was normally issued in about a month. Front loaded meant every thing required for the visa completed. One week later he was in limbo, and finding a job became a nightmare with no PR.

He like thousands of students then went onto bridging visa A, until the system was re assessed. 3 1/2 years later he was one of the few lucky ones to be granted PR. Thousands were finally told to go home and many never had their  application fees returned that had been paid in good faith. It was a disgrace how badly the international students were treated, yes there had been a problem with dishonesty, but the majority had been encouraged to study here with an encouraged route to PR, paid the high fees as international students to be told after doing nothing wrong, tough we have changed the rules.

[Paul1Perth]

2 minutes ago, ramot said:

Prior to 2010 studying an international student was encouraged to study here, as a route to PR. Unfortunately there was allegedly a lot of rorting of the system.

Almost Overnight Chris Evans the labor immigration minister changed the rules retrospectively.

My son had studied to an MBA, submitted his front loaded visa application, which up to then was normally issued in about a month. Front loaded meant every thing required for the visa completed. One week later he was in limbo, and finding a job became a nightmare with no PR.

He like thousands of students then went onto bridging visa A, until the system was re assessed. 3 1/2 years later he was one of the few lucky ones to be granted PR. Thousands were finally told to go home and many never had their  application fees returned that had been paid in good faith. It was a disgrace how badly the international students were treated, yes there had been a problem with dishonesty, but the majority had been encouraged to study here with an encouraged route to PR, paid the high fees as international students to be told after doing nothing wrong, tough we have changed the rules.

They were never guranteed PR though, it was a risk they took. It's a lot like applying for PR from the UK you can spend thousands, think you are in, put your life in the UK on hold, dream of the day you get accepted and hear that you haven't been successful by letter. 

Happened to my Sister and family. I think that experience had a big contribution to her marriage breakup.

[ramot]

6 minutes ago, Paul1Perth said:

They were never guranteed PR though, it was a risk they took. It's a lot like applying for PR from the UK you can spend thousands, think you are in, put your life in the UK on hold, dream of the day you get accepted and hear that you haven't been successful by letter. 

Happened to my Sister and family. I think that experience had a big contribution to her marriage breakup.

It wasn’t guaranteed Paul, nothing in life is, but it was an encouraged route to PR before 2010, and bought in plenty of money with it. 

[Marisawright]

3 hours ago, JayC said:

It's nice to hear some optimism haha.

I know the risks people are pointing out are very real but what's life without a bit of risk and experience? I've always wanted to go to Australia and was brought up on Steve Irwin as a kid so it must of been ingrained in my subconcious from a young age and now I'm answering the calling lol. So yeah, rightly or wrongly I'm just gonna do it and go the international student route.

It's great to hear you made it, I hope I can too!

Oz here I come!

Good luck with it. Just do your planning.  Draw up a budget so you are sure you can afford it.  Research how much it will cost to rent somewhere (either sharing or in halls or whatever you plan).   Check the fees you'll have to pay.   And choose your university carefully.  

If you were brought up on Steve Irwin then  I suggest you aim for a Queensland university, so you're close to Steve Irwin territory and all the creatures he featured.  Who knows, there could be some career opportunities in the biological sciences up there, as there's so much wildlife and natural heritage.  You might consider getting your diving certificate.   My step-niece went to Queensland on her WHV.  She was a biology major and a qualified diver and got plenty of work as a tourist diving guide.

Edited August 11, 2020 by Marisawright

[WelderGuy5]

On 06/08/2020 at 10:59, JayC said:

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'm wondering if pursuing Master's Degree in Oz would be a viable option?

 

Yep pursuing Masters is good and expensive as well. You spouse can work full time as well with full work rights. Choose profession whispers is sought after and in list. Nail it.