Re qualifying as solicitor in Aus

[c123]

Hi

I've have been thinking about requalifying as a solicitor in Australia in the future and was wondering if anyone on here could give some advice.

Currently I am doing my traineeship in the UK to qualify as a Scottish solicitor which will be completed in 2023. I then plan to work for a few years to gain PQE maybe 2-4 years as I understand that this can help you find a job in Aus and can also help to reduce the number of courses etc you need to complete for a positive skills assessment.

I was wondering what the best way is to complete the study requirements for the skills assessment. Is it best to move to Aus and complete the study say over the course of a year then apply for jobs when you are out there or is it easy enough to find work before being admitted in Aus then complete the studies whilst working. If you did choose to complete the study in Aus what is the best visa to do this? Also has anyone completed the studies from the UK before moving over? Would it be worth it getting a skills assessment after 2 years PQE in the UK then completing the studies before moving over to find a job.

Also what specific documents can you submit to help reduce the number of courses you need to take for the skills assessment. It might be good to start gathering as much as I can at the moment and build on it before submitting anything.

 

Thanks

[VERYSTORMY]

I would speak to a registered migration agent as skills assessments for lawyers are complex due to some variation between states. 

[Lottierh]

Hi @c123

I requalified as a solicitor in NSW last year as a uk qualified lawyer.

The first thing I would say is covid is likely to impact your plans. Timeframes are now uncertain and the impact on immigration is great.

secondly, the skilled list is subject to regular review so there is no guarantee it will remain on there as a skill which is worth thinking about given the finance and time investment required to requalify. 

thirdly, you need to consider which visa you would be wanting to apply for to work there as you will need to be able to satisfy the points score. A 190 visa says 65 points but in reality they were only inviting people with 90 points.

I did the course online whilst living and working in the uk with UNE and thought it was pretty good but you can get a student visa. I’d recommend Stefan at study options for help with this type of visa. Studying in Australia will give you more points if you go onto apply for a skilled, points tested visa. As will PQE but note you can lose points depending on your age.

In terms of skills assessment it’s fairly standard what they require and it’s about 7 units i think (£10k) but you can request exemptions if you have vast experience.

Anyway that’s a bit of a blurb but I hope it helps give you some information on the process. 
 

Best of luck 

 

[c123]

Hi @Lottierh

Thanks for the reply

Yes I think Covid will push things back for a while now. I won’t be qualified for a couple of years anyway and hope to gain some experience at home before moving. Obviously there is the issue with the skilled occupation list being updated so frequently so I will need to keep up to date with this. 

How did you find the studying online from the UK. Was it a lot to handle whilst working full time?

Also if it was possible to find an worm and an employer to sponsor me I was thinking of using the regional sponsor visa as Perth has been added to the list of regional areas. However not too sure how easy it would be to find a sponsorship. 

 

Thank you