Advice for which VISA pathway to choose (189 / 190 / 491)

[OzLover]

Hello,

I am a Physiotherapist with 10 years of experience, aged 36, looking to migrate to Oz with my husband (who is a dentist and has excellent English skills, and he's 35 with 10 years of work experience)

We would like to move permanently to Australia in the next few years, and are trying to understand a clear path (easiest one?) to do so, we are open to all possibilities

As far as we can understand:

- His job (dentist) isn't on any long-term skills list any more and is only suitable for a temporary regional visa

- Which means we would have to lodge an EOI under my job (Physio), so 189-190-491 could be possible pathways?

- I checked with a point calculator I should be able to get 80 points

- We are open to a change in jobs if it is necessary to get the PR (I've read several articles citing jobs with lots of vacant spots like carpenter / panel beater?)

- I am an excellent cook / pastrychef, which I have been doing as a hobby in the past several years. My husband is an excellent programmer

- We particularly love Queensland but are open to other states (we loved South Australia as well as NSW and Victoria so it's not an issue)

 

Based on this information, after things "normalize" this summer, what do you think would be the most feasible pathway to PR?

Thanks

[Marisawright]

I'd say, forget the change of job idea.  It would take you several years, because you'd first have to gain the specified qualification, and then spend a few years gaining relevant experience (any experience pre-qualification doesn't count).  There's always a risk your chosen new occupation will be removed from the list by the time you're eligible (occupations are getting removed all the time). 

Besides, being awarded a visa is nothing to do with whether jobs are available. If you already have an occupation that's on the list, it won't give you any advantage to swap to another one.

I would strongly advise you to book a consultation with a good migration agent.  Try Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda.  And don't delay, because as you get older, you start to lose points for age, and that might put your dream out of reach.  If you get started now, you might get a visa sometime next year.  Then you just have to make a quick trip to Australia to validate your visa, and then you've got five whole years to organise yourself and make the final move.

Types of visas:

The 189 is the Rolls Royce of visas, giving you immediate permanent residency and allowing you to live and work anywhere in Australia.  It's fiercely competitive and only those with the highest points are picked.  For a long time now, you've needed over 90 points to stand any chance of getting picked.  

https://iscah.com/wp_files/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/July2020predictions.png

The 190 also offers permanent residency, but you are obliged to work in your sponsoring state for the first two years. It's offered by the individual states and they don't base their decision entirely on points.  They also look at their specific needs and whether your qualifications and experience match.  So if you can't get over 90 points, the 190 is a more sensible choice. 

The bad news is that the states are getting fed up of people taking the 190, then not settling in the state. So they're focussing more on 491's instead.

The 491 is the easiest to get because it's less popular.  It's only temporary - a bit like being on probation for a job.   You have to live and work in a regional area of the sponsoring state for four years, then you qualify to get permanent residency (provided you meet a few conditions).   The states prefer this visa because by the time someone has been living in a region for that length of time, they're more likely to feel settled and won't leave.  

A good agent will advise you which one(s) you stand a chance at getting.   Note that even though you're a native speaker, you can take the English test to gain extra points.  It's surprisingly difficult so don't expect to get full marks, though!

[Monster]

On 31/01/2021 at 22:44, OzLover said:

Hello,

I am a Physiotherapist with 10 years of experience, aged 36, looking to migrate to Oz with my husband (who is a dentist and has excellent English skills, and he's 35 with 10 years of work experience)

We would like to move permanently to Australia in the next few years, and are trying to understand a clear path (easiest one?) to do so, we are open to all possibilities

As far as we can understand:

- His job (dentist) isn't on any long-term skills list any more and is only suitable for a temporary regional visa

- Which means we would have to lodge an EOI under my job (Physio), so 189-190-491 could be possible pathways?

- I checked with a point calculator I should be able to get 80 points

- We are open to a change in jobs if it is necessary to get the PR (I've read several articles citing jobs with lots of vacant spots like carpenter / panel beater?)

- I am an excellent cook / pastrychef, which I have been doing as a hobby in the past several years. My husband is an excellent programmer

- We particularly love Queensland but are open to other states (we loved South Australia as well as NSW and Victoria so it's not an issue)

 

Based on this information, after things "normalize" this summer, what do you think would be the most feasible pathway to PR?

Thanks

I think you don't need to change jobs/career coz Physiotherapist is in the skillslist.

Whilst Australian borders are still closed atm and not many visa approvals for offshore, use this period to prepare your migration journey (if you have not done started it yet). Don't delay , coz you might lose points with age if you reach 40 and migration rules change often.

1. Obtain your skills assessment. Check https://physiocouncil.com.au/overseas-practitioners/visa-skills-assessment/

2. If you are claiming points for your partner's occupation, skill assessment is needed

3. If your skills assessment is successful and you have the supporting documents for the points you are claiming, you can lodge an EOI (multiple EOIs are allowed)

4. 189 is PR and you can live/work anywhere in Australia. 190 is a PR visa - State sponsored, you have to live in the sponsoring state for 2 years, 491- this is a temporary visa for 4yrs, you need to live/work/study in regional areas/or sponsoring state for at least 3 years and meet all requirements then you can convert this to 191 - which is a PR visa.

You have to consider how soon you want to be in Australia and then choose the visa that will give you that the quickest. If you are not fussy about which state you will live then you can explore 190 or 491 (regional). Perhaps 190 is a good choice if you don't have high points as this one is direct PR.

Btw, don't get scared with 491 Regional Visa because the definition of "regional' for immigration purposes is anywhere except Metropolitan Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, which means big cities like goldcoast, woolongong, Newcastle, geelong, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, etc are 'regional'.

Another thing to remember, only DIBP can grant and cancel visas, your sponsoring state for 190/491 cannot cancel your visa especially if you have a valid reason that you can't fulfill your moral obligation to the state.

5. For state sponsorship, each state has its own process, requirements, occupation list, points system on top of what DIBP is required. If you have time to read you can check state migration websites for details (ie NSW state migration, VIC state migration, South Australia state migration, etc.)

Good luck!

[Jia]

Hi OzLover, it's best to get professional advice from an immigration lawyer or migration agent. They may be able to advise you on things that others have missed.

Edited February 12, 2021 by Jia