Company sponsorship?

[JoM1987]

Hello,

My partner and I have moved from the 'maybe we'd like to go to Australia' fluffy conversations of the last SIX years to a more definite plan to emigrate to Perth in 2025 (we have two small kids and I'd prefer them both to be school aged before we go). We've not looked into visa agents as yet.

I wondered if anyone could advise on what would be a better option for visas - my husband is a project manager and civil engineer by background. His company have offices in Oz so we may be able to get him moved internally and the company to sponsor the visa. I'm a clinical psychologist (autism specialist). I think both jobs are consistently on the skills shortage list. Would it be better to apply for the visas off our own backs or attempt to get sponsorship from partner's company?

Equally we both ideally would work 4 days a week spread over 5 days to cover school drop offs and pick ups. Is the culture generally OK with this in Oz?

Thank you!

 

[Marisawright]

On the subject of agents:  a lot of people say, "We're not ready to speak to an agent yet", but that's completely back to front.   The best and quickest way to get all the correct information is to book a one-off consultation with a good migration agent (try Suncoast Migration or Go Matilda).  Some agents offer a free initial consultation but you get what you pay for -- a free consult will be short and high-level, whereas a paid consultation should be more thorough and give you a solid idea of your options.

That said, here's what I think.  In theory, your best bet would be to go for your husband to go for an internal transfer.  That way you'll get expenses paid (migration is a very expensive business otherwise).  Ideally you'd want them to sponsor him for a permanent visa (186DE), not a temp visa (482).  It is theoretically possible to move to Australia on a 482 and then transition to a permanent visa later, but the transition is far from guaranteed, so you'll have a couple of years of uncertainty and may even end up back in the UK.  With young children, you may prefer to feel more settled from the get-go.

The big snag with the sponsorship option is that companies won't normally transfer until there's a position they want to fill, so they'll probably tell your husband to come back and talk to them in 2025 and they'll see what their needs are then.  And if, at that point, they decide they're not offering transfers, then you've wasted two years.

Therefore I think there's a strong case for applying for a permanent visa in your own right, and starting the process right now.  It can take over a year for the whole process to complete.   Once you get the visa, you have to 'activate' the visa within a year (which is done by taking a holiday in Australia, something you probably want to do for a recce anyway).  Once it's activated, you have a window of almost 5 years to make the permanent move, plenty of time to get all your ducks in a row. 

I say "apply now" because migration rules change every year.  What's in demand this year may not be next year, age limits change, requirements change.  So if you're eligible now, it's best to apply now, in case something changes next year that reduces your chances. 

[wrussell]

Companies do not sponsor, they nominate and currently it costs a lot to do this. The minister is making noises about reducing the complexities and costs, but has yet to do so. Consult one of the RMAs who posts on this forum for advice about strategy.

 

[Ausvisitor]

On 05/06/2023 at 23:57, JoM1987 said:

Hello,

My partner and I have moved from the 'maybe we'd like to go to Australia' fluffy conversations of the last SIX years to a more definite plan to emigrate to Perth in 2025 (we have two small kids and I'd prefer them both to be school aged before we go). We've not looked into visa agents as yet.

I wondered if anyone could advise on what would be a better option for visas - my husband is a project manager and civil engineer by background. His company have offices in Oz so we may be able to get him moved internally and the company to sponsor the visa. I'm a clinical psychologist (autism specialist). I think both jobs are consistently on the skills shortage list. Would it be better to apply for the visas off our own backs or attempt to get sponsorship from partner's company?

Equally we both ideally would work 4 days a week spread over 5 days to cover school drop offs and pick ups. Is the culture generally OK with this in Oz?

Thank you!

 

Four day weeks are very much in the new and why think it might work but we won't be the first to give it a go stage in corporate Australia

When you move over you will be at the "bottom of the pile" in terms of desirability for roles (as you won't have local references or experience) so whilst after being here 12-24 months you can probably easily get a 4 day week job or heavily WFH with make your own hours, the first couple of years you might be making your search much harder opting for that approach