Calling those who applied on their own

[dan77]

Dear All

 

This is call for all the members of PIOZ who have applied visa application on their own without taking help of any migration agent.

 

Aim is to share experiences, problems faced and their solution. I think this would help people who want to apply on their own but fear of unknown problems that they may face after applying.

 

Also suggest whether one should apply himself/herself or take help of immigration agent.

 

Thanks

[Guest Perth Princess]

We did ours without an agent so would be happy to answer any questions relating to this. I've got a bad memory though:twitcy:

[ali]

What is it in particular that's bothering you?

[dan77]

I m going to apply in mid april. There r lot of things which comes to mind:

 

1. Should i apply myself or through agent. Though info. available on deptt. site seems quite sufficient, but there is a fear inside about the possible comlications after filing the application..

 

2.Apart from proof of employment (employer reference) we also have to submit a c.v. What should be the format of the c.v? what info. should be included therein...etc..etc...

 

 

 

What is it in particular that's bothering you?

[Guest snow white]

hi we did our own application no agents no extra fees thank god id be glad to help if i can came on a 136 skilled independent hubbie is a plumber/ gasfitter

 

 

lesley x

[Dawn75]

We are in process of doing it ourselves, did online app for a 175 visa and form was quite straight forward. Although may be changing visa now so sometimes think an agent would have been better !

Trouble was we couldnt afford it but thank god for Poms in Oz and everyones advice !

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hello Dan

 

Having read through your earlier threads and posts, personally I think your best bet would be to use a migration agent.

 

Which country are you in, please? I can either let you have a list of agents in your ownw country or I can supply a list of agents in Oz who would be able to help you. Perhaps it would be useful if I do both and then you can phone some of them, get some free preliminary advice and see what you want to do after that?

 

Accountant 2211-11 - Australian Skills Recognition Information

 

You say you plan to apply under the above. I have no idea about accountancy so I have no idea whether you have chosen the right one out of the various "accountant" possibilities.

 

What I can tell you is that the ASRI list above gets the brief job description and Code number from the ASCO Dictionary, which is the authoritative document and is here:

 

1220.0 - Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Second Edition, 1997=

 

What you should therefore do is read the brief decriptions and then read the detailed descriptions to confirm (a) which type of accountant and (b) your CV needs to show that you are what the ASCO Dictionary requires, since that is the document the DIAC Case Officer will use to determine your actual occupation, based on your CV, references etc. When you make the visa application, in effect you tell DIAC, "I believe I am an Accountant 2211-11." DIAC will determine what your actual occupation is as far as Australian Law is concerned, based upon what the ASCO Dictionary tells them once they have considered the evidence that you have submitted concerning your work experience.

 

On one of your threads you have said:

I want to apply for 175 (MODL, Non CSL ) Visa.

 

 

Why? If you proceed as above you will NOT be moving to Australia any time soon, that is for sure, my friend. Please send a completely blank e-mail to aspc.processing@immi.gov.au and you will begin to understand this better once you receive the auto-reply. They update the information every Tuesday so you need to send a new e-mail every Tuesday. The one I got last Wednesday says:

 

GENERAL SKILLED MIGRATION ADELAIDE

PROCESSING INFORMATION FOR THE WEEK COMMENCING:

16 March 2009

 

This is an automated e-mail response which provides weekly updated

information on skilled migration applications being processed by the

Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre (ASPC). Please do not reply to this

email address. This mailbox is not monitored. Our contact details are

listed below.

 

ASPC PROCESSING INFORMATION

 

On 17 December 2008 the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship announced

changes to the way General Skilled Migration applications will be

processed. Details can be found on the DIAC website at:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/whats-new.htm#j

 

As a result of the Minister's direction, as of 1 January 2009, all

applications for General Skilled Migration are being processed in the

following priority order:

 

1. Applications with a successful State & Territory Nomination (until all

applications have been processed); and then

2. Applications where the nominated occupation is on the Critical Skills

List (CSL) (until all applications have been processed); and then

3. Applications where the nominated occupation is on the Migration

Occupations in Demand List (MODL) (until all applications have been

processed); and then

4. All other remaining applications

 

The Minister's direction applies to the processing of all skilled migration

applications currently before the department.

 

Application Processing Information

 

Please Note: You should allow a further 10 working days after the relevant

date indicated below for your case officer to contact you. If you have not

been contacted after this time please lodge an enquiry about your

application at General Skilled Migration Post-Lodgement Enquiry Form

 

Applications are now being processed as follows:

 

State & Territory Nominated Applications:

 

Once the department has received and approved a nomination from a state or

territory authority processing of the application will commence within 10

working days of that approval.

 

Applications with a nominated occupation on the Critical Skills List (CSL):

 

Applications are being processed in date of lodgement order. The ASPC

expects to have commenced processing of all CSL applications held by this

office by the end of May 2009.

 

Information about the CSL can be found on the department's website at:

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/critical-skills-list.pdf

 

Applications with a nominated occupation on the Migration Occupations in

Demand List (MODL):

Applications are not being processed at present.

 

All Other Applications

Applications are not being processed at present.

 

 

The new CSL, published on 16th March 2009, is here:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/critical-skills-list.pdf

 

According to that Acountant 2211-11 is on it as long as you have scored 7.0 or above in each of the four Modules of the IELTS. Have you taken the IELTS yet? If so did you get 7.0 or above in each of the four modules of the general test, please?

 

Also, do you have a positive skills assessment as yet?

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest hearty]

Even if you appoint an agent you'll still need to provide them your CV (they can't possibly write a CV for you?) and all other documents like employer reference, testimonials and etc...Basically, a migration agent only fills up the forms for you and give you some advice??....I don't know

 

You can go through the relevant migration booklet from DIAC website:

Information Booklets - Applications & Forms - Visas & Immigration

You are free to ask the DIAC or the experts in PIO any questions....these people are the most helpful...

[dan77]

Thanks Gilli for this useful reply.

 

First of all, I m from New Delhi (India). I have the list of MARA Registered agents, but do you know anyone who is really competent.

 

Secondly, i intend to file visa application on my own as i dont have enough funds.

 

I have got positive skill assessment from CPA Australia as Acountant (2211-11). I think 2211-11 suits my work experience.

 

Initially i wanted to file application under CSL and also gave IELTS two times, but

i could not get 7 band in all four modules (6.5 in speaking). As IELTS is quite costly so i have decided for 175 non-CSL.

 

Also I dont have enough funds to show for State Sponsorship.

 

Please guide me how i should move forward.

 

Regards

 

 

Hello Dan

Having read through your earlier threads and posts, personally I think your best bet would be to use a migration agent.

 

Which country are you in, please? I can either let you have a list of agents in your ownw country or I can supply a list of agents in Oz who would be able to help you. Perhaps it would be useful if I do both and then you can phone some of them, get some free preliminary advice and see what you want to do after that?

 

Accountant 2211-11 - Australian Skills Recognition Information

 

You say you plan to apply under the above. I have no idea about accountancy so I have no idea whether you have chosen the right one out of the various "accountant" possibilities.

 

What I can tell you is that the ASRI list above gets the brief job description and Code number from the ASCO Dictionary, which is the authoritative document and is here:

 

1220.0 - Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Second Edition, 1997=

 

What you should therefore do is read the brief decriptions and then read the detailed descriptions to confirm (a) which type of accountant and (b) your CV needs to show that you are what the ASCO Dictionary requires, since that is the document the DIAC Case Officer will use to determine your actual occupation, based on your CV, references etc. When you make the visa application, in effect you tell DIAC, "I believe I am an Accountant 2211-11." DIAC will determine what your actual occupation is as far as Australian Law is concerned, based upon what the ASCO Dictionary tells them once they have considered the evidence that you have submitted concerning your work experience.

 

On one of your threads you have said:

 

 

Why? If you proceed as above you will NOT be moving to Australia any time soon, that is for sure, my friend. Please send a completely blank e-mail to aspc.processing@immi.gov.au and you will begin to understand this better once you receive the auto-reply. They update the information every Tuesday so you need to send a new e-mail every Tuesday. The one I got last Wednesday says:

 

 

 

The new CSL, published on 16th March 2009, is here:

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/critical-skills-list.pdf

 

According to that Acountant 2211-11 is on it as long as you have scored 7.0 or above in each of the four Modules of the IELTS. Have you taken the IELTS yet? If so did you get 7.0 or above in each of the four modules of the general test, please?

 

Also, do you have a positive skills assessment as yet?

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[scarlet mia]

Hi we have recently applied for 175 paperbased and did not use an agent. My OH is a sheetmetal workr and we did not have any problems but we were quite straight forward OH been with same employer since leaving school so this made the TRA a little less stressful. I am pleased we did it alone and would be more than happy to pass on any advise may have.

Good luck.

[Johnny Kash]

Lodged 176 myself online at the start of Feb.

 

I found the whole thing to be straightforward in the main, its just knowing what to do and in what order.

 

For example, the English Test. This delayed my application by about 6 weeks because the test centre was full. You need to do a bit of planning in advance!

 

As to using an agent, Im sure a good one would make the whole thing a lot easier. If you want the peace of mind or have a particularly complex case then yes, use an agent. In hindsight I think I made the right decision in going it alone (touch wood, dont have Visa yet!) as I was on the verge of handing over a lot of money to employ one.

 

If youre organised and methodical youll have no problems, go for it! even if youre not, youll still get there just might take a bit longer.

 

If theres anyone out there looking to lodge a similar visa to myself (176 sponsored, Vetassess skills assesment) Ill happily give you any advice.

And this forum is of course a goldmine of information. :cool:

[Guest sean74]

Lodged 176 myself online at the start of Feb.

 

 

If theres anyone out there looking to lodge a similar visa to myself (176 sponsored, Vetassess skills assesment) Ill happily give you any advice.

 

 

 

thanks for the offer johnny. I am looking into the process at the minute and i believe everone says get the thing started asap a it can take a while.

 

I am a Buidling Surveyor and wil be sending my docuemnts to VETASSESS this week for approval. I read the different grading of aplicants (sponsored/CSL/MODL) in previous posts and its very helpful.

 

I am on the SOL list as a Building Surveyor and hope VETASSESS apporves my qualifications (from UK) bu then wondered about going for either the 175 (independent) or the 176 which would be state spceific.

 

Do you know what states are sponsoring Building Surveyors or where I might find out and is this a very restrictive visa? also do you know if the 176 takes precedence over the 175 applicants. my understanding is that it does as state sponsored sits at the top of the list at the minute - wouldn't mind getting confirmation from others.

 

thanks for your input.

 

Sean

 

Is this the current status

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hello Sean

 

Welcome to Poms in Oz.

 

Something is wrong. I am not sure what.

 

Building Surveyor 2549-79 - Australian Skills Recognition Information

 

We both agree that this sounds like you?

 

The six digit Code number is lifted from the ASCO Dictionary, which is the authoritative document for migration purposes.

 

1220.0 - Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Second Edition, 1997

 

It does not make sense. This is the Sept 2006 version of ASCO which as far as I know is the right one. The .pdf version is here:

 

http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.nsf/Lookup/A86A0162E6F672DFCA256ADB001D10D4/$File/asco.pdf

 

The alphabetical list of occupations is at the back.

 

Get rid of the 2 digits at teh end in the html version and let us go back through the family tree of 2549:

 

1220.0 - Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Second Edition, 1997

 

None of those people are you.

 

Surveyor is in 2129 and he is not you either (Page 119 in the pdf version.) Surveyor is the chap with the theodolyte and similar.

 

"Building Surveyor 2549-79" in the ASRI List appears to be fiction. ASCO does not confirm a word of it. As far as I know ASRI "belongs" to DIAC and I suspect an error in ASRI.

 

Project Builder does at least get us in the direction of bricks & mortar:

 

Project Builder 1191-13 - Australian Skills Recognition Information

 

Property Manager is a money man:

 

Property Manager 3293-13 - Australian Skills Recognition Information

 

So where is the guy who tells me whether or not my house or my office building is in sound structural condition? Everybody from the Prime Minister, the Strip Tease Artist, the Prostitute, the Garbologist and the Gravedigger are in ASCO so the man I am looking for is in there as well but I do not trust the ASRI list at the moment.

 

The alphabetical index in ASCO does not offer "Building Surveyor."

 

Right now my instinct is "Stop! Get to the bottom of this anomaly. Why doesn't ASRI tally with ASCO Second Edition where this occupation is concerned?"

 

Do some delving and see what you come up with, I suggest, and I will do the same from my end.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest Gollywobbler]

HI again, Sean

 

I have asked some of the Agents who post on here to take a look at this anomaly.

 

I think - ie I guess - that the legal position is to point to the SOL and say, "The SOL says 50 points so gimme 50 points." However I want to get this checked because I think ASCO is trying to push you towards Building Inspector - the chap who says whether or not the Buildings Regulations have been complied with, That is not what you do. Buildings Inspector is only 40 points, which is why I am concerned, and anyway I've never met Mr Buildings Inspector FRICS or even ARICS, which I assume you are?

 

ANZSCO seems to have a man called a Buildings Surveyor but he is a clone of the Buildings Inspector and anyway as far as I know ANZSCO has not yet been formally adopted by Australia.

 

Australia clearly does have people who can determine whether the back wall is falling off the building and suchlike but finding the Strine job title is not always easy I can tell you. The good old British Groundworker turned out to be a Mobile Construction Plant Operator in Strine because the British Groundworker drives a digging machine.

 

It can be very odd. I think it needs to be resolved, though, to ensure that the points will be OK.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest sean74]

gollywobbler.........many thanks for that.

 

i am going to send my certs to VETASSESS anyway for the first stage approval of qualifications and try tio ascertain over the next 4 weeks what my next step should be.

 

any ideas regarding 175 or 176 at present?

 

Sean

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Sean

 

The mystery is resolved. A first rate registered migration agent called Tony Coates replied to me about this query. He said:

 

Is the only SOL occupation not covered in ASCO - AIQS refuse to assess as part of their general surveyor - VETASSESS are the gazetted Assessing body for 50 points so any degree gets him through the skills assessmment for 50 points - DIAC then assess his experience separately. Tell him to get onto the on-line VETASSESS and the occupation will be in their drop down menu.

Tony is registered with the Migration Agents Registration Authority and is very experienced. He worked for DIAC at some stage but he has been working as a migration agent in private practice for a long time since then.

 

Migration Agents Registration Authority=

 

Tony is usually a mine of rock solid information when a strange query like the one about your occupation crops up. I've never seen it before and couldn't understand lumping you into a group in which you have nothing in common with any of the others. However thanks to Tony we can now understand why this is.

 

Turning to the remainder of your query:

 

Do you know what states are sponsoring Building Surveyors or where I might find out and is this a very restrictive visa? also do you know if the 176 takes precedence over the 175 applicants. my understanding is that it does as state sponsored sits at the top of the list at the minute - wouldn't mind getting confirmation from others.

 

Depends what you mean by "restrictive." Even VIC and TAS are both huge places in comparison to England, let us say. The 176 visa allows you to live and work anywhere you like in the State concerned and you can do any job that you like once in Oz - you do not have to do Building Surveying if you would prefer to sell ice cream from a cart on the beach - or even just loaf on the beach if you win the Lotto and can afford not to work.

 

If State X sponsors you, you move there but you can't stand the flies or things don't work out for you as well as they might do elsewhere, you are free to move to any other part of Oz within the 2 years. The only legal requirement is that your intention to move to State X must be genuine at the time when you ask DIAC to give you a State Sponsored 176 visa and your intention must still be genuine at the time when DIAC grant the visa. A change of mind prior to a visa grant is a material change of circumstances and in that event, common courtesy is to inform both the State and DIAC about your change of mind. Nothing removes the obligation of common courtesy and consideration for others by all concerned.

 

If all stays happy and you move to State X, their request is that they would be grateful if you could see your way clear to trying to remain in State X for 2 years. Even if your initial impression is that you have moved to the Location From Hell, State X believes that the place and its population will grow on you if you will be kind enough to give them a reasonable chance to do so. They hope that after 2 years you will feel sufficiently settled to want to stay in State X for the long term but accept that if you don't want to, nobody can say that you have not even tried.

 

I am not exaggerating. This is the real McCoy about the philosophy that underpins the legislative provisions. State X also requests that you be kind enough to complete a short, multiple choice questionnaire once every six months during your first two years - so four in total. They also ask you to keep them informed of your current address so that they know where to send the questionnaire to. There is no element of Big Brother. They merely want feedback from you during the initial settling in period so that they get some info about where people choose to live in the State, what sort of work they choose to do, why they like one spot better than another and so forth.

 

They need the feedback in order to consider whether or not their State Migration program is a success. Also a State Sponsored visa holder is the State's protege so it would really be rather rude of them not to show any interest in how he is getting on post arrival in Oz. They can't force you to complete the questionnaires. They are merely grateful if you are kind enough to cooperate by doing so.

 

At the moment State Sponsorship is the name of the game if you want a visa any time soon. In theory at least the State advertises for migrants with particular skills and all the States are aware that it is a competitive buyer's market, hence they all go to great lengths to wheedle you by telling you about the beauties and joys of the State concerned, via their State Migration websites. Saatchi & Saatchi should eat their hearts out because the States are all excellent at selling their own wares!

 

The link to all of the State/Territory websites is here:

 

State & Territory Migration Sites - australia.gov.au

 

Don't bother with NSW. It only offers 176 State Sponsorship to IT and Finance experts.

 

Be prepared to think laterally, too. Let us assume that you decide that the ACT is your baby. Here are the links:

 

Business and Industry Development - ACT Skills in Demand List (Updated 24 March 2009)

 

http://www.business.act.gov.au/__data/assets/excel_doc/0003/94584/ACT_Skills_in_Demand_List_March_09.xls

 

Buildings Surveyor 2549-79 is not on the ACT List but Building Associate 3121-11 is:

 

Building Associate 3121-11 - Australian Skills Recognition Information

 

1220.0 - Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Second Edition, 1997

 

The detailed description suggests that Building Associate may not be a million miles removed from what you actually do all day long.

 

In this svent, you would still nominate Building Surveyor to Vetassess if you need 50 points (bear in mind that the State would give you 10 points.) If Vetassess say yes, which they will, then you would need to know - in advance of applying to Vetassess - whether the ACT would entertain a sponsorship application from you as a Building Associate even though your skills assessment says Building Surveyor.

 

In this situation, I would contact the relevant State first, before you do anything about Vetassess. If the State rules require that the occupation you apply to the State with must be the same occupation as the one approved in your skills assessment, you might choose to nominate Building Associate to Vetassess. Vetassess would OK this because Building Associate requires a Diploma and a degree is higher, so that bit is fine but if you do this then you will also only get 40 points towards your overall total.

 

I don't know what the ACT's Policy is on this question. You would need to contact them to have a chat with them and find out. QLD are strict about the idea that the occupation nominated in the State application must be the same one as approved in the skills assessment:

 

Skilled Sponsored Eligible Skills List

 

QLD are also offering 176 Sponsorship to Building Associate but not to Building Surveyor. Therefore if your heart is set on QLD I would definitely recommend discussion with QLD before you apply to Vetassess for anything.

 

Moving on to the visa application, if you have enough Points for a 175 visa and you have a positive skills assessment from Vetassess as something completely irrelevant such as an Organisation & Methods Analyst, a 175 visa is possible because the legislation requires only that the CO, examining your CV and other documents, concludes that you do a job which is on the SOL. YOu can have a skiills assessment as an Organisation & Methods Analyst but you can nominate Property Manager to DIAC later if that is what you actually do. Once you have suggested the occupation to DIAC, however, you cannot later change your mind about the occupation you have nominated.

 

If you apply for a 175 but you later obtain State Sponsorship, you can switch to a State Sponsored 176 visa without paying anything extra to DIAC or completing another application. The reason for this is because subclasses 175 and 176 are both in Class VE. Because of that your CO must consider your eligibility for both visas anyway. If you qualify for both then Policy is to grant whichever visa you would prefer or to grant you the better one if the CO does not have time to debate the question with you. A 175 visa would not prevent you from moving to QLD if that is your wish.

 

Bear in mind too that if you have enough points for a 175 based on Building Surveyor (50 points) then you also have enough points to opt for Building Associate instead because 40 + 10 from the State = 50 and anyway you only need 100 points in total for a State Sponsored 176.

 

One final quirk. You might say to DIAC, "I am Sean FRICS and in the UK I am a Buildings Surveyor so that is what I have nominated in my visa application to you, please." The CO's response to that is, "I hear you. Let me have a look at your CV and see what you actually do all day according to me."

 

The CV reveals that you are not the bricks & mortar chap after all. You work for the commercial arm of Humberts, perhaps, and your job is managing lettings of the office buildings for XYZ Pension Fund or similar. Or you might be an expert on letting space in retail shopping malls or whatever. In that event, your CO might decide that you are actually a Property Manager as far as the ASCO Dictionary and the CO are concerned:

 

Property Manager 3293-13 - Australian Skills Recognition Information

 

Not all Surveyors in the UK worry about whether or not the back wall is intact, as you know. "Translating" your occupation into Strine can be a bit of a weird process with someone like you!

 

If it is likely that your CO would conclude that you are a Property Manager then serious thought should be given to nominating that rather than Buildings Surveyor. However in that event, unless you can find a State which is offering Property Manager you would need to chat with the State of your choice to see whether they would be agreeable to an off list nomination for you, whch they might be.

 

Good migration agents exist for the purpose of identifying these sorts of possibilities, threading a viable way through the maze and then chatting with the States and with DIAC for you in order to ensure that your desired Plan A will stick to the wall. No real skill is involved in making a visa application on behalf of a bricklayer but with an occupation like yours a top notch migration agent can be money very well spent if you are determined to move to, say, Victoria but nothing on their 176 List appears to stack up. You might be surprised. George Lombard does a fair imitation of Houdini at times, I can tell you, and so do several of the others. Alan Collett told me that it is a pain in the neck with a solicitor because he has to be admitted to practice in Oz before he can call himself a solicitor. He can't be admitted in Oz unless he has spent a year working in Oz in the job. Solution - he has a degree so he can be a Business and Information Professional instead. Not something I would instantly think of myself, but it works.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest sean74]

Gill,

 

To say that this was a helpful post would be a bit of an understatement.

 

My current status is Senior Project Manager with a Developer in Ireland working on the desgn development, planning and construction of mainly large scale retail projects.

 

As it stands I have already paid for the VETASSESS application as a Building Surveyor and had my docuemtns certified. Due to post tomorrow. I'll probably let it ride on this basis.

 

I had gone through the states lists also and could see the Building Associate as a potential option but now understand what you are saying that if I am approved by Vet.... as a Building Surveyor then I cannot apply for a 175 or 176 under Building Associate.

 

I saw you use the term "off skills list". is this a longer term process and do you know where it would sit in the current ranking for priority of cases.

 

I have experience now in Project Management as well as enough previous technical assessment of structures/buildings to enable me to quite competently act as a Building Associate /Building Inspector/Project Manager/Building Surveyor so if there is work in any of these fields when I get there I won't mind which discipline I'm in.

 

Married plus 1 so no sellin' ice cream on the beach unfortunately!

 

I have both MCIOB and MBeng but not RICS so I'll see how that sits with the DIAC at a later stage.

 

I'm told Vetassess take 4 weeks so here's hopin. just have to convince my OH that the australian economy has more chance of recovery than the basket case that is Ireland at the moment.

 

On the basis that (touching wood) I get the Vetassess are there any states sponsoring Building Surveyors or could I, apply for a 176 (this is the state sponsored visa - right?) and ask to be accepted as a Building Associate. I know you talked about this already and if I read you right it is simply a matter of 40 versus 50 points in the visa.

 

But what would this involve? Is it a separate type of application or do I simply apply for a 176 with my chosen state which is accepting Building Associates on their state sponsored list?

 

Thanks again for a very helpful assessment. Good to see you were confused as it confirmed my own suspicions that the profession was falling between the cracks.

 

I read that the AIQS and the AIS both have their own disciplines and do not cover Building Surveying so I'll wait now and see how the qualifications are received by Vetassess.

 

thanks,

 

Sean

[Guest cuba267]

Hi Sean

Same kinda life here - we need to get out of this basket case of a coutry too (before Cowen makes it even worse). We applied for a 175 visa back in October but then OH's occupation (she's an architect - yep, a great career here now!!!!!!!) was not on the new Critical Skills List. So, with the weight of 'we are now meerly on the MODL and will never be considred' hanging over us we applied for State Sponsorship. This, to us anyway, was a much more straightforward, cost-free, process (we applied to Vicotria) and got approval a few weeks later. If you get State Sponsorship you (or they or both) notify the DIAC crowd that you got State Sponsorship and they then consider your 175 application a 176 application. That simple. Although, i presume, you still need to go through the process of waiting for a case officer you will have 'priority processing' over the CSL or MODL canditates.

At least until the next time they announce a change.........

Any other questions just ask

[Guest sean74]

thanks for that.

 

i take you are applying with your OH as the primary visa holder??

 

hopefully i can track your application to see how you get on as Victoria was one of the locations i was considering.

 

would you mind keeping me updated?

 

where abouts in the free state are you?

 

livin in meath (aka greater dublin) workin in Dublin now 10 years and to be honest it has caught up with London in terms of the stress and strains and keepin up with the joneses but hasn't got there in terms of infrastructure.

 

anyone stuck in the extra-suburbs of the GDA with a heavy mortgage is going to be under even more pressure whn they try to take our sweety money off us in the next emergency budget!??!?!

 

stickin to positive thoughts here of course.

 

best o luck in your application.

 

Sean

[Guest sean74]

cuba

 

just one question

 

do you have to wait for the skills assessment to come back before you can apply for the state sponsorship

 

Sean

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Sean

 

This is a self-help group and I am not a migration agent. I am completely and utterly feeble about other people's qualifications because the only ones I understand are my own.

 

I have both MCIOB and MBeng but not RICS so I'll see how that sits with the DIAC at a later stage.

 

 

 

What are those two qualifications, please? Are they degrees? Unless one of them is a degree, Vetassess might well reject your skills application anyway because a Buildings Surveyor requires a degree and without it, he ain't a Building Surveyor as far as this legislation is concerned.

 

DIAC are not interested in your qualifications, are not impressed by RICs because it is not an Aussie organisation etc. They leave dealing with actual qualifications strictly to Vetassess.

 

I had gone through the states lists also and could see the Building Associate as a potential option but now understand what you are saying that if I am approved by Vet.... as a Building Surveyor then I cannot apply for a 175 or 176 under Building Associate.

 

 

Nope, not quite right. If Vet assess you as a Building Surveyor (see above) you get 50 points whatever happens. If applying for a sc 175 visa, you could nominate Building Associate with no problem but if you are applying for a 175 you might as well nominate Building Surveyor and leave the rest to DIAC.

 

The relevant factor with the 176 is the State, not DIAC. Whether or not QLD would consider sponsoring you as a Building Associate when your skills assessment says Building Surveyor is a matter for the QLD State Government to decide. If they say OK, DIAC should be OK. They do sometimes disagree with the State but not all that often.

 

I have experience now in Project Management

 

 

Do you mean Construction Project Management?

Construction Project Manager 1191-11 - Australian Skills Recognition Information

 

If so, forget it. Check it in ASCO. In Australia the CPM is responsible for the budget. Every State knows that a migrant will not have a clue about what the budget should be on his first Aussie project or five.

 

Building Associate /Building Inspector/Project Manager/Building Surveyor so if there is work in any of these fields when I get there I won't mind which discipline I'm in.

 

Good, because Oz is like everywhere else. ASCO is for purists. Chops everyone up into small, separate cubby holes. In real life, if you can con one man into doing 5 people's work for one person's salary, he'll get the job!

 

do you have to wait for the skills assessment to come back before you can apply for the state sponsorship

 

 

With every State except VIC, yes.

 

Your situation is getting too tangled. As with doing a development appraisal, if the idea is right and the deal stacks up, the calculations will work on the back of a fag packet. Same with this stuff.

 

The best thing you could possibly do would be to send your CV to George Lombard in Sydney and to Alan Collett in Melbourne:

 

Visa Info | George Lombard Consultancy Pty. Ltd.

 

Go Matilda - Your Gateway to Australia - Contact and Feedback

 

alan[at]gomatilda.com reaches Alan.

 

At this stage, don't pre-judge, I suggest. Let each of them read your CV and see what each says about what leapt off the page to him in terms of suggesting what DIAC will think your occupation is.

 

Neither of them charge for a skim through and "knee jerk" reaction. First impressions are often the best impressions because they are fresh and uncluttered.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill

[Guest sean74]

Hi Gill,

 

Thanks for the info. I sent a quick email with CV to both Alan and George.

 

I have a 2:1 BSc Honours degree in Building Surveying and also 2 separate post graduate diplomas in construction law/contract administration and planning. So I don't think I'll have an issue with Vetassess.

 

I will probably go for a 176 to Victoria and ask them firstly to consider me as a Building Assoicate.

 

Should I just contact their office numbers on their website and discuss the application or what would you recommend?

 

Thanks again for the advice.

 

Sean

[Guest cuba267]

Hi sean

I think, and i may be wrong here, but if memory serves me right the application form you fill out to Victoria for SS asks whether your skills have been assessed already so that should be your first step.

(gill, correct me if i'm wrong here..)

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Sean, Hi Cuba

 

VIC ask whether you have a positive skills assessment but it is not a pre-requisite to applying for State Sponsorship from them. I've no idea why they differ from the other States in this regard but if I had a reason to phone them I would be inclined to ask them about this.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi Sean

 

Yep. Looking at the VIC 176 List and skimming through the other occupations which they also want, I'd say Building Associate there would be a good choice.

 

In your shoes (bearing in mind that you can't now ring them for a day or two anyway) I would get cracking over the weekend and find out (a) where the Building Associates are wanted and (b) what sorts of work they are wanted for?

 

McMahon Services – Building & Construction Services – Contract Maintenance - Australia

 

McMahon is a huge name in civil engineering, construction etc and HQ is in VIC. Study their website and see what sort of projects they have been doing in VIC in the last few years. Google Australia is excellent for searching - go into it and tell it to confine itself to Aussie web-pages only. Find the employers, where are they based and what are they up to?

 

Job search websites abound too and the State website has loads of information if you search it carefully enough:

 

Skills in Demand - Live in Victoria

 

I clicked on the first link for the NW of VIC. Buidling and Surveying Professionals are required there. OK - what are they required there for? Delving will reveal the answer. FIFO is normal in Oz (fly in, fly out) because flights from Melbourne to the regional airport in the NW will be regular and reasonably cheap if you check them out.

 

The Lonely Planet Guide is available on line for free and has masses of information about places. YouTube Videos cannot be beaten - the intrepid have been everywhere with cameras, which saves you the bother and if you find one vid you get the links to hundreds more. They are all short - 1 to 5 minutes on average. A picture speaks a thousand words, too:

 

Melbourne & Regional Victoria - Live in Victoria

 

YouTube - Aftermath - Bendigo Fire 7th Feb 2009

 

I picked Bendigo off the map because I have heard of it. Looks like it was badly damaged by the recent bushfires, unfortunately.

 

The State will not be impressed if you phone them when you have made no effort to discover whether you might be what they are looking for. It is a buyers market at present and the States are the buyers.

 

Remember too that the object of importing migrants is because they are expected to go and develop the parts of the State which the settled natives of Melbourne do not want to move to. Melbourne does not have a population shortage and except for occupations like IT it does not have a downtown skills shortage either. If anything Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney are all over-populated because migrants flock to them without considering whether the cities involved actually need the skills that the migrant in question could bring to the party. The migrants then whinge because they can't find work in their chosen field within 5 miles of wherever they have decided to live. Unable to work in their chosen fields they compete with the locals for jobs which are not on the SOL. I can understand why the locals are growling about this.

 

Because of the vastness of Oz, FIFO (fly in, fly out) is a way of life. I know a lady who lives in Wodonga in regional VIC. Hubby works in Brisbane. He flies home for weekends because there is a network of regional airports. In Perth there are weekly commuters between Perth and the Far East, which may well be true in Darwin as well I would guess. The whole family would not necessarily move to Bendigo just because you land a job there - not in the short term, anyway.

 

Migrants who don't want the State Capital are MUSIC in the ears of the State Governments right now, when the world and his dog are all chasing State Sponsorship and many are doing it completely indiscriminately. Loads of people are applying to every State that they might be eligible for. No rule forbids it. It would not suggest to me that the person is serious about VIC but I am not the VIC State migration authority. I've no idea what their own attitude is. Aussies do go to greater lengths to interpret rules liberally than any other group I have ever come across.

 

If you research VIC thoroughly before phoning the State Migration people you will end up with a list of at least 10 questions about VIC. The State people are very knowledgeable about their own State (miles more so than you or I, anyway.) They are more than happy to answer questions because they know that migrants are trying to make choices based on very little information about the State in question. You cannot keep phoning them with single questions. Do your research first and then ask all 10 questions in one go, I suggest.

 

Best wishes

 

Gill