Best way in

[DaveS]

 

• I am a linux/network sysadmin
  

 

 

 

• She is a carer for disabled adults
  

 

 

 

• We are both in our twenties
  

 

 

Whats the best way for us to migrate?

Thanks for any guidance.

[Guest The "legdes"]

Hi Guys,

 

On first glance looks like you definately shuld persue an independant visa 175. Check out the Critical Skills List - I think your Linux and networks may put you on that list - in which case you'll get processed and nt left to rot.

You need t get ACS to verify your IT skills and you need to make sure you have the required amount of experience. If you are thinking of an agent PTLABS is the best IT one. I'd drop him a line - he won't charge for an ititial assessment.

Good luck.

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi DaveS

 

Welcome to Poms in Oz.

 

Department of Immigration & Citizenship

 

First please identify your respective occupations using the list below:

 

A-Z Occupations List - Australian Skills Recognition Information

 

I am not even prepared to guess at what your own occupation might be because I haven't the faintest idea about IT.

 

With your OH one would be looking to see whether she fits the description of a Diabilities Services Officer - 3421-17 - closely enough.

 

The detailed, authoritative descriptions of all the occupations in the ASRI List above are contained in the ASCO Dictionary, which is here:

 

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

 

One of you needs to become the main visa applicant. To start with, do not leap to conclusions about which one of you it might turn out to be. There are lots of factors to consider before you try to make any decisions.

 

On the visa front, start by investigating whether one or both of you might be eligible for skilled independent migration:

 

Visa Options – Professionals and other Skilled Migrants – Workers – Visas & Immigration

 

Australian General Skilled Migration Booklet

 

You need to investigate whether your IT occupation is on the new Critical Skills List:

 

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

 

Which depends on whether your occupation is also on the MODL:

 

Is your occupation in demand? - Workers - Visas & Immigration

 

Currently and for the forthcoming Financial Year which begins on 1st July 2009 applicants who are sponsored by a State or Territory Government will get priority in the skilled independent sector. They will be followed by applicants who are not State Sponsored but whose occupations are on the Critical Skills List so if possible you want to be in one or other category.

 

Each State & Territory has its own Migration Department which is fairly free to set its own Policies about migration to the State or Territory concerned. Each of them publish lists of the occupations they are prepared to sponsor people for. The link to all of the State/Territory migration websites is here:

 

State & Territory Migration Sites - australia.gov.au

 

You are under no obligation to use a migration agent. DIAC make this very clear and they stress that using an agent will not give you any sort of advantage over an applicant who does not choose to use an agent. It is worth contacting some agents before you make a decision about whether to engage one or not. However don't be duped by horror stories about Those I Have Saved From The Jaws Of Disaster. Considering that using an agent is likely to double what would otherwise be the cost of the exercise you could actually have two goes on your own for the cost of one go plus an agent, very often. Plus there is a lower refusal rate with applicants whose first language is English simply because we have less of a struggle to understand the DIAC website, 95% of which is only in English. So don't be bullied into using an agent. The choice is yours alone and no genuine professional would dream of trying to shake your confidence in yourself, neither would DIAC. That is the sort of thing used car spivs do.

 

However good agents can take a lot of the headbanging out of the business of understanding where DIAC are coming from. Some people find the concepts involved very easy to understand. Others struggle with them and it is impossible to predict in advance which group somebody will fall into. Plus doing all the research by yourself does take many, many LONG & PAINFUL hours, I can absolutely assure you! However some people enjoy the sleuthing and the intellectual challenge. Others want somebody else to enjoy those instead.

 

With an IT wizard I would say that it is always worth considering at least getting a free preliminary assessment from Peter Chiam (ptlabs.)

 

Ptlabs Consulting

 

He is as interested in your IT skills as you are and he knows a huge amount about what the various Aussie authorities (particularly the Australian Computer Society) want from the applicants in their skills assessments.

 

There are loads of other good agents as well and if you look around on these boards you will find that the good ones are recommended on here over and over again. Choose from the "tried & tested crop", I would suggest.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest juliemtaylor]

really recommend Peter Chiam as he is very good at ACS assessment for your IT skills. He will do a free assessment.

 

Julie x

[DaveS]

Thanks for replying GollyWobbler

 

Its taken me a while to check out all of that information :-)

 

I believe I fit Computing Professional - Systems Manager 2231-11

I have 3 years of experience in this field, and a relevent bachelor dress from a UK university.

 

Which seems to fit "The entry requirement for this occupation is a bachelor degree or

higher qualification or at least 5 years relevant experience.

In some instances relevant experience is required in addition to the formal qualification."

 

I agree my other half seems to fit 3421-17 as well! Unfortunately im not sure if she

has a high enough qualification in this field to qualify under it. Will do some more research to check.

 

The visa application priorities and skills within the CSL and MODL seem to change often. This

is pretty scary - but I suppose you all have, or are dealing with it so it can't be impossible.

What if 1 day before I post my application they remove my occuption from a list and a year of

planning is destroyed! :-O

 

 

Cheers for the help,

Dave