Has anyone switched from 176 to Employer Nomination Scheme visa?

[clickettuk]

Hi,

 

Normally when I have approached Australian companies to see whether they have vacancies and whether they would be willing to support my visa application via the Employer Nomination Scheme (i.e. Category 1), they say no.

 

However, I've found a company who said they would be willing to support my visa application if I am successful in an interview. Now I'm a little nervous as the Employer Nomination Scheme wasn't something I'd thought about much until now.

 

I have lots of questions:

 

1) With all the recent changes, is the ENS still treated as Category 1?

2) Does the fact that I'm state sponsored matter? The job will be in the same state that sponsored me.

3) Are there any additional risks going down the ENS route rather than waiting it out for my non-CSL SS 176?

4) How long would I expect it to take to get my visa processed via ENS?

 

If anyone has been down this route, any answers to my questions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks.

 

Michael.

[Guest Bootco]

I asked my agent the same questions you have posted to be told that as long as your occupation is on the ENS occupation list, a simple visa class swop can be made with no additional charge made by DIAC. If you change to ENS, state sponsorship becomes superfluous, I think, and I have not heard of any hidden dangers of going along this route other that it is damned difficult to get an employer willing to offer sponsorship in the first place.

This was in October 2009 so hopefully this still stands. ENS is still category 1 if your occpn is on the soon to be revoked csl.

hope this helps.

[clickettuk]

I asked my agent the same questions you have posted to be told that as long as your occupation is on the ENS occupation list, a simple visa class swop can be made with no additional charge made by DIAC. If you change to ENS, state sponsorship becomes superfluous, I think, and I have not heard of any hidden dangers of going along this route other that it is damned difficult to get an employer willing to offer sponsorship in the first place.

This was in October 2009 so hopefully this still stands. ENS is still category 1 if your occpn is on the soon to be revoked csl.

hope this helps.

 

As far as I see, there is a separate occupation list called ENSOL for the ENS which is pretty big. So I wouldn't need to rely on the CSL. One other thing I'm not sure about is the Skills Assessment. I did mine back in April 2009 and then lodged my 175 application in May 2009. The Skills Assessment is only valid for 1 year. I'm not sure whether I'd have to go through that again, or is it still valid because my visa application was lodged within the 1 year period?????

[Guest Bootco]

Yeah, you are right, the csl is irrelevant to the ens. Can't help you with your last query tho', sorry.

[Jules37]

As far as I see, there is a separate occupation list called ENSOL for the ENS which is pretty big. So I wouldn't need to rely on the CSL. One other thing I'm not sure about is the Skills Assessment. I did mine back in April 2009 and then lodged my 175 application in May 2009. The Skills Assessment is only valid for 1 year. I'm not sure whether I'd have to go through that again, or is it still valid because my visa application was lodged within the 1 year period?????

 

 

I think that the mention of 12 months for the skills assessment means you have to lodge your visa application before the 12 months is up otherwise everyone would be having to get a new one done because most visas take 12 months or more to come through.

Jules