The First Step (Genesis) - Advise needed!

[Tahlia]

Hi Guys,

 

This is my very very fist post!

 

I visited Aus from June to August 2018, I have worked and traveled the country. I also have my sister and her husband who have PR in Aus since 2017.

I will jump into my questions and will not bore you with long stories :)

 

I'd like to apply for PR in Aus. Herewith my questions, any advise will be very much appreciated.

Summary: My job description is on the temporary skilled list (Interior Architect). And my boyfriend is on the permanent skilled list (Accountant).  I have been working since 2008 and he has been working for about 15 years as an accountant. We both have BSc Degrees.

 

Questions:

1. Do we try to apply for visas by ourselves to save on the high cost of agents? I know people who had done and succeeded in applying and obtaining the visas themselves. Is this advisable?

2. Is it better to go through an agent? I heard they just 'guide' what you must do, but you have do physically do everything?  Or is it just less stressful with an agent? These agents don't help find jobs right? They just help with getting the visa?

3. Better to get a job first? Then the job can sponsor a visa? How easy or likely is this?

 

Your comments are appreciated!

 

Many thanks!

 

Tahlia

[tcmiller]

12 hours ago, Tahlia said:

 

Questions:

1. Do we try to apply for visas by ourselves to save on the high cost of agents? I know people who had done and succeeded in applying and obtaining the visas themselves. Is this advisable?

 

I did it myself. You have to do a lot of homework yourself to find out what needs to be done. If your case is "clear cut", i.e. no funnies you can easily do it yourself. Where the agents come in handy is with more challenging circumstances - they typically know the immigration law and thus can give you advice around what is best for your situation.

 

2. Is it better to go through an agent? I heard they just 'guide' what you must do, but you have do physically do everything?  Or is it just less stressful with an agent? These agents don't help find jobs right? They just help with getting the visa?

 

They provide advice but you end up having to do most of the "leg" work yourself. You will need to go to home affairs and get your brith certificates, you will need to go to cops to get a police clearance, you will need to go write the English language test. You end up doing a lot of the work.

They also do not get you a job, you will need to follow recruitment process yourself.

 

12 hours ago, Tahlia said:

 

3. Better to get a job first? Then the job can sponsor a visa? How easy or likely is this?

 

These days I think its not as easy as it was say 10 years ago, a lot of people are wanting to get into Aus from all over the world. Most companies prefer someone who is already in the country that they can interview face to face. 

In my field (IT) I have found that the interviewing process is a lot lengthier than in South Africa, in SA it was typically one interview and you're in if you're good. Here you will typically face 3 interviews and they can be spaced a week apart. Finding a job here takes a lot more time it seems. Of course, there are always exceptions, I have a friend who got into Sydney on a company sponsored visa, it is doable but not the norm.

 

 

[frosty]

We have not used an agent, therefore I cannot tell you if it is a waste of time/money. Personally I feel if you have the time and you are willing to find out everything that is required via forums etc. it is really not that much effort to do it yourself. We have done it this way, and so has a friend of ours. The benefit of a good migration agent is that there are many factors one needs to take into account throughout the process regarding when to do what and which documents are required etc. It can be quite stressful at times and if you are unsure about something or miss out on something important you may end up delaying your process by a long time or even worse could end up having a visa application rejected and you end up losing a whole lot of money. For example we ended up wasting a lot of time (and a bit of money) trying to score 20 points on the english test as at the time we didnt know you could do the Pearson PTE exam and kept writing IELTS (which we scored 9 throughout except for the writing part each time). If we had done our research properly at the start we could have saved a good 5 months.

 

With regards to finding a job you would most probably need to get hold of a recruiter in Australia. Depending on the type of visa you want getting a job before you actually have the visa in hand may be a bit difficult. From what I have heard trying to get an employer sponsored Visa is not that easy. Also not too sure how many employers are willing to sponsor PR visa. 

 

 

 

 

47 minutes ago, Tahlia said:

Hi Guys,

 

This is my very very fist post!

 

I visited Aus from June to August 2018, I have worked and traveled the country. I also have my sister and her husband who have PR in Aus since 2017.

I will jump into my questions and will not bore you with long stories

 

I'd like to apply for PR in Aus. Herewith my questions, any advise will be very much appreciated.

Summary: My job description is on the temporary skilled list (Interior Architect). And my boyfriend is on the permanent skilled list (Accountant).  I have been working since 2008 and he has been working for about 15 years as an accountant. We both have BSc Degrees.

 

Questions:

1. Do we try to apply for visas by ourselves to save on the high cost of agents? I know people who had done and succeeded in applying and obtaining the visas themselves. Is this advisable?

2. Is it better to go through an agent? I heard they just 'guide' what you must do, but you have do physically do everything?  Or is it just less stressful with an agent? These agents don't help find jobs right? They just help with getting the visa?

3. Better to get a job first? Then the job can sponsor a visa? How easy or likely is this?

 

Your comments are appreciated!

 

Many thanks!

 

Tahlia

 

[Tahlia]

Hi Frosty,

 

Thanks a stack, very valuable info. I will definitely be doing more research. Thanks so much for the English test tip.

 

Have a fantastic day!

[frosty]

No worries. You are welcome to send a PM if you have any further questions. Happy to help where I can.

[ottg]

 Start by downloading the 100 step immigration process. See point 5 - 35. Note some of the steps may have changed since 2008, therefore also refer to the last 2 pages. 

 

Q1: It depends how borderline your applications will be eg

permanent skilled list (Accountant) @ 15 yrs experience - this application may just be a formality

--For you to be part of his application you will need to prove a de facto partner relationship - this you will need to investigate where an agent will easily be able to tell you

--temporary skilled list (Interior Architect) @ 10 yrs experience - here I assume your qualification and work experience is in the same field. If not, then this will make you a more difficult case which needs investigation where an agent should be able to tell you. For this visa you will need a sponsor. The TSS visa is a temporary visa which permits the holder to live in Australia, while working full-time for the sponsoring employer, in the nominated position. Again the forum has a few cases of people coming across on a TSS and in some instances the associated horror stories with that.

Q2: See above. You still need to do the actual work - finding the information requested and completing forms etc. Cannot be any different. An agent attempts to get you a visa. For some, it's worthwhile when they a border case - the forum has some stories about that.

Q3: Not impossible but again far and in-between success cases. However, for the TSS visa you have to go this route. The forum has a few success cases - it depends on how in-demand your skills and experience are.

 

The most important point is that most visa concerns have already been addressed by others on the forum - you just need to search for it. That should help you make an informed decision to either use an agent or go it alone.

[Tntaglia]

We used an agent because we were worried about medical issues which turned out to be a non-event. So we could probably have done it ourselves, but I was really grateful for a professional who could confirm that we've completed everything correctly etc. I'm pretty anxious in general and immigration makes it SO much worse, so I'd wake up at night and worry that I uploaded my expired passport rather than my new one, for example - but the agents had checked it and so I know all is good. And that's a pretty small example, there are bigger ones than a new format of a certain form etc etc. So if you can afford an agent consider it!

 

You'll probably find an employer willing to sponsor a visa will sponsor a temporary visa rather than PR, which gives you less benefit and less certainty. So my recommendation would be to try for the independent visa if you can. My employer was willing to sponsor us for PR but only after I pass probation (i.e. 6 months) and then we would still have to pay the application fee, they would just be the sponsor i.e. offering the job. You probably won't save money by having an employer sponsor it.

[Tahlia]

HI Tntaglia,

 

Thanks a stack for your info. Yes guess an agent gives you that 'calmness' and that surety. We have been chatting bout this route, but have not yet made a final decision.  Who did you use as an agent and would you recommend them?

 

Re the job sponsored visa, I guess obtaining you own visa will give you that flexibility of not having to commit 2 years to a company (what happens if you dont like the company?)

 

Thanks for your help!

[RAINKINGx1]

I can only speak of my own experience. We have been using migrate2oz and have found them very professional and easy to deal with. We are still awaiting our invite but they assisted us a lot in doing the skills assessment , RPL documents , english test etc.

We are now at 2nd most difficult part.... Waiting for the invite. Then there is the most difficult part which is waiting for the grant. I am really hoping for positive news in the next round.

[OLVD]

On 10/25/2018 at 7:11 AM, Tahlia said:

Who did you use as an agent and would you recommend them?

 

We used Stephen Dickson @SD_MOA, he is very knowledgeable and extremely helpful.  Using him reduced our stress levels immensely!   

[Tahlia]

Thank you RAINKINGx1 and OLVD  for your help! Wiill definitly investigate your agents!

 

@ RAINKINGX1 good luck! Holding thumbs! It will be a positive outcome!!!

 

 

[MJO]

We are going through this process ourselves. Have to say very stressful, but I am a control freak and not really patient! This process is proving to challenge me on all levels. LOL

 

I read a lot of forums (even downloaded the legislative instruments and read through that to see exactly what five years mean in months). 

 

You are welcome to reach out to me should you have specific questions and I may be able to tell you how we approached it. We are not far in the process. I am waiting for my 482 visa, however, want to apply for 189/190 as well to get PR as quick as possible. Waiting for the PTE date currently so cannot action anything before the 4th of December again which is frustrating.

 

 

[MJO]

On 10/19/2018 at 10:08 PM, ottg said:

Q1: It depends how borderline your applications will be eg

permanent skilled list (Accountant) @ 15 yrs experience - this application may just be a formality

@ottg Why do you say the 15yrs would make the application just a formality? Is it not very difficult to get 80 points for the skilled visa being an accountant?

 

 

 

 

[ottg]

@MJO Do a quick read on the TSS visa. My view is that with her interior architect background on a temporary skilled list (which may change any day) she may have to jump through more loops than when compared to an accountant applying for PR. The latter may be easier as for the TSS she will need a sponsor which not so easy. 

But when in doubt ask a migration agent to do a quick assessment.

[Tahlia]

@MJO thanks a stack!! Will do! I really am  still torn between doing it solo and using an agent...

@ottg yes my concern too, my job is not really something that there is a shortage of, this is troubling me.  However I do have family there, did the study and work time, so hopefully that will count in my favor..hope they don't change the list soon, with me not on it

 

[Duggen]

Hi Tahlia, 

 

I have a friend in Melbourne who is an interior designer and really there are plenty of roles available.

 

With regards to visa options, personally I would explore all options. I would look to get a job with a company paying for the move and sponsoring a visa. At the same time I would also look at applying for a PR visa under either the accounting or state sponsored (believe Queensland and Tasmania currently are sponsoring interior architects) visa as an interior architect.

 

Personally, I feel getting a company to sponsor, even if it is a short term visa is great. Having someone else pay for all of the moving costs is great and it also allows one to make the move a lot quicker while you want for your PR visa to be processed.

 

Anyway just my 2 cents worth.

[Tahlia]

@Duggen thanks a stack for your advice. Wow Melbourne, ok great! I have chatted to an agent earlier in the year and they also mentioned that I will be able to find a job in Queensland, on the visa sub-class 190. 

 

It would be great if my visa and relocating costs could be sponsored by  a company, that would be first prize, but I am not getting my hopes up too much.

 

This email was sent to me by my brother in law this morning, do you perhaps have any knowledge of this?

 

Thanks!

PM to cut Australia's migration intake Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he intends to cut Australia's permanent migration intake by about 30,000 people per year, acknowledging the public’s concern about congested cities.  "They are saying: enough, enough, enough," Mr Morrison said at a speech in Sydney on Monday night. See: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/enough-enough-enough-pm-to-cut-australia-s-migration-intake?cx_cid=edm:newsam:2019 The immigration intake cap has been set at 190,000 since 2012-13. For most of those years, the real intake has nearly met the cap. But in 2017-18 the intake plummeted to its lowest level in a decade, with just 163,000 permanent arrivals – made up of both skilled and family visas.  ACT NOW We have seen hardship and disappointed families due to the changes in legislation through the years. It is an ever-changing environment!! If you snooze…you may lose.

[frosty]

@Tahlia I have read this on the news, it seems to be the plan. How it affects the skilled migration visas one can only speculate. As you are probably well aware, it has become increasingly difficult to get a skilled visa in the last few years (not too long ago you easily got an invitation on 60 pts). With all things changing my only advice would be that if you plan to make the move, to do so quickly. Unfortunately no one can predict how any future changes will affect your chances.

[Tahlia]

@frosty Eeeeeeek, thanks, yes I believe so too. My friends and family over there are also saying the same. Gosh. Well i guess that had to happen at some point or another. Thank you.

[Duggen]

15 hours ago, Tahlia said:

@Duggen thanks a stack for your advice. Wow Melbourne, ok great! I have chatted to an agent earlier in the year and they also mentioned that I will be able to find a job in Queensland, on the visa sub-class 190. 

 

It would be great if my visa and relocating costs could be sponsored by  a company, that would be first prize, but I am not getting my hopes up too much.

 

This email was sent to me by my brother in law this morning, do you perhaps have any knowledge of this?

 

Thanks!

PM to cut Australia's migration intake Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he intends to cut Australia's permanent migration intake by about 30,000 people per year, acknowledging the public’s concern about congested cities.  "They are saying: enough, enough, enough," Mr Morrison said at a speech in Sydney on Monday night. See: https://www.sbs.com.au/news/enough-enough-enough-pm-to-cut-australia-s-migration-intake?cx_cid=edm:newsam:2019 The immigration intake cap has been set at 190,000 since 2012-13. For most of those years, the real intake has nearly met the cap. But in 2017-18 the intake plummeted to its lowest level in a decade, with just 163,000 permanent arrivals – made up of both skilled and family visas.  ACT NOW We have seen hardship and disappointed families due to the changes in legislation through the years. It is an ever-changing environment!! If you snooze…you may lose.

 

There are loads of interior design jobs in Queensland as well (in fact apart from Tassie there are plenty of jobs everywhere for skilled people in my opinion), my friends are looking at moving there to apply for a Queensland state sponsored visa.

 

WRT the cut in migration intake:

 

1) Chances are the PM will only be the PM for another few months. It seems really likely the Libs will loose the next election, especially if they keep scoring own goals at the rate they are now.

2) The cut in the migration intake mentioned above relates directly to skilled migrants (happy to be corrected here if I am wrong). That being said, this yea the skilled migrant intake was roughly 30,000 less than the cap anyway so it wouldn't have made much difference.

3) Visa options and laws are constantly changing. If you are able to, apply sooner rahter than later. You never know what is going to happen.