Starting to lose hope

[LekkerOuJan]

Hi all

Sorry for the whinging post but I just need to get this off my chest.

 

My agent lodged a 189 EOI on 28 February, neglecting to tell me that for some reason 2 years of my work experience wouldn't be counted, putting me on 70 points instead of the 75 I thought I would be on. Then after months of hearing literally nothing (including my agent not replying to emails) I finally get an email from her stating that I wasn't going to get an invite because my points were too low, and suggested that I switch my application to a 190, and effectively cancel my 189 EOI. She specifically recommended that I lodge the 190 EOI with NSW, since it is the only state that issues invitations for people with my degree (Industrial Engineer), I checked the myimmitracker site and it seems that only 2 people have received invites with that occupation (one in May 2018, and the other in 2016). Some of the people even seem to have more points than I do, and have been waiting for a very long time without an invite.

 

So I'm starting to lose hope. Between the total lack of an invite, and the very sparse communication from my agent (or flat out being ignored by her) I'm starting to wonder whether I'm actually just dreaming, and will never be able to move to Australia. Whether I have effectively just flushed a bunch of money down the toilet with everything I've done so far (Failed an IELTS, full marks for all sections but 6.5 on writing, followed by full marks on PTE without much difficulty, travel back home to SA for the PTE and some other stuff, working in Malawi at the moment, paying R13k for the agent to lodge the EOI, EA skills assessment etc. Basically I'm about R40 000 down with nothing to show for it)

 

Here's the kicker, I have a girlfriend in Australia. I care for her deeply and really want this to be a permanent relationship, but the distance and total lack of any progress or movement from my side to actually get there is placing huge strain on the relationship. My current work situation sucks, with my contract expiring soon (I was hoping to at least have an invite before it expired), and being in a near permanent state of limbo is taking it's toll.

 

Should I just give up? Move on with my life with the assumption that the move is never going to happen? I've been putting off on a lot of things (trying to save money and not create obligations here) because I believed I would be moving soon. Should I give up on my dream of a better life somewhere else and just accept that I'll be stuck here for the rest of my life?

 

Apologies again, I just needed to say all of that somewhere, and this seemed like an okay place to do so.

 

Moderators, feel free to delete this post if it's inappropriate.

[AlwynvZyl]

Hey LekkerOuJan,

 

Don't give up hope. Where there is a will there is a way. If you have done the skills assessment, language test and have all your documents, the biggest part of the admin is done.

 

I find it highly irresponsible that your agent lodged a 189 with different points than what you discussed, as that normally affects your decision on which visa to go for from the start. Also, from what I understand you can lodge EOI's for multiple visas (189, 190, etc.) simultaneously, you can however only apply for one and only one can be valid (someone can correct me if I am wrong on this).

 

The one thing I would advise is that you request all correspondence the agency has with submitting documents i.e. they forward you the confirmations once they have completed a step.

 

When my EOI and final application was submitted (through an agency), the agent sent me the proof (normally a letter back from Aus Home Affairs after the agency submitted).

The EOI even had the points breakdown as discussed with the agent. I also submitted with 75 points as an Industrial Engineer.

 

This way there is no confusion or unrealistic expectation (thinking it was submitted as 75 points and actually it was 70).

 

NB! Also, you don't have to validate your work experience for industrial engineering (not sure on the other professions) when doing your skills assessment. You can provide sufficient proof (company reference letters, IRP5, payslips, etc.) to show your work experience when completing your application after the EOI. Your agent should have advised you on this. I can vouch for this as that is the way I just did it and we have already been to Australia on our 189 visas.

 

Edited June 27, 2019 by AlwynvZyl
Forgot to add

[ChrisH]

8 hours ago, LekkerOuJan said:

Moderators, feel free to delete this post if it's inappropriate.

 

Mate, posts like these are why this forum exists - its not all sunshine and rainbows and people need to get things off their chests sometimes.

 

8 hours ago, LekkerOuJan said:

Should I just give up?

 

Never give up, there is almost always another way.  You might have to take matters into your own hands and do things yourself (if you don't want to pay another agent) or start actively looking for work on this side for a sponsored visa (this is a long and tedious task unfortunately).

[frosty]

8 hours ago, LekkerOuJan said:

My agent lodged a 189 EOI on 28 February, neglecting to tell me that for some reason 2 years of my work experience wouldn't be counted

 

Did the agent indicate why? The only reasons I could think of is that if it was pre graduation work experience. Or completely unrelated to you Occupation.

 

Also keep in mind that there are some changes coming in November which could see you scoring an extra 10 points (single applicants).

 

There is also no reason why you should cancel the 189 if you wish to apply 190. Both can be done simultaneously on the same EOI. It is literally just an option you pick from a drop down list (we did it without an agent, so I can confirm it is that simple). I hope your agent is not going to charge you for making this change?

[TakeItOnTheChin]

Yeah don't give up mate, too much to lose, not just money at stake here. You will not lose money by doing another EOI which should come at minimal cost. Also consider the 489 visa which would give an additional 10 points over and above the 189 option. All the best

[TeeTMI]

The Migration Year runs July to June each year.  In July many of the states review their state sponsorship lists and may change the occupations.  You and your agent might take a look to see if there may be other potential states/territory options that you might look at come July?  Places for NSW SS have been highly competitive this year. 
 

[LekkerOuJan]

14 hours ago, AlwynvZyl said:

If you have done the skills assessment, language test and have all your documents, the biggest part of the admin is done.

 

Also, from what I understand you can lodge EOI's for multiple visas (189, 190, etc.) simultaneously, you can however only apply for one and only one can be valid (someone can correct me if I am wrong on this).

 

The one thing I would advise is that you request all correspondence the agency has with submitting documents i.e. they forward you the confirmations once they have completed a step.

 

NB! Also, you don't have to validate your work experience for industrial engineering (not sure on the other professions) when doing your skills assessment. You can provide sufficient proof (company reference letters, IRP5, payslips, etc.) to show your work experience when completing your application after the EOI. Your agent should have advised you on this. I can vouch for this as that is the way I just did it and we have already been to Australia on our 189 visas.

 

Without an invite, all of that admin was just a massive waste of time.

 

The agent first lodged just a 189, and didn't tell me that I only got 70 points until a few months later, then when it was changed to 190 she insisted that it should only be one state and one application (ie remove the 189) because otherwise the state might think I'm not committed to it.

 

I'll ask the agency for that, hopefully I'll get a reply from them sometime in the next 6 months.

 

How long did it take you to get the invite? And the Visa? I'm about to go on 5 months without so much as a peep.

 

Engineers Australia already gave me a positive skills assessment. I also have letters from all of my past employers confirming my experience. My only problem is that I started working in November 2009, but only officially got my degree in 2011 (I had 2 subjects in my last year), so DHA apparently only counted my experience from 2011.

[LekkerOuJan]

7 hours ago, ChrisH said:

Never give up, there is almost always another way.  You might have to take matters into your own hands and do things yourself (if you don't want to pay another agent) or start actively looking for work on this side for a sponsored visa (this is a long and tedious task unfortunately).

 

I have a signed contract with the agent, so I would lose quite a lot if I break that contract.

 

Also thought about trying to get a job that side, but every single job add I've looked at so far, and there have been a lot, required that the applicant already has a work visa or citizenship. 

[LekkerOuJan]

7 hours ago, frosty said:

Did the agent indicate why? The only reasons I could think of is that if it was pre graduation work experience.

 

Yes, I started work at the end of 2009, but only officially finished my degree at the end of 2011. My last year I had only 2 subjects the whole year due to some admin crap.

7 hours ago, frosty said:

Also keep in mind that there are some changes coming in November which could see you scoring an extra 10 points (single applicants).

 

I was not aware of this. It's still a bloody long time to wait, with still no feedback or progress at all. Will I need to lodge a whole new EOI then?

7 hours ago, frosty said:

There is also no reason why you should cancel the 189 if you wish to apply 190.

 

The agent absolutely insisted on it. She said that if I didn't cancel the 189 the state would think I'm not really dedicated to that state (even though it is the state listed as my preference on the 189) and therefore place me on the bottom of the pile.

[LekkerOuJan]

7 hours ago, TakeItOnTheChin said:

Yeah don't give up mate, too much to lose, not just money at stake here. You will not lose money by doing another EOI which should come at minimal cost. Also consider the 489 visa which would give an additional 10 points over and above the 189 option. All the best

 

Thank you. I just feel like I've already lost. With 5 months gone and not a single peep I'm just wondering whether it's ever actually going to happen.

[LekkerOuJan]

1 hour ago, TeeTMI said:

The Migration Year runs July to June each year.  In July many of the states review their state sponsorship lists and may change the occupations.  You and your agent might take a look to see if there may be other potential states/territory options that you might look at come July?  Places for NSW SS have been highly competitive this year. 
 

 

Thank you for letting me know. At this point I doubt whether my agent is even remotely aware of this.

[frosty]

2 hours ago, LekkerOuJan said:

I was not aware of this. It's still a bloody long time to wait, with still no feedback or progress at all. Will I need to lodge a whole new EOI then?

 

I don’t think you would have to, but I am not 100% sure. I would do a bit of research. Just to give you an idea, if you do need to submit a new EOI it is something you can do yourself in a matter of minutes.

 

2 hours ago, LekkerOuJan said:

The agent absolutely insisted on it. She said that if I didn't cancel the 189 the state would think I'm not really dedicated to that state (even though it is the state listed as my preference on the 189) and therefore place me on the bottom of the pile.

 

I am no agent, so I cannot confirm how true this is. I can however give you feedback on my own experience. We submitted one EOI for both 189 and 190 (NSW) and we did receive an invitation from NSW.

[frankk]

9 hours ago, LekkerOuJan said:

 

I have a signed contract with the agent, so I would lose quite a lot if I break that contract.

 

Also thought about trying to get a job that side, but every single job add I've looked at so far, and there have been a lot, required that the applicant already has a work visa or citizenship. 

 

Sounds to me like you need a new agent, getting little to no response isn't normal or OK. Look at the finer details of the contract you signed with the agent. There surely must be grounds for terminating the contract?

[HappyIsland]

On 6/27/2019 at 2:59 PM, LekkerOuJan said:

So I'm starting to lose hope. Between the total lack of an invite, and the very sparse communication from my agent (or flat out being ignored by her) I'm starting to wonder whether I'm actually just dreaming, and will never be able to move to Australia. Whether I have effectively just flushed a bunch of money down the toilet with everything I've done so far (Failed an IELTS, full marks for all sections but 6.5 on writing, followed by full marks on PTE without much difficulty, travel back home to SA for the PTE and some other stuff, working in Malawi at the moment, paying R13k for the agent to lodge the EOI, EA skills assessment etc. Basically I'm about R40 000 down with nothing to show for it
 

 

Should I just give up? Move on with my life with the assumption that the move is never going to happen? I've been putting off on a lot of things (trying to save money and not create obligations here) because I believed I would be moving soon. Should I give up on my dream of a better life somewhere else and just accept that I'll be stuck here for the rest of my life?

It's completely up to you what you want to do.

Your agent might have done a bad job, but ultimately you and only you are responsible and in charge of your own destiny.
My advice is to educate yourself on the migration process. Read everything you can on the migration process so that you can make objective and informed decisions instead of just following advice from other people.

Its become very tough to get into Australia in the last 18 months. The required points are unattainable for most people. So your first port of call should be to determine how many points you qualify for, and at what points do people get invitations for your occupation. It's very competitive out there with the high points, so you'll definitely need superior english to up your points. But before you go write an exam, first determine if the extra boost in points would be enough to get an invite.

Your other options are to try and secure a sponsored job on a 482 visa. This in itself is an undertaking and certainly not an easy task. Everyone wants a 482, but there's only a select few employers and 482 opportunities. Just sending out your CV to as many employers as you can won't bear fruit. To get a job offer you'll need to stand out from the crowd and do a targeted approach that has to start with lots of research.
I have been down the 482 route and managed to secure a job offer for 457 / 482 visas but ultimately declined it in favor of the permanent residence route.

If you ultimately can't get into OZ, you could try NZ which offers a route into Oz. They also have employment sponsorship and a skilled permanent residence route.

If you do decide to move forward, it'll have to start with lots of research with a defined action plan and will require hard work and determination.

if you don't want to move forward, simply give up and cut your losses.

Edited June 29, 2019 by HappyIsland
..

[ChrisH]

On 6/28/2019 at 4:06 PM, LekkerOuJan said:

I have a signed contract with the agent, so I would lose quite a lot if I break that contract.

 

File an official complaint against them: https://www.mara.gov.au/using-an-agent/resolving-disputes-with-your-agent/make-a-complaint-about-an-agent/

 

 

[LekkerOuJan]

7 hours ago, ChrisH said:

 

File an official complaint against them: https://www.mara.gov.au/using-an-agent/resolving-disputes-with-your-agent/make-a-complaint-about-an-agent/

 

 

Thank you for the link. I will keep that in mind. I don't want to do anything to upset them at this point though in case they then derail my application even further.

[LekkerOuJan]

On ‎6‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 11:05 AM, frosty said:

We submitted one EOI for both 189 and 190 (NSW) and we did receive an invitation from NSW.

How long did you wait for it?

[LekkerOuJan]

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 10:04 AM, HappyIsland said:

My advice is to educate yourself on the migration process. Read everything you can on the migration process so that you can make objective and informed decisions instead of just following advice from other people.

 

I have done quite a bit of research, read up, evaluated various agents. I thought that taking the advice of someone who is supposedly an expert in the field would be a good idea.

 

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 10:04 AM, HappyIsland said:

So your first port of call should be to determine how many points you qualify for

 

I thought it was 75, but apparently it was only 70 as they didn't count 2 years of my experience, even though Engineers Australia did.

 

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 10:04 AM, HappyIsland said:

so you'll definitely need superior english to up your points.

 

Is a 90 on all sections of the Pearson Academic not enough to get superior English?

 

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 10:04 AM, HappyIsland said:

Your other options are to try and secure a sponsored job on a 482 visa

 

I am busy trying to look into that.

 

On ‎6‎/‎29‎/‎2019 at 10:04 AM, HappyIsland said:

I have been down the 482 route

 

Any advice about which companies to look for?

[frosty]

6 hours ago, LekkerOuJan said:

How long did you wait for it?

 

I believe it was about a month. It was at the start of the new cycle, so there were still many spots available. 190 is difficult to predict as invitations are not necessarily issued on monthly basis such as 189.

[Ozzieandcharles]

Don't give up hope! I applied for a 189 and 190 visa (NSW) simultaneously and  I waited 5 - 6 months before I received my NSW invitation. So there is a good chance you will still get an invitation. At the time I also felt that I would never get the invitation, as I had been waiting so long. 

 

I lodged my visa application in Feb this year and I am still waiting for my visa...  I suspect it is still going to be a long wait, but I have become good at waiting (started the process in June 2017) 😂

 

I really empathize with how you feel, my boyfriend lives in NSW, and we have lived apart for the last 4 years. It has been extremely difficult, but whenever it really gets to me, I just remember how amazing it will be when we finally live together. Just keep on going and don't give up, whatever you do!