Skilled Ind. Regional (495) vs State/Territory Nominated Skilled Ind (137)

[JacoE]

Hi,

I am busy compiling documentation etc. for my visa application. I cannot apply for the Skilled Independant (136) visa due to lack of a few points (I'm an old bloke apparently).

I was earlier led by somebody to believe that I needed to apply for the Skilled Independant Regional (Provisional) visa (495). This is a temporary visa which requires a points test result of at least 110. The applicant must stay in the region for 2 years and work at least 1 year.

I have just been reading about the State Territory Nominated Independant visa (137). This is a permanent residence visa which requires a points test result of at least 70. (http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/137/eligibility-applicant.htm) The applicant must remain in the state for at least 2 years.

In both cases there must be state sponsorship, the nominated occupation, English ability etc.

What baffles me is that the points requirement for the permanent visa is less than for the provisional visa while all other requirements and obligations remain essentially the same. WHAT AM I MISSING? or is the 70 points a misprint? Why would anybody apply for the 495?

Can anybody shed some light on this issue please.

Jaco

[Arthur]

The idea with the 495 is to keep people in regional areas for longer. 3 years provisional and then 2 years on the onshore STNI. Contrary to popular belief the 495 is a tool for the state governments and not for the migrants. Also the SIR visas were created as an add on the 90000 skilled migrant positions every year and there are only 5000 positions per year available.

They get if they are willing to sponsor you someone who is hopefully very qualified (110 points). They also get you for at least 4 years. For the highly sought after professionals they know those skills are in demand and the migrant should get work easily hence the STNI visas.

When I applied in May 2004 being an software developer for STNI sponsorship I would have had a offer of employment, I did not but got sponsored on the 495 VISA.

That has now been taken of the STNI list for South Australia. If you are an IT professional Immigration SA will only consider sponsoring you for the 495 VISA if you have a firm job offer. The reason for this is that are not that many IT jobs available in Adelaide, mostly in defence and you need security clearance and citizenship to land one of those positions.

So they can use it to ammend and upgrade the skill pool in certain ereas. IT professionals who can get 110 point etc.

So I guess what I am saying it is up to you to apply for STNI sponsorship but the state may only be willing to sponsor you for the SIR VISA. Also I think some of the state governments are allowed to sponsor for the SIR visa and not for the STNI visas.

I hope this makes the intention of the 495 a bit clearer.

Now my personal feelings of the 495 VISA. It is a very hard visa, you arive here none of the the benefits like medicare etc. You see the dollars flowing out with none coming in and you do not even habe PR. You feel you must get a job for the second stage etc. So there is a lot of presure on you. Many migrants have arrived and if they have not gained a work in three months have left because if it takes you three years before you can apply for PR you will be here for longer necesary.

I was however very lucky when I arrived here in that my wife got a job in the first week and I started working by the 4th week.

Regards

Arthur

[Annette]

Jaco, to apply for the STNI visa, your occupation has to be on the Migration Occupations In Demand list for the particular state (not the general one on the DIMA website, so it differs for each state). On the SIR visa, you only need an occupation on the General Skilled Occupations list.

[JacoE]

Arthur, Anette,

Thanks for our replies. The skills on demand list issues I suppose makes the distinction clearer rfom a potential emmigrant's point-of-view.

Seeing as both of you are in Adelaide I suppose I can ask you what the market for analyst pogrammers are at the moment. I have about 14 years experience, but mostly not with C#, C++ or Java where it appears the opportunities are almost endless. I have good SQL experience though as well as project management. I am busy with a diploma in C#/.NET at the moment too.

I will be perusing the recruitment sites and so on more thouroughly once the paperwork for my ACS application is finished. As I do not have to specify at this stage where I want to go I thought I would do first things first. While waiting for that approval I can go look at jobs and try to find more details regarding regional Australia.

From what I have read though, and being limited to regional Australia my first thoughts were Adelaide as it is a city (and I have read some comments on this forum about the pros and cons). Bob said he expected the economy to go into a bit of a boom in the next few years.

HERE IS A CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF YOU TO PROVE YOUR LOYALTY TO YOUR HOME TOWN/CITY

What about some feedback from you forumites in regional Australia. Where do you live and a) do you like it - and whyl and If you have any knowledge of the IT industry there, what is it like.

Have a GREAT day all of you - and please add some comments here.

Jaco

[Arthur]

Jaco if you are in the process of having your skills assessed the MODL has been updated to include some IT skills. If your skill is there apply for the points. That should give you the points you need for 136.

See

MODL

[JacoE]

If you are an IT professional Immigration SA will only consider sponsoring you for the 495 VISA if you have a firm job offer.

This is becoming a real problem. I have just been to the immigration sites for all the states. My occupation is not on the STNI lists of any of the states (basically the state specific MODLs). Half the others e.g. Northern Territory et al) won't even entertain ITC people for SIR and all the rest require a firm job offer. But who is going to offer you a job knowing you can only (possibly) start 7 months down the line?

Now for a question...what is required to satisfy DIMA that your skill is on the MODL. For instance Java, C#, SAP or SIEBEL. If I have, for arguments sake, been programming for 15 years in Visual Basic/Fortran/Delphi or whatever and now complete a internationally recognised diploma from Microsoft for instance in C# or Java, can I claim points for having MODL skills or is this wishful thinking?

[i can't look bacl, it is in the past - what counts is what happens from now on]...

Jaco

[Annette]

Jaco, your skills will be assessed by the skills assessment body for your profession. I'm not sure who that will be, but they will decide whether you qualify under your chosen occupation. Usually, the assessment is based quite a lot on the experience you have had and not necessarily the qualifications. I don't know whether this is the case in IT, but I would guess it is. So, your experience is what gets you in, not the qualifications.

[JacoE]

Jaco, your skills will be assessed by the skills assessment body for your profession. I'm not sure who that will be, but they will decide whether you qualify under your chosen occupation. Usually, the assessment is based quite a lot on the experience you have had and not necessarily the qualifications. I don't know whether this is the case in IT, but I would guess it is. So, your experience is what gets you in, not the qualifications.

You reply got me looking at the ACS again because I was hoping you'd be wrong; but you are not.

...mmm. At first I thought the ACS simply looked at broader category as I have not before seen the specialisations when reading the downloaded ACS documentation. But I have now gone back to their website and see that they must also approve the MODL status if you want to claim the points for a MODL occupation. And they specifically state that you need one years experience in that specialisation.

Ok, that leaves me with 2 options then. Get a job offer in Aus and go on a 457 (work visa) or 495 (SIR); or get a job offer in a MODL specialisation in SA and wait another year before applying for a 136, hoping the MODL does not change in the meantime. ...........

Jaco

[Rebecca]

Hi all,

Where do I find the ACS website?

I don't have enough points either (110 points) so my only option is to go on the STNI visa or a work sponsored visa. Would like to find out if my occupation is on the MODL or possibly my husband's?

Could anyone tell me what the opportunities for a Construction Site Foreman there with no qualifications just work experience?

Thanks

Rebecca

[JacoE]

Rebecca,

The ACS website is here..

I suggest you first look at the skilled occupation list (SOL) to find your or your hubbys occupations. Your occupations must be here in the first instance. Then you can look at the MODL to see if either of you qualify for extra points.

The first step in applying for any of the permanent visas as well as the temporary regional and state nominated visas is the skills assssment. You can also find a list of skills here or download the pdf file by clicking the previous link. Construction Project manager is on the list but you will have to scrutinise the skilled occupation list yourself and look at the relevant assessing authority's site for more info. The info for these assessing authorities are in the second part of the SOL.

For IT people the temporary visas are difficult to get as only three states (SA, Vic, Tas) will sponsor you and only if you have a job offer. This excludes a very few select skills which are listed on the state immigration sites, these skills are mostly a subset of the MODL IT occupations.

For the temporary work permits (457) you normally do not need a skills assessment and the visa is cheaper and quicker to get. Obviously you have to secure a job offer first. The employer can then sponsor you for a permanent visa once you have worked there for a while. This PR will also be dependant on some conditions of course which I have not researched.

Hope the above helps a bit.

jaco