wallyengles Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Morning/evening all,My fiancee and I have decided that the time has come for us to jump the pond.I did some homework and we decided to go with an agent due certain time constraints. We're going to be using Ray at Migrate2Oz, others here seem to recommend them.As I said early days still, but I'm hoping our qualifications should get us both through. I'm a mechanical engineer and she's a teacher.We've decided to go the independent route, so we'll be going over once we hopefully have our visas and looking for work.Needless to say we are going the skilled emigration route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mara Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Welcome wallyengles, I trust that all goes smoothly with your endeavours to join us all down under! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyengles Posted April 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Thanks Mara! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDD Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Good luck Wallyengles.Be super organised and the Visa journey will be smooth and quick... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyengles Posted April 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Thanks Reece!The quick side is what I'm working hard to get right.I have contract commitments until December. Other than that we're totally free to go the moment the process is done.I'm aiming to be done and over in the first half of next year.I've read on here about how the waiting is killer...but we're in this now and not giving up till we've got visa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsta Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Yep, waiting around is a killer. Try to live your life as normally as you can until you fly out. Remember, once the paper work comes through, you can always fly here to activate your VISA then you have a few years to make the move. Don't feel pressured into moving here as quickly as you can. Once you have a VISA your future is secure... Even if you live in RSA for an extra year or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyengles Posted April 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) @monsta, both myself and my fiancee are fairly early in our careers (we're both only 24). So we'd like to make our 'start' that side sooner rather than later. Before we have more of a life that needs uprooting. Neither of us have ever planned to spend our lives here, so we've never really started building.We are extremely blessed to have the financial go ahead to make the move happen.We don't have anything to keep us here in the sense of houses bought or major debt either. Our family support for the move is also great.My fiancee's uncle lives in Sydney and we can shack up there for a while very thankfully. Hence our decision to do the visas on our own, then the job hunt after.We're taking this as an adventure just as much as a life change. Edited April 17, 2015 by wallyengles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreCarla Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Good luck! Having an agent really has made a difference from a 'stress' perspective in that you have access to an experienced advisor who knows their way around the admin process. We are using Immagine and they are also fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDD Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Thanks Reece!The quick side is what I'm working hard to get right.I have contract commitments until December. Other than that we're totally free to go the moment the process is done.I'm aiming to be done and over in the first half of next year.I've read on here about how the waiting is killer...but we're in this now and not giving up till we've got visa.Our experience - I think that I was very organised and because of that and having an agent that knows their way around the process (used MigrateAU - Brilliant agents) it only took 4 months on the dot from date of IELTS to date of grant (with Holiday period of Dec - Jan inbetween). From what I can see (especially the 189 Visa) if you are committed to the process, then the process can be quick... Especially the younger you are (next year you will get the max points (30 points) for age being between 25-32 years). Hope it all works out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyengles Posted April 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Our experience - I think that I was very organised and because of that and having an agent that knows their way around the process (used MigrateAU - Brilliant agents) it only took 4 months on the dot from date of IELTS to date of grant (with Holiday period of Dec - Jan inbetween). From what I can see (especially the 189 Visa) if you are committed to the process, then the process can be quick... Especially the younger you are (next year you will get the max points (30 points) for age being between 25-32 years). Hope it all works out...That is great to hear! This is priority for me, after work obviously. So if they ask for any forms or docs I'll be sending them back ASAP.Next step now is the english test... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDD Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 (edited) That is great to hear! This is priority for me, after work obviously. So if they ask for any forms or docs I'll be sending them back ASAP.Next step now is the english test...If you havent already, start applying for and requesting (for both applicants) your unabridged birth certificates, unabridged marriage certificate (obviously once you are married) letters from universities stating degree was in english (for dependant applicant), academic transcripts for school and university, degree certificates and professional membership letters of good standing (usually valid for 3 months), employment reference letters, letters of past employment, etc. As these usually take the most time to get. I'm sure your agent has filled you in with this, but just in case... Edited April 17, 2015 by ReeceD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Welcome wally and good luck with the process. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lenista Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Migrating2Oz is worth every cent! Good luck and enjoy the ride.... We are still in SA but in the final stages of submitting and then the waiting starts..... This forum is GREAT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmNew Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Welcome and all the best for the process! Hope it goes smoothly for you.We also used Migrate2Oz - and have no hesitation in recommending them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoryKirsten Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Good Luck... Im sure it will go Smoothly. Our PR 190 Visa was granted 3 weeks ago. So we will be heading to Adelaide in December. Very Excited but nervous at the same time. Getting an Agent was definitely worth wile. Keep us posted on progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallyengles Posted April 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 English test booked for 29 April I have to score well since we're very young, ie. little work experience.I'm born and bred English though, so it shouldn't be too tough. Still going to study anyway.Now it's time to complete the skills assessment forms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoryKirsten Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 English test booked for 29 April I have to score well since we're very young, ie. little work experience.I'm born and bred English though, so it shouldn't be too tough. Still going to study anyway.Now it's time to complete the skills assessment forms.We also started the process when I was 24. IELTS isnt too bad. Like at school you've just got to read the questions properly and have good time management. I needed an 8 overall which I managed to get first time round.We then spread the application process over the next 2years in order to get our finances in a row. Visa in hand has cost R120,000 for the 4 of us. Being young with "little" work experience and relatively no surplus cash is tough. But we found if you set goals and work towards it one step at a time it all seems to work out in the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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