JonathanR Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 (edited) Hey Guys, My wife and I have decided to embark on this journey to Australia. I am a Database Architect with a strong emphasis on cloud technologies. I will likely focus on the Database Administrator skill which looks to be able to get me close to a 190 visa with Victoria Sponsorship. We are currently shortlisting Agents (I don't have a Degree but plenty experience and trade certifications which are apparently seen as a diploma, but I think this makes it too risky or complex to try on my own, although I could do with the saving) and will be starting the process by the end of this month. So this is my intro, I am 38 with a wife and two kids (4 and 1) and I desperately want to avoid the South African schooling system so would love to have everything finished by September next year which I believe he would need to start Reception at that point. I would love to push full steam ahead but have some complexities in selling my house (bad builder who despite promising me that the renovations I was doing were fine, I now find out he never got proper building permissions and stuff so I need to sort that out before I can sell) so need to sort that out before I go too far but at least I think we may be a few months from actually getting to the point of needing to start thinking of selling. So some ways the forum can help out at the moment: 1. Maybe recommending a good, reasonable person that can fix my plans as build, and help me navigate the JHB approval system 2. Anyone who knows building legalities in Midrand, apparently the store room I had build by the builder, and he assured me that it must be a meter from the fence, is too close to the fence since it should be 10 meters away. I need some advice on how to get building lines relaxed or else part of my throwing out routine will be to knock down this structure. 3. Welcomes and "hey have you thought off"s (We are already studying the 100 step process thread.) :-) Well I will keep this short because we have not done that much yet but hoping to see some good people in Oz in the future. Edited May 16, 2016 by JonathanR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monsta Posted May 16, 2016 Report Share Posted May 16, 2016 Two pieces of advise.. Search the forums here for a recommendation on a migration agent and read peoples experiences with them. The go to home affairs and apply for your unabridged birth certificates. There are often huge delays with those. Also if you don't have at least 5 years left on your passport, apply for a new one too. That just saves you from changing the passport that the Aussie government has on file for you.. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanR Posted May 17, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 Thanks monsta, I am using the forum with quotes from the recommended agents to form my shortlist. Unabridged birth certificates is fully on top of my list for the oldest child (SA issues unabridged by default for new births so my second born already has one), with passports for wife and kids (They currently do not have passports, although I got mine renewed a month ago and it took a week despite having public holidays within that week, I was properly impressed). I have dual British and South African passports however my British Passport expires next year so I will probably use my SA Passport for the application cause a new British Passport, at ~R2000, is way out of budget currently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel-B Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 What about unabridged marriage certificate? We applied in 2008 and needed that and it took 9 months. Can someone else confirm whether he would need it in this day and age (seeing as we did it like 800 years ago)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanR Posted May 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 (edited) A friend went in 2014 and told me to get that started. He also said it took 9 months, so that one is top of our list as well. I am away from the family in Cape Town at the moment, but next week I will be taking some leave to go and do some of this stuff (Probably take a picnic lunch to DOHA). My wife and I are also planning some budget Kung-Fu so we can put down the money for the agent. PS. I had a bit of a revelation yesterday, although my MCSE: Data Platform is recognised, since I did it only 3 years ago I would cut off around 16 years of my database experience. So my thought is, and I need to address this when I select an agent, but I need to assess the best choice between losing a bunch of work experience and use my MCSE, or whether I should use my Work Experience rather and do a Work Experience only Assessment. Edited May 18, 2016 by JonathanR had another thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vitchie Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Hi Jonathan. I can give you some insight here. My situation, have worked in development since 2002, and have 2 MCTS certifications, one in 2008 and one in 2012. ACS only recognises MCTS after 2009. Bottom line, I did a ACS Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) based on skills. In the end I had a positive outcome with experience recognised after Sep 2008. They also recognised my 2012 MCTS as NQF dimploma level so i could claim 10 points for work experience and 10 points for a diploma. My 189 visa was granted 2 weeks ago. I hope this info helps you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggit Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Hi Jonathan, Not sure if this helps, but I had an MCPD (July 2007) assessed in March 2013 as comparable to an AQF Diploma with a major in computing. All the best with your journey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanR Posted May 18, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 Thanks Guys, helpful. I have an MCSD for Visual Studio 6 issued in 2000. But my occupation is as a database administrator so that will probably be non related. I achieved my MCSE: Data Platform in 2013 (I renewed it this year) and MCSE: Private cloud in 2015. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vitchie Posted May 18, 2016 Report Share Posted May 18, 2016 6 hours ago, JonathanR said: Thanks Guys, helpful. I have an MCSD for Visual Studio 6 issued in 2000. But my occupation is as a database administrator so that will probably be non related. I achieved my MCSE: Data Platform in 2013 (I renewed it this year) and MCSE: Private cloud in 2015. I'm pretty sure it will still be related, as long as it is IT related certificate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanR Posted August 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2016 Hi Guys, I need to brush away the cobwebs on this thread so that people in my shoes can follow it. I wrote the Pearsons PTE test and scored max in all the bands, so a nice 20 points for my English test. My wife wrote and received a minimum in one of the bands of 57, since she only needed 30 to prove functional English, she also passed. I just received my skills assessment back this morning and the MCSD I did in 2000 was recognised for 10 points and all the work experience submitted was recognised (Makes the hard work getting all those old bosses to sign the detailed references worth it. The worst was where a boss had left and I had to track her down and ask her to sign a statutory declaration, but even that turned out in the end, so all worth it) So next step is the EOI and State Application. We are moving sure, placing our feet in the footprints of those who have gone before us in this forum. Thanks for everyone's commitment. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vitchie Posted August 2, 2016 Report Share Posted August 2, 2016 Congrats! Getting everything in order for that skills assessment was really the most work of the entire process for me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanR Posted August 2, 2016 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2016 1 hour ago, vitchie said: Congrats! Getting everything in order for that skills assessment was really the most work of the entire process for me. Thanks @vitchie, Now here is hoping my EOI does not take forever for the 190. I am a Database Administrator so my only option is a 190 as far as I can tell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanR Posted November 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 So I thought I would post a quick update here. We got tied up in the State Sponsorship ICT backlog so although today marks 12 weeks since receiving acknowledgement, we have not heard anything regarding our State Sponsorship. I am hoping that we get a positive outcome soon so that I can apply for the visa before Christmas, but alas patience must be our friend for now. BTW. My son decided to warm some milk in our microwave which was contained in a metal cup. The cup won the battle and the microwave is toast. It seems silly to buy a brand new microwave if we are planning on selling it in a few months time, so if anyone leaving from Gauteng in the next few weeks and is selling their microwave, I would be willing to buy it from you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted November 24, 2016 Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 Can't believe you're still waiting @JonathanR Are you using an agent and if so, what do they say? Sending positive vibes you get that ITA soon ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanR Posted November 24, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 Hi @Husky Yes we are using an agent, unfortunately there is an ICT application backlog in Victoria so we need to wait on them. The agents hands are as tied as ours, we are both at the mercy of the folks who are processing. http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/about-us/news/2016/temporary-closure-in-skilled-applications-for-ict-occupations#.WDcNmeZ95EY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deezo Posted November 24, 2016 Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 Hang in there @JonathanR It will come!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted November 24, 2016 Report Share Posted November 24, 2016 Oh my. Luckily you got your EOI in before the closure. Keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPanda Posted November 25, 2016 Report Share Posted November 25, 2016 The waiting is depressing.... let's look on the bright side, of small household mishaps I'm sure you'll get something on Gumtree or OLX, and fortunately a microwave is not a fridge. (I think secondhand fridges are just a little weird...no way of know what's grown in there before) Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderer Posted November 25, 2016 Report Share Posted November 25, 2016 22 hours ago, JonathanR said: BTW. My son decided to warm some milk in our microwave which was contained in a metal cup. The cup won the battle and the microwave is toast. It seems silly to buy a brand new microwave if we are planning on selling it in a few months time, so if anyone leaving from Gauteng in the next few weeks and is selling their microwave, I would be willing to buy it from you. @JonathanRDid you find a new (or old) microwave? we might be able to help, let me know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanR Posted November 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 Woohoo State sponsorship for Victoria has been approved. Onwards to the next step 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKatherine Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 Yeah @JonathanR!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tntaglia Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 Congratulations! That's awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Husky Posted November 30, 2016 Report Share Posted November 30, 2016 Fabulous @JonathanR Patience rewarded. Enjoy this moment ? We will have to have a good laugh about this process over a bottle of wine in Melbourne next year .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SurferMan Posted December 1, 2016 Report Share Posted December 1, 2016 Well done @JonathanR If you are into DB stuff mate, get in to SAP HANA and S4/HANA and the mobility side of things. We currently pay those types around $1100 to $1600 a day on projects for people with good skills in that space. I hope that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonathanR Posted December 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2016 Thanks @SurferMan, My current focus is AWS and cloud architecture but I don't have enough experience to get me the points so DBA was the best for the points. Is SAP Hana big in Australia at the moment? I know AWS is heating up world wide (Just doing the certs I started getting calls from Malaysia and Taiwan with people asking me whether I would consider working there) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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