Youngish graduate needing some advice

[Robb]

Well where do I start. I’m from PE, here in good old SA, and over the last couple of months I’ve looking towards the future. When I look towards South Africa’s future I’m filled with dread, which is why I started evaluating the immigration options which will be available to me. Basically I’ve narrowed it down to Australia and Canada. The one’s I’ve eliminated would be for the following reasons.

Ireland: Probably my first choice, but its become very difficult to get in there. They’ve tightened the immigration since the EU formed, and since the Celtic tiger has rampaged.

New Zealand: Beautiful country, but I have a few concerns over the quantity of jobs over there.

UK: I think it’s a 6 year wait for citizenship, I’d probably have to end up working in London, which could get quite depressing.

I’m sure you’ve all heard the reasons for people coming over to Australia, but for me the catalyst for my desire to come over there has to be that whenever I watch the SABC news at night, I feel this panic rise up inside of me. Its quite scary.

Heart breaking isn’t it? Such a beautiful country, with so many good people.

So about me, I’m a 22 year old guy, I have two degrees, a BCom degree in Marketing, and an Honours Degree in Business Management, and 7 months work experience as an account executive in an advertising agency. I was a high achiever in varsity and got inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society for good academic performance. I realise that I’m still young to be doing this, but my thinking is that the sooner I make the move, the sooner I can get that citizenship, and any disadvantage I have will be over. A couple of weeks ago I found this site, and I think its great. To all the good souls who keep it going, well done. If you wouldn’t mind answering a few of my questions, that would be greatly appreciated.

Am I too young?

What is the total cost that I’m looking for the entire process of application? (Exclude flights, set up costs)?

They often have these expo’s here in SA, where they give free seminars and interviews for work in Australia. They are always in Jo’burg or Cape Town though. Do you think its worth making the effort to go to one or two?

Applying for jobs – do they mind me applying without the authorisation to work? Has anyone ever secured employment without going to Aus? How?

Marketing and Business Management – it seems to me that these disciplines are not really sought after over there. Every week in the Sunday Times Careers section I see offers for mine technicians, quantity surveyors, architects etc, but never business related. What are my chances of finding work in a big city like Sydney, or even better, Adelaide?

To end off, I’m not attached and have no kids, so there’s not too much keeping me here, and it may be an advantage in the immigration process. I want to do it in the next couple of years, but to tell you the truth I’m scared. Really scared. Its such a daunting prospect going over to a country new where you know no one. I’ve heard it mentioned by ‘some’ that people who leave SA now are cowards. Rubbish. Leaving and starting over in a new country takes guts and courage, and I’ll never let anyone call me coward for leaving. Is it a sin to want a better life? To live in a better environment?

Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you.

Edited September 10, 2007 by Robb

[Guest nc74]

Hi Robb

This forum ROCKS

I have only been on it for about a week and everyone is friendly and always ready to give advice. There is a guy Peter who is an agent and gives great advice. I dont know much about your occupation etc but I dont think you are to young. From what I can see you need to be over 18. Which you clearly are. I know you need to get a skills assessment before you do anything else. You can go to the immigration website. www.immi.gov.au and there is a list called the SOL. If your occupation is on there then you can definitely get a skills assessment. It seems to cost in the region of R100 000, but my hubby and I think its money well spent!!!!

I hope you get loads of good advice and get to aus quick!!!!

Edited September 10, 2007 by nc74

[Robb]

Hmm, I'm an Account Executive in an Ad Agency. The closest I get to that is 'Advertising Specialist' on the SOL. How close does it have to be?

[NikkiH]

Hi Robb

I think that you are not too young, it all depends on how much experience is needed for you to get a positive skills assessment. So look at the immigration website and download the skilled occupations in demand list (SOL) I have pasted one here but it may be old.

See where your career falls into and then see which agency will assess your skills. Go to their website and see what is required

That will tell you if you can get the skilled independant visa.

Then there is the sponsored visa's. The long stay business visa is the one that a lot of people get, it is not permanent (but can lead to a permanent visa). It is possible to get this you will just have to keep applying. Dont worry about it saying you need to have residency, I think that is actually a default. Some places say they will sponsor in the add and then it still says you need residency.

It will be harder to get sponsored because you dont have a lot of experience, but I think it is worth trying.

Another option is to go and study something there for two years full time, then you wont have any issues except for money

[Robert & Telanie]

Hi Robb, welcome to the forum. Here you will get a lot of answers.

I don't know anything about your ocupation, cause my hubby is a electrician. But to answer some of your questions.

Go and read up on the MODL list and open the occupations that you think will be in line with your kind of work.

You are defnitely not too young and I think your degrees will help you a lot.

About the costs, we went through an agent and there costs is $2700 (R16200),

Our PR visa application is $2060 (R12360),

2 x IELTS £230 (R3200),

TRA $300 (R1800),

Agent's fee for TRA R2500.

Sending our PR visa with the post office R1500.

Still need to do medicals, and some say it's about R2500.

It is only me and my hubby, no children. I think it's about R40060 all in all that we will be paying.

It will be good to go to some of the expo's.

Try and find work on the internet, and keep on applying, have a look at this next site, http://www.seek.com.au/

About Sydney and Adelaide I don't know that much, but I'm sure there will be something for you.

And we feel the same that we are not cowards to go out of SA, and we were made to do better for ourselves.

Hope this helps.

Good luck with everything, and ask anything, everyone will be able to help.

Robert & Telanie

[celeste]

Hi Robb

Welcome to the forum - you've come to the right place! I think many of us started out scared and uncertain of the whole process and whether we were doing the right thing but over time the excitement of the adventure of immigration seems to take over. Of course, i doubt it will be all roses.

It saddens me to hear you such a young person feeling this way about SA. When I was your age it was around 1993/94 and there was so much euphoria in the country so much hope and of course so many who emmigrated then...including some of my family a few years after this time.

It's interesting to hear that even our young people can see the writing on the wall judging from your post.

Of course you are not too young for emmigration - the younger you are the more points you score on the system! I don't think the application costs R100 000 but more around R20 000 for the application fee (AUD2060) IELTS test (approx R1800) , skills assessment fee (approx R2000) medical exam (approx R1500), plus any certificates you need to get from home affairs and police clearance. Of course if you use an agent (fees range between R17 000 and R35000) you'd have to add that on. Have I left anything out anyone?

I'd strongly recommend that you also apply on-line for jobs but as someone suggested the first step is to get a positive skills assessment. Do a search on the site for a reputable agent and maybe go for an initial interviw to find out which skilled occupation you should pick and which visa category. Use a MARA registered agent.

Of course it will save you lots of cash if you can lodge the application yourself which many on the forum have done.

[Robb]

Wow, lots of good advice coming my way, thanks all.

My main concern is that I havn't reached one year's experience yet, and ideally I should maybe get to some kind of manager level first, but I'll check out the skills assesment.

But ja, Celeste, there's a lot of negative sentiment going around about things here. Every day I log onto news24, and each day there's stories of hijackings, shoot outs, someone calling someone racist. I feel more strongly about it than a lot of others my age, but thats just because of my tendancy to plan for the future.

My plan is to get into Aus (or Canada, admitteldy), get a half decent job, and hopefully after a couple of years try and do an Aussie MBA. After that everything should be fine, but its a long road ahead.

[celeste]

Hi Robb

Check which body has to assess your qualification. It might be Vetassess but double check this. As far as Vetassess goes (they assessed my skills) they are not interested in experience for a qualifications assessment, however, to get 5 points for the visa the experience is needed. However, as you will score so many points for your age it's highly likely that you will not need to score the 5 for a few years work experience.

I'm still based in durban by the way (waiting for VISA) and yes it seems like we are daily sliding ever more swiftly.

cheers

[Michele R]

Hi Robb!

I think you should decide what visa you want to apply for and as Celeste says, check who assesses your skills. We have to wait a bit longer 'cause my hubby must have 4 years work experience before he can have his skills assessed. So we have to wait another year and can only apply at the end of Dec next year! It's a bit longer than we hoped for, especially as my hubby planned to do his MBA next year, but now we're going to save up as much as we can next year and then he'll do his MBA the following year while we wait for our application to go through. We want to go over on a permanent residency visa.

We're going over on his skills (software programmer) as I'm only finishing my honours degree this year in Classical Studies (ancient romans and greeks....don't think that's on the skills list, lol!)

Just give us all a shout if you need any help with anything. The people here are really friendly and they give great advise.

I wish you all the best!

Michele