New Life Down Under

Hi Mike Yes, I will be more than happy to look at these for you, so forward them to me at camilla@newlifedownunder.com.au . Gill and I think three heads are better than one! We have been busy checking legislation and policy for you aswell. I noticed you are in Norwich, I lived there for 10 years, my husband is a Norwich boy! He worked in Drayton for many years aswell!! Small world!! Regards Camilla

Hi Gill It is like being back at Uni and being set a stinky assignment!! I have looked into Policy and I believe there could be grounds for possible negotiations here on clause 163.212 of Migration Regulations 1994! Also when reading Policy against clause 163.211, I think that could be something worth looking at as well. I have sent you the details of these in a private message as I do not think it would be ethical for me to post DIAC policy on this forum! May cause some grief! I think if Mike can demonstrate a successful career over and above the 4 years that may be considered??? TAking into account it wouldhave been a lot easier to achieve $300K when there was nearly $3 to the stirling 10 years ago. Perhaps his accounts could be submitted alongside an average Aussie/GBP comparison chart. http://www.exfin.com/historical-forex-aud I wonder if there is any case history re exchange rate calculations??? Cheers Camilla

As a RMA myself, I agree with Gill. The fact that you and your husband have been together such a long time, i think your case is pretty straightforward. As a lawyer, I am sure your husband will have no problem following the legislation.

Subject to "exceptional circumstances", you may be considered for RSMS if you have been with the employer for over 2 years and there is a strong case to keep you permanently.

Hi Ali and other moderators, if this should be posted somewhere else please let me know! A strange request and not quite sure where it would be best placed

Hello Everyone George, 12 months old, friendly boy okay in the house, still puppyish, loves his walks and good with kids. His owner due to a sick relative he needs to care for needs someone to care for George for a lengthy time possibly a year. He will pay expenses. even a part stay in a normal home environment is preferable over kennelling for a lengthy period, especially for a young dog like George. Anyone around the Perth, Mandurah, Bunbury etc areas, who could take George whilst his owner is going through this difficult time please call Pauline on 95817138, even for a few months would help. A friend of mine has asked me to post this if anyone can help !!! Thanks Camilla

I reckon the best one on the market is $49pm infinite plan with Vodaphone and you get a free Android if you sign up for 2 years. You can more or less make unlimited calls within Oz and I think it is also free sms overseas. However it is Ok in Perth metro but when you go further afield there is no signal! I had nothing when in Denmark for a week, so a bit disasterous! Telstra has the best network coverage in WA and I think Optus is pretty good in Qld! Hope that helps

Hello Sweetpea Medicals are not generally required for the majority of 457 applications, it does however depend on the position. Do check with your visa agent about your specific case though!! This is what you are paying an agent for!! Dont be afraid to ask them any questions you have! Good luck with it all

Hello Congratulations on getting your visa so quickly, well done! Can I ask what skill/trade you are?

Hello Gill, Yes a few more golden pipelines wouldnt go amiss!!! Perhaps CY OConnor wouldve done better to be locked up in an institution, if what my primary school children have taught me is correct, he killed himself shortly before the water arrived! Poor bloke! With regards to the quota for 2012/13, I am unaware at this stage, however, when I was at DIAC last week the ROO (Regional Outreach Officer, not a skippy!) kept reminding us that he was only talking about the current figures and legislation! I know this always happens, but being the sort of person that I am, I got the impression it would be all change again next year, but who knows!!! With regards to your comments of a 50mill population, I hope that not too many more come to Perth! Since I have been here the traffic congestion on the freeway has increased 10 fold, its harder to park your car in CBD and my kids school has grown from 260 to 450 students!!!! Oh and our utility bills have sky rocketed!!! With the EOI scheme coming in, I think that GSM visas will dwindle rapidly and more visas willl be employer driven. Anyone looking at GSM should try and submit their applications asap!!! Regards Camilla

Hi Gill You must visit Broome one of these days it is fabulous. Red dust, white sand and blue seas, it really is picture perfect. You can also do a visit to Wylie Creek Pearl Farm. Cable Beach is the most famous hotel right on the beach. When we went we stayed at Seashells, much cheaper but in a lovely position, 5 mins walk to cable beach! We did manage a sundowner at the Cable Beach Resort though!!! Yes my name has had a recent amount of publicity recently with Mrs Parker Bowles!!!! Your story about the Welsh family is very sad, but unfortunately there are many people who Ping Pong back and forth and cant settle here. It is such a shame as it is a huge upheavel and very expensive and can leave families torn apart. I am always suprised as to the amount of people who want to emigrate here and they havent even done a reccie here! Cheers Camilla

Hello Gill What a terrible experience for these people. I have never visited the Pilbara region, the furthest I have been is Broome which is a beautiful tourist spot! I belive that this part of WA is very inhospitable and I imagine the working conditions are very tough. I agree it is very sad when people do not get the support from their employer. It is tough migrating here, leaving family behind and moving to somewhere with no support... To answer your other question, no I am not a legal practitioner, just a Registered Migration Agent. For extremely complex cases and Tribunal issues, I would agree with you, it would always be best for a client to see a Migration Lawyer and I have heard that Nigel Dobbie is one of the best in Australia. Having worked in HR and Recruitment for many years prior to becoming a Migration Agent, I can see the benefits for clients and employers trying to go for a RSMS visa as opposed to a temporary visa, as this will offer them more security. By the way, are the family you referred to now happy and settled in Kalgoorlie?

Hello Ann, I hope you dont mind I will answer your private question on here as what you asked may help others. Churchlands Primary and Senior Schools are state schools. My children are both in primary, one goes to high school next year. At the primary there are no fees as such, we have to pay voluntary contributions which is only $60 pa plus P and C contribitons of $40! So nothing really. I am sure that other people on this site will know more about high school fees, but I think the contributions are about $600 pa??? Things like swimming lessons, excurisions etc are on top

RSMS stands for Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme visa and it is a permanent visa allowing Australian employers to recruit workers to fill f/t skilled vacancies. The offshore visa is subclass 119 and the onshore is subclass 857. It is a complex visa with a three part application process , the employer has the nomication certified by the Regional Certifying Body, the employer then applies to DIAC to have the nominated position approved as an "approved appointment" and then the nominated employee makes an application for the visa! That is the briefest way I can explain it! Obviously the employer and employee have to meet the criteria of the .Migration Regulations 1994 before they can apply. However with Perth becoming Regional this ahs opened up an opportunity that previously did not exist. Have a look at subclass 119/857 on the immi website for more details. A subclass 457 is a temporary business (long stay) visa and again is a 3 part process. Firstly the employer is approved as a Standard Business Sponsor (SBS) then they apply to DIAC to have the position approved and gthen the selected employee applies for a subclass 457 visa. Both visas are subject to skills/occupation/age etc. Speak to your Registered Migration Agent or contact DIAC for further info. Hope this helps!!! Sorry both are fairly difficult to explain, I ahve tried to make it as simple as possible. Regards Camilla

Hello verystormy, since the introduction of Perth as a Regional Area for the purpose of RSMS visas, many employers are now seeing the benefit of employing staff on a RSMS. This offers the employer the opportunity to secure continuity of staff as the visa is for a minimum of 2 years, whereas with a 457, staff in high demand roles ie engineering, health specialists, are switching sponsors, therefore the employer loses staff to competitors paying higher $$$. Also as a RSMS offers permanency many employers feel that they are getting loyalty from their staff as they are offering the migrant permanent residency and subsequently some security. With regards to the cost the VAC is more at around $3000 (plus if the secondary applicant is not English speaking some additional fees) , however with regards to processing times, DIAC are currently processing DEcision Ready Applications from Migration Agents that were submitted at the end of November. RSMS is Priority 1 for processing. Therefore the turnaround from appointment of CO is very quick. I would advise anyone, if offered the opportunity to grasp a RSMS visa with both hands. The current amount of visas to be granted is 16000 until the end of June 2012. This may/could change next year. Also who knows how long Perth CBD will stay on the current Legislative Instrument for RSMS??? This visa is currently a fantastic opportunity for prospective migrants with an employer. Yes, it is complex and there is a huge amount of paperwork and documentation involved, but it is one of the best opportunities for migrants headed to Perth. I believe the benefits certainly outweigh the costs. I am happy to discuss this visa further with any employers thinking of recruiting overseas staff.

Dont forget that a 457 is a temporary visa anyhow. You may be wise to look at the visas that offer you permanency, so you may be wise to start the process in the mean time! My advise is for anyone considering a 457 visa is to speak to their prospective employer and ask them to consider a RSMS visa as this will offer a route to permanency.

My children are at Churchlands Primary School and one is going to Churchlands High School next year. You can get your children to sit for the Gifted and Talented places, look at the Dept of Education website and then they do not need to live in the boundary to attend one of these schools. Churchlands High School runs an academic extension programme which is reputed to be excellent. You pay $50 to sit the test and if they pass and get a place on the programme again they can be out of area. Churchlands also offers a gifted and talented music specialist programme. Other top state schools are Willeton, Shenton, Rossmoyne all recently did well in the polls.

Since 12 September 2011, Perth has been classified as Regional for the purpose of the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS). From July 2011 the top priority of processing for DIAC is the RSMS visa. There have been 16000 places allocated in this financial year for RSMS visas. For anyone out there who has been on a 457 for 2 years or more, now may be the time for you and your employer to look at securing permanent residency through this scheme. If you are under 45, satisfy the skill requirement for your trade/occupation, are commited for at least 2 years with your employer ,you may wish to look into this scheme if you are seeking PR. If you work in the trades and are skills level 4 on ANZSCO your two years work experience may help you achieve recognition for this visa scheme. Also those of you on working holiday subclass 417 visas with diplomas or degrees should consider their options if looking for permanency. Registered Migration Agents are permitted to send in Agent Decision Ready applications for this category and also ENS visas. If you are interested in being considered for these visas contact your migration agent. Only agents registered with MARA https://www.mara.gov.au/agent/ARDetails.aspx?ud=6197&BackToSearch=True&FolderID=394 are able to submit decision ready applications. Processing times are considerably shorter through this scheme. Migration Law changes continually and the quota for 16000 places is for this financial year only. Good luck with your applications Camilla

Hello Clare Are you in the UK or Australia at present? The visas you are looking at can usually only be applied for onshore ie in Australia for someone who has a substantive visa, that is a current visa with no conditions stating no further stay or similar? If you are offshore ie out of Australia you need to look at perhaps a 176/175 or another option. On those two visas if you are a "member of the family unit" of the primary applicant ie spouse etc you are able to work.For a sponsored visa you need relative or state sponsorship. Hope that clarifies things a little. Suprisingly quite a few people seemingly apply for onshore visas when they are offshore!!!

Hello Clare If you are the secondary applicant on your husbands permanent residency visa, you should be able to work, subject to which visa he is applying for! I can not be more specific until I know which visa he is looking at. If you are entering as a secondary applicant (ie not applying in your own rights) I would not think it necessary for you to waste your money undertaking vetassess skills assessments as that MAY not be a prerequisite for the employer you are working for, You may be better to ascertain what is required in WA to undertake the work. ie you may have to do a course at TAFE or similar. As a Registered Migration Agent, I would like to advise you that you do not have to use an agent for your visa. That is a matter of choice! You may also find that an agent in Australia is cheaper than the UK! Dont know why!!! The only thing is to make sure they are registered with https://www.mara.gov.au/ . Under AUstralian Law all agents in Australia must be registered with MARA. However strangely this doesnt apply to overseas agents, but you will find that many reputable UK agents are registered with MARA anyhow, so I would advise you to pick one of them if you choose an agent! If it helps you can look at my fees as I know mine are pretty much the average fee for a Perth Agent. It will help provide a comparison! http://www.newlifedownunder.com.au/index.php/schedule-of-fees Good luck with your visa

To answer the question, if you are a British Citizen, a medical and police clearance check is not a prerequisite for a Subclass 457 visa. They are generally not required,for many occupations. However there are a few industries where they are required, so it is best to always check with DIAC or your agent before going to the extra expenses. Many applicants go to this additional expense unnecessarily, however, it may be prudent if it is the intention to lodge for a PR visa onshore, as they are valid for one year. Your migration agent can certify all of your documents required for this visa. Good luck with the interviews Regards Camilla

Hello there, from a legal point of view, you need to be able to demonstrate a score of 8 across the bands to be entitled to prove Superior English , which may allow you the 20 points for GSM visa categories. According to departmental policy, there is no allowance for variation of the 8 points across all bands. With regards to appealing to IELTS, I am afraid I have never come across that. If you are a nurse (?) perhaps you can look at getting a 457 sponsorship initially? Hope that helps:anisanta:

A client of mine is looking for maintenance and asset management engineers with experience within an energy environment . Must have a relevant engineering degree and at least 5 years experience with knowledge of power system asset strategy and maintenace,generation,networks and transmissions. This company will sponsor and help with relocation costs and expenses. If you have the relevant background please email me your CV camilla@newlifedownunder.com.au

If anyone out there has experience within rail, a client of mine is looking for Project Managers and Business Analysts. Looking for about 10 years experience within railways. PRINCE2 essential for PM role. Will be responsible for crew rostering, rolling stock and maintenance scheduling. If you have the experience you can email me your CV camilla@newlifedownunder.com.au Thanks

Hello I would advise you to be very careful about nominating yourself! Check the legislation first.