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Heating engineer looking to relocate


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Hi there everyone

my husband and I are looking to relocate to Australia and was needing advice really. My husband has his own heating business gas/oil was wondering what the job opportunities are like over there for him.  From reading on the internet the skilled visa has been taken away and a temp skilled visa is in place (don't fully understand myself) I would love to hear from anyone who can offer some advice

regards

 

jemma

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Hi and welcome to the forum. 

Permanent visas haven't been replaced. Temporary visas are undergoing big changes and there have been big changes to the occupations which are eligible. 

The first thing to check is eligibility for a visa by lots of reading at border.gov.au and in particular the occupation list. At present the department are publishing a single list, but different occupations are actually on one of two lists and to gain a permanent visa, you need an occupation on the long and medium term list. 

A start would be to look at the 189 and 190 visas. 

Then he needs to look at points. This needs to be done carefully as overclaiming a single point can result in a refusal for visas - loss of thousands in visa fees. 

Then check the other criteria such as age, medical and character. 

He also needs to be aware that I think his occupation would be a licensed occupation meaning once you arrive he would need to work as a trade assistant for a period - like an apprentice and undertake college courses. 

Once he has satisfied the eligibility then he can apply for a skills assessment and most people find that to make the points, they need to take English exams and he can book them. When the skills assessment and English exams passed, he can lodge an expression of interest and wait for an invite. 

On jobs, I am not sure, but central heating is very rare, though obviously houses have hot water boilers. 

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Do your reasearch Pleanty of gas hot water systems and other gas work. Central heating as you know it does not exist

I've never seen oil fired heating here at all. Solar with gas boost is a popular choice

As VS says his licence counts for little here. He will need to find someone to work for \ with and go through RPL for  a WA licence

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi my partner is a heating engineer/plumber we emigrated one year ago. He found it difficult getting enrolled on the gap migrant plumbing course to get his wa plumbing license. The course was canceled 3 times as there was not enough people booked on it. He is currently at college which is gonna take him 6 months to get his plumbing and gas ticket. I'm not writing this to put you off but just to make you aware it's not as simple as they make it out to be but just to be prepared. Good luck with you're move ?

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Well...... We have been here 6 months now.  My history is that I was a plumbing heating and gas engineer with domestic and commercial qualifications and 30 plus years in the industry. I had run my own business and worked for a company with high profile contracts and customers.

Having arrived in WA, I applied for a provisional plumbing licence - this enabled me to enroll on the migrant gap course.  Despite repeated enquiries at Rockingham TAFE, they were unable to offer any assurance as to when they would run a course.  Consequently, I enrolled to the MPA college course in Maylands whose costs were considerably more than the TAFE.  The college only run the course twice a year, so my wait time was pushing 6 months and it seems even MPA college had been holding off on running a course until they had sufficient numbers - my application apparently tipped the balance!  I have just completed the course, but in order to be fully signed off, I need to complete a work place assessment within the next 6 months.  I have been applying for jobs, but thus far with no success, so this 6 month timeframe is a bit daunting and the college will offer no assurances that they will extend the period if I still haven't secured a job by that point.  I enquired regarding obtaining a provisional gas licence, but this actually requires for my employer to endorse my application - so currently I am prevented from securing this training and qualification.  I have submitted my resume to a whole range of employers and have applied the personal touch with hand delivery - often to be told to submit it by e mail!  The fact is that employers appear to want a fully qualified engineer from the outset and have no desire to take on a 'trainee' - despite the years of prior experience, this is what you are deemed to be.  The cost of the courses is not insignificant either - around $5000 for the plumbing course, (this is broken down into $4200 for the course, and then you are required to purchase a book at the princely sum of $800 and $300 for a permit to work on the gas appliances whilst you are on your plumbing course.)  The gas course is set to be a further $3500 plus a further book purchase - this can be done on a full time basis over 4 weeks or part time over 5 - the course times for this are 4.30pm to 8.30pm.  I can see that this would be unattractive to a potential employer if they foresee an engineer's absence either for 4 or 5 weeks - the part time course would need for me to leave any job I may have at 2pm.  I have given this detail to forewarn anybody considering migration for this line of work as to the hurdles you will need to clear to get to the end game - a job!!

 

Oh, and don't get any ideas about going solo..... that's another course and another HUGE fee!!

 

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  • 1 month later...

Whats the point in being on the skills shortage list if we cant work when we get there ?? Is there any labouring jobs in the mean time to gain contacts while you transfer your qualification over ?

I am currently going through the visa process and am a installation engineer at british gas is it worth the money and work to come over to ozz then whats your view ?

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Western Australia is in a huge downturn. I know lots of people who have left to go interstate or back to the UK because they cannot find work of any description. Hundreds of applicants applying for one job. Not a great time to be moving to Perth unfortunately.

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On 13/07/2017 at 06:58, Damien said:

Whats the point in being on the skills shortage list if we cant work when we get there ?? Is there any labouring jobs in the mean time to gain contacts while you transfer your qualification over ?

I am currently going through the visa process and am a installation engineer at british gas is it worth the money and work to come over to ozz then whats your view ?

Unfortunately the wheels of government turn very slowly indeed.   So many government departments and employers have given feedback to the Department of Immigration about the skills lists, but it seems to take a very long time before the feedback and concerns are registered.   Meanwhile so many people have applied for visas that they qualify for, but there is no work for them when they get here.   One of my many "soap boxes" that I keep on about in government ears, but it seems that no-one is listening. 

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