Visas & Advice Detail
Your questions: April 2006
Readers of Emigrate Australia pose some questions to our panel of emigration experts
Dear Emigrate Australia
I am a time-served welder wishing to emigrate to Australia. However, I cannot currently meet the points pass mark to qualify for a Skilled-Independent visa so I was wondering if it would be possible to qualify under the State-Territory Nominated Independent category? Also, I'm currently a custody officer for the Crown Court. Would this make a difference if I want to go to Australia as a welder, and if so how long would I have to be back welding before I could apply?
Paul Keavney
Chris Cook, casework manager for Visa Bureau, replies.
Paul, good news, welders are currently listed on the Victorian, Western Australian and South Australian STNI lists. However, from the limited amount of information I've got, it looks as though your primary issue will be current work experience. For the purposes of migration to Australia, you must meet the 12 of the last 18 months work experience requirement. As custody officer is not listed on Australia's Skilled Occupations List, you would need to go back to work as a welder or in a related occupation in order to make the time required to fulfil the 12 out of 18 month requirement.
If you meet that requirement now, you can begin the emigration process. If not, you will have to go back to work in order to be eligible. In order to save time, I would suggest you get started with your skills assessment as a welder during that period. Be careful, though: in the 12 months you are working as a welder, the occupation could come off the STNI lists or there could be a legislative change that disqualifies you. Always seek the advice of a registered agent who can assess your complete case and who will provide you with the most current information available relating to your case.
Dear Emigrate Australia
Hello, my name is Jack Walker. I have been a car panel beater for the last four years but I have no formal apprenticeship. My friend recently showed me an article regarding the Trade Skills Training Visa (TST) visa. I would like to possibly study in Australia but I would like to know what the difference between a student visa and a employer sponsored visa is? Would an employer or state be able to share the costs of study and visa? What would be the average income one could expect whilst undertaking one of these visas?
Jack Walker
Gary Kockott of 1st Contact Migration replies.
The TST (Trade Skills Training Visa) is a new visa category created to help foreign nationals aged between 18–35 undertake an apprenticeship in regional Australia where there is an existing shortage of trades' people. At the end of the apprenticeship the apprentices will be granted a Certificate III or IV qualification that will allow them to apply for the General Skilled Migration Category, which currently requires six years experience for a Panel Beater.
The TST visa combines workplace based training and classroom based learning and is similar to a student visa in that the apprentice is responsible for the financing of the tuition fees for the classroom based section of the scheme. The apprentice is required to have an employer as well as be sponsored by an organisation. The sponsor can include: employers, group training organisations or national, state, territory and local organisations that are representatives of industry or a regional area of Australia.
Please note: it is the sponsor's responsibility to ensure that the apprentice is employed in accordance with all relevant commonwealth, state and territory legislation dealing with employment and work conditions.
Dear Emigrate Australia
I am writing in connection with opportunities that are available for solid plasterers within Australia. My husband and I are seriously considering emigrating to Australia in the foreseeable future. He has worked as a plasterer for over 15 years and I would like to know if there is much work for time-served plasterers within Australia? Where would the best places for him to contact with regards to jobs? Would it be sub-contractors?
Deborah Brookes
Chris Cook replies.
Solid plasterers are in demand all over Australia. Your husband's occupation is listed on the country's Migration Occupation in Demand List. You will need to meet the basic requirements to be eligible for emigration, including having your husband's skills assessed. But with 15 year's experience, he should stand in good stead.
Once you arrive in Australia, from what I can see, there are a number of employment agencies, contractors and sub-contractors advertising for experienced plasters. A preliminary search of one of Australia's online job boards produced over 60 results from Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales; most were based in the largest cities in each state. All required an up-to-date CV and permanent residency.
Dear Emigrate Australia
I am currently in my third year of teaching since making the transition from the catering industry to the classroom. During this time period I have successfully completed an initial one year Graduate Teacher Training Programme and am just about to complete my newly qualified teacher year. I am very interested in the opportunity to further develop my teaching skills by working in Australia via either the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) or Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa routes. I am aiming for an initial two to four year period with the possibility of making a permanent residency application. What would be the best route for me to take to make my dream a reality?
Daniel Goffe
Chris Cook replies.
Daniel, thank you for your query. In this case, it's difficult to assess which route would be the most efficient for you without more detail. The traditional course to enter the teaching profession is through the degree and PGCE programme. This is the traditional requirement of the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR) as well as the individual states' teaching bodies. I'd need to know more about your graduate teacher programme in order to give you more details. If your graduate programme is the equivalent or is recognised as such by NOOSR and the states' teaching bodies, you would potentially be eligible for both the RSMS and ENS schemes because you would have either the positive skills assessment or state eligibility allowing you to participate in these schemes.
Unfortunately, if your graduate programme is not equivalent to the more traditional degree and PGCE, you will not be eligible to teach in Australia without additional qualifications or without a more detailed exploration of each state's requirements for registration and possible exceptions and waivers in light of dire shortages. Your best course of action is to contact a registered agent to discuss the complexities of your case and options in detail.
For further information:
1st Contact Migration
Visa Bureau
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