Puzzled with visas...

[serendipity]

Hi All,

Thank you for all your posts. My husband and I are reading your posts everyday. We are currently in the process of applying for a skilled visa and we are not sure if we can get enough points. My husband and I live in North Carolina, US and we both have MBAs. I work as a pricing analyst and my husband works as a financial analyst. According to our calculations, if my husband gets nominated as an Accountant (from the Skilled Occupation List), he will be able to pass, but if Vetasses doesn't approve his nomination we will end up having only 115 points (5 points short to pass the mark).
I also have a cousin in Sydney, but apparently she will not be able to help us because she doesn't reside in designated area... I have read about 475 sponsor visa, but we can't get it because we can't apply for jobs without appropriate visa or Australian residency. I would greatly appreciate if anyone could help me answer my questions listed below.

1. Does anyone have an idea how else we will be able to migrate to Australia?
2. If we get only 115 out 120 can we still be granted a visa?
3. Is there any website available where we can look for jobs which are willing to sponsor foreigners?
4. How long does the process of visa approval take?

Many thanks for all your help and ideas!!!

[Tiffani]

sorry I can't be of more help (except that I'm also from NC so if you need advice on the logistics of the move, feel free to contact me), but we ended up being sponsored for our visa by my partner's employer. He's a Lecturer (like Asst Prof) at a university in Melbourne so they're doing all of it. I have no idea about the points system and everything.

With an MBA you MAY be able to find an employer sponsor, but there are no guarantees. I don't know how common MBAs are among Aussie citizens. If it's like in the US, there won't be a lot of options for you because there will be plenty of Aussies able to do the job that would require an MBA. However, if they are relatively uncommon here, you may be able to find companies who need someone with an MBA and are willing to pay for you to come over. Where to start, I have no idea. But i would look at large, MNCs, maybe even ones in NC that also have brances in Oz and have a transfer program in place. Are you in Charlotte or the Triangle? Or in a different part of NC?

[Dolly]

Hi there serendipity,

Welcome to the forum.

I would definitely seek the advice of a migration agent with regard to the skills assessment and the ASCO definition you would be choosing to apply under. If your husband's job description is on the SOL (1220.0 - Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) Second Edition, 1997) and he's been doing that job for over a year, I can't see what the problem would be. Why would you think he wouldn't pass a skills assessment?

There are 2 agents who occasionally post on here, Alan Collet and Liana Allen. Also, I'd recommend contacting George Lombard. The first consultation is usually free, without obligation.

Let us know how you get on.

Dolly

[scottishcelts]

Hi don't know if my info will be of any use to you or not but you could think about doing an IELTS test, even though you are english speaking naturally i assume, you can still boost your points this way.

I know people do this all the time.

[SOMV]

Serendipity here are a few more comments in addition to the comments above:

1) Vetasses is not the correct skills assessing body for accountants, in fact there are 3 assessing bodies for accountants and the one you would apply to would depend on the qualifications you/your husband hold. I should also add that an MBA (alone) is not normally a qualification which will allow you to obtain a positive skills assessment as an accountant.

2) Even if you score 110 points you may be eligible for a visa - again this will depend on your skills assessments and your nominated occupations.
And, as someone has already pointed out, if the visa applicants undertakes an IELTS test and scores 7 or above in each part of the test, you can claim additional points which may just get you over the 120 threshold.

3) The 475 is an employer sponsored visa. You do not need a visa to find a job (although some employers are adamant that they will not offer a job to someone who does not have a visa), you just need an employer who considers you/your husband to be great employee candidates and who will therefore we willing to sponsor you so that you can obtain a visa and commence employment.

4) There are lots of great job/recruitment websites online. Seek.com, careerone, hayes, etc etc. You just have to type in some key search term and you will find them all.

5) The processing time varies greatly. There is a new system being rolled out for 457s and according to the promises being made the 457s may soon be processed in as little as a couple of days! The permanent visas of course take much longer - anywhere from 7 to 9 months, or more.

[serendipity]

Thank you for all replies. Our next step is to send our nominations to Vetasses (for my nomination) and to CPA (for my husband's nomination). I hope we will get positive results and continue with our application. I was wondering if any has applied for skilled visa and can advise how the assessment of the nomination goes i.e. timeframes and processes.
Thank you again!

[serendipity]

[quote=Tiffani;33048]sorry I can't be of more help (except that I'm also from NC so if you need advice on the logistics of the move, feel free to contact me).QUOTE]


Hi Tiffani, thank you for your prompt reply. We are from Charlotte, NC (Uptown area). I would appreciate if you could avise what company you used for your move and we also have a dog... Many thanks!

[SOMV]

Current processing times for skilled visas are about 6 to 9 months (after lodgment). The Department is opening a new processing centre soon so the processing times should be cut down in the coming year.

[Tiffani]

I figured you were probably in Charlotte since you are both MBAs If not Charlotte, then definitely the Triangle hehe. (I grew up in Raleigh).

I'm not sure I would recommend my shipping company. They estimated the arrival of our furniture at 4-6 weeks after departure, and it took four months The one good thing about them though was that they did offer a binding estimate, so as long as we didn't go over the estimated weight of our shipment, it wouldn't cost more than they estimate. Make sure you get a binding estimate based on weight.

The dog is really a problem. We're still waiting on her. It'll end up costing about $5K (give or take) all told. Definitely google the AQIS importing dogs and cats from the US. There is a website that is really helpful from AQIS; very comprehensive information about timelines and what needs to be done. It's a bureaucratic nightmare!!!