Skilled worker wanting to move to Melbourne

Welcome to the forum.

There is no way of shortening the process.  For jobs, a Google search will come up with something. There is a skills shortage list which is worth looking at.

Hi Brian

there are a few threshold issues that you will need to be aware of and address before you can move to Australia.

The first issue is qualifications recognition.  You will need to ensure that your Bachelor and Master's degrees are recognised by the relevant professional bodies in Australia so that you are able to work, one you obtain any form of visa.  I am not aware of the professional body related to your Masters degree, but the professional body to determine the qualifications recognition of your Bachelors degree is  the Institute of Engineers, Australia (go to their website and there is a page dedicated to migration skills assessments: see https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/F … Assessment).  The skills assessment is to ensure that the content and duration of degrees for all people claiming to be engineers are relevant to the Australian requirements.

The second issue is that there are some occupations of engineers that are in skills shortage in Australia.  These are the only occupations that the Australian Government will permit overseas skilled persons to migrate to Australia for work (whether it be for permanent or temporary migration): see https://archive.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav … sol-mltssl .  This list also provides the assessing authorities for each occupation.

Finally, there is the issue that you presume you can migrate to Australia, because you want to.  Skilled migration to Australia is linked only to the economic needs of the Australian economy.   Where there are skills shortages, there is scope under permanent and temporary migration for this to occur.  Further, there are no short cuts !

It takes most applicants for 482 temporary skilled worker visas (which includes engineers) around 2-3 months for their visa to be approved once they have their qualification recognition for their Australian skills assessment.  This visa permits them to work in Australia for up to 4 years, which can be renewed.  Depending upon age, the visa holder can after 3 years apply for permanent residency in Australia, provided that they are under the age of 42 years. 

Under permanent General Skilled Migration stream, (see https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/w … killselect) you will be required to log in to the Skills Select tool, complete the questions and the Australian Government will make a decision as to whether you have adequate points if so you will be invited to apply for a visa to work in Australia.  Again there are no short cuts.

I would encourage you to engage the services of a registered migration agent in Australia: they are bound by the rules and regulations and code of practice set in place by the Australian Government.  Migration agents that are not located in Australia can not be prosecuted, fined or deregistered for giving poor or inadequate advice to their clients.  This is important as it ensure that the registered migration agent in Australia must be honest and provide accurate advice otherwise they can potentially lose their business.

If you need a registered migration agent, I can refer you to some. 

I should note that I am not a registered migration agent, but have some experience in this space as I undertake international recruitment of skilled professionals and workers and place them in employment in Australia.  We engage the services of a registered migration agent to do the migration aspects of this specialised work.

cheers

Tony Mitchener

Thanks for taking your time to reply!

As I hold a bachelor of civil Engineering and a masters of industrial economics and 5 years of relevant work experiance. Do you have any suggestion of how to approach the work market in Melbourne, Australia?

I have had very little luck with pages such as indeed, seek and randstad so far.

Brian

the main issue is the qualifications recognition.  Once that is sorted, then it will be easier.  No employer is going to offer  a job to someone who can not work in the role in which they wish to recruit them.   You have to make a choice to obtain recognition as a civil engineer or as an economist.  Whilst we have shortages of both occupations, the employment opportunities for an economist is limited, whereas there are enduring shortages of civil engineers. 

Once your qualifications and experience are recognised, then it will be easier to apply for jobs.


cheers, Tony

Thanks again Tony,

My experiance is as a civil engineer, working as a project engineer, project and construction manager. And with the shortage of civil engineers Im just wondering what would be the best approach to get in touch with companies for an expat. Does people generally have the most luck with pages such as seek, indeed and randstad?

Does companies usually sponsor expats directly?
Does people in similar situations as me usually first come over on a work holiday visa, and then start work for a company hoping to get sponsored?

Brian

under the 482 temporary skilled worker visa, the company is required to pay:

.  the recruitment agency fee (often around $6,700);
.  the migration agents fee (can vary, but our agent charges AUD$3,055);
. the Australian Government fees and charges for the visa (around AUD$2,750);
. the Australian Government's training levy ($4,800 for a business with a turnover less than $10 million and $7,200 for a business with a turnover in excess of $10 million)
This totals around $20,000

The candidate is required to pay for the skills assessment process, obtaining police clearances for the countries in which they have worked, the medical with the appointed doctor and provide evidence that they have at least IELTS 5 (IELTS 6 for an engineer).  The candidate will also have to pay the airfare to Australia and to ensure that they have private health insurance that meets Immigration requirements.

Since the outlay for the employer is around $20,000 they will tend to only prioritise those applications where the candidate can provide evidence of their Australian skills assessment.

I apologise for going on about this point, but obtaining the Australian skills assessment is the first and most critical step before you put yourself on the market to Australian employers.  This is because you are competing with the large numbers of Australian engineers, and the other permanent and temporary residents in Australia who are qualified engineers with an Australian skills assessment.  You will not considered until after the Australian employers have exhausted the other candidates and decide that they do not have the skills and experience mix that they require.

The job boards, (Seek , Jora, Indeed) are all good, but they also include applications from a lot of international candidates who are not suitable and for whom the Ausralian employers does not know how good or bad the university is at which they studied or the relevance of the degree program:

. for instance, in Indonesia the engineering degree is 4 years in duration, but includes around 25-30 per cent of study time on subjects that are not relevant to being an engineer (ie english, religion, the state ideology and cooperatives education)

I would think that coming to Australia on a working holiday visa would be a good option (if you are of the right age).  A number of employers engage working holiday visa holders on a 6 month probationary period and then seek to sponsor them under the 482 visa.   Irrespective, of the apporach if, the job that you are applying for in Australia requires you to work as an engineer, you have to be a qualified engineer in Australia (ie you must have obtained the Australian skills assessment !!)


cheers, Tony

I really appreciate your in depth responses Tony! And thanks for making me aware of the skillset assesment. Ill be sure to look into that straight away.

Im sure I will find where to send off my documents in order to get this sorted.

Cheers Tony