Australian Immigration for Engineers

Hi All,

I am writing this post as a general guidance only as we often get queries from fellows engineers about the immigration process. I do not take any legal responsibility in relation to the use of this advice by the reader or outcome of your individual visa outcome. 

Australia welcomes skilled immigrants from vast majority of professions but being an Electrical & Telecom Engineer I would like to discuss immigration process for engineers.

Skilled immigration is based on multiple factors like skilled profession, number of years of experience in the nominated profession, age and English language proficiency (score in IELTS).

The first step is to take the IELTS test in General module and target to get 7 each band in each of modules (Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking), if you can’t get 7 each band then you must have 6 each at least in some cases you still manage to score enough to qualify for the visa but 7 each is better. You can get more information about the IELTS tests from their website http://www.ielts.org/ 

Next step is "Skill Assessment”, engineering qualification from certain countries is accepted as it is for immigration purposes which fall under Sydney or Washington Accord for that details can be found out via this website link https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/About-Us/Industry-Partners/International-Affiliates 

But people with qualifications from Non-Accredited countries they we have to go through the "Migration Skill Assessment" through Engineers Australia. Step by Step Guide/proceduure details can be found at https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/For-Migrants/Migration-Skills-Assessment/MSA-StepByStep-Guide 

To summarize Migration Skill Assessment, it is the process to get our degree/qualification and work experience/skill recognized as equivalent to Australian standard of Professional Engineers. Each discipline of engineering profession got "Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO)" 

New Skilled Occupation list is here and your nominated profession must be present in the "New Skilled Occupation Listings (SOLs)  at http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/Work/Skills-assessment-and-assessing-authorities/skilled-occupations-lists 

Skill/Degree Assessment application from Engineers Australia process involves writing a Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) along with scanned copies of degrees, transcripts, passport bio data page, IELTS TRF directly forwarded to Engineers Australia, recent photo graphs and filled application form with credit card details on it (if you paying via credit card). Details of how to prepare your application and CDR is outlined in the "MigrationSkills Assessment Booklet" 

Current turnaround time for skill assessment is 13 weeks but keeps on updating depending upon the work load Engineers Australia have at that time. Now they have started the Fast Track application processing which takes about two weeks to complete

Once you receive your positive outcome of skills assessment from Engineers Australia and your IELTS is already done then you are all set for the next stage of "Expression of Interest (EOI)" via Skill Select (http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/Skil)

Fill in all your details in the EOI and submit with EOI fee, you can apply for General Skilled Migration Visa Subclass 189, it the Permanent Resident Visa with freedom to live and work anywhere in Australia indefinitely (Initial visa is granted for 5 years and can be extended for another five years if you lived in Australia for minimum 2 years). If your total points combined of Education, Age, Number of years of work experience and IELTS score becomes 60 than you got chances that your EOI would be selected and you would be invited for the next stage which is visa application.

If you cannot score enough point to be eligible for GSM 189 visa than you may consider for State Sponsorship visa 190 or Regional Sponsored Visa Subclass 489 which have certain conditions attached with these visa you can check the details on the website of Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) via http://www.immi.gov.au/

Once your EOI is selected for visa application and you lodge your visa application then hold on and take a breath as it takes some time get your visa processed. You would be assigned a case officer (CO) to review and process your application. Your CO would contact you if any further information is required and if you applied online than you may check the progress of your application time to time via their website.

Once case officer completes assessing your application he may ask you to provide "Police Clearance" Certificate and undergo "Medical Test" to proceed further. He will send you detailed letter about how to get it done.

After you have provided the Police Clearance Certificate and under taken the medical test, you are pretty much done from your side, you will get email notification about your visa application outcome in few weeks’ time. If you get notification email that you are granted a visa than Congratulations and happy times.

PCC and Medicals got validity of 12 months and you would be informed of an initial entry date and you should enter into Australia before that date. (Generally it is the date 12 months from your medical or PCC issued date whichever comes first).

You can verify your visa via VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) and confirm all your details are correct. As a new guide lines you are not required to get your visa sticker pasted on your passport you can travel as it is with your visa grant letter into Australia.

I am sure you would still have many questions in mind I would recommend you to read the above mentioned websites in detail and feel free to write me if you have further queries would be happy to answer.

Thanks

Rehman Akram