Marisawright

One point which adelaide66 mentions - one of the problems is that it's all very well to think "I can manage on 20 hours' work a week, and I can work full-time in the holidays" - but finding part-time work is hard, especially on a temporary visa. So you can't rely on having an income.

What Rammygirl said. If you wait until after your WHV expires, you'll be in the country illegally - so get your application submitted in good time.

But does it say you need a full degree for that occupation? If not, then getting the degree is a waste of time and money. Especially as the lists are being cut back every year and you may find the occupation isn’t on the list in a couple of years

It makes no difference which state you’re in

Important distinction and good to know.

I'm not quite clear, why are you topping up? The way the 189 works is that you must have the qualifications and experience specified. The experience must have been undertaken AFTER you got the qualification. There's no benefit in having extra qualifications over and above those specified. Applications are decided based on the points system, not on level of qualifications. I think you'll need to do a "skills assessment" for horse trainer. It's a test to enable Immigration to understand how your qualification equates to the Australian qualification. I can't help you with how to get one, perhaps someone else will know. There is no need to study in Australia and no benefit to doing so, it's just an information question.

It sounds to me like the agent advised you and your boss to defraud Immigration by pretending the business was still a valid business. On that basis, I can't see how you could possibly go to the tribunal. In fact, I'd be worried it might backfire - if they do regard it as fraud then you could have a black mark on your record which would affect future visa applications. Your only hope is to find another sponsor, IMO

I have sent you a PM.

I know exactly how you feel. We went back to the UK because neither of us had any family left in Australia, whereas I have my sisters and a great gaggle of nieces and nephews in England. It was nice to see them, but they have their own lives and their way of living just doesn't gel with mine any more. We're back in Australia now but perhaps didn't give it enough time (we stayed for a year). Good luck with your decision.

The solution to that problem is to pay an agent to check your application and give you professional advice. If you've already done a fair bit of the preparatory work and just want advice rather than asking them to do the whole application, you'll find some agents that will charge you a reduced fee. These forums can be really useful for general info, but when it comes to detailed stuff like this, it's taking a big risk to rely on answers in a forum. If you're willing to risk your visa fee, go right ahead, but personally I wouldn't.

Have you checked the waiting time for this visa?

We had a similar experience. Booked for 4 weeks but found a place after 3 weeks. However, , it took about a week to get all the paperwork done (lease signed, condition photos taken etc), so we needed that extra week. Bear in mind also that you might find a place that's not ready to move into straight away.

As VeryStormy says, if you choose to retrain, choose a career you will enjoy. Australia isn't a new country desperate for workers any more, and the list of eligible occupations gets shorter every year. If you're going to retrain, it won't be enough to get a qualification: you also need to have have a couple of years' work experience after you qualify. So you'd be looking at five years before you can apply, and the occupation might not be on the list by the time you're ready!

In that case I suggest you accept it’s not possible. You must be under 45 at the time you apply for your permanent visa, which you won’t be able to do until you’ve completed your course and gained sufficient work experience. It makes no difference whether you get that qualification and experience in Australia or in the UK, the same age limit will apply

You'll probably be fine with 4 weeks, and you can always extend if not.

Well, you did have the luxury of choice - he could have rejected the job, as you say. On shore processing times for ordinary partner visas are definitely longer.

Partner visas definitely take longer onshore

It's up to you to find the job by approaching employers or finding jobs on SEEK.

The NZ visa may be different, but in most cases, they don't make anyone live in such limbo. People are supposed to stay in their home country while waiting for their visa grant (which can still be a long wait, but you can get on with your life and earn a living). People who choose to move without waiting for the visa can't really complain, as they put themselves in the position. It's seen as "jumping the queue" and for that reason, the wait time is much longer than if you apply for the same visa offshore. As for renewal - if you are already on a visa and you apply for renewal, you wouldn't lose your work rights AFAIK.

If you come on a student visa, then you can get a Temporary Graduate Visa to let you stay and work in Australia BUT only if your course is CRICOS registered. If it's not a degree course then I think it's limited to 18 months, and that may not be long enough for you to get the experience needed to apply for a skilled visa. You'll see some companies pushing the idea of a student visa as a way to get to Australia more quickly, but it's generally a very, very bad idea. You'll have to pay full international fees (for a course that would be a fraction of the cost in the UK) and you (and your partner) will be restricted to 20 hours work a week. Most internatiional students end their course in massive debt, which is not a good way to start a new life in a new country. Even worse, there's always the risk that your occupation won't be on the list by the time you can apply, so all the money will be wasted. I know you're impatient to get to Australia, but you'll be much better set up for your future if you get your qualification in the UK.

The fundamental requirement is that one of you must have an occupation that's on one of the lists. If not, then you have no hope, I'm afraid. You may be surprised to learn that the great majority of people simply can't qualify to migrate to Australia, so you wouldn't be alone. If your job is on a short term list, then your only choice is to get a short contract in Australia (2 to 4 years), for a bit of an adventure. You have to find an employer willing to hire you, and you have to go home at the end - there's no option to stay permanently. Employers cannot sponsor anyone for an occupation that's not on the lists. If your job is on the skilled list, then you just apply. There's no point looking for a job, because it takes a year or more to get the skilled visa, and no employer is going to offer you a job and then wait a year for you to arrive!

If she's in full-time education, still living with you and not paying bills, then that sounds like dependent. She just needs to stay that way until they process the visa.

I think that's just as true of people in the UK. It's just something you don't notice until you leave your own family/friend group (to migrate) and have to try to break into other people's. Re your super - just be sure you get financial advice about your super, because although it's tax-free in Australia, it's not tax-free in the UK. If you take it as a lump sum, you can lose a huge chunk to the Inland Revenue.

A lot of people don't use an agent and manage. However, you have to decide how important it is for the kids to come with you. If it's vital, otherwise you're not going to go, then you'd be mad not to invest in an agent. If you're happy to go whether the kids can come or not, then it's fine to go it alone.

If you were in the UK and going for a holiday in Tenerife, would you get holiday insurance? It's exactly the same. If you were going to Tenerife, you wouldn't be trying to buy an insurance policy in Tenerife, you'd be buying one where you live. It's exactly the same.