Olalla Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Hello, I'm a lawyer (41) and wife is an early childhood/elementary school teacher (39). We have four kids all under 10 and she has been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years. I ran the calculator and her score is 85 while mine is only 80. Do we make her the primary applicant? Her 40th birthday is in April so clock is ticking. It seems like an 85 is borderline. Overall our plan is to settle in Perth. I have a second cousin there with more family. I'd have around $400k USD for a move. I'd like to keep costs under $30k. Should I hire a migration agent? I assume I'll need to be admitted to WA bar and would need help building a portfolio of course work to avoid taking more classes. Can an agent help with that? Anything I'm missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olalla Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 I should also add we are Americans (Seattle) and timeframe for move is 2 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 32 minutes ago, Olalla said: Hello, I'm a lawyer (41) and wife is an early childhood/elementary school teacher (39). We have four kids all under 10 and she has been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years. I ran the calculator and her score is 85 while mine is only 80. Do we make her the primary applicant? Her 40th birthday is in April so clock is ticking. It seems like an 85 is borderline. Overall our plan is to settle in Perth. I have a second cousin there with more family. I'd have around $400k USD for a move. I'd like to keep costs under $30k. Should I hire a migration agent? I assume I'll need to be admitted to WA bar and would need help building a portfolio of course work to avoid taking more classes. Can an agent help with that? Anything I'm missing? I think it would be a very wise move to consult with an agent. There are a few on this forum who are very helpful. @paulhand is one and there are a couple of others. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olalla Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 I was just looking him up, thank you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 40 minutes ago, Olalla said: Hello, I'm a lawyer (41) and wife is an early childhood/elementary school teacher (39). We have four kids all under 10 and she has been a stay at home mom for the past 5 years. I ran the calculator and her score is 85 while mine is only 80. Do we make her the primary applicant? Her 40th birthday is in April so clock is ticking. It seems like an 85 is borderline. With those scores, neither of you stands a chance. Have you allowed to take the English test? As English speakers you don't have to, but you are allowed to take it and count the points towards your total. You need 90 points minimum and preferably 95 for the 189. Teachers must have a four-year degree. If your timeframe is 2 years, then apply now. Once you get the visa, you have a year to visit Australia to activate the visa - but that's all you have to do, literally arrive and leave again. Once activated, you have 5 years from the time your visa was granted to make the permanent move. It's getting harder and harder to get a visa, so better to get it under your belt asap and worry about when you're going to move later. You can save money by using an agent but I wouldn't advise it these days. Visas are complex nowadays and the government is always making changes - which agents get notified about, but the government website is not always updated promptly. Any good agent will give you an initial consultation free of charge which is very useful in itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olalla Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Marisawright said: With those scores, neither of you stands a chance. Have you allowed to take the English test? As English speakers you don't have to, but you are allowed to take it and count the points towards your total. You need 90 points minimum and preferably 95 for the 189. Teachers must have a four-year degree. If your timeframe is 2 years, then apply now. Once you get the visa, you have a year to visit Australia to activate the visa - but that's all you have to do, literally arrive and leave again. Once activated, you have 5 years from the time your visa was granted to make the permanent move. It's getting harder and harder to get a visa, so better to get it under your belt asap and worry about when you're going to move later. You can save money by using an agent but I wouldn't advise it these days. Visas are complex nowadays and the government is always making changes - which agents get notified about, but the government website is not always updated promptly. Any good agent will give you an initial consultation free of charge which is very useful in itself. Thanks for the reply. Those numbers are rough. Mine given is assuming I can ace the English test as it is. I don't have any avenue to hitting 90. It seems all the extra points concern work or schooling in Australia and we just don't have that. If a 190 was an option my wife might hit 90. She has a four year BA with an additional teaching cert in early childhood development. My cousin in Perth made a move sound so doable! We're going to have to secure an agent. Are they preferable to an immigration lawyer? Edited June 25, 2020 by Olalla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 1 minute ago, Olalla said: Thanks for the reply. Those numbers are rough. Mine given is assuming I can ace the English test as it is. I don't have any avenue to hitting 90. It seems all the extra points concern work of schooling in Australia and we just don't have that. If a 190 was an option my wife might hit 90. She has a four year BA with an additional teaching cert in early childhood development. My cousin in Perth made a move sound so doable! We're going to have to secure an agent. Are they preferable to an immigration lawyer? Yes definitely. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olalla Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 Just now, Toots said: Yes definitely. Thanks. I messaged Paul. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Just now, Olalla said: Thanks. I messaged Paul. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olalla Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 If your occupation is listed as eligible for a 190 how do you gain the extra 5 points? Based on WA list below both my wife and I have jobs listed. WA 190 list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulip1 Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 13 hours ago, Olalla said: If your occupation is listed as eligible for a 190 how do you gain the extra 5 points? Based on WA list below both my wife and I have jobs listed. WA 190 list Paul will help you with all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 14 hours ago, Olalla said: My cousin in Perth made a move sound so doable! We're going to have to secure an agent. Are they preferable to an immigration lawyer? How long ago did your cousin move? It has got far more difficult in the last decade or so. Definitely use an agent, not a lawyer. Agents are specialists in making applications and tend to charge fixed fees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olalla Posted June 25, 2020 Author Share Posted June 25, 2020 22 minutes ago, Marisawright said: How long ago did your cousin move? It has got far more difficult in the last decade or so. Definitely use an agent, not a lawyer. Agents are specialists in making applications and tend to charge fixed fees. Ha he moved in 1982! Polishing off a CV to send to Paul now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 26, 2020 Share Posted June 26, 2020 (edited) 42 minutes ago, Olalla said: Ha he moved in 1982! Polishing off a CV to send to Paul now. I migrated in 1985. The application form was easy, the process was quick, and migrants arrived to find cheap housing and plentiful jobs (I was offered three jobs within weeks of arriving). It's not like that now. Because Australia was eagerly seeking migrants for most of the 20th century, the idea is cemented in people's minds, but it's not like that now. Now, Australia is much the same as any other country, with a plentiful supply of local workers in most occupations. Pre-Covid, the unemployment rate in Australia was about the same as the UK's. LIke the UK, that has led to some community resistance to migration ("foreigners taking our jobs"), adn that influences the government's attitude. Thanks to Covid, the unemployment rate has shot up and I wonder what effect that will have on migration policy - there are already mutterings about cutting the numbers. There are still shortages in highly-skilled occupations, but our government is more inclined to do what's popular than what's sensible, so who knows. Edited June 26, 2020 by Marisawright 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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