A Singaporean In Australia

My name is Johnson, a fellow Singaporean still residing in this small country.  Firstly, I want to express my gratitude to you for your effort you put into your blog. It's providing me a great deal of information on issues that were not transparent to me.

Living in Singapore for the past 25 years, I've come to realize that Singapore might not be where my de facto partner and I truly wish to settle down at.  We have been looking for opinions and reviews all over the web and, have the decision narrowed down to Australia.

May I request for your time to read our current situation below and I would really appreciate any comments from you.

Plan: To get a PR in Singapore before flying over to work. However we are unsure of which visa to apply for. Visa 189 seems to fit the bill better in comparison. 

- Location: Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth (Dependent on Career opportunities)

- I am 25 YO. Partner 22 YO.

- Our family supports our decision.

- We specialized in Information Technology industry. (Might put us more qualified for Skilled Migrant Scheme, Visa 189)

- No close relatives and friends who stays in A. (No sponsership)

- I've worked in industry for > 3 years. Partner: 1 year

- I have no issue working as a blue collar. (Macdonalds etcetera)

- Have not taken our IELTS. (We should be able to secure 7.0)

- Have around Sgd 25 grands for this BIG step. 

We wish to change our living environment but we are unsure many things. In a case if I have my Visa 189 approved, can I start working as a blue collar while still in search for my IT related jobs? How long is the validity period for Visa 189?

I sincerely apologize for my lack of knowledge and I greatly appreciate any kind advise you can provide us.

Thank you so much.

Yours Sincerely,

Johnson Tan

Hi Johnson,

You should be looking at Subclass 189. First, go to a migration agent (or read up at immi.gov.au) and find out how many years of working experience will you be required to obtain before your skills can be successfully assessed and recognised by the relevant body in Australia.

Say if the current requirement is 4 years of working experience, you will be qualified to apply after one more year of employment, provided if your nominated vocation is on the SOL. (Pls check the new SOL, which was updated recently) Just search for "Aust immi SOL 2015" if you don't know what is SOL.

Bear in mind if the above example is accurate, your partner will not be able to apply until she chalks up the required number of years, since she is in the same industry as you revealed. That will set you back for a few more years, unless you plan to move separately. Otherwise, you may have to apply as a family (by marrying her) and include her in your application. (Please search for "Subclass 309" in this blog for more info). Your 25 grand may or may not be burn out flat in accordance to the wedding arrangement of your choices. Alternatively, you can apply based on a de facto relationship. However, you may have a harder time convincing the case officer that you relationship is genuine.

Visa 189 is a resident visa, which gives you the privilege of unlimited entry to Australia and the right

to work. It can be renewed every 5 years if you fulfill the requirements of staying at least 2 years out of 5 in Australia, whether or not you have been employed during the period. As the visa does not involved a state sponsorship, it does not limit you to locations nor specific jobs. You can be a farmer if you want to.

Melbourne is a good choice. Despite what you may have read, it is definitely not as full as Perth at the moment. 

asingaporeanson