Fair enough then.

I wasn't asking for myself though as I'm already a resident.

Thanks for the little you've let go. Best wishes through it all.

DaddyTheFather:


Lol...well I don't have any issues with my IELTS. I have 8.5 in both IELTS general and academic, and I have 65 points for my PR application, and I have already applied. There were complications, and the app has been ongoing since last June, but the complications were not to do with my eligibility. Unfortunately, that's all I can tell you in a public forum, cos the application is still under review.

Hi,

Thanks for sharing your experiences and advices. It's been very enlightening.

I'm, however, curious to know what are your challenges or setbacks with having your PR.

Your English skills seem to be very good to me, so I don't see having band 8 to be an issue even if it meant writing it 10 times or even more. And I expect you should have sorted your EA assessment already. You're even lucky enough to have financial security or assurance as early as 2 months in a permanent full-time role. Unfortunately, you can't claim points for your 1yr Australian Work Experience due to your preferred career change.

It would really be nice to share your main challenges for not securing your PR and almost letting your 18 months run out. This would be very helpful to current and prospective migrants on 476 to avoid same. Personally, I see the PR as main priority and getting relevant local experience next. Unlike you, my first professional role (though not relevant to my occupation) was on an initial 12 months period with the condition of providing my PR evidence. So, getting the PR wasn't an option but a must. And for what it's worth, I took the English test 5 times.

DaddyTheFather:


I came over with a 476 visa, and I am in a professional role.

Once you're feeding yourself and money is coming in, start aggressively pursuing your PR.

Just to add or correct an earlier comment,

Contrary to my earlier claim that I'm yet to hear of someone on 476 that got an offer for a professional role, I've just had one this morning from a very well known friend and I was in the know from the first stage of the recruitment through to the final offer...

He just got an offer this morning as a Controls Systems Engineer, and he's got no previous experience. The company is willing to train and upskill him for a period.

So, in all, your visa has nothing to do with your employability, it's all about you... Sell yourself to prospective employers...

And btw, it's worth mentioning that the job is in regional Victoria. Not many professionals would wanna move regional for an award pay. So, regional employers might be willing to make compromises or take their chances on those willing if they can convince them to be a perfect fit. You might wanna add this to your considerations.

Best wishes.

gcey2k:


I have gotten a lot from this and will surely work on it.

Enter Before: October
You have enough time to think things through then. However, if you dont have enough experience in your field, then you should know that graduate roles in Australia usually have the criteria that "You must have completed your degree within the last 2yrs". So, the earlier you start applying, the better. More importantly, most graduate positions in Australia are advertised from February to June (already on) for a January start. So, arriving after this date will have you wait for 2019 recruitment rounds; though you'd still find few vacancies advertised periodically. You can apply for Woodside and BHP Billiton from Nigeria. I did so and got interviewed on an online video conferencing platform. Unfortunately, I didn't get the offer. A friend did same from UK and even got the offer but was placed on a waiting list which I guess must have been due to him not being physically in Australia and his temporary residency status. You guessed right, he didn't get the job coz no one turns down such offer...

Specific Skills:
Beside the generic interpersonal and communication skills as well as your ability to sell yourself via CV, Cover Letter and acing interviews using STAR/CAR techniques, For Mechanical Engineering graduates, they usually highlight that having CAD, CAM, DRAFTING, etc skills is advantageous. The best way to know this is to do a personal research on seek.com.au Search for Mechanical Engineer jobs filtering based on your eligibility and have a look at the requirements for the ideal candidate.

Choice of Address:
As implied above, for the big employers, this isn't necessary. However, if you want to explore opportunities within local or indigenous companies, then they usually require you to be in Australia and most times in a specific state and on few occasions you're even expected to be within a particular neighborhood or suburb or region or council to apply. In such circumstances, if you feel you have nothing to lose trying, then you can use someone's address in Australia.

The drawback here is that you also need an Australian phone number to go with as they're likely to contact you via phone at some stage in the recruitment process. Also, since they expect you to be within close proximity to them, they usually give you short notice (3 days) for invitation to face to face, group or panel interviews. A friend applied to Kraft Heinz from Nigeria and was successful through to the group interview stage but had only 3 days notice so couldn't make it coz he's yet to resign his job (he was even on the rig at the time). In fact, I've heard of a case when someone called by 10am advising of an interview scheduled for 3pm same day. Sometimes they call you and ask if you can come to the office for a quick chat. They do this coz the job ad states you must have access to vehicle and live within.

So far, I believe I've answered most of your personal questions and may not be prompt to respond further. But I'm sure you'd get the best responses from everyone here.

Wish you all the best through it all.

gcey2k:

I have up till October for my initial departure deadline, so I will try to put a lot of things in place.

Just to ask too, are there any particular skills that employers are seeking at the moment, which when acquired can give one a strong chance to secure engineering jobs?

Also someone told me I may have to use an Aussie address in my CV and job applications to stand a better chance. Is this advisable given one isn't yet in the country?

Migration isn't an easy decision to make. Even those that got permanent residency still find it hard to resign their jobs and move overseas. You need to be realistic and not sentimental in your judgement; what sort of career do you aspire for? Are you better off a lecturer? Do you have passion in lecturing or it's something you accepted just to meet up with bills?

A year ago, I would have confidently advised you to go with migration but as Bellong has already pointed out, based on current trend, you'd need 70 points as a Mechanical Engineer to process your PR. And from the point breakdown he has given, the maximum you can get atm is 65 points, making it a tough decision for you to leave your job with such uncertainty.

If you choose to make the move, then I'll advise you to secure the 20 points for English and at least apply for your EA assessment or ensure all your career episodes are ready before leaving Nigeria. The reason for this is so that you can enter your EOI asap and be in the pool so you might get ITA before the 18 months elapse. Another reason is the fact that many find it hard to write their career episodes or practice to ace the English due to working tirelessly to meet up with bills and save up. They end up procrastinating until their visa is almost up before realising the immediate goal should have been PR (securing their stay) than work/money. Remember the 18 months does not start counting until you enter Australia. So, it's worth making the best use of every minute in the 18 months by applying early.

I'm yet to hear any news of anyone on 476 or
Post study visa who got Employer sponsorship, but I believe this is still a viable option if you have what it takes. You may be lucky to find an employer that's willing to sponsor your visa.

As already mentioned, if you can get a Mechanical engineer job asap, after 1yr in the role, you'd gain 5 points. This is something you can sell to employers if you already secured other points. Most employers are cautious not to employ someone, invest time and effort in training, and eventually lose them due to visa issues. So, they'd rather someone with PR than TR. However, if you've already entered your EOI, you can enlighten them on how the job offer can make it certain you get your PR by giving you additional 5 points. Just to mention, there are many opportunities and vacancies for mechanical engineers and graduates in Australia only that it's difficult to get one as a temporary resident. There are few companies that sponsor, but it's very competitive e.g. Woodside and BHP Billiton...

This isn't an option I like to present, but it's worth mentioning. If you have a wife that has a skilled occupation, you can get extra 5 Partner points. So, if you're single but have a girlfriend you're already considering but hoping on things to get better, and she's got a degree on the skilled list, then it's worth taking your vows and claiming the extra point.

Finally, people migrate for many reasons. Obviously, yours is mainly for the economic or career benefit. You may wanna consider other benefits of living overseas, in a country like Australia. I don't need to tell you the many benefits. I believe it's best for you to decide what's important to you most. But yeah, I completely understand your delima, only that the lecturing job didn't present a great reason not to migrate IMO.

Best Wishes.

gcey2k:


The major dilemma is if it will be sensible to leave a certain job here in Nigeria for this wonderful adventure.

What are the odds of getting PR if I choose to travel, given I don't have the required 3 years international experience and will require an exceptional English language test results? Are there easier ways one can go about this when one is on ground?

I understand life is a risk and I believe the benefits of moving to Australia are enormous. I am an adventurer and also a realist looking to make the best analysis before I decide on what to do.

Thank you.

Congrats, best wishes

teewhysafe:
Finally, its our turn to testify.

Received Grants for myself and Hubby by 12:39am, 1st March, 2018.

Hi,

I'd rather you ask your questions here unless they directly affect your privacy.

Most comments, posts and questions here are personal as well but others have benefited from the responses to those supposed personal questions. There have been many testimonies from people who haven't had any previous post on the thread but managed to get their visas by merely reading posts, comments and responses to questions asked by others.

Again, feel free to contact me directly only if it affects your privacy, else post your questions on the right thread, noting this thread is mainly for Life in Oz. The snag with asking questions in private is that you may receive wrong answers with no second or counter opinion from others which may have dire consequences.

gcey2k:


Good morning Bro,
I really need to contact you now as I said before. I would have asked my questions here but because some of them are very personal, I may not want to derail the thread.

Hmmmm, really?
I didn't think so as I visit regularly
The Likes on most comments have me written all over...
I read your progress report as well.
Fingers crossed, we are expect to celebrate the bomb soon.
I'm sure you're good overall.

mamajaz:

Long time bro.
I have an assignment for you oh.

You were wrongly told mate.

timikenzo2:


I was told that nobody has ever passed it here except one travels back to Naija.....

Congrats, best wishes.

afojibola:

I got 189 visa grant on 19th of Feb for my self,wife,and two children....

All PTE materials other than the SCORED OFFICIAL PRACTICE TESTS from Pearson are available for FREE...

There's no such thing as someone's business. The person using it for business is breaching copyright laws and guilty of piracy. And of course you can't give anyone the official scored test for FREE as it's not downloadable.

Most sold materials also allow one the right to use the materials for educational and personal purposes but strictly restrict against commercial or business use.

This thread and expatforum has links to loads of useful FREE PTE materials that you would never be able to finish reading or practicing. So, I see no reason why anyone should pay for these unless they need the PRINTED or Hard Copies from the Author. The said people's business are only taking leverage from downloading these free materials and selfishly selling to others. Most of them may have even gotten these materials from this thread and other online sites dedicated to Good Course.

As I've always advised, the best preparation materials which is worth anyone's penny is the Official scored practice test from PTE which Majiouk and Spyro*** have been assisting people to purchase while giving them FREE preparation materials as bonus. With the scored test, you can easily assess your readiness for the real test.

For those that can't afford the scored test, there's yet another FREE Complete Practice Test which is also approved and recommended by Pearson. All you do is register and you'd get 2 FREE COMPLETE (Partially scored) Practice tests and 9 short tests to practice with. The complete tests don't score your writing and speaking but provide sample answers. It has the same interface and selection of questions like the real test to give you a feel of what it takes. You can use it to practice but it's advisable to also take the official scored practice.

FREE COMPLETE PTE PRACTICE TEST

https://www.practicepte.com/Free-PTE-Practice-Test-Details.php


OFFICIAL SCORED PTE PRACTICE TEST

https://ptepractice.com

I also hope the admin of this thread would help guide new members to the FREE practice materials that have helped most of us ace PTE if this has not already been added to the FRONT PAGE.

Best Wishes All.

Pinoralia:


It is some people's business. Why wreck one man's business because I am trying to help the other one?

I was given for FREE by someone and it was really helpful. That's why I intend sharing it with people too but I no longer do that.

Hi,

I'd advise you go with TRA using your OND/HND qualification so as to gain maximum experience points. With EA, your engineering experience may not start counting until 2016, and you may most likely be assessed as an Engineering Technologist. EA assessment is done mainly in reference to your first degree; your masters degree would be recognised only as further learning which as you rightly said would come under your CPD.

You should contact @Olalekankad and others who have successfully gone through the TRA route for guidance. You may require some supporting documents and your application may be strictly assessed against the requirements for Electrical Trades in Australia. However, I see it as your best and most promising route considering the high competitiveness of the professional occupations. You are also most likely to be nominated by a state if you can get a successful TRA outcome. Considering you have solid experience in Power, I see no reason why you can't get a positive assessment outcome with TRA if you can prove your experience claims.

Best wishes.

Koph:

Qualifications HND Electrical Engrg 2001, M.Sc (Electrical Power) UK, 2016
Work Experience-15 years plus in Power Distribution & Transmissions Operations in the public sector

Congrats!

Best wishes

ZoeW:

And indeed I was next!
Visa granted 9 February 2018!!!
Too excited to post my timelines!!!

Congrats!
Best wishes.

timikenzo2:

Grant - February 7 2018. Visa 189 with 60 points
The waiting was out of this world,in the end it was worth it. God is God!!! Thank you Jesus

Good thing is that you got a job in your field. So, I guess the main challenge is sorted. Every other thing is personal and can be taken care of by yourself if you so wish. You need to put things in perspective and make fair comparison. IMO, if your alternative was returning to the UK or Europe, then good on you. However, if you're serious about returning to Nigeria as the better option to living in Melbourne, then I'm afraid your sense of judgement has been greatly affected by the experiences you mentioned. Don't get me wrong, I cearly understand your experiences and considering your career profile and experience of living in other overseas countries, I can understand your dissatisfaction. I'm, however, not in support of your decision to return to Naija, and if you eventually do, I'm sure your wife and kids would not forgive you for such act. You really need to consider them as well and not just yourself.

I've promised not to write an epistle here, so if you really want a different perspective and advice, I'm happy to join in your coffee (beer) meeting to share views/experience. We may learn a thing or two from each other. There's also a whatsapp group for Nairalanders living in Melbourne. You can opt to be added so you can connect with other Nigerian migrants. I'm also happy to connect with you on any platform of your choice and at least give u reasons to debunk most if not all of your claims as there are positives or better aspect of life in Melbourne too.

You can also have a read of most of our stories; non claimed to be a bed of roses. We all had our challenges but were determined to rise above all. Here's is a long epistle of my personal experience if you have time and care to read:

https://www.nairaland.com/4107449/living-australia-life-australian-immigrant/7#61640311

PS: Even Australians and Aboriginals go through similar experiences like you. So, don't take it too personal.

AdeyinkaSeun:


Yes I did. In the same field.

No worries mate, I'm more than happy to.

gcey2k:


I just applied for same Visa early this December. I have a Mech Engr background. I am hoping so much to get it and if I do, I'll really need your help on information and stuff before moving.

Thanks again for your previous post...

Done

Tonyant:
Pls I need to ask you a ques regarding the Australia 476 visa for recent graduates. Please assist. Cheers!

Done

Denny2017:


Please @catchdwind4rmkd,i sent you a PM.I have an important and urgent issue to discuss with you Sir.Kindly reply.

Una think say na only Naija get sense abi?

You for pay na?

They use small price to draw ur attention, and hit you hard once in.

That said, you should at least know if your car drives smooth or you're confident in the state of the car coz safety is paramount.
You don't wanna be matching 110km/hr when the car stall.

You mustn't fix everything but the critical issues listed and plan the rest for later,
Or probably sell and buy another.

That's if you suspect something is wrong with the car; otherwise no stress!

Vinsmuft:


Yes you are right. The deal I got serviced my car very cheap but then printed a report of $1,200 . They said that my timing belt was due for replacement. I bought the car for $4,500 and want to use $1,200 to change timing belt? I pick race my guy

Congrats mate,
Best wishes.

SallyAUS:
My Grant is Here!!!!

My eternal gratitude to Jesus Christ and My heavenly Father who answers all prayers in his time according to his will.

Grant 25th November,2017

This was achieved with 60 points (190).

The point required for invitation has never been fixed at 60.

60 points only relate to EOI.
To submit EOI, you need a minimum of 60 skilled points.

However, after submitting your EOI, depending on how competitive your occupation is, you may be invited with just 60 points or as high as 75 points. I've read about 80+ points and sometimes I wonder how that's possible. But yeah, Indians...
I wonder when DIBP would favour Nigerians by adding Pidgin and other indigenous Nigerian languages to the list for 5 extra points as with Mandarin, Hindi, etc.

To be clear DIBP didn't increase the point to 70; you can still be invited with 60 points, just a matter of when (time).
It's the system which is completely controlled by candidates in the pool that dictates the cut-off.
All DIBP does is to allocate maximum invitations per round and I don't think that has changed much.

However, as more candidates submit EOI with higher points; the system can only invite the first set of EOI's with the highest points in the pool. Those not invited after a round, panic and look for other means of increasing their points. When they do, they go up the list and probably get invited. Another candidate does the same and the cycle continues. If everyone submits EOI with 60 points, then invitations would be made at 60 points too. But who get chill? Everyone wanna get ITA tomorrow. So, nay leaving any stone unturned; tick every point possible.

pdlibra:
Please, when did they increase the points for invitation to 70 points? Thought its 60 points.

Hahaaaa.

I can't tell oh coz I left it for them and returned to pick it up after 2hrs.
Naija sha, e be like say u read my mind when I go pick the car

However, I'd think that's the easiest of all: tyre rotation.
I can even do that one myself.

I saw them doing other cars; so I'd be surprised if they didn't do mine.
They've got a good and well-equipped workshop.
Cars are hanging overhead everywhere; they've got auto-jacks to raise the cars to comfy height for easy access.

My only fear was the wheel alignment; coz I fear they may tell me a fault exists just to make up for the reduced price.
But since my car had no issues, I was ready to tell them not to bother if it comes to that. I only did the servicing to fulfil all righteousness and keep the value of the car high for future sales coz people here too value service history and stamped logbook.

So, in my opinion, wheel balancing or alignment is the main concern and not tyre rotation that you can even do if u can find good rocks (stones) to lift the car. If you can change your flat wheels (tyre), why can't you rotate them? As for whatever they call major service, all they do is to Change Oil and inspect vital parts, then maybe shine your engine to impress you. But the only free thing is the Oil. Every other identified issue comes at an extra cost. E.g. they identified that my reverse light wasn't working, they didn't fix it but printed a report to notify me of the fault and ask if I want it done but said it's not critical and I can plan it for my next service.

Don't be deceived by the price though; it's marketing strategy to remain in competition as more garages now do major services at a reduced price. So giving out discount vouchers can help attract more customers during which they may identify other problems that you can decide to have them fix for you. The actual price is way higher than that if you go to their workshop. I only got that deal paying with a discount voucher I bought at Groupon.

Vinsmuft:

Unbelievable! But bros you sure say them rotate the tires.

Thanks for this info:

Got a good deal for my Ford...:

Manufacturer's Major Service (with Service Logbook stamped) - $29,

Wheel Alignment - $30, and

Tyre Rotation - $10...

For just A$69 at Karwork... (Got the voucher from Groupon)

No Stress!!! Drive-in, Drive-out...

Thanks thanks...

Cognito79:


You can check Groupon or scoopon for service deals. You can get your car serviced for $60 using those deals

I visited this thread today!


My Contribution:
There's nothing wrong with using an agent.
The stress is using the right agent.
We use agents for different reasons, the common being lack of time and information.
A qualified Migration Agent would obviously make the entire process fast and easy for you.
While he does your job and leaves you free time to do other more pressing stuff, you pay for his own time or services.
Using an agent is in NO way a sign of laziness or unintelligence.
In fact, it shows that you like yourself, you don't like stress, you're busy and can afford the cost.
You also are indirectly solving the problem of unemployment.

People use agents or similar to get admission into NIGERIAN universities, to find a house to rent, to buy a land, to build a house, to sell a house, to plan their wedding, to buy a car, to manage their business, etc........
Let's not make a big deal out of this MIGRATION AGENT thingy....
When I got my scholarship, my sponsor made all visa and flight/travel arrangements via an AGENT.
Please call me LAZY.
While looking for cheap flight to OZ, I did contact a ticketing agent but didn't use them coz of cost.
But yeah, MOST of us finally had IOM do it for us I'd think they're something similar to AGENTS.

Bottom line, those that can afford it don't bother stressing.
My boss gets all he wants by just picking the phone and dial.
Most companies have agents doing all travel stuff for them.
My former employer in Nigeria uses VFS to get easy and fast visa processing for employees going overseas for training.
We also had agents taking care of passports and flights for same day services.
All we do is walk in and walk out.
What about accommodation and pickups? Just land and call a number, BINGO you're in your room. NO Stress.
Trust me I enjoyed it while it lasts

AGENTS are there to make life easy for you if you don't mind the exorbitant cost.
They're meant to be well-informed in their area of specialisation.
Say for VISA, they know all the rules and requirements. They keep themselves informed and updated on migration matters.
Similar to what lawyers do.

On this forum, we can only offer as much as we've researched; which for most of us is only limited to what we found while processing our application. Not many research outside their interest. So, we can't answer all your questions to help you DIY. You'd need to do your own research. And if you can't or don't have the time, then, by all means, get the services of an AGENT.
It's left to you to do your DUE DILIGENCE in choosing the right AGENT.

TRUMP does not KNOW everything and possibly ANYTHING about some of the things he champions and enjoys...
Same is clear of BUHARI...
But regardless, we can't completely say they're lazy and unintelligent to become PRESIDENTS!!!

Shout out to y'all.
Keep the love flying.

Congrats mate!
Best wishes

Eladua:

the grant catwalked in.

Thanks to everyone that has helped me one way or the other and I pray for those still in process, it will land sooner than you think.

Pls anyone that has info on if IOM help with travel tickets for 489 applicants and the process should pls advice.

Chemical Engineer is the first and last option for you.

Can't see why you accepted Engineering Technologist even with your 5yrs experience in the Chemical Industry.

Good thing is that you're willing to refine!
It would only cost you more but it's worth every penny.

Submit another application to EA as a Chemical Engineer and ensure that the outcome is a professional engineer.

Cheers!

Akachukwu123:
I assessed as an engineering technologist with EA
Guys, I need to know if its there's another occupation I can assess with an I have 5 years work experience in a chemical industry with a B.Eng in Chemical engineering from Futo(2012)

Thanks brothers

Boss na beg i dey oh.

Show mercy to your boi

Misoke:


see you!...which ghost mode...ayaff already see you na ...its Sir Bellong i wnat to see...is he the middle guy?

Pls don't oh.

I like to reserve my Ghost Mode...

Thanks

mrsojephone:
Hmmmm. I wish
I will try and compile the names sha

Hi,

Take sometime and review all your entries to ensure you haven't made any mistake or omission.

5yrs experience is 10 points.

What's the total claimed experience that was calculated in your EOI?
You can start from there to review where the error has come.

And as advised, you can just be patient for October to elapse. Possibly the system hasn't counted October as a full month for you since it's still not November.

You should be fine. Others have had similar experience and eventually it all added up.

Sometimes might be system glitch as well. So yoy may wanna try again later.

Cheers

diggy4real:

How do I cope with this kind of thing? I mean I need to be on 65points now so I can get ITA within this financial year for 2335.I would not want to make any changes that Will be seen as misrepresentation of any sort.

I guess you're confusing it with 476 which is only for recent engineering graduates.

legendary4luv:




Ok sorry for derailing but someone mentioned that's it's just engr, I will learn from the other group. Thanks!