I have been getting a lot of questions from friends and strangers alike, about how we went though Australia’s General Skilled Migration program and secured our 189 resident permit. Although I have described bits and pieces to many, I realize I am now forgetting the details of our journey. So this is where I will document it for eternity.
October 2016: I officially started the migration process. It will be evident later that I had been very lazy in the planning and execution of the process. I first contacted a migration agent who had helped a colleague secure a PR. The price he quoted was hefty. And mine was a straight forward application, as I had worked in the IT industry after completing by Bachelors in Computer Engineering. I felt I did not feel the help of a migration agent to process what I thought was a straightforward visa application.
We first submitted the EOI with 60 points as an ICT Business Analyst in March 2017. Yes , it took us that much time to go through the paper work. We waited till July 2017, and saw that there was no point waiting any longer.
In July 2017, I got my skill re-assessed for Software engineer. Also retook the PTE English test, and scored superior. Mrs also cleared the PTE test. Total points now : 80 ! We re-applied our EOI with the new documents on July 13th. Missed by one day because there was an allotment round on the 12th ! The delay was entirely due to ACS cunningly timing their results with the allotment dates.
EOI accepted on 26th July.
We applied the visa will all documents on August 1st.
Medical took 2 weeks. Got it done at Fortis Bangalore . Medical was uploaded on 23rd August.
Then was the excruciating wait. The application status was still ‘Received’.
On Sept 7th, we got the mail, that our Visa was granted.
The actual journey was only from 26th July to 7th September. But due our naivety we had to wait for almost a year.
So tip 1: Plan everything. If you are not sure, or are on a time limit, hire a migration agent.
Migration agents are much more familiar with all the steps, and will strictly follow up on the process for you. Ultimately you will get a visa faster. If you decide not to engage an agent, then you need to diligently follow up on the process at every step. It took us almost a year to get our visa, because we got lazy along the way.
You will need money. For two people, one primary and one dependent, it will cost about 4 lakhs in INR. For all the tests and assessment required. It will be wise to keep track of your expenses.
Tip 2: Don’t apply with 60 points.
The 189/190 visa application process is well documented. There are free online points calculators which will help you find the best way through. They will mention that a minimum of 60 points is required for an application. But what they won’t tell you is the system is setup so that the applications with the higher points get a preference at almost every stage of the application. So whatever you do, do NOT apply with 60 points. Try and increase your point score. If you can apply with 75 points, your EOI will be picked up within 15 days, in the very next cycle. DIBP will often change the minimum score requirement through the application year, so there is no point in waiting.
Assuming you are between 25-32 years of age, and have 8 years work experience outside Australia, and have cleared the English test with the lowest ‘Competent’ rating, you will get the minimum 60 points.
But if you can go back and improve your English test and score ‘Superior’ rating, you will get a total of 80 points ! If you are married, and your spouse can score ‘Competent’ on the English test, you will get 5 more points .
Tip 3: Take the Pearson English Test. Do NOT take the IELTS test.
I cannot stress this enough. Every site and forum explains the points system with the IELTS example. And a lot of aspirants take this test too. But if you are taking the IELTS for Australia migration then please stop ! IELTS is a two day , paper-written test. The test itself is graded manually. And you will have to scribble a lot. However hard you try, you will not be able to score anything more than the minimum 6. Unless you have a beautiful handwriting. And have been writing letters all your life.
Take the PTE. It costs around the same, but is an automated computer driven test. Its shorter, about 3 hours, and your handwriting does not matter. Most of the visa applications are from software engineers, and have been using computer keyboards through their career. Such people can ace this test. At least the written part. There are numerous articles and videos explaining tricks to beat this test. And if you still need help, sign up for a coaching class.
Tip 4: Unless you are 100% sure, do NOT apply EOI as a Business Analyst
I learnt this the hard way. Since I had 10+ years of experience, I thought my application would be better as a ICT Business Analyst. Big mistake.
Check the occupation ceilings page on DIBP. Australia invites EOI applications under 71 different codes. There is an upper limit on the number of EOIs handed out in each code. As of the current year, 2017-2018, the code with the highest ceiling is…wait for it…Nurses. More than 16000 nurses can apply and be selected this year !
For software engineers, the ceiling is 6000. For Business Analysts, its only 1000. So there is one BA for every 6 software engineers.
As the number of visas get allotted get closer to the ceiling, the minimum points required to apply in that code increases. So it gets more difficult to get an EOI under that code.
Here is a revelation, the code under which you applied for the Visa will not be printed on the visa anywhere at all. So you can apply as an SE and work as a BA. Or vice versa. But try and apply through a code which has a higher ceiling. Increases your odds.
Tip 5: Move parallelly.
We made the mistake of following each stage one at a time. This took more time. There are various steps required, but they can all be executed in parallel, thereby shortening your wait time. Again, this is where a migration agent can help you out.
1: English test
2: Skill assessment
3: Police clearance (PCC)
The skill assessment is the step which is going to take the longest time. From gathering all the document required to scanning and uploading and then waiting, it could take 1-3 months for this step. So it is best to start here.
Simultaneously, prepare for and take the English test. The scoring of each test will only take 1 week, so you will get the result soon.
The PCC is more tricky, you will need to apply to the passport office where you are staying, and gather all the relevant documents to prove your temporary and permanent address.
Oops, this is longer than I expected. I will follow this up in a later post.
Good luck !
Australia VISA 189 EOI 261313 tip trick hack
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