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 Migrating to Australia or New Zealand, Need input

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TSeastmeetswest
post Nov 29 2016, 05:20 PM, updated 8y ago

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Hi Guys. Hope all of you are fine.

Me and my wife recently had a baby, few months old now. Looking at recent happenings, we are very worried.

So we are planning to migrate, a bit on our background:

1. I am a PhD in Engineering from the UK, worked in the UK for a shortwhile and returned in 2013.
2. My wife is a medical officer and currently practicing.

I would like to seek for advice on where to migrate, Australia or NZ, and my queries are in term of:
1. Job opportunity?
2. Cost of Living?
3. Complexity in getting a PR?
4. Crime?
5. Asian Friendly?

Please share your opinions.

Thx!


Zhik
post Nov 29 2016, 05:39 PM

eeerrrmmmnnn, stupidity has no limit?
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Wow, pm feedback when u migrate.
I am thinking to migrate for years.
saintnotsinner
post Nov 30 2016, 02:13 AM

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QUOTE(eastmeetswest @ Nov 29 2016, 06:20 PM)
Hi Guys. Hope all of you are fine.

Me and my wife recently had a baby, few months old now. Looking at recent happenings, we are very worried.

So we are planning to migrate, a bit on our background:

1. I am a PhD in Engineering from the UK, worked in the UK for a shortwhile and returned in 2013.
2. My wife is a medical officer and currently practicing.

I would like to seek for advice on where to migrate, Australia or NZ, and my queries are in term of:
1. Job opportunity?
2. Cost of Living?
3. Complexity in getting a PR?
4. Crime?
5. Asian Friendly?

Please share your opinions.

Thx!
*
i can answer for UK as of Nov 2016

1. Yes, if you have awesome credentials despite of Brexit and competition from EU candidates.
2. Depends on your lifestyle. Same goes everywhere from NZ to Aussie to Kubang Kerian.
3. Same for all countries. Subject to good behavior, criminal record, credit score etc.
4. What kind of crime? If you are talking about pickpockets etc, yes, it's everywhere, even if crime rate is low.
5. Depends on how you carry yourself.

This post has been edited by saintnotsinner: Nov 30 2016, 02:14 AM
wobbles
post Nov 30 2016, 03:42 AM

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QUOTE(eastmeetswest @ Nov 29 2016, 05:20 PM)
Hi Guys. Hope all of you are fine.

Me and my wife recently had a baby, few months old now. Looking at recent happenings, we are very worried.

So we are planning to migrate, a bit on our background:

1. I am a PhD in Engineering from the UK, worked in the UK for a shortwhile and returned in 2013.
2. My wife is a medical officer and currently practicing.

I would like to seek for advice on where to migrate, Australia or NZ, and my queries are in term of:
1. Job opportunity?
2. Cost of Living?
3. Complexity in getting a PR?
4. Crime?
5. Asian Friendly?

Please share your opinions.

Thx!
*
I help you with Australia:

1. You'll need to check if your skill set/qualifications are listed on the Skilled Occupational List (SOL) or Consolidated SOL. If so, this will be the cheapest way for you to obtain a visa (subclass 189 - Skilled Independent or Subclass190 - State Sponsored. The difference between the 2 is the 190 requires you to stay & work in the sponsoring State for 2 years, whereas the 189 doesn't have any restrictions. Total cost (without agency fees) payable to DIBP is about AUD6000 (Visa fees, IELTS exams, costs of certifying documents and degrees, costs of getting everything non-English translated into English etc). Agent fees can easily cost an additional AUD3000 to AUD4000.

You will need to get your UK degrees certified as equivalent to Australian standards by EA (Engineers Australia) - and you'll need to pass a points test.

2. Is your wife a specialist? Where did she graduate? Depending on these factors, she might qualify as the main applicant, because I know that doctors are in demand in Australia right now (there's news in the wind to say that this might change in 2017). However, getting certification and an Australian Registration can be a nightmare with AHPRA, especially if she didn't graduate from an Australian or NZ school. It's all quite protectionist, I'm afraid.

Once you've sorted out your eligibility, lemme know and I'm happy to offer my further 2 cents.

No worries, I'm not a MARA (Migration Agent Registration Authority) registered agent - just somebody who've been there, done that and bought the T-shirt to boot. Three times, actually.
kenji1903
post Nov 30 2016, 12:12 PM

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just to add on to wobbles's post, i was in a similar background as yours when i applied and it cost me total RM25k DIY... i was the primary applicant for subclass 189 and my wife was a dependent without claiming any points and we have a baby

if you have doubts after calculating the points yourself, get an advice from a MARA agent in KL/Subang, first consultation is free. That's what i did as i just need someone to verify, i didn't use them since mine is a very straightforward application
TSeastmeetswest
post Nov 30 2016, 03:57 PM

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QUOTE(wobbles @ Nov 30 2016, 03:42 AM)
I help you with Australia:

1. You'll need to check if your skill set/qualifications are listed on the Skilled Occupational List (SOL) or Consolidated SOL. If so, this will be the cheapest way for you to obtain a visa (subclass 189 - Skilled Independent or Subclass190 - State Sponsored. The difference between the 2 is the 190 requires you to stay & work in the sponsoring State for 2 years, whereas the 189 doesn't have any restrictions. Total cost (without agency fees) payable to DIBP is about AUD6000 (Visa fees, IELTS exams, costs of certifying documents and degrees, costs of getting everything non-English translated into English etc). Agent fees can easily cost an additional AUD3000 to AUD4000.

You will need to get your UK degrees certified as equivalent to Australian standards by EA (Engineers Australia) - and you'll need to pass a points test.

2. Is your wife a specialist? Where did she graduate? Depending on these factors, she might qualify as the main applicant, because I know that doctors are in demand in Australia right now (there's news in the wind to say that this might change in 2017). However, getting certification and an Australian Registration can be a nightmare with AHPRA, especially if she didn't graduate from an Australian or NZ school. It's all quite protectionist, I'm afraid.

Once you've sorted out your eligibility, lemme know and I'm happy to offer my further 2 cents.

No worries, I'm not a MARA (Migration Agent Registration Authority) registered agent - just somebody who've been there, done that and bought the T-shirt to boot. Three times, actually.
*
Thanks very much Wobbles..

So first I need to find out if it is 189 or 190.
Then, certify and verify all my qualifications
My wife is not a specialist, she is a local graduate, so that would be tough? If she managed to complete UK specialist papers?

Im seeing a consultant in Subang soon, so will probably find some answers.

So u have migrated alredy?

Thx!!
TSeastmeetswest
post Nov 30 2016, 03:58 PM

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QUOTE(kenji1903 @ Nov 30 2016, 12:12 PM)
just to add on to wobbles's post, i was in a similar background as yours when i applied and it cost me total RM25k DIY... i was the primary applicant for subclass 189 and my wife was a dependent without claiming any points and we have a baby

if you have doubts after calculating the points yourself, get an advice from a MARA agent in KL/Subang, first consultation is free. That's what i did as i just need someone to verify, i didn't use them since mine is a very straightforward application
*
Hi Kenji,

So ur application was straightforward, how do you define that? Is it based on your points? Ur application is successful now?

Thx
kenji1903
post Nov 30 2016, 04:05 PM

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QUOTE(eastmeetswest @ Nov 30 2016, 03:58 PM)
Hi Kenji,

So ur application was straightforward, how do you define that? Is it based on your points? Ur application is successful now?

Thx
*
maybe i should put it mine is more straight forward compared to my ex-colleague who's husband is not a malaysian thus had to get police clearance from his home country tongue.gif

yeah, i got mine within 3 months

the application itself is not difficult but its darn tedious... e.g. my malaysian birthcert is old and is in Malay, so i went to JPN, paid RM5 to extract a new English version only to find out that the form template is in English but the data is filled in in Malay bangwall.gif
so i had to get that translated at RM80/piece by an authorized translator

plus, you only apply 190 if you do not have enough points for 189... you need a minimum of 60 points for most jobs for 189
190 gives you additional 5 points in case you only get 55 points for 189

This post has been edited by kenji1903: Nov 30 2016, 04:07 PM
wobbles
post Nov 30 2016, 05:21 PM

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QUOTE(eastmeetswest @ Nov 30 2016, 03:57 PM)
Thanks very much Wobbles..

So first I need to find out if it is 189 or 190.
Then, certify and verify all my qualifications
My wife is not a specialist, she is a local graduate, so that would be tough? If she managed to complete UK specialist papers?

Im seeing a consultant in Subang soon, so will probably find some answers.

So u have migrated alredy?

Thx!!
*
Hi eastmeetswest,

Yes, as what kenji1903 has rightfully point out, find out if you qualify without the need for State sponsorship (189) or only with (190). Essentially both visas are skilled migration visas, but the 190 offers you the additional points if you can't meet the minimum 60 on your own. And, with the new EOI (Expression Of Interest) in place - i.e. you no longer apply for a visa outright, but express your desire for you, and wait for their invitation, it's also a matter of how many more points you can score above and beyond the next applicant. The higher the points, the faster/better chance you'll get before the quota for that year is filled.

IELTS is essential - I mean, for fcuk's sake (pardon my French), my bachelors (Sydney), masters (Cambridge) and fellowship (Glasgow) were all in English, but because I was initially a Malaysian passport holder (later Singaporean), I was lumped in the "non-native speakers" category, and I needed to show proof of English functionality. In the end, this turned out to be a blessing, because if you scored 8.0 and above for all your components (listening, speaking, reading & writing), you'd get some additional 20 points or so. Easy picking.

If you can meet the requirements on your own, then your wife can be the secondary applicant - but, if her degree is locally acquired, she might be asked/demanded to take the Australian Medical Council licensing exams. I know this because I helped my elder brother (who's an internist & a dermatologist) apply for his PR at the same time I applied for mine. We both graduated from Sydney Uni, but he stayed back to do his internship and later, his MRCP/FRCP & FRACP, while I foolishly came back to set up my own engineering construction firm in Malaysia (this was some 25 years ago). We both got our PRs (we both applied under the old scheme - the 189's predecessor, the 175), he stayed & is now a citizen, I lost my PR, reapplied, got it re-approved, only to lose it again (because I was now busy setting up my business in Singapore), and finally, I gave up on the 175/189 altogether and went over on a different visa altogether (the 188 temporary business visa, which has now been converted into a permanent 888 visa).

Anyway, back to your wife. Getting AMC recognition will be a priority for her, IMHO. It'll be her basic degree that matters, so it doesn't matter whether she has her MRCP/FRCS/FRCP or whatever alphabet soup you care to throw after her name. While this is not crucial for the PR application (if you're the main applicant), it will be crucial to her being able to practice and not let her brain go to waste Down Under. I'm not the expert on how to get her Malaysian degree recognized by APHRA - I mean, I could ask my brother the next time we speak over the phone - but you'll be better off checking with your migration agent on this.

And to answer your question - yes, I've migrated, but I'm still in Singapore. This is one of the beauty of the 888 Visa. Whereas the 189 or 190 requires a physical presence of 2 out of the last 5 years in Australia to qualify for a renewal (or what they term a RRV - Resident Return Visa, subclass 155), the 888 (for now) only requires a physical presence of 40 days per year to qualify for a renewal (I keep hearing news that this will be invalidated in the years to come, but it is what's stated on my 888 Visa for now, so I'm sticking with what's written).

Hence, I'm presently an Australian PR, but I'm still running my business in Singapore, while waiting for my Australian businesses to take root and take off (hopefully).

Then, why not the 188 or 888 Visa, you might ask? Well, it cost me AUD5,000,000 to secure my 188. This compared to AUD10,000 for a 189 or 190. It's a no brainer. I had to invest AUD5 million into a legitimate company, set up the company, run that company, employ Australians and generate income/show an intention to make profit, pay company & personal taxes - just so I get to keep a backdoor open in case Singapore fades into non-relevance in the grand scheme of things.

If you have the necessary points and are keen to make a permanent move over, the 189 is the way to go.

Good luck!
MoonRider
post Nov 30 2016, 08:42 PM

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refer to my post on new zealand migration.. but now the process takes longer process.. due to number of increase application..

i choose nz over aus... reason i like layback lifestyle and population is much lesser around 4.47 mil also your residence visa will be infinity when you fullfilled the 2 years condition
for skill migrant category.

also for ielts you n your wife only need average 6.5 ..

This post has been edited by MoonRider: Nov 30 2016, 08:46 PM
munkeyflo
post Dec 1 2016, 02:29 PM

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5. Plenty of asians in both countries. Depending on which city you plan to settle down in. Sis definitely has more Asian stuffs but nz is picking up closely behind.

Pay a visit to both countries and just walk on the streets. Survey around for houses and you can see lots of Asian communities around.
johnkor
post Dec 1 2016, 03:42 PM

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QUOTE(munkeyflo @ Dec 1 2016, 02:29 PM)
5. Plenty of asians in both countries. Depending on which city you plan to settle down in. Sis definitely has more Asian stuffs but nz is picking up closely behind.

Pay a visit to both countries and just walk on the streets. Survey around for houses and you can see lots of Asian communities around.
*
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TSOM
post Dec 2 2016, 04:07 PM

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Any reason why you don't want to return back to the UK, since you've experience living there?
TSeastmeetswest
post Dec 5 2016, 09:03 AM

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QUOTE(kenji1903 @ Nov 30 2016, 04:05 PM)
maybe i should put it mine is more straight forward compared to my ex-colleague who's husband is not a malaysian thus had to get police clearance from his home country tongue.gif

yeah, i got mine within 3 months

the application itself is not difficult but its darn tedious... e.g. my malaysian birthcert is old and is in Malay, so i went to JPN, paid RM5 to extract a new English version only to find out that the form template is in English but the data is filled in in Malay bangwall.gif
so i had to get that translated at RM80/piece by an authorized translator

plus, you only apply 190 if you do not have enough points for 189... you need a minimum of 60 points for most jobs for 189
190 gives you additional 5 points in case you only get 55 points for 189
*
Hi Kenji, 3 months!!!??? That is fantastic! Brilliant bro. Thanks for the advice, i will be meeting an agent soon.. Lets see what will be the outcome.
TSeastmeetswest
post Dec 5 2016, 09:06 AM

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QUOTE(wobbles @ Nov 30 2016, 05:21 PM)
Hi eastmeetswest,

Yes, as what kenji1903 has rightfully point out, find out if you qualify without the need for State sponsorship (189) or only with (190). Essentially both visas are skilled migration visas, but the 190 offers you the additional points if you can't meet the minimum 60 on your own. And, with the new EOI (Expression Of Interest) in place - i.e. you no longer apply for a visa outright, but express your desire for you, and wait for their invitation, it's also a matter of how many more points you can score above and beyond the next applicant. The higher the points, the faster/better chance you'll get before the quota for that year is filled.

IELTS is essential - I mean, for fcuk's sake (pardon my French), my bachelors (Sydney), masters (Cambridge) and fellowship (Glasgow) were all in English, but because I was initially a Malaysian passport holder (later Singaporean), I was lumped in the "non-native speakers" category, and I needed to show proof of English functionality. In the end, this turned out to be a blessing, because if you scored 8.0 and above for all your components (listening, speaking, reading & writing), you'd get some additional 20 points or so. Easy picking.

If you can meet the requirements on your own, then your wife can be the secondary applicant - but, if her degree is locally acquired, she might be asked/demanded to take the Australian Medical Council licensing exams. I know this because I helped my elder brother (who's an internist & a dermatologist) apply for his PR at the same time I applied for mine. We both graduated from Sydney Uni, but he stayed back to do his internship and later, his MRCP/FRCP & FRACP, while I foolishly came back to set up my own engineering construction firm in Malaysia (this was some 25 years ago). We both got our PRs (we both applied under the old scheme - the 189's predecessor, the 175), he stayed & is now a citizen, I lost my PR, reapplied, got it re-approved, only to lose it again (because I was now busy setting up my business in Singapore), and finally, I gave up on the 175/189 altogether and went over on a different visa altogether (the 188 temporary business visa, which has now been converted into a permanent 888 visa).

Anyway, back to your wife. Getting AMC recognition will be a priority for her, IMHO. It'll be her basic degree that matters, so it doesn't matter whether she has her MRCP/FRCS/FRCP or whatever alphabet soup you care to throw after her name. While this is not crucial for the PR application (if you're the main applicant), it will be crucial to her being able to practice and not let her brain go to waste Down Under. I'm not the expert on how to get her Malaysian degree recognized by APHRA - I mean, I could ask my brother the next time we speak over the phone - but you'll be better off checking with your migration agent on this.

And to answer your question - yes, I've migrated, but I'm still in Singapore. This is one of the beauty of the 888 Visa. Whereas the 189 or 190 requires a physical presence of 2 out of the last 5 years in Australia to qualify for a renewal (or what they term a RRV - Resident Return Visa, subclass 155), the 888 (for now) only requires a physical presence of 40 days per year to qualify for a renewal (I keep hearing news that this will be invalidated in the years to come, but it is what's stated on my 888 Visa for now, so I'm sticking with what's written).

Hence, I'm presently an Australian PR, but I'm still running my business in Singapore, while waiting for my Australian businesses to take root and take off (hopefully).

Then, why not the 188 or 888 Visa, you might ask? Well, it cost me AUD5,000,000 to secure my 188. This compared to AUD10,000 for a 189 or 190. It's a no brainer. I had to invest AUD5 million into a legitimate company, set up the company, run that company, employ Australians and generate income/show an intention to make profit, pay company & personal taxes - just so I get to keep a backdoor open in case Singapore fades into non-relevance in the grand scheme of things.

If you have the necessary points and are keen to make a permanent move over, the 189 is the way to go.

Good luck!
*
Hi Wobbles, u r like an encyclopedia of migration. Great details here. If you ever happen to speak to your brother, please ask him for details if possible.

And yes, I think I will stick with 189, dun have 5 mil in my pocket...

Yes I have heard of the 5 years, but in the current dynamics, how long will it take before I can obtain my PR? Because now its invitation basis right?

Thanks a lot for all the details!



TSeastmeetswest
post Dec 5 2016, 09:06 AM

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QUOTE(MoonRider @ Nov 30 2016, 08:42 PM)
refer to my post on new zealand migration.. but now the process takes longer process.. due to number of increase application..

i choose nz over aus... reason i like layback lifestyle and population is much lesser around 4.47 mil also your residence visa will be infinity when you fullfilled the 2 years condition
for skill migrant category.

also for ielts you n your wife only need average 6.5 ..
*
Thanks @MoonRider for your input!
TSeastmeetswest
post Dec 5 2016, 09:08 AM

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QUOTE(TSOM @ Dec 2 2016, 04:07 PM)
Any reason why you don't want to return back to the UK, since you've experience living there?
*
UK is far compared to Australia, and I actually have a brother in Australia who can also sponsor me. But he doesnt know of the latest changes in the migrating process, so hence I querying in this space.

And to be honest, im bored of UK...
thomasthai
post Dec 6 2016, 10:36 AM

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Hi

Depending on your skillset, try getting an employer in australia to sponsor you. Both you and your wife can write in to potential employers.

It will cost them less than a couple of hundred bucks to lodge a business sponsor visa 457 for you.

After working for the same employer for 2 years, they can nominate you for a permanent visa 186.

If you go by this way you will save a lot of headaches like ielts, skills recognition etc.
TSeastmeetswest
post Dec 14 2016, 09:58 PM

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Hi everyone,

Im back!!

So I approach three different agencies, one was Austral Migration Consultancy (AMC), one more was Global Migration Consultancy (GMC), and the third agent was a freelancer tied up with an agency based at Sydney.

So when I spoke to the freelancer and AMC, both told me that I had enough for 189, cause I had my 3 years working experience which earned me 5 points, cause my jobs in the Uk were not counted. And then they both told me that I can Pearson instead of IELTS, which can be used for both assessing and VISA authority.

However, GMC told me that I can only got for 190, cause it seems the VISA authority will slash off 1 year of my working experience, so only two years are counted, and that the assessment authority does not recognise Pearson, while only IELTS is considered.

Can anyone advice me here, very confused!

Thx!
Axel93
post Jan 30 2017, 08:51 PM

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QUOTE(wobbles @ Nov 30 2016, 03:42 AM)
I help you with Australia:

1. You'll need to check if your skill set/qualifications are listed on the Skilled Occupational List (SOL) or Consolidated SOL. If so, this will be the cheapest way for you to obtain a visa (subclass 189 - Skilled Independent or Subclass190 - State Sponsored. The difference between the 2 is the 190 requires you to stay & work in the sponsoring State for 2 years, whereas the 189 doesn't have any restrictions. Total cost (without agency fees) payable to DIBP is about AUD6000 (Visa fees, IELTS exams, costs of certifying documents and degrees, costs of getting everything non-English translated into English etc). Agent fees can easily cost an additional AUD3000 to AUD4000.

You will need to get your UK degrees certified as equivalent to Australian standards by EA (Engineers Australia) - and you'll need to pass a points test.

2. Is your wife a specialist? Where did she graduate? Depending on these factors, she might qualify as the main applicant, because I know that doctors are in demand in Australia right now (there's news in the wind to say that this might change in 2017). However, getting certification and an Australian Registration can be a nightmare with AHPRA, especially if she didn't graduate from an Australian or NZ school. It's all quite protectionist, I'm afraid.

Once you've sorted out your eligibility, lemme know and I'm happy to offer my further 2 cents.

No worries, I'm not a MARA (Migration Agent Registration Authority) registered agent - just somebody who've been there, done that and bought the T-shirt to boot. Three times, actually.
*
Can you explain further about these scoring system ? I thought of migrating there as well after finishing my Masters programme.

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