Question:
Just received STNI application form from VIC. All seems quite
straight-forward apart from Question 5 (Job Prospects):
"Have you started searching for a Job yet? [Yes/No] ....
If 'yes', could you please provide feedback on the results of your
search. Please include comments from employers for supporting
documents if available"
I understand that VIC SMU will favour applicants that can show that
they are already actively researching the job market, and show some
commitment to settling in Victoria. My question is, do they really
expect us to have already started looking for jobs when it'll be at
least another 6 months before we even get visas (and probably Xmas
before we arrive )? I have already started looking at the job market
(doing job searches via http://www.seek.com.au for example), but am
not sure if there's much point in applying for jobs yet, since
employers are highly unlikely to wait for 9 months for my arrival in
oz...
Does anyone have any experience of:
(a) How to approach employers in order to set up interview/job offers
with a 6 month+ lag-time
(b) Filling in Question 5. on the Vic STNI application.
(c) Providing the documentary evidence to prove that you've made a job
search
Any feedback or suggestions would be very welcome
Answer:
-If you have an uncle in Cairns, why not get him to sponsor you for
Skilled Designated Area Sponsored?
There's no points test, anecdotal evidence from this group recently
suggests processing might be quicker, and there's no obligation to
live in Cairns. You also have a right of appeal if the application
goes wrong, although paperwork with sponsored applications is a little
more complex. You need to submit the sponsorship forms 48 and 28 with
your application if going down this route.
Having said that, STNI (subclass 137) and Skilled Designated Area
Sponsored (subclass 139) are part of different visa classes, so you
can't apply for both at the same time. Nothing stopping you from
talking to Victoria in advance, but you have to make up your mind at
the point of applying to DIMIA.
- Most employers won't be very interested until you've actually
arrived in Australia, unless you've got special skills.
If you've already applied for Skilled Independent you're pretty much
stuck with the application - you can't switch to sponsored without
paying another fee.
