Hi all, just had the forms for SIR visa downloaded from my agent and the SA gov. Just wanted to know if there are any of you out there that are going for the visa as well. My letter says that we have 2 months from the date of the letter to submit all relevant documents. Would love to hear from anyone else in the same boat ;)

Cheers, Dawn

Hi Dawn

We will be applying for SIR as it is now our only option left to us. We missed out due to the points increase.

We are still awaiting our skills assessment back from TRA and once it arrives with hopefully a successful assessment we will be contacting SA for sponsorship.

Graham

:thumbs up:
Hiya Dawn
We are in the same boat as Graham, skill assesment due back next week then we can apply to SA for SIR, provided it passes which my agent thinks it will.
From what I can gather off other sites people that have applied say there coming through pretty quick. So the butterflies have started,now it's starting to feel real.



Jenny

hi jenny what is the name of the agent you are using

hello..peeps could anybody tell me prior to sending forms for visa sir way how long you wait before you get skill assement form

Hi Longys

You have to get the skills assessment done before you apply to SA.

You get your trade assessed by an assessment body in Oz, depending what trade you apply for.

SA government do not have anything to do with assessments.

We have sent ours off to the TRA and it takes 3 months.

Graham

We are going for SIR visa. We've had skills assessed by Vetassess and just received State Nomination from SA this moring!!

We have been advised to go the SIR route - finding it all very confusing - SIR, STNI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! does anyone out there know the difference in SIMPLE TERMS!

My husband is a Head Chef with tons of experience. We are hoping to start the process this weekend with a meeting with our migration agent. I have 4 kids that will be coming out with us age 14, 9, 5 & 1.

love to hear from anyone

Lorraine :)

Hi Lorraine
The difference between STNI & SIR is as follows.

STNI - you must have an occupation that SA deem in demand.
There is a new list on thier website. If your trade is listed then you can apply for sponsorship.
The good news is that you only need 70 points and you get PR. I think you have to stay in the state for 2 years though.

SIR - you need 110 points and have a valid skills assessment from an Australian assessing body. You don't need a skill in demand as long as your trade is on the SOL list.
The downside of SIR is that you have to live in a regional area (all of SA is counted as regional) and it's onlt a temp visa. After 2 years you can apply for PR and from what a few agents have said, as long as you abide by the rules of SIR then the state should nominate you for PR.

Hope this clear it up. If your trade is on the Skills in demand list then you should go the STNI route

We are hoping to go SIR.
My trade is not on the Skills in Demand list so the SIR is our only route.
we are just waiting for our TRA assessment to come back and then we will apply for sponsorship.

Good luck
Graham

hi, we are going the sir route aswell, my main concern is what happens after two years , i know what it says on the official site but am still a bit concerned that we could be booted after the two years is up even if we do all that is asked , any thoughts any one, thank sven and family.

This was one of our options if we weren't accepted for STNI. I doubt you would be thrown out as they are hoping that people will settle and carry on working in SA.

I suppose it's their way of seeing who is helping the economic system in SA rather than those people who may just be using it to gain entry into Australia without any intention of helping out SA along the way. You could after all intend to just fund yourself for a couple of years and then apply for a PR visa only to move to another state without even trying to work in South Australia (another words just using it as a stop off point)

I suppose they think that by getting people to work there would then make people want to stay out of job security etc. as this is what they want decent working residents. If you meet their requirements I doubt they could throw you out unless they had stopped all other migrants from entering the country. In fact you would be in a much stronger position than anyone trying to migrate to Australia as you would have already gone through the normal checks, then you would have a clean Australian police check, and work experience for an Australian employer.

I hope this puts your mind at rest.

Sasha :)

Hi Sven

we have the same concerns as you. You up sticks and settle in Oz only to be kicked out after 3 years.
From what the agents who post on the British xpats site have said I think and hope we will be OK.
They have spoken to the respective governments and have hinted that providing you abide by the rules of SIR then the state in question will sponsor you for PR.

Could you imagine the bad press they would have if they started kicking people out after they had settled and contributed to the regional area.
Also if nthey did that then the SIR visa would fail as no one would apply for it.

I guess until the fisrt SIR visa holders apply for PR we are not gong to know for sure.

Graham

thanks for your replys every one, they all make sense, we just want to make sure we apply via the best route. by the way great site , every one seems so freindly and helpfull, if we make it across to oz i,ll buy you all a pint.

Adelaide at least is DESPERATE to get immigrants in. The population is ageing and they want working people and loads of kids to follow on. (One article I read in a local paper urged couples to have 'one child for mum, one for dad - and if you possibly can, one for the state'.)

Somehow, unless you've committed some heinous crime, I can't see them turning you out once you're settled here and contributing to the economy! I believe they are hoping to double the population of Adelaide in the next 20 years.

You'll have to make that a schooner :lol:

I've lost count on how many drinks I owe people on this site now.....TOO MANY!

Sasha :)

Hooray - that means we might get there then! :bouncing smiles:

Bit scary really, as I've never even been and by the sounds of it won't have time to visit if the visas are coming through so quickly......!

Anyone else moved over without visiting first?

Yeap I am going totally blind so to speak. Hubby has travelled Australia though but it was my decision to move to SA! Either he is mad or I am! :loopy:

Sasha :)

No we've never visited or got any family out there. I can now at least say we've got some friends out there. ;) :D :P Purely down to this site I may add.

When people ask if we are totally mad my answer is:
Yes, but at least it's not somewhere I've been for a holiday and then decided I wanted to live there, as that holiday feeling would be SOOOOOOO different to actually spending the rest of our lives there.

Like to think we are just being big and brave. :loopy: :bouncing smiles:

Terri.xxx

Hi Terri

We're the same as you.
We don't intend to come over before we hopefully move to Adelaide.
I think these days you can source so much info on the net that it's not quite the same as it was even a few years ago.
I know nothing beats coming out and looking for yourselves but alot can be done these days without going.
You're right about the holiday feeling. Many times we go on holiday and think how great it would be to live there. Then you realise how much money you've got and time you have on your hands.
When you're on your hols you probably have 2 weeks spending money that would probably last you a couple of months at home. Once you realise the money and having to work it's not quite the same.

Also the money spent on a validation/reccy trip could be better spent when we get there for good.

Graham

Hiya Longys
We are using an agency called AMA based in carrington Manchester,we've had no probs so far with them.



Jenny

We too are applying via the SIR route (just starting to) to move to Adelaide.

We are going through Go Matilda who have been excellent in helping us.

Have had many good comments about Go Matilda.

Hi everyone

We are not going to be visiting Adelaide before we go for good so we are another family going blind. well if your gonna do something big, do it BIG i say, people say we're mad but quite frankly i don't give a damn about them :P

Dawn ;)

Does anyone out there know what you're entitlements are under the SIR visa? Been looking on various website's and can't seem to find out. The SIR is a provisional visa (does this mean temporary?) Are you entitled to the same rights & benefits as a permanent visa like the STNI. e.g family tax benefit etc. I thinks this is the one i mean - it sound a bit like our child benefit/tax credits we get here.

What about medicare etc>
can you buy a house?

I'm just a bit concerned with the term 'provisional' instead of the term which i like so much better 'permanent'!

Lorraine <_<

I've just checked out the SA immigration website and read about the SIR visa on there and this is what they say..

"The SIR Visa (subclass 495) is a Provisional (temporary) visa and will be valid for a period of three years. "

so it is considered as temporary

"Temporary visa holders are generally not entitled to Medicare benefits, for more information, read DIMIA Book 6 at: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/books6.htm#how under Part 2 - Categories (Medical Costs in Australia)."

so you may not be entitled to Medicare (checkout the website first though as I haven't!)

"For information about purchasing of property during the provisional stage of visa, visit: www.firb.gov.au"

Maybe worth contacting them by email to confirm if it is OK to buy a house.

"Application for sponsorship of the permanent stage of the visa will need to be made with Immigration SA (see contact details above) again. Full details about the permanent stage application will be available in due course."

"Alternatively, applicants may also be able to qualify for one of the following two visa categories:

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS);
OR

State/Territory Sponsored Business Owner"

So you don't have to go through the STNI route necessarily at the end of it but if you do it did say you didn't have to be in an occupation on their most wanted list so long as you are on the DIMIA occupations list.

I hope Alan comes on line as maybe he could shed some more light on this for you all.

Sasha :)

Just found this on the Medicare webpage. It doesn't say anythign about Temporary Residents but as a person from the UK they have an agreement witht he UK to provide cover, check this out....

http://www.hic.gov.au/yourhealth/services_...malta_italy.htm

otherwise try emailing them and asking them directly as they may not have changed their website inline with new policies.

Sasha :)

I have already looked into this a bit for SIR. Please see FIRBs response below:




In regards to purchasing residential real estate foreign persons are
required to obtain foreign investment approval to purchase any
residential real estate in Australia.

Non-residents or temporary residents are able to purchase new property
from a developer/vendor or vacant land for development. If they purchase
vacant land for development they would need to commence continuous
construction within 12 months of obtaining foreign investment approval.

There are no restrictions on ownership for new dwellings or vacant land
developments, as such, they can rent the property or sell it if desired.
Vacant land can not be sold without development.

If they are the holder of a valid temporary resident visa which has more
than 12 months to run at the time they apply to FIRB, then they are
eligible to purchase second-hand (previously owned) property. The
property must be their principal place of residence they can not rent or
lease the property and they would have to sell the property if they no
longer resided in Australia. Please note that visitors and bridging
visas are not eligible visas to purchase second-hand property.

They would not lodge an application for foreign investment approval
until they have located the property they are interested in purchasing,
application forms R2 and Statutory Notice under S26A, (available from
www.firb.gov.au). If they wish to enter into a contract of sale for a
property it must be conditional on obtaining foreign investment
approval.


Hope this helps,

Jim