Hi we arrived 3 weeks ago, on a sir visa, with my husband having proved his trade, (been an electrician for 20yr) to all the necessary boffins, only to discover that once you arrive you have to do the whole thing again!!! <_<
So make sure you carry all qualification, business papers, letters from bosses, customers, accountants, trade bodies, so you can get it all sworn again here and then sent off to sydney (again). :rolleyes:
We understand why you have to do it before you arrive, :chuckle: even accept you have to do a further course when you arrive to be able to be recognised as an a class electrician - but proving it all again....... :loopy:

Just be warned everyone, and carry your paperwork with you - not on the container!

alison

Its the same with alot of Skilled visas unfortunately.

when you re-apply you don't have to pay the fee because you have already paid for your TRA it's in the small print somewhere on the form. Mine took about a month. And after you have done the wiring regs at TAFE they want just over $300.00 for your full sparks ticket. Something else I have found is all them well paid jobs we read about for sparks back in the UK are up in the mines where you do 4 weeks on 2 off.
This is not a moan I love living here it's a great life but you will never earn the equilavent of what you could get in London.

Sorry to hear your tale Alison :(

If you go over to our FAQ Work section you will find that our wonderful members have already written up exactly what you have to do once you get here - that's if you haven't already found that out by now of course :doh:

Its NOT all trades but only SOME of them, sorry don't know the full list but I think painters & decoraters are fine

Cheers
Angela

sorry angela - i heard painters and decorators have to go through the same thing - it has taken the people who rented the house we are in 6 months to get recognised and do the extra bit to set up on their own!!

alison (still smiling though!) :)

My hubby used a place called PEER training, the course was done over 3 and a half weeks (7 days altogether, from 8am to 4pm Tues/Wed). It was really easy and the guys there even helped some of them with their ARTC applications.

If you work it right you can have a licence within 2 months max. All you'd need to do is apply to be on the next course (they do one every month, so even if oyu miss the start it's not long for the next one), and apply for your ARTC at the same time. Your ARTC will be back at about the same time you finish your exam ;)

All you need to send to the TRA is everything you sent when you applied for the pre-migration assessment plus we sent an up to date reference as well. TBH we found it relatively painless.

Hope this is helpful to any sparkies on their way out here.

Does that include receiving the actual certificate Wendy? We had a guy on here once who had to wait nearly the whole 12 weeks they state (after completing and passing the courses) for his cert to arrive <_< Just another unknown to try and factor in...

Yep, I reckon it can be done, and so does the guy at PEER.

The TRA guarantee that an application will be assessed within 20 days (that's working days) so the longest it should take is 6 weeks including delivery both to them and then back to you again. If it takes any longer then e-mail them, you'll find that the cert arrives two days later. ;)

My hubby didn't rush into doing his course (lazy bugger) and we had his licence within 14 weeks.

I think it helps if you have a clear plan of what your needing to do, and try to stick to the deadlines or else you end up thinking it's a holiday (well if you're anything like my OH anyway :D )

If you have an address before you arrive then do what I did have the on arrival form sent to your address in the U.K. this can be done. Apply for your on arrival TRA from the U.K. send it DHL or similar. Giving your Australian address, my assessment was there at the new address in Australia a week after arriving. I also timed and paid for the course with Peer Tec from the U.K. just transferred the money straight to their account via OZ Forex six months in advance so guaranteed my place. I arrived on the Friday done the course the following Wednesday, taking only two weeks. The wife went and applied for my licence at the OCBA will I worked ( got a job also within a week as a trade assistant).

I then had my photo taken at a Rego place and produced my ID there, the very next day done this at Elizabeth but any will do.

Got my licence in 21 days.

The whole process apart from sending from the U.K. (which was done four weeks in advance, as the appraisels are only done around the 14th each month so if you miss this deadline you have to roll over for the next month, the TRA told me this). Was just over one month.

Good advice is copy all your initial TRA stuff and keep it like gold. Do not like I knew some people did stick it in the container or not have it at all as it will all need doing again with any employer letters etc.

Neil

Hi Alison
[QUOTE]sorry angela - i heard painters and decorators have to go through the same thing - it has taken the people who rented the house we are in 6 months to get recognised and do the extra bit to set up on their own!!

Thanks for that. Our agency advised us it would not be necessary :sign68: . Better dig out all that paperwork & keep it safe :)
EDIT: emailed the agency to send through the final documents as we only supplied everything we don't actually know what was actually sent to obtain the positive result :dance:

At least I know now, better tell the OH :doh: good thing is he does not want to start up on his own, just work for an employer - big change from the UK as hes been his own boss for 5 years :sign60: .

I have emailed the OCBA to check about licensing for this trade - is this required also?

Angela