To any Aussie technicians or Uk Expats that have immagrated to Oz or worked there

[Ali665]

Hi Guys

I'm looking for some advice from Aussie Refrigeration or Air Conditioning Technicians or anybody that has immagrated over there to work in the industry or has worked in the industry over there on working holiday visa's etc.

I'm planning on heading over to Oz later this year on a working holiday visa and would like to find work in commercial fridge and air con while i'm there to help subsidise my travels. It is also possible that I may stay there and apply for an immagration visa if I find I like a certain place or find work with a good company.

My question is wether to start the immagration ball rolling while i'm in the UK and apply to the likes of Vetassess or VU for an offshore skills assessment? The only problem is if I go through the process now and then decide I dont want to stay, I'd have wasted alot of time and money.

My understanding is that if I go through the process for the offshore skills assessment I will recieve a letter that I can use to apply for a provisional licence through the Aus Refrigeration Council. This licence means I can work under supervision while I complete the process of my visa application and trade recognition through Aus immagration and TRA.

How hard would it be for me to find Refigeration work without doing all this just using my working holiday visa?

I've been working in the industry for 4 years now since leaving the army. On top of that I studied full time at college for a year doing a city and guilds 6127 in commercial refrigeration and air conditioning. Have done my 17th edition and 2079 F-gas.

Any help would be much appretiated, thanks

[cold.man]

If you are going to OZ go on a skilled independant visa.
you need to prove your quals etc plus much more you will understand when going through the process with your TRA very long winded.
You need your TRA to do your tests for your licenses ARC refrigerant handling License and your restricted electrical license no firm will touch you without these licenses if you want a decent job anyway.
Once you have your TRA then you can apply for your visa i went on a 136 visa skilled independant visa. With this visa you get your permenant residency the only thing you cannot do is vote.
Once you have been a PR you can apply for citizenship after 3 years but you have to have been in full employment for 3 years.
You can look for ways to get in the back door but you may end up loosing alot of money.
When i went i did my licenses in OZ but you can do them somwhere in London now.
The Visa may have changed aswell i went in 2006 and came back in 2011 so dont quote me on the above thats the way it was then. You may need some input from somone who has done it recently mate.

[Magoo]

Best advise would be contact the Australian Embassy in London. And get the latest requirements first hand.

[Tesla]

Hi Ali
I went through the process last year of getting the Arctick license last year. Immigrated 12 years ago and only recently got back into the mechanical side - previously doing BMS work. It is a lengthy process which took 8 months, cost $2200. I had to redo the study especially all the refrigerant modules & be assessed by the head tutor. It's not easy. As I came from NZ I got an automatic visa.

[assailant]

we have recently imported a fridgie from london in february this year.

he did his vetassess and whatever and then had to go to a registered training organisation when he got to australia to get his skills recognised here.
unfortunately his skill level was only assessed at an australian certificate 2 level, which only got him a split systems installer licence with arctick.

he obviously had all the quals back home to do everything, but it wasnt recognised here and because he couldnt answer questions on super chillers at the college in adelaide they said he didnt have a full certificate 3 level of skill so could not get a full refrigeration mechanic's licence or a restricted electrical licence.

so he is pretty much the most expensive split installer we have ever hired. nice guy and a decent enough fridgie, but barely employable because technically he is not allowed to do any repairs or install any aircons greater than 17kw single head.

[Tesla]

assailant is right
I had level 4 NZ quals and had to redu study to get level 3 in ausie.