hi, my boyfriend is hoping to get a visa for australia but not sure how to go about this and if he has any chance of getting one. he is 33 and holds a machine driver licence. i dont think that is on the skilled list so what options has he. any advice is much apprenciate.

Welcome to the forum ruanecon and by "machine driver" I assume you mean some kind of earthmoving equipment machine as used in construction and/or mining and like type activities.

Yes you're probably right that it is not on the SOL on immi site as that is mainly for trades and other skilled training occupations where a number of years has been involved in getting qualifications.

You could look at the employer sponsored 457 visa route, link at bottom here: Professionals and other Skilled Migrants - Workers - Visas & Immigration and you will find within the eligibity section of that visa a listing of employment categories covered to see if his skill area is there.

The only difficulty that does arrive however is that whereas in Australia earthmoving equipment operators need to be ticketed (licensed) and that has been a state by state affair (may be being changed) and your Bf may have similar licensing wherever he is, I doubt that overseas ticketing is too readily accepted, though there may be some form of recognition provision in say an overseas person needing less hours to get an Australian licence if they have verifiable overseas ticketing/hours.

Not an area I have detailed knowledge of and there'll be no harm in you talking to people in the relevant employment sector - a guy I know of having recently used Job Search DT Workforce – Search Jobs In Mining, Oil &amp Gas, Construction, Manufacturing, Industrial And Retail. to move from a trade vocation into the mining industry.

I would reckon they will be able to advise on:
. getting an employer sponsor, and
. and recognition of overseas machinery experience/licensing.

The other option depending on his/your travel plans would be for him to use a tourist visa to come and make his own enquiries - not about immediately getting employed but what the situation is re getting licensed in Australia.

Immigration are pretty hot on people coming in on tourist visas with an intention of working and so if he was going to come and check out the scene, tell him to post any employment type stuff to you rather than have stuff in his baggage, and also do not bring work type gear like overalls and work boots for they are cheap enough here anyway.

A tourist visa does allow people to do up to three months of study and I cannot see why that would not include doing whatever it took to get Australian ticketing if he found a 457 sponsor as soon as he was here; maybe even finding one that was prepared to help him get his ticket(s) and a 457 visa could be applied for while he is in Australia; the only blockers being that:

1. his skill area is covered by the 457 (I expect it will) and

2. sometimes a "no further stay condition" is put on visas issued, and if that was the case he could not immediately apply for a 457.
Way around that would be taking a flight over to NZ or Asia (holidaying cheaper there) and submit the 457 while out of Australia.

A 457 is only a temporary residency visa for up to four years but after two years with his sponsoring employer he would be eligible to apply for a pernament residency visa via Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS), the downside being that if while on a 457/ENS he ceases employment for any reason with his employer sponsor, he'll have 28 days to find another employer willing to sponsor or be expected to be leaving.

And the other option is to look at marriage or partnership visas, there being a 12 month relationship/living together requirement - if that occurred as a result of a 457, no reason why the appropriate visa could not be applied for to get PR earlier, superseding the 457.

Thank you very much for help

That's OK and I see from your other post re doing a MUA course that I may have misled you in my last paragraph in assuming you would qualify as other half for the Bf to get a partner visa.
If your do not have permanent residency rights yourself, forget that avenue.

Hi

Not sure if this will help but you can obtain a skills waiver from a Regional Certifying body(if you want to work in regional area i.e. mining town?) for the postion of Mobile Plant operator, ASCO code 7119-11.

I am currently applying for 457 visa and I am unskilled but we have got approval from the WA minister for the waiver. All you have to prove is that you are experienced(cv) and have someone willing to sponsor and follow the conditions. It is a very long winded process but hey, if the end result is positive, then everyone is happy!

I do believe, however, that this scheme may not last that long. It amazes me that they are after highly technical positions, which is fair enough, but how do they expect to fill the jobs in retail, farming, hospitality, etc with such a shortage of workers?

Anyhow, I'm applying for the visa which will give me upto 4 years on a beautiful farm in South WA. And the money isn't too bad either!

Good luck.