In this week’s Visability, we hear that overstaying your visa should be avoided at all costs. And somebody writes in to ask if regional work can be done after the expiry of a first working-holiday visa. Dear John, I have two months left on my working holiday visa but my boss won’t sponsor me. I [...]

Where are you from in Ireland and when did you come to Australia? Under what circumstances? I’m from Cóbh in Co Cork. I came to Australia as a backpacker for 12 months in September 1998. I worked here in a number of jobs as I did a fair bit of travelling in the first year. [...]

Where are you from in Ireland? Athlone, Co Westmeath. When did you come to Australia? Under what circumstances? I arrived in December 2008, just in time for Christmas. I was travelling for six months around South America and New Zealand. The plan was to travel around Australia too but I ran out of money so [...]

Dear John, I lodged my 176 skilled migration visa on March 24, 2011. I have state sponsorship as an electrician for Western Australia and the application is decision-ready. I am hoping my 176 visa processing won’t take too long as I’m in priority group 2. I heard someone got a case officer within four weeks. [...]

Where are you from in Ireland? Glenravel, Co Antrim. When did you come to Australia? Under what circumstances? I arrived in Sydney in November 2009, after a few months travelling around South East Asia. I had been working for a few years since graduating university and decided that I needed to get out there and [...]

I’m a 32-year-old Irish chef on a working holiday visa. I have 15 years’ experience and want to apply for an independent skilled-migration visa. When should I apply and how much does it cost? How long does it take to come through?
Can my aunt in Melbourne sponsor me?

This week, we caught up with Consultant Engineer Karl McCarthy, from Co Kerry. Where are you from in Ireland and when did you come to Australia? Under what circumstances? Lixnaw, Co Kerry. I first came here in 2004 on a working holiday visa and stayed until 2006 after getting sponsored. I left to work in [...]

Dear John, I had residency in Australia in 1998, but left and let the five-year return option expire. I applied for residency again in 2009 as a solid plasterer through state sponsorship with Queensland. As solid plasterers are not on the new Queensland State Migration plan, I’ve been told my application has dropped to priority [...]

Belinda O’Dea :: IT Project Manager Where are you from in Ireland and when did you come to Oz? I’m from Co Sligo and I arrived in September 2007. Under what circumstances? Due to sibling pressure. We had a Permanent Residency (PR) Visa since 2004 and time was ticking on the take-up date. We needed to have lived [...]

Dear John, I am an Irish electrician in Sydney on a one-year working holiday. I want to get permanent residency. I am trying to get my trades cert from FAS, but is there also a way to get my skills recognised in Australia and get my Australian electrical licence? What would be the best and [...]