Moving Dowm Under?

[shiver]

Hello all,

I was wondering if someone could give me some information on the avitiaon scene in Australia.
I have completed my training almost 18 months ago now and am struggling to find a job in Europe. I have tought about moving to Australia but would like to know what are the job opportunities for low hour pilots, I have approx 250hrs TT and also what is the conversion process?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Shiver

[Jerry Lee]

First of all, do you have the right to live and work in Australia?
If you don't I would suggest you to get a WHV (Working Holiday Visa) and look in the whole Australia territory to find a job. You will have to knock personally at the companies' door, so you will have a lot to travel!
If in just a year you won't have found out anything you can request a second WHV only if you worked at least 3 months in a farm.

An italian pilot did it in this way: he got a job and after 5-6 month asked to be sponsored by the employer. Answers? Positive!:)

I'm one of them who love Australia, and I'm looking to do flight training and start my career as a flight instructor or bush/GA pilot in Down Under.

If I will never obtain a PR status I will come back here in Europe with my licences to be converted; I'm sure it'll be a great experience.

[tail wheel]

If Australia was Pilot Paradise and it were that easy everyone would be doing it.

There are also many 250 hour pilots unemployed, under employed and under paid in Australia, however flying jobs are available for very determined applicants.

Read: Conversion of overseas license (http://casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_90024).

Read: Working Holiday Visa (http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/).

Conversion of a Working Holiday Visa to an Australian Permanent Residence Visa is certainly not guaranteed, particularly for pilots and may even be impossible. Your chances would be enhanced if you also held other vocational skills on the Skills in Demand List or had some entitlement to Australian residence.

You need to research your options very carefully, other wise it could be an expensive, futile experience and all end in tears.

[Jerry Lee]

Hi tail whell, may you please explain this part more clearly?

Conversion of a Working Holiday Visa to an Australian Permanent Residence Visa is certainly not guaranteed, particularly for pilots and may even be impossible. Your chances would be enhanced if you also held other vocational skills on the Skills in Demand List or had some entitlement to Australian residence.

I knew that normally to be sponsored by an employer an overseas doesn't need to do more thing than just go to an immigrand agent (who is optional as far as I know) to assist him with all the burocratic stuff, and the employer has to guarantee a minimum amount salary.

[Jerry Lee]

Would an Advanced Diploma enhance chances? I'm asking it because I will get it.
Furthermore, I have just seen the SOL list and Accountant is included in it. I'm attending a technical High School (Istituto Tecnico in Italian) where students study management, finance, and accountancy in general.

[Fratemate]

Shiver & Jerry Lee,

When pilot was on the list, which it isn't any more, you needed an Austalian ATPL to qualify for the 60 points and THEN the visa application could be made. 250 hour CPLs did not qualify under the Skilled Migrant Visa (only ATPL) and, as it stands, no pilot qualifies as Australia doesn't need any (according to the people that write the requirements).

If you were going to apply as an Accountant, then you need a recognised accountancy degree and certain experience in the field, not units attended in high school. There isn't an 'enhance chances' when it comes to the actual job you are using to apply for the visa. You have to qualify in that field, have your skill assessed by the relevant authority in Australia (CASA for pilot) and then the process can begin in earnest. Once your skill is assessed you get the 60 points (or as applicable); you THEN gain more points for age, English language abilities etc. Additional qualifications in a skill not being used in the application process are a waste of space in the context being discussed.

The Australian Government has put a hold on a LOT of the skilled migrant visas and, also, a lot of the countries which can apply. For instance, UK police were migrating to Oz by the bucket load a few years ago but that route doesn't exist at the moment as Oz has a (temporary?) migration ban on police and a large number of UK applicants.

It is possible to obtain a working visa, convert your European licence to an Australian one and then search for work like all the 250 hour Australians. You then have to renew your work visa, which is by no means guaranteed. Equally, it is possible that a company could sponsor you once you'd flown with them for some time and they reckoned you were worth it. However, that company has to prove that no Australian is available to do the job and that's why they they need to sponsor a foreign worker. It was done in the fairly recent past, when a bunch of South Africans were sponsored on (457?) visas but the hole was filled and that is not currently being permitted by Oz. In my opinion, a company would be extremely unlikely to be allowed to sponsor you at the moment, given the number of Australians who are as qualified, or more qualified than yourself.

[Jerry Lee]

Quite harder to do it, more than I had thought.
Thanks for your answer!

PS.
Flight Instructor, Airlines Pilot, ATC and Helicopter Pilot are listed in the SOL if I'm not wrong. Anyway, as you told, experience is required.

[Super Ord]

I've checked the SOL, don't see any aviation skill set other than licenced aircraft engineers, do you have a reference?

The latest version of the SOL I've seen is 1 July 2010

[Fratemate]

You're correct Super Ord.

Jerry Lee,

Flight Instructor, Airlines Pilot, ATC and Helicopter Pilot are listed in the SOL if I'm not wrong

Sorry mate but not any more they're not. Here's a link to the latest SOL:

Latest SOL (http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/_pdf/sol-schedule3.pdf)

Have you considered strapping a manky fishing boat to your arse and making landfall illegally in the North of WA? Seems to work for a bunch of people and that way you'd get everything paid for you as well :*

[tail wheel]

Jerry

A Working Holiday Visa is just that - a Visa which enables you to work in Australia for twelve months, subject to a number of requirements including your age. I think you can not work for any one employer for a period exceeding six months?

The expectation is at the end of the Visa you will leave Australia, having experienced and hopefully enjoyed your visit to our country.

A Working Holiday Visa is not a short cut to Permanent Residence and even if you held qualifications high on the Skills in Demand list, you would still need to go through the normal process of applying off shore for an appropriate Visa to permanently live and work here.

Considering the license conversion issues, obtaining an ASIC, finding employment etc, I think you are wasting your time dreaming of commercial pilot employment in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa.

[Jerry Lee]

Yes, I know what you mean.
Considering the license conversion issues, obtaining an ASIC, finding employment etc, I think you are wasting your time dreaming of commercial pilot employment in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa.
Maybe I wasn't clear enough, but I will go all my flight training in a well known flight school in Moorabbin. There are many italians, and some instructors are italian.

I'm in contact with a student of this school who now works here in Italy. He's giving me a lot of informations abou the school and... australian girls:}
Seriously, I understand what you mean, I understand how hard it is, and I always think what to do the next year.
Thank you for your information.

[Eddie_Crane]

[non-aviation]
FWIW
I know 3 people who successfully emigrated to OZ (none involved in aviation however). All have degrees and extensive experience in their professional field (2 of the above are teachers, a profession that seems in high demand dunnunda...), i.e. they emigrated there with solid skills & experience.
[/non-aviation]