Do you have an unrestricted right to work in Australia?

[Mungo Man]

Short answer is, I don't know! I'm British and have a British passport. I would have thought there would be a simple answer as to whether or not I can apply for an airline job (for which I am qualified) in Australia but I can't make sense of the Australian immigration visa rules.

Pilots are listed on the Skilled Occupation List Schedule 2, but that seems to be for "applicants who are nominated by a State or Territory government agency under a State Migration Plan.". So can I just apply to an Autralian Airline? What is a state migration plan?

[tail wheel]

Only Australian and New Zealand Citizens have unrestricted right to work in Australia. All other country citizens require an appropriate Visa.

"Applicants who are nominated by a State or Territory government agency under a State Migration Plan." I believe each State has access to a number of "discretionary visas", possibly 500? You won't gain access to those.

An "Aeroplane Pilot" is ANZSCO Code 231111 and is within the code range to apply for a 457 Visa, ENS or RSMS Permanent Residence, but not included on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) – Schedule 1.

There is nothing to stop a potential employer offering you emplyment and applying to sponsor a Visa, however it will be incumbent upon that employer to demonstrate that no suitable Australian or New Zealand applicant is available.

And I imagine that would be relatively or extremely difficult unless you had specialised experience or ratings that are in demand and for which there is a critical under supply of labour or absence of applicants in Australia. If the position you seek is a general aviation or general commercial pilot position, I suspect Visa approval wil be impossible.

Also, if the job is city based - Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne etc - Visa approval will be more difficult to obtain than if the position were rural or regional based.

I think that is the way it works............ Don't take my word for gospel, talk to an Immigration representative at an Australian Embassy or a reputable Migration Agent.

[redsnail]

Applying for an airline position, assuming it's something like Qantas or Virgin Blue, doesn't match the criteria.
State immigration path is usually some remote country town. Rarely used by airline aspiring pilots.

You'll have to apply for the skilled migrant visa and "hope". Did you use the visa tool on the Dept of Immigration site?

Do you have an Australian licence? If not, you can't directly apply. If you do, then you'll have to get the visa sorted. There's a few options as Tailwheel has noted.

Good luck

[The Green Goblin]

Mungo man.

Just remember the advertised minimas in Australia are nowhere representative of what you require for the job.

You won't get a major airline job until you have around 3000 hours with plenty of multi engine command and regional airline command experience.

Those that get in with less are very lucky or know someone.

As for the immigration stuff, your best bet is to check out operators in PNG. You won't get into australia unless you marry an Aussie or are sponsored under the 457 scheme in an occupation like a trade.

[Checkboard]

And if you're married - check your wife's eligibility. It's quite common that a wife as a nurse or whatnot gives you a better chance of entry as her husband.

[Metro man]

Some turbo prop operators have been advertising in Flight International recently, so there must be a shortage of qualified local applicants.

[Andy_RR]

No-one has the unrestricted right to work in Australia. As soon as you want to work, you have to sign up for so much compulsory bollocks and horse**** that it amounts to a material restriction. On top of that, you'll be working as a state slave for a substantial part of your time.

Just thought I'd put a little perspective on the subject...

[chimbu warrior]

Well I am an Aussie citizen, and I do hold an Aussie ATPL, but I am starting to wonder about the unrestricted right to work in my own country.

Barriers/restrictions to this would appear to include -

• willingness to buy an endorsement (I'm unwilling)
• unwillingness to be employed under less than award conditions
• unwillingness to be employed as a "casual", when the only thing "casual" about such arrangements is the employers adherence to the award

There appear to be some who are "unrestricted" by such details and find it easy to get a job.

[tail wheel]

On top of that, you'll be working as a state slave for a substantial part of your time.

I suggest you read up on the TSMIT and market rate salaries from the Immigration web site.

Overseas workers are possibly the highest paid (in salary plus benefits) and most protected in Australia.

[Metro man]

Overseas workers are possibly the highest paid (in salary plus benefits) and most protected in Australia.

Tell that to all the Indians who can't get jobs in their own field and end up driving taxis.

[Andy_RR]

Originally Posted by tail wheel

I suggest you read up on the TSMIT and market rate salaries from the Immigration web site.

Overseas workers are possibly the highest paid (in salary plus benefits) and most protected in Australia.

I think you missed my point...

[Mungo Man]

Thanks for the replies guys, I know I can't apply, but its still clear as mud. Then I saw this advert:

Embraer 135/145/Legacy Captains (Expats Can Apply)-Latest Pilot Jobs-Latest Pilot Jobs

If only I had some command time.... why aren't they recruiting FOs? Are there not many EMB145s operating in Oz?

[tail wheel]

Metro Man.

Tell that to all the Indians who can't get jobs in their own field and end up driving taxis.

As I understand it, they are here on a Visa that enables them to complete an approved tertiary degree, then have eighteen months to gain professional experience in order to qualify for permanent residence. They are not protected by Immigration minimum income regulations, only by Australia industrial legislation.

I believe there are over 30,000 Visa holders in this category, many who can't gain employment in their chosen profession. Many have "degrees of convenience" and are totally unsuited to employment in their profession. Eventually the Minister for Immigration must sort out that embarassing mess.........

Andy, I didn't miss your point that the current Government insists on micro managing every aspect of our lives, just clarifying that in theory at least, overseas workers can not be exploited financially.

[AileronsNeutral]

Pilots are listed on the Skilled Occupation List Schedule 2, but that seems to be for "applicants who are nominated by a State or Territory government agency under a State Migration Plan.". So can I just apply to an Autralian Airline? What is a state migration plan?

In order to get an unresticted right, assuming you arent married to an aussie or have parents who are permanent residents, you will need to find a state that has Airline Pilot on their state migration plan (only one state is currently offering this). You will then need to convert your ICAO CPL/ATPL to the Australian equivalent, then get CASA to issue you a skills assessment based on your previous work history, then apply to the relevant state migration authority for state sponsorship and finally apply to DIAC for your 176/475 visa. If it is granted you can now seek work in Australia as you (and your immediate family) are the holder of a permanent visa. You'll need to work fast because I believe in July this visa process changes to an "expression of interest" scheme which will make the visa grant process much more drawn-out. Probably also worth checking that you will have enough points to qualify for your chosen visa before embarking on this path using the tools at the Department of Immigration & Citizenship website.

Alternatively, if you can find an employer prepared to offer you a position under a 457 visa (employer sponsored) you maybe able to obtain residency in the long term but this is not a guaranteed pathway to permanent residency.