Australia visa, New Zealand visa, skilled migrants, South Africans,
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Both Australia and New Zealand need more skilled engineers to deliver a number of big infrastructure projects, and South African Engineers are in particularly high demand!
If you are a South Africa-based Civil Engineer or a Construction Professional who is considering emigrating to Australia or New Zealand, now is a perfect time.
Demand for South African Engineers in Australia
According to Engineers Australia, overseas-born engineers make up over 58% of the engineering workforce in Australia. To meet demand across Australia, over 41,000 further individuals are estimated to be required to fill engineering occupations including positions in civil, geotechnical and structural engineering. Construction Managers, Civil Engineers, Surveyors, Structural Engineers, and Geotechnical Engineers have been added to Australia’s Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) and as a result, Employer will be given priority visa processing.
Getting your engineering qualifications recognized in Australia
Engineers Australia has mutual recognition agreements (MRA) with engineering bodies around the World. If you’re a member of a reciprocal organisation, the MRA allows you to join Engineers Australia at an equivalent level of membership.
Under the MRA, formal academic qualifications must be recognised by both bodies under the Washington, Sydney or Dublin Accords. If your academic qualification isn’t accepted under one of the accords, you might need to complete a competency assessment.
In South Africa, there is a mutual recognition agreement with The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) If your organisation is listed and your qualification is recognised by Engineers Australia, you can create an account and apply via the EA member portal.” To find out more about the documents you will require as well as fees and the registration process, visit Engineers Australia.
Source: Engineers Australia
Australian Visas for South African Engineers
If you are a qualified engineer, you might be eligible for a variety of visas.
The Skilled Independent Visa 189
The Skilled Independent Visa 189 is one of the most powerful visas available to immigrants to Australia. The visa is a permanent residency visa, meaning you and your family enter Australia as permanent residents and as such are afforded certain benefits, such as healthcare (Medicare) and access to public schooling. Subclass 189 allows you to live anywhere in Australia and work in any occupation, in any capacity you like.
You must:
- have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list
- have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation
- be invited to apply for this visa
- satisfy the points test
Cost: The visa costs AUD 4,765 for the main applicant. There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.
Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (TSS) subclass 482
The 482 TSS visa is a temporary residence visa that allows businesses to sponsor overseas workers to Australia to undertake work for a period of either up to two or four years depending on the type of work they will be performing.
You must:
- meet the relevant English language requirements
- be nominated for a skilled position by an approved sponsor
- have the right skills to do the job
You can bring immediate dependents family members such as your spouse and dependent children, but this will incur extra visa processing costs on top of the primary applicant costs.
You can:
- work up to a maximum of 4 years for your sponsor, depending on the terms in the labour agreement.
- study (you won’t receive government assistance)
- travel to and from Australia as many times as you want, while the visa is valid
Demand for South African Engineers in New Zealand
The construction industry is the fifth largest sector in New Zealand and currently struggling with severe skill shortages following two years of border closures. Hence, New Zealand is looking for employees with a background in engineering and construction to work on infrastructure projects in various locations such as Auckland, Canterbury, Christchurch, and Wellington. Engineering and Construction Professionals with specialised skills or extensive experience are particularly sought after.
Getting your engineering qualifications recognized in New Zealand
If you would like to work in New Zealand as an Engineer, you will need to have your engineering qualifications recognized by the governing professional body Engineering New Zealand .
A credential check is the name of the Engineering New Zealand process that will assess your engineering
qualification/credentials. You may need a credential check for:
• Immigration New Zealand visa applications
• Registration as a Chartered Professional Engineer
• Registration as a Chartered Member of Engineering New Zealand
During the credential check process, your engineering credentials/qualifications will be assessed against the global engineering educational standards: Washington, Sydney, and Dublin Accords. These standards are what you need to meet to work as an engineer in New Zealand, and/or achieve Chartership status.
The WASHINGTON ACCORD is an international agreement between bodies responsible for accrediting engineering degree programmes. There are currently 15 signatories to the Washington Accord and South Africa is represented by Engineering Council South Africa (ECSA) (1999)
The SYDNEY ACCORD is an international agreement between bodies responsible for accrediting engineering technology academic programmes and was signed in June 2001, by seven founding signatories representing; Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom and South Africa. South Africa is represented by Engineering Council South Africa (ECSA) (2001)
The DUBLIN ACCORD is an international agreement establishing the required educational base for engineering technicians. Currently, there are nine signatories that make up the Dublin Accord and South Africa is represented by Engineering Council South Africa (ECSA) (2002)
Qualifications accredited or recognized by signatories are recognised by each signatory as being substantially equivalent to accredited or recognised qualifications within its own jurisdiction.
New Zealand Visas for South African Engineers
South African engineers and construction professionals have several visa options to live and work in New Zealand. The choice of visa depends on factors such as the applicant’s qualifications, work experience, and job offer status. Here’s a detailed overview of the relevant visa options:
1. Skilled Migrant Category Resident Visa
Eligibility:
- Skills and Experience: Must have skills and experience listed in the Long Term Skill Shortage List (LTSSL) or another relevant occupation list.
- Points System: Must meet the points threshold for factors like age, work experience, qualifications, and a job offer.
- English Language: Must meet minimum English language requirements.
- Health and Character: Must meet health and character requirements.
Process:
- Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI): Candidates must score at least 160 points.
- Invitation to Apply: Selected EOIs receive an invitation to apply for residency.
- Submit Application: Provide detailed documentation and evidence.
- Decision: Immigration New Zealand assesses and decides on the application.
2. Essential Skills Work Visa
Eligibility:
- Job Offer: Must have a full-time job offer from a New Zealand employer.
- Skills Shortage: The job must be listed in one of New Zealand’s skill shortage lists, or the employer must demonstrate they couldn’t find a suitable New Zealander for the role.
- Qualifications and Experience: Must have the qualifications and experience necessary to perform the job.
- Health and Character: Must meet health and character requirements.
Process:
- Job Offer: Obtain a job offer from a New Zealand employer.
- Application Submission: Submit an application with supporting documents including job offer, qualifications, and work experience.
- Decision: Immigration New Zealand reviews and decides on the application.
3. Accredited Employer Work Visa
Eligibility:
- Job Offer: Must have a job offer from an accredited New Zealand employer.
- Skills and Experience: Must have the qualifications and experience required for the job.
- English Language: Must meet the minimum English language requirements.
- Health and Character: Must meet health and character requirements.
Process:
- Job Offer from Accredited Employer: Obtain a job offer from a New Zealand employer accredited by Immigration New Zealand.
- Application Submission: Apply for the visa with relevant documents.
- Decision: Immigration New Zealand assesses and grants the visa if criteria are met.
4. Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
Eligibility:
- Occupation: The applicant’s occupation must be listed on the Long Term Skill Shortage List.
- Qualifications and Experience: Must meet the qualifications and experience requirements specified for the occupation.
- Job Offer: Must have a job offer in New Zealand that meets the skill shortage criteria.
- English Language: Must meet minimum English language requirements.
- Health and Character: Must meet health and character requirements.
Process:
- Job Offer in Shortage Area: Obtain a job offer in an occupation listed on the LTSSL.
- Application Submission: Submit an application with proof of job offer, qualifications, and experience.
- Decision: Immigration New Zealand reviews and approves if all criteria are met
Success stories of South African Engineers moving Down Under
ConsultANZ is highly experienced in placing South African Civil Engineers and Construction Professionals on a variety of infrastructure projects in Australia and New Zealand. Here are some stories of Candidates we have successfully placed:
Q&A with Tertius Vermooten, Project Engineer at Acciona
ConsultANZ had the pleasure of placing a South African civil engineer Tertius Vermooten at NorthConnex, a major infrastructure project in Sydney, New South Wales.
Petrus Rautenbach arrived in Sydney shortly after his interview with Peter Laver to work on Australia’s $3 billion NorthConnex road tunnel.
Q&A with Loubser Steyn, Engineering Surveyor at WestConnex
Interview with Loubser Steyn, who came over to Australia on a 476 Graduate Visa and whom we placed with Surex Surveyors.
If you would like to discuss your employment options, get in touch with us on LinkedIn or email your CV in Word format to [email protected]
IMPORTANT NOTICE: ConsultANZ recommends you obtain your own independent immigration advice. It is solely your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of all information provided through this blog/website. In no event will ConsultANZ Ltd be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken by you or anyone else in reliance upon any information contained on or omitted from this blog/website.
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