[quote author=maternal post=51407473]Bandeco cool down. I apologized to the man already. Again both places are amazing to live in and I'd live in either one. No need to get personal, but I'll address your rant small. I simply can't address everything.

1. I'm sure OP plans to get citizenship eventually, hence opening him to both markets. Bureaucracy ? You get a job offer, flash your Canadian passport at the border with proof of the job offer, and you're on your way. I've done it before. I have many Canadian friends who are now living/working in the states. Some even got citizenship. Famous Canadians (Drake,Bieber, C.Dion,etc) go to work in the states all the time. You're a Canadian citizen with no criminal record, you get a job offer, that US work visa is yours period. Our military, financial institution,etc work with each other across the boarders all the time. Plus several states economy alone is twice the size of Australia's/New Zealand economies combined. Like a California for example. I'd rather just wait to get Canadian citizenship and test my luck in Canada or the US. And Canadians and Americans can visit each others country visa free for up to 6 months.

@op & maternal
Point 1 above is a moot point - Australian citizens also have access to the US market.....
https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/e-3-certain-specialty-occupation-professionals-australia

Something to bear in mind also when making your final decision between the two countries; only some certain occupations qualify for the E3 (Australia) or TN (Canada/Mexico) US work visas.

gogochocolate:
My dear friends the last few months have been critical for me with regards to this migration move. I and members of my family were granted 189 visa December last year by Australia DIBP and we were planning to move Australia later this year. Before that i had applied for Canada FSWP program and it was taking forever to process. I have hinged my prediction on the fact that it takes about three to four years to process based on the normal bottlenecks experienced with CIC Canada. However not long after i was granted the 189 Australia Visa, last two months precisely ,Canadian Immigration contacted me for medicals and shortly after i was asked for my passport and issued an immigrant visa. I am apprehensive now cause they are both coming at this time and the last date of entry for both differs by about some few month.
Please i need someone who is versed with the job opportunities in both countries to advise me. I have tried to calculate the cost of going to both countries to at least activate the Permanent residence status but the tickets fees are astronomical. I love Australia but what is drawing me to Canada is more of friends and Family network. In Australia, I don't have anyone to put me through but i understand Australia recognizes Nigerian Credentials and it would be easy for me to get a job as as a professional engineer.
My second issue is that while Engineers Australia has assessed me for migration i have not had any dealing with any engineering society in Canada inorder words i am not recognized as an engineer.
Please kindly advise.

@gogochocolate, bros na you put yourself in this position o .....I can only imagine all the thoughts running through your mind at this time

A lot of folks have shared their opinions and views about Australia but you also need first hand information about Canada to balance it out. Possibly speak with people you know who are already in Canada and also post the same question on the Canadian FSWP thread here on Nairaland or on other relevant forums.

I almost ended up in your shoes, infact I had completed my WES evaluation but I gave up when I couldn't source accurate information on the Canadian job market.

The pull for me then to Canada is the 'perceived' access to the US market - that being said, I don't know for certain if Canadian citizens and Permanent residents are allowed to work in the US without a work permit as I didn't research it fully.

The Australia/Canada debate has been going on for a while and even a simple google search will return several conflicting articles so ultimately you will have to decide yourself - obviously, there are a lot of pros and cons to consider.

I sincerely wish you all the best as you make this life changing decision but please don't spend money unnecessarily trying to keep the two PR visas valid. You need to be objective and practical, if you must, then you should activate the Australian visa first which will keep it open for 5 years.

Cheers !

scrollmeout:


Hello Spiggy, pls how long did it take to get your MSA from EA. I just submitted my application for EA yesterday and im trying to beat a deadline in June. I read about their 13 week turnaround but I'm hoping it'll be shorter.

Hi there, mine took about 12 weeks when I did it back in 2013. Usually, EA sticks to their advertised turn around time so just hope for the best and use this period to gather up all the other documents you will need to lodge the application with DIBP.

The immigration process requires lots and lots of patience.....goodluck !

kokobi99:
If Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New zealand, Germany, Norway, France, Sweden and the rest of the western countries can consider Nigeria Bachelor as equivalent, what is wrong with Australia. I think the Ngeria community in Australia is not doing much in regards to this or are they not aware of the matter or is it Goodluck Jonathan will go to do it, this is just an embarrassment by the Australia Authority.

@Kokobi99

Nigerian degrees are recognised, mine was assessed by Engineers Australia as equivalent to the Australian Bachelors degree (Professional Engineer - Skill level 1) , several others on this thread have had similar outcomes from their assessing authorities.

enilim:



Thank you so much, I appreciate your response.
I do noy have any work experience in Ict. I also can't afford pre asssesment advice.

I wonder if you can get your degree assessed by ACS since you have a first degree in Computer Science, if it is assessed positively as Skill level 1, then that should give you 15 points.

If age is on your side plus a good score in IELTS, you should be able to hit the 60 points required for the 189.

@bossladyMo

Congratulations to you and your family !!!! .....This is just the beginning of better things to come.

All the best with the big move ahead

prechear:
Really glad today. PR Finally Granted. The wait was crazy.. Tnx guys for sharing those tips, we should keep it up. Goodluck and Godspeed to all OZ hopefuls. #Patience. #TeamAustralia. #Melbourne.

Congrats !!!!!!

The waiting finally paid off - wish you all the best for the future

dotcomnamename:



(1) 3sixty5 Restaurant Dublin is a Nigerian Restaurant at 15/16 Samson Lane, off Moore street
Dublin, Ireland. I use to eat Amal, Gbegiri and Ewedu there ... Very easy to locate from the O'connel street.. You can check what they have here on their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/3sixty5-Restaurant-Dublin/105214792903891


(2) Decency African Cuisine is a Nigerian Restaurant at 40 Mountjoy St, Phibsborough, Dublin 7, you can find your way through the O'connel street walking down via Rotunda Hospital..

Thanks a lot, you are a life saver .....I loaded up pounded yam with goat meat this afternoon at 3sixty5

@dotcomnamename

I'm new in Dublin, please recommend a good Nigerian restaurant in Dublin - preferably close to St. Stephen's green.

Thanks

.

bossladyMo:
Hello house! Praise the Lord with me!!!

God has blessed us with a beautiful baby girl!!! I put to bed a litte while ago!!!

Congratulations !!!! .......warm wishes to the new born baby and the lucky parents too

manmeta:


Congrats. Let me know if you eventually settle for Sydney. All the best.

Thanks Manmeta - I'll let you know my decision

gogochocolate:




spiggy congratulations. I am so happy for you. What area of engineering are you specialising in and what kind of routine checks were conducted on you.i am in the same shoe as you were sometime ago , I have applied for visa but yet to get a case officer assigned to me.kindly update m

Thanks Gogochocolate.....I'm an electrical engineer with a bias for telecoms and I don't know what the routine checks entailed - DIBP never really specifies except in the odd event you get to speak to a nice CO over phone who is willing to share the information.

bossladyMo:
A chic from singapore, same occupation as me, got her 189 in 18 days (offshore applicant).

A couple of other indians also got in 6wks, 8wks...

I'm sure there is a way they streamline applications for security checks....cos sending each application to ASIO is not feasible.

There are a lot of hidden things going on in DIBP - Indians in particular have found some favour with DIBP. Don't know if it has to do with Government diplomatic ties etc

I simply don't have any idea what triggers the ASIO checks but I noticed if Team 13 asks for some information or clarifications on Form 80 then ASIO may be involved subsequently but then it doesn't apply in all cases.

Ultimately, the decisions lie within DIBP and they have decided not to make the checks transparent to applicants.

bannana:
Congrats Spiggy. I don't think every medical assessment from Nigeria automatically gets referred,it all depends on specific individual cases. I also think that the issue of external (security) checks is a random thing. It can happen to anyone that's where some elements of luck comes in. Over and above all if one has nothing to hide then one should be at peace with whatever application that one has made. For 480,190 and 189 applicants, patience remains the ultimate virtue.

@banana

Luck has no role to play - everyone applying for a permanent resident visa goes through security checks - it can be called various names by DIBP - I've heard of it being referred to as routine/internal/external checks etc. This issue has also been discussed extensively on this forum by Jenny and other members.


The DIBP case officer told me on phone that medicals from some certain countries get referred automatically. There's a reference somewhere in one of those booklets so understand that I'm not making assumptions.

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/health-requirements/assessment-health-exam-results.htm

If your health examination report shows no significant health conditions, your visa processing officer may be able to clear your health results without referring them to a MOC. This will depend on where you completed your health examinations.

When is a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth opinion required
Where a significant health condition has been identified, or you completed your health examinations in certain countries, your health examination reports will be referred to a Medical Officer of the Commonwealth (MOC) for assessment

manucho:
House please what does "routine checks" mean

Routine checks are a combination of security, background and character checks.

There is no specific time line for these checks, they can take anywhere from 1 month to several months to complete.

surveyor1:

Congrat dude. Which state are you heading to

Thanks Surveyor1

I like Melbourne but it could end up being Sydney depending on job availability

bossladyMo:


Yea...489 and 190 are on priority 3, while 189 is on priority 4...so like you said, your case might have not been forwarded to security checks on time. But ot's worth it though, cos 189 is the king of all visas lol.

You won't believe there are more fraudulent applications from India and those Asian countries, compared to Naija...don't know why Nigeria is the one they focus on.

So far, I don't have a CO...so maybe that's a good sign...cos ive seen 2 Pakistanis who applied in Aug and have gotten a CO already...majorly cos they have to be forwarded for security checks.

Did you claim work experience points? That one also lengthens the overall application process. Also, were you under Adelaide?

Unfortunately, the Naija reputation precedes us even though some of us are not as bad as Asians - but we should keep in mind the bad eggs amongst our people

I already had 60 points from the combination of my age (25pts), IELTS score (20pts) and degree (15pts) but then I claimed points for only 5 years experience (even though I had eight) so I lodged the application with 70points.

I suspect you may already have a CO because they won't contact you unless required. My direct CO never sent me an email or even respond to my email throughout the process - other COs within the team did and I found that a bit weird. That was even before the original teams were merged in DIBP and yes - I was under the Adelaide group.

prechear:


Congrats spiggy. Mehn, looking at ur timeline, urs took like 10months for grant. Its just for someone to be patient. Congrats once again.

Truck loads of patience

Good luck with your app Prechear !

@bossladyMo

You can say that again....it was a really long wait....thank God it's over.

Generally, I have noticed the Subclass 190 guys do not go through lengthy security checks but they take their sweet time with subclass 189 - which I applied for by the way.

I believe the 489 subclass should be similar to the 190 so fear not.

Then the naija factor again is a cause for concern, I suspect they check our applications thoroughly for fraudulent claims etc - also all our medicals get referred by default.

Thanks Bossladymo ----- my time line is below:

IELTS - 8,8,8,8.5 - August 2013
Engineers Australia positive assessment - November 2013
Medicals/PCC - November 2013
Visa Lodged - December 2013
CO Assigned - Jan 2014
Health Undertaking for wife - March 2014
Routine checks - very very very long.....I sent mails every month but was always told to wait
Medical request for wife again - August 2014
Grant - today


The most difficult part of this process is the waiting - it can lead to high BP but my advise is to channel your focus/energy in to other activities.

I thought we were home and dry when my wife's undertaking was submitted but it seemed that was when the routine checks were initiated.

Anyway, I have more than a million things to say about the process from my non-stop checking of expatforum/australiaforum/pomsinoz/nairaland/migration alliance/immiaccount to get updates to calling/sending emails to DIBP ...but I'll stop now.

Best of luck and Godspeed to others in the process - I pray your routine checks are short and sharp !

Finally....God has done it !!!!

We have been granted our PR

bossladyMo: Congrats Iriferi!

I just got my QLD sponsorship also...yay!

Congrats...and Godspeed for the next stage !

@prechear

DIBP requires all migrating and non-migrating dependants to undergo and PASS the health check...as long as their names appear on the application then they must undergo the health check.......UBKtech has even been magnanimous enough to copy out the mail he received from his CO.....personally, I see the requirement as a landmine because if one person out of the lot fails - migrating or not, then the entire application is thrown out.



See the information below from the horse's mouth (DIBP website):


If you are applying for a permanent or provisional visa you will generally need to complete:

•a medical examination
•a chest x-ray and (if aged 11 years or older or considered appropriate on clinical grounds)
•an HIV test (if aged 15 years or older or considered appropriate on clinical grounds).
You may also be required to complete additional tests if you:

•are aged 15 over and are intending to work as (or study to be) a doctor, dentist, nurse or paramedic in Australia (hepatitis B and C testing will also be required)
•are pregnant (hepatitis B testing will also be required)
•are aged 15 or over and applying for a protection or a humanitarian visa (hepatitis B and C, and syphilis testing is required)
•are an unaccompanied humanitarian minor, a child for adoption or a child in the care of an Australian state or territory government welfare authority (HIV and hepatitis B testing is required)
•have a specific health condition that is identified during your initial health examinations or as part of the visa application process.
Important: The above health examinations will also need to be completed by any non-migrating dependents, that is any members of your family unit who do not intend to migrate and are not included in your visa application, in case they decide to migrate in the future.


http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/health-requirements/health-exam.htm

@surveyor1 - Thanks for responding....

The security check is part of the 189 skilled migrant application process and it is done in addition to health and character checks. The length of time it takes varies from country to country so I just wanted to find out and how long it takes from others who have gone through the process and use that as a rough estimate. The police certificate seems to be used as one part of the character/security check - but I have submitted that already anyway.

I lodged the application about 7 months back and my case officer informed me he is waiting for the conclusion of the security checks hence my original questions.

Is there anyone going through the 189 process currently and does anyone know how long it will take to go through the security check for Nigerians ?

Patience Jonathan needs a new wardrobe manager. Someone should get her something more befitting and smart. She should take a look at Michelle Obama. Less is more!!!!!!

Those kids are his elder brother's children(Kunle Afolayan) and not Aremu's please get your facts right.

I hardly post on this forum but my observation over time has been that a lot of 'people' run around with half-baked ideas but when an individual takes the pain to explain the underlying technology and engineering principles, then the individual is labelled as cryptic and abstract.

It should be clear.....or may be I should state it again that there are a lot of people like me who thoroughly enjoy Trac's engineering bias.

@Trac
Please don't relent in your effort...it is acknowledged and very much appreciated

Make: Mercedes-benz
Model: C180 Kompressor
Model Year: 2008
Engine Size: 1796cc
Engine Type: 16 Valve I4 Supercharged
Power: 154hp
Torque: 230Nm
Fuel Type: Petrol
Induction: Forced
Transmission: 5G-TRONIC
Configuration: RWD

Under powered if you ask me....but manageable for city traffic

Discount available,

Available