well iowabeakster, the biggest obstacle is age. 45 is the bright red line for getting what's called the 457 working visa on your own. That can be overcome however if you can find a company that is willing to sponsor your application. There is still hope for OU812
In my case, I have been thinking about coming down here to work and live since my wife and I visited in 2004. I was 42 then. My main skill is control system programming, fairly specialized stuff (but not rocket science, or running a water plant for that matter). The Australian govt has a section on their website covering immigration, and within that they have a test published that you can take to see if you qualify to live and work freely in Oz. While I was under 45, I had plenty of points. The main areas are age, education level, no criminal record, skill set (even tradespeople are highly sought after here), and fluency in English. They make no bones about this being an English speaking country.
Once I turned 45, just last year, my point total plummeted below the minimum level and I got bummed out about it. Then, lo and behold, on my industry's trade website, the biggest AV company in Australia was advertising for people who do EXACTLY what I have been doing for the past 15 years. I sent a little 'feel out' introductory letter and I got a phone call later that week and a job offer on the spot. The company already had clearance from the government to sponsor people in for these positions as they were able to prove that there are simply not enough people in the population (about 22 million) that have the specialized skills they need. They had been trying to hire programmers, project managers and designers for the past couple years and pickings are slim due to the much smaller pool of people as compared to the US, UK, or Canada.
So I got sponsored in, which allowed certain issues like age to be waived.
If you are being sponsored, once you have an offer from an Oz company, you lodge your end of the visa application. This entails about 150 dollars in expense to lodge, then you must get some basic medical checks done (chest xrays for most people, a full exam if you are coming to be a teacher or work in the medical field) which costs a few hundred more dollars, then you wait.
I started my process in August last year, got final visa approval on November 14, then moved here December 6 and my wife followed 2 weeks later.
Let me tell ya, that period between August and November was hairy. I had to make lots of repairs to my house to get it ready to lease, get all the other stuff in order, sell a bunch of stuff, throw out a bunch more stuff and generally clear out a house we built and have lived in for 16 years.
Anyway, the 457 is good for 4 years, but I am tied to the company that sponsored me in. If I was under 45, I could have applied on my own and probably received an unrestricted visa. I just have to avoid being fired or deported
And you get a big tax advantage while working on a 457. The government also kicks in a stipend in the form of the 'living while away from home allownce', which is added to every paycheck. Employers also must contribute to a superannuation fund that is yours. Once you leave the country, you get the whole lump sum in one shot. Or, you can leave it in and treat it like retirement money. All in all, its a good deal. Wages are relatively high here, cost of living a bit higher than the US, but lower than the UK.
So it's been quite an adventure, but the economy is screaming down here and they are looking for every kind of skill you can think of. Even truck drivers with experience are able to get a visa on their own.
And I also sense a different attitude about people like me who come here to work. There is no 'you are taking work from a local' kind of vibe that is prevalent in the US. It's more that people here realize they need outsiders to come and live here to help build this young country, and are glad to have you. It's like the last great frontier
