Employment is the Key to the Door

For users of this web site who are not migration agents or working with one, our services are limited. Although we can can discuss all aspects of a case with migration agents, we are not Registered Migration Agents and therefore cannot enter into discussions about visas with individual applicants. This is the law in Australia.

Please note, our service is legally not available to permanent residents in some Australian States, this includes people who have been granted a visa and are already living permanently in Australia. Our service is focused on assisting those who are still living offshore or who have unsatisfactory visa status and are seeking to migrate permanently or work in Australia.

We cannot tell you if you qualify for a visa, but we can tell you if we can find an employer that might be interested in hiring you within the visa framework that applies to you.

Beyond that, if you need the services of a migration agent, visit this link. Please refer to the legal page if you wish to continue with us.

That’s the official bit out of the way!

Migrants who use our services fall into four categories:

1. Those who require a job offer before a visa or Government sponsorship can be secured.
2. Those who already have a visa and want to avoid wasting time and money, preferring to have work waiting for them soon after their arrival in Australia.
3. Those who have ended up being ‘pooled’ on the Skills Matching database and want to get off it.
4. Selected students who have completed a course of Australian study and now need to work for a specific period in their field of study before applying for a permanent visa.

And in some cases, State Government sponsorship is something that is more easily achieved if a job offer is put forward in support of the sponsorship request.

Migrants have various visa options, a summary of which is presented here.

After looking at the options, if you find yourself requiring a job offer, sponsorship or the migration points that come with either, the next step is to read through our Service range and understand what we offer. Then send in your CV, fill out the worksheet and examine our service contract.

We can then assess the suitability and quality of your CV and perhaps recommend changes, assess your employability and advise about industries or regions that have a higher likelihood of needing your skills.

We compare your profile against

• our database of regional skills shortages across Australia
• State Government sponsorship lists
• State Government sponsorship requirements (when they are released)
• listed vacancies that are given to us by employers and the few recruitment agents that deal with migrants
• the profiles of employer and industry organisations and businesses.

From this, we can develop a strategy about the most likely industry to employ you in the most likely region of need. This is the fastest way to find suitable work and it will give us the best possible starting point in marketing you to potential employers.

NB: If your CV is not up to local standards, we will ask you to have it reformatted (and yes you get the revised copy to use in other applications you may make independent of our service). We use the services of the CV expert Tom Hannemann. Tom has been a professional resume writer who has been Seek’s resident resume expert for the past six years and has helped people from many countries successfully enter the Australian job market through professionally written resumes for the past 10 years,

When deciding whether our service fee is reasonable, please consider the following timelines that would apply to someone who is changing career and changing country.

• Set career direction -  1 week
• Identify relevant personal skills - 1 week
• Identify potential industries - 2 weeks
• Carry out background interviews with industry members - 4 weeks
• Update or Prepare your curriculum vitae or résumé - 1 week
• Applying for jobs - 4 - 12 weeks

Note the 13 - 21 week timeframe... and work out your own costs by selecting items in the table below, then multiply by 3 months, and add up the numbers. These estimated costs of Do-It-Yourself are available as a self-calculation worksheet.

That cost is not recognised or refunded by the Government in its move towards an employer and vacancy driven visa system.

if an Australian employer looks at this cost, they will gain an appreciation of the real commitment that a migrant is prepared to make to obtain a better life in Australia.

Add on household removal costs of around $12,000, visa application costs, furniture and car replacement expenses, plus household establishment costs such as a full grocery cupboard, utility bonds, school uniforms etc...

These do not include furniture shipping costs, furniture and car replacement expense, household establishment costs such as a full grocery cupboard, utility bonds, school uniforms etc.

But before you let that discourage you or blithely write it off as “acquisition costs”, consider that Hire A Migrant’s fee for a 3 month job search programme is usually less than one month’s ongoing cost. Click here for the comparison between our service fee and Do-It-Yourself costs.

We have resources that any new arrival would take a long time to discover, and existing links with employers and migration agencies that have been successful with recruiting and sponsoring migrants.

Simply put, we know where to go, and we can cut the amount of legwork involved in “getting to yes”.

The numbers on the left will make you want to earn more in a new Australian job, but you will be very tempted to drop your expectations when you are presented with a job offer.

You should ask for what you are worth, as that is only fair. We think it is very important that the employment relationship starts off on the right foot, with an agreement for “a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay”.

Your “worth” may include making a consideration for any expected shortcomings such as a need for a little retraining or extended time in the familiarisation process. But don’t forget top ask for concessions if you are working in more remote location or are doing work that local Australians will not or cannot do.  Be aware that employers cannot discriminate against you for being different.

The best result comes from having a good personal search strategy, and aiming for a fair salary is the right thing to do.

A word of advice when negotiating your salary: as a migrant, you should value your skills and recognise that many employers are unaware of the drawbacks and advantages of different visas, indeed many are not aware that their sponsorship or support is required, or permitted,  or even if it is legal! Educating the employer may help you secure a more substantial salary and give the employer peace of mind.

Taking the initiative to discuss visa options and expectations is something you should do immediately it becomes clear that the employer is interested in you.

We suggest you read everything to do with the different visa options, work out your strengths, specify your earning requirements and what you are prepared to concede, and if you have any concerns then take professional advice, and don’t give up!

If you decide to use Hire A Migrant to help you find suitable employment vacancies and represent you to the employer, you will need to

• send your CV
• enrol as a client by completing and sending the worksheet
• sign our service agreement and
• arrange payment for the services selected. 

This site is not intended for use by either migrants or sponsors who are directly sponsoring a future employe. It is a condition of use of this site that all users acknowledge that they are not seeking migration advice for themselves as migrant or to act as sponsor of a future worker. For full legal entitlement and disclaimer please click here (c) Hire A Migrant Pty Ltd ACN 124 164 138 unless attributed.

The Australian Government is now in caretaker mode ahead of the national election scheduled for August 21. The timing is very unfortunate as a long series of major changes to immigration policy are still unfinished, leaving many thousands of people in a state of great uncertainty.

Although it is possible that State Governments may be able to submit their new lists of State Sponsored occupations for Ministerial approval, it is unclear whether the Minister still has the ability to authorise their implementation at least until a new Government is formed. Similarly, other unwelcome legislation for capping and ceasing certain visa categories is also unable to progress. Another choke point is that quotas for certain occupations may also be implemented at State and Federal levels soon after the election.

Or not! One major party view is that smaller employers should find it easier to become a sponsor, which would enable many more job applicants through. Applicants affected by change and uncertainty may still consider applying for 457 permits until their visa pathway for permanent residency is made clear. Even without the election, Immigration is in a bit of a mess and it will probably be October before it’s mostly cleared up.