The Ultimate Guide to Apply for Subclass 476 Visa for Pakistani Engineers
If you have graduated from an Engineering Faculty, which is recognized by the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC), the good news is that you are eligible to live and work in Australia for 18 months under the Subclass 476 Visa (Skilled Recognized Graduate Visa).
This guided blog is specifically tailored for fresh Pakistani engineering graduates who are looking forward to migrate to Australia and are in search for better job opportunities after acquiring their engineering degrees. Not only this, but higher education can also be continued by applying for Subclass 476 visa.
This ultimate guide, drafted carefully by the expert team of CMS Migration (who are the specialists in Subclass 476 Visa category) will help you to clear all confusions if you are planning to apply.
Do you qualify to apply for this visa category?
The first question that pops in the mind of any applicant is whether he/she is eligible to apply? As mentioned earlier, the applicant should have a PEC accredited degree. Additionally, you must be under 31 years of age and you should have graduated within 2 years past from the day you are submitting your application. For instance, if an engineer is applying for Subclass 476 Visa on November 10,2019 then the date of his graduation cannot be later than November 10, 2017. Having graduated on November 9,2017 will also make him/her ineligible. Lastly, you should not have applied for any other Australian Visa category or Subclass 476 Visa itself before.
Quick Points to Remember:
-If your University name and batch is not on the official website of PEC then you cannot apply for Subclass 476 visa.
-Check your degree certificate or transcript to find the official graduation date.
-You must be under 31 years of age.
-You should not have applied for any other Australian Immigration Visa Category (like Subclass 491 etc)
Why Subclass 476 Visa?
Subclass 476 is a temporary visa. If you plan to stay longer in Australia, you need to find some other means like Permanent Residency. However, with this work visa, you can work full time in Australia and after working for 1 year, you get 5 points for applying for Permanent Residency.
Another benefit of this is that, once you land in Australia, you have the opportunity to find more contacts that might help you find another way to stay longer. You can attend to thousands of meet-ups, which take place all over the year to meet professionals who would invite you to exciting opportunities to expand your professional visibility or even start your business.
Quick Points to Remember:
– ‘Temporary Visa’ but can help you continue your higher studies or even give you the chance to start your own business in Australia
– This visa does not guarantee permanent residence, but can help you to get it after having a work experience of one year.
English Language Requirements
Both PTE and IELTS assess language skills under 4 categories to test your proficiency for English Language (known as bands); Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.
IELTS
For IELTS, you only need an overall band score of 6 (minimum score of 5 in each of the 4 categories) for Subclass 476 Visa. However, since you might already be planning to apply for Permanent Residency later, it is recommended that you score 8 out of 9 for all bands.
PTE
PTE is completely computer based and will be easier if you are comfortable with computers.
If you struggle with keyboard typing, we recommend you to try IELTS instead.
How to Lodge the Visa Application for Subclass 476?
Visa applications can be lodged yourself or you can hire authorized agents. It is always safer to go to a migration agency that specializes in Subclass 476 grant processing. They can help you save time and get your grant processed in the quickest possible timeframe.
Here is a brief summary of the entire process:
Uploading documents
The Subclass 476 Visa is comparatively simpler and easier than other Australian immigration visas. It requires minimum documentation, but one needs to be very careful with ‘quality and formatting’ requirements. Therefore, even self-applicants should look for professional and experienced migration agents to help them lodge their visa application online.
You should have:
First stage to lodge the application:
• Professional CV
•Passport
• Photograph (white background)
• Degree or Provisional certificate
• Final Transcript
• IELTS with minimum 5 in each and overall 6 (General of Academic both are fine.
• Family Registration Certificate
Second stage(these can be provided even within 28 days after lodging the visa application:
• PEC Certificate
• Police Certificate
• National Identity Card (in English translation)
Other than this:
– Medical to be done after lodging the visa application
-Form 80
-Form 956 for registered agents
We hope that this guide will help you to lodge your application. If you face any difficulty during the application process or you need any information to get your case processed through a reliable migration agent you can always contact MARA registered migration agency (CMS Migration) that is also operating in Lahore, Pakistan.