Hi ,
Yes, we did accept the invitation to apply under SIR. There are problems with time-lines, but what is new.
Receiving a SIR Visa means thinking in a whole different way, and what JAJ has said is good advice. There is no guarantee with these visas that permanent residency will be granted. This means that anyone thinking about the process has to consider that their life may change in a major fashion TWICE within a four year period. We have heard that there is already concern that people do not fully appreciate that they could be asked to leave Australia, if they have not met the criteria for permanent residency.
It suits us to go through this visa route, because we have no children to consider, but if we had....?
STNI in some ways can be harder to obtain, because Australian employers have to explain why they are taking on people from outside the nation - quite rightly so of course. So you have to carry out a lot of research and justify why you should be employed.
The question to ask yourself is:
Why do I want to go and live in Australia, and why do I want to live in a particular area?
Once you have answered this, it helps you to focus. In particular, waiting to hear from your CO will be a great help , because then part of the decision will already have been made for you.
Best regards,
S4T
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