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Thread: Getting a skills quota visa

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    Getting a skills quota visa

    Hello, i have got a lot of useful adive form this forum whilst i was applying for my skills quota visa, which i eventually got and here i sit in Johannesburg.

    I got my skills quota visa as you guys seem to have a shortage of electricians/electrical engineers over here.

    I am having a LOT of trouble getting up and running eg. not all my qualifications are recognised here, finding out info on doing the courses i need to do etc.

    Its great country you have here but there are a lot of problems, nothing i can't live with though.

    Does anyone know anyone else who got a Skills quota visa to get here, no offence, but i can't imagine many people go for them as they are a pain in the arse to get. Why would some one with a nice job in UK, Oz or New Zealand go through a load of hassel to get pain a lot less than they got in there own country.

    Anyway, I,ll be checking the electrical forum for info, any advice greatly apprciated.
    skatingsparks

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    Welcome to TFSA
    And South Africa

    Interesting comment on the process of getting a skills quota visa. Is it a lot easier to get a work permit elsewhere?

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    Getting Information on what you need to do to get a work permit elsewhere is a lot easier. Finding out the process to get the skills quota visa was hard. I had to get proof of 5 years experience in my field(signed references from previous employers and customers), all my Qualifications accessed by S.A.Q.A.(photo copy all qualifications and get copies certified by a lawyer), police report, chest x ray and report, full medical report and signed letter from girlfriends parents(who are in SA) saying they will support me if things go wrong.

    Fill in the correct form, phone embassy make an appointment (£1 a minute min call time 7mins).

    Take day of work and go to embassy and get application refused as you work references don't have the dates you work for these companies, and no the dates on the C.V. will not do.

    Phone embassy make an appointment (£1 a minute min call time 7mins).

    Take day of work and go to embassy and get application refused because it is believes that one of your work references is signed with pencil not ball point pen("but you could have signed this"). It was signed with fibre tip! who cares!

    Take day of work and go to embassy and get application accepted and get told to go back Monday morning.

    Take day of work, go to Embassy on Monday, its a South Africa Public holiday, embassy closed until Tuesday.

    Return Tuesday (day before due to fly, no visa, no go, no go, loss of flights as it is less than 48 hours before departure). Wait for 3 hours, closing time comes around and half hour after closing time I get visa. Relief.....


    Is it easier to get a permit else where? I think so, well its certainly a hell of a lot easier to find out what you need to apply else where.

    I have been to Australia and New Zealand on working holidays, both took less than 15mins to get. Worked in Egypt, easy. Have travelled all over the place, 38 countries and getting visas has never been a problem, Iran, a bit of a process but a clearly defined one.

    Its basically the lack of information. You can't speak to people at the embassy, just an automated phone line. You can't just turn up, they don't let you in.

    Now I'm here I'm having the same problem, getting the right information. I have learnt that if you make phone enquiries here and the person you are speaking to doesn't know the answer will just repeat the same wrong answer or give you an answer not relevant to your question until you run out of credit or hang up in frustration.

    The most annoying thing you spend hours looking for info on the internet or phoning up and when you eventually get what your looking for it always seems to be just to late. Example being a course I need to do to be recognised over here as an electrical engineer, the course started 5 days ago and the next time its run is in May. I have been looking for info on this for ages, webs sites are out of date and 4 of the 5 colleges I phones up didn't have a clue about what I was talking about and you just get passed around.

    LACK OF INFORMATION!!!!!

    I'm going home for a month in May, maybe longer to work in the UK. I have to get some money to pay for the courses I need to do over here (single phase tester(5650 rand) and 3 phase tester (6950 rand)) These costs coupled with the amount of time this process has taken, days off work in the UK, difficulty getting work here as qualifications are not recognised I'm running low of funds.

    Will getting work in the U.K. be hard? No there's a big shortage of qualified electricians/electrical engineers, just like you guys over here.

    Every time i come on this forum it just turns into a rant. Sorry about that, you understand its frustrating. Yes i know T I A, This Is Africa

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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Thanks for the perspective.

    Bureaucracy!

    Ultimately helping people deal with it was why I started this site in the first place. It's grown into something a little different, but that was what got me off my ass to do it in the first place.

    May I move this thread into a public area on the site and rename it "Getting a skills quota visa"?

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    What an interesting and informative read. Although it was to rant it was very enlightening And as a south african I think we have a number of huge advantages:

    * Can speak english (As it is said to be one of the more difficult languages to learn)
    * Have wildlife (In all forms and colours )
    * Filled with possibilities, but thats all.
    * Citizens already have a 'work permit'.
    * Can get work permits in many other countries easily. Since we are already allowed to work in the place where it is most difficult to get a work permit everywhere else is just a holiday

    Oh yes did anyone mention "You're in Africa"
    once there was a man. the end.

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    Sure you can move it to the public area. Hope it helps someone.

    I found out today that i can't do my i'm not supposed to do the testing course i mentioned until i have done 2 other courses, totalling 10 weeks and cost 14000 rand for them both, then i can do a trade test(400 rand) then I can do the single phase(5950 rand) course then the Certificate of compliance course(???rand).

    I am reconsidering my options but at the moment my plan is to go back to the UK, even if it is just for now. I have had enough of this now thanks.

    If i go back tuesday I,ll be working wednesday. Don't need this crap anymore.
    Rant rant rant..... I,ll see what happens

    If anyone know any differnet from the above let me know

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