How to Migrate to Australia as a Mechanical Engineer?

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In this article, we will explain the general process of how a Mechanical Engineer can migrate to Australia, and the requirements for Mechanical Engineer Skill Assessment.

Australia welcomes qualified Mechanical Engineers to migrate to Australia as the mechanical engineers play a critical role in various sectors from the automation/robotics, automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, industrial tools to the manufacturing sectors. Mechanical engineering is perhaps the most diverse engineering discipline.

Mechanical Engineer (ANZSCO code: 233512) is currently on the Medium & Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), with access to the broad range of Australian immigration visa programs.mechanical engineer skill assessment

Mechanical Engineer occupation is in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) field and it is currently on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL). This means the Australian Government considers Mechanical Engineer as one of the critical occupations instrumental to rebuild the Australian economy following the economic damaged caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the processing of the nomination and visa application for Mechanical Engineer will be given the highest priority. In other words, if you are a Mechanical Engineer and have an intention to migrate to Australia and develop your career in Australia, delay no more as right now is the perfect time to get your planning started! Mechanical engineer visa can obtain travel restriction exemption to travel to Australia from an overseas location.

Australian Visa Options for Qualified Mechanical Engineers

Mechanical Engineers may apply to work and/or to obtain permanent residency in Australia through one of the following visas:

How to Apply for an Australian Skilled Visa as a Mechanical Engineer

For Mechanical Engineers, the most practical choices in the General Skilled Migration program are subclass 190 Skilled Nominated visa and subclass 491 Skilled Regional (provisional) visa. The process to obtain Australian Permanent Residency typically involve:

  1. Seeking professional migration advice about your eligibility for Australian visa and associated action plan
  2. Obtaining a satisfactory English test result to support your visa application
  3. Obtaining a positive Skills Assessment outcome for your nominated occupation
  4. Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect
  5. Securing a State Nomination through a Registration of Interest (ROI) and a solid application for the state nomination
  6. Once state nomination has been approved, submitting your visa application as soon as possible within 60 days

If you are interested in seeking migration through employment and aiming to apply for subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme visa or 482 Temporary Skill Shortage visa, the process will be different to the general skilled migration above. Before you can apply for the visa, we must ensure the employer is an approved sponsor prior to them submitting the nomination application for you. For the 482 visa, the employer will also need to go through the labour market testing before they can nominate an overseas worker. It may sound complicated, but rest assured our experienced team at Ausdirect Migration will be able to provide you all the assistance and guidance you need along the way.

Mechanical Engineer PR Points in Australia 2021

For skilled migration, Mechanical Engineers must meet the minimum points requirement set by the Federal Government in legislative instrument Migration (LIN 19/210: Pool and Pass Marks for General Skilled Migration Visas) Instrument 2019 are as below:

The points include any point allocated through State Nomination and Family Sponsorship. However meeting the minimum points requirement may not be enough to apply for a skilled visa and an successful visa application also depends on the applicant satisfying a range of other criteria such as skills assessment, state nomination, character and medical examinations.

Mechanical Engineer Skill Assessment (ANZSCO code: 233512) 

In order to apply for a permanent residency visa or provisional skilled visas through general skilled migration program, you need to obtain a positive mechanical engineer skills assessment. For mechanical engineers, skills assessment can be organised through Engineers Australia (EA).

Mechanical engineers apply the concepts and principles of mechanics, thermodynamics and materials science, coupled with the computer aided design tools and project management skills, to design, develop, install, test and maintain machineries, mechanical equipments and medical devices.

For the ANZSCO job definition and description, please read ANZSCO 233512 MECHANICAL ENGINEER.

There are 6 different assessment pathways for Engineers Australia Skills Assessment:

  • Accredited Qualifications
    1. Australian Qualification Pathway
    2. Washington Accord Pathway
    3. Sydney Accord Pathway
    4. Dublin Accord Pathway
    5. Other Recognised Qualifications – Applies to the holders of a French Diplômed’Ingénieur completed in or after 1970 and listed in the Journal Officiel de la République in the list of institutions habilitated to deliver the title of Engineer for the year of completion
  • Non-Accredited Qualifications/Engineering Managers
    1. Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) Pathway

The exact assessment pathway to choose depends on the country in which you obtained your engineering qualification. You may find out more about your qualification by selecting the relevant country in the list of this website: https://www.ieagreements.org/. If your qualification is either Not Accredited or from a non-Accord listed country, worry not, you might be able to apply for the Skills Assessment under the Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) Pathway, although this pathway involves more work and time to prepare for your assessment application.

Supporting Documents to apply for a skills assessment varies depending on your chosen pathway, however, the following are some of the common documents required by Engineers Australia:

  • Passport-Style Photograph
  • Prime Identification Document (e.g.: Passport and/or Birth Certificate)
  • Name Change Document (if you ever been known by or used any other name(s). Other name(s) include alternative spellings, patronymic name, maiden names, clan or tribal names)
  • CV/Résumé
  • Evidence of English Language Competency (Engineers Australia accepts General or Academic version of IELTS test results, TOEFL iBT & PTE Academic Test. Australian-qualified engineering graduate or if you hold accredited qualifications from signatory countries where the official language is English is usually exempted. More info: Kindly refer to MSA Booklet.)
  • Education Qualifications (including academic transcript and award certificate/completion letter for Australian / International qualifications)
  • Evidence of Registration (if registration or licensing is mandatory in the country you are currently practising)

Based on the supporting documents you provided, the EA will assess if your educational qualification and/or work experience are at a recognised level and closely related to Mechanical Engineer.

Once you have your skills assessment is completed, EA will issue you an Assessment Outcome Letter. If it is a positive outcome, you may then submit your SkillSelect (EOI) and/or commencing the relevant processes to be considered for State Nomination.

Contact Ausdirect Migration today to discuss your eligibility for the Skills Assessment, as this is one of the most important steps of your immigration journey.

Skills assessment for other Engineering Skilled Occupations assessed by Engineers Australia (EA)

Besides Mechanical Engineer (233512), EA is also the assessing authority for other skilled occupations’ skills assessments. The list is as follows:

The occupations with * sign next to them, including Mechanical Engineer, are on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).

The occupations with ** sign next to them are on the Regional Occupation List (ROL).

English requirement for Mechanical Engineer

Another important task is to sit an English exam. The minimum English requirement for applying for general skilled migration is “Competent” level. You will need to provide evidence to prove that in the 3 years before being invited to apply for the visa, you have obtained satisfying scores on one of the following test:

Test Score
International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic or General Training) At least 6 for each of the 4 components
Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) At least 12 for listening, 13 for reading, 21 for writing and 18 for speaking
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) At least 50 for each of the 4 components
Occupational English Test (OET) At least B for each of the 4 components
Cambridge C1 Advanced test At least 169 in each of the 4 components

If you hold a valid passport from the following countries, you will be deemed as having competent English and you will not need to take an English exam. The countries are the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, and Republic of Ireland.

Competent English is the minimum threshold for applying general skilled visas. If you can score higher grade, you will receive more points when lodging your Expression of Interest (EOI). If you are at proficient level, you will receive 10 points. If you are at superior level, you will receive 20 points. For work visas, please find the English requirements in the definition of 186 ENS visa, 482 TSS visa and 494 SESR visas directly.

Although the Department of Home Affairs accepts Occupational English Test (OET) & Cambridge C1 Advances Test, unfortunately, Engineers Australia does not accept these two English tests for your engineering Skills Assessment.

190 Visa State Nomination for Mechanical Engineer

    1. Which Australian states are nominating Mechanical Engineer for a Subclass 190 visa for the 2021-2022 financial year?
      • Australian Capital Territory (ACT) – Only if you are the primary holder of Subclass 457 or 482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer or you are the majority owner of an eligible registered business located in the ACT and you are claiming Matrix points in the Small Business Owner category.
      • New South Wales (NSW)
      • Northern Territory (NT)
      • South Australia (SA)
      • Tasmania (TAS)
      • Victoria (VIC) – Only if you are able to demonstrate employment in a Victorian target sector
      • Western Australia (WA)
    2. Do I need to have a job as a Mechanical Engineer to be nominated for a Subclass 190 visa?
      • Australian Capital Territory (ACT) – Yes, but your job can be in any position.
        • For Canberra Resident: Must be in paid employment or self-employment in Canberra for at least 6 months. Your employment can be in any occupation. However, if you are working in a highly skilled position (including Mechanical Engineer), you may be ranked higher in the Canberra Matrix.
        • For Overseas-based Applicant: The ACT migration program is closed for overseas resident in the 2021-2022 program year.
      • New South Wales (NSW) – No, it’s optional.
        • To be considered for 190 visa NSW state nomination: You either have to be working in NSW as Mechanical Engineer, or in a closely related occupation (closely related means that the occupation shares the first four digits of the ANZSCO code) or have genuinely and continuously resided in NSW for the past 3 months.
      • Northern Territory (NT) – Yes, it’s mandatory, unless you are NT Graduates.
        • For NT Resident: Yes, it’s mandatory. You must have at least 2 consecutive years of full-time employment in the NT as a Mechanical Engineer or in an occupation related to Mechanical Engineer. Furthermore, your employment must be available for at least another 12 months.
        • For NT Graduate: No, it’s not mandatory. However, you must demonstrate good employment prospects in the NT as a Mechanical Engineer or in closely related skilled occupation. Please refer here for what evidence(s) you may provide to show you have good employment prospects in the NT.
        • For Overseas-based Applicant: The NT migration program remained closed for offshore applications while the Australian border is still closed.
      • Tasmania (TAS)- Yes, it’s mandatory, except for Tasmania graduate applicants.
        • For TAS Resident: Must have been working as a Mechanical Engineer for 6 months before applying for state nomination.
        • For TAS Graduate Applicant : If not currently working in skilled employment, you must provide a career plan that explains how your studies have increased your ability to find skilled work in Tasmania.
        • For Overseas-based Applicant: Currently unavailable to apply from overseas (offshore).
      • Victoria (VIC) – Yes, it’s mandatory.
        • For VIC Resident: Must be currently working in a Victorian target sector using your STEMM skills when applying for state nomination.
        • For Overseas-based Applicant: Currently unavailable to apply from overseas (offshore).
      • Western Australia (WA) – Yes, it’s mandatory.
        • For General Stream: Must be currently working full time or has a full-time job offer in Mechanical Engineer position or in a closely related occupation. Closely related means that the occupation shares the first four digits of the ANZSCO code. You must also provide a copy of full-time employment contract with at least 12 months remaining on your contract at the time you apply for WA State nomination.
        • For Graduate Stream: Must be currently working full time or has a full-time job offer in Mechanical Engineer position or in a closely related occupation. Closely related means that the occupation shares the first four digits of the ANZSCO code. You must also provide a copy of full-time employment contract with at least 6 months remaining on your contract at the time you apply for WA State nomination.

491 Visa State Nomination for Mechanical Engineer

    1. Which Australian states are nominating Mechanical Engineer for a Subclass 491 visa for the 2021-2022 financial year?
      • Australian Capital Territory (ACT) – Only if you are the primary holder of Subclass 457 or 482 visa sponsored by an ACT employer or you are the majority owner of an eligible registered business located in the ACT and you are claiming Matrix points in the Small Business Owner category.
      • New South Wales (NSW)
      • Northern Territory (NT)
      • South Australia (SA)
      • Tasmania (TAS)
      • Victoria (VIC) – Only if you are able to demonstrate employment in a Victorian target sector
      • Western Australia (WA)
    2. Do I need to have a job as a Mechanical Engineer to be nominated for a Subclass 491 visa?
      • Australian Capital Territory (ACT) – Yes, but your job can be in any position.
        • For Canberra Resident: Must be in paid employment or self-employment in Canberra for the last 3 months. Your employment can be in any occupation. However, if you are working in a highly skilled position (including Mechanical Engineer), you may be ranked higher in the Canberra Matrix.
        • For Overseas-based Applicant: The ACT migration program is closed for overseas resident in the 2021-2022 program year.
      • Northern Territory (NT) – Yes, it’s mandatory, unless you are NT Graduates.
        • For NT Resident – who started living in the NT before 1 July 2020: Yes, it’s mandatory. You must have at least 6 consecutive months of full-time employment in the NT as a Mechanical Engineer or in an occupation related to Mechanical Engineer. Furthermore, your employment must be available for at least another 12 months.
        • For NT Resident – who started living in the NT on or after 1 July 2020: Yes, it’s mandatory. You must have at least 12 consecutive months of full-time employment in the NT as a Mechanical Engineer or in an occupation related to Mechanical Engineer. Furthermore, your employment must be available for at least another 12 months.
        • For NT Graduate: No, it’s not mandatory. However, you must demonstrate good employment prospects in the NT as a Mechanical Engineer or in a closely related skilled occupation. Please refer here for what evidence(s) you may provide to show you have good employment prospects in the NT.
        • For Overseas-based Applicant: The NT migration program remained closed for offshore applications while the Australian border is still closed.
      • Tasmania (TAS) – Yes, it’s mandatory, except for Tasmania graduate applicants or has a family member in Tasmania.
        • For TAS Resident: Must have been working as a Mechanical Engineer for 3 months before applying for state nomination.
        • For TAS Graduate Applicant: If not currently working in skilled employment, you must provide a career plan that explains how your studies have increased your ability to find skilled work in Tasmania.
        • For Overseas-based Applicant: Must possess at least 5 years post qualification experience or have a Mechanical Engineer formal job offer that is based in Tasmania.  
        • Have Family in Tasmania: No, it’s not mandatory if you have a parent, brother, sister, child, aunt, uncle or grandparent who has been an Australian Permanent Resident or an Australian Citizen for a tr least 12 months and is currently residing in Tasmania and has been residing in Tasmania for at least 12 months.
        • Small Business Owner: You have established and operated a business solely owned by you in Tasmania for at least 6 months.
      • Victoria (VIC) – Yes, it’s mandatory.
        • For VIC Resident: Must be currently working in regional Victoria in a Victorian target sector using your STEMM skills when applying for state nomination.
        • For Overseas-based Applicant: Currently unavailable to apply from overseas (offshore).
      • Western Australia (WA) – Yes, it’s mandatory.
        • For General Stream: Must be currently working full time or has a full-time job offer in Mechanical Engineer position or in a closely related occupation. Closely related means that the occupation shares the first four digits of the ANZSCO code. You must also provide a copy of full-time employment contract with at least 12 months remaining on your contract at the time you apply for WA State nomination.
        • For Graduate Stream: Must be currently working full time or has a full-time job offer in Mechanical Engineer position or in a closely related occupation. Closely related means that the occupation shares the first four digits of the ANZSCO code. You must also provide a copy of full-time employment contract with at least 6 months remaining on your contract at the time you apply for WA State nomination.

Prospects of Being a Mechanical Engineer in Australia

Mechanical engineer is in high demand with very strong future growth prospect in Australia. Mechanical engineers work across every location of Australia. They are mostly full-time workers and average working hour per week is 45 hours. According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, the average salary for Mechanical engineer per year is $85,000 in Australia. Entry level positions start at a lower salary and will increase as one becomes more experienced.

Popular Job Search Platforms in Australia

Are you looking for job opportunities in Australia as an Mechanical engineer? Here are some popular job search platforms that could potentially help you securing a job

Ausdirect Migration for Mechanical Engineer

Our team at Ausdirect Migration is extremely experienced in managing migration programs in relation to the Mechanical Engineering occupation. Our practice has provided top quality migration services to many engineering professionals globally and also engineering employers in Australia. We look forward to hearing from you and the opportunity to work with you along your immigration journey to Australia. We are confident to say our team has the best understanding and experience in the engineering sector and the associated immigration programs in Australia.

Contact Ausdirect Migration today to tailor the best suitable option(s) for your migration, and we will assist you in navigating every step of the process during the journey.

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