Having looked at how important it is to understand the distinctive character of the market in Australia before making the move there, I'm going to cover the subject of visas and sponsorship, and share the experiences of other RICS members who have also relocated.
This is not to be construed as providing advice, and certainly does not replace any advice from a migration agent. What I can do, however, is relay my own personal experience and, with their permission, some of the personal experiences of others who have also relocated from the UK or are planning to do so. Naturally, some have requested anonymity rather than declare their intentions to their current employers, but all are British surveying professionals.
Expect the process of relocation to include sacrifice – which can take many forms – but remember that it is possible. You needn't just take my word for it.
Personal testimonies – one
It had always been a dream of mine to move to Australia, and I recognised that a career in construction was the way for me.
After a couple of years' experience I was content in my role at Arcadis in the UK, until I saw Craig's post on LinkedIn advertising building consultant positions with KPMG SGA in Queensland. After ruminating on it, I took the plunge and responded to the ad.
I received a positive response to my enquiry, which resulted in a semi-formal phone interview. After a few weeks things went quiet, which I put down to the bureaucracy of a big firm.
But on 30 December 2019 I got a call offering me a position in Sydney, and from there things moved very quickly: visa applications, references, renewing identity documents, and finding a sensibly priced one-way flight, which I paid for myself.
A week before I was due to leave in January 2020, everything was in place: colleagues and clients were thrilled for me, and projects dutifully handed over. I even got a call from Sydney offering me the same position in Melbourne. It was my preferred location. and I jumped at the chance to work there.
Since arriving, I've had the chance to undertake technical due diligence inspections, defect reporting, remediation of defects and schedules of condition, which I rarely had the chance to be involved with in the UK role. Even though this has meant hard work, I'm still lucky to have had these experiences.
Joe Bromwich, construction project manager at KPMG property and environmental services.
Personal testimonies - two
After a Skype chat with Craig in 2016, I moved to New Zealand in 2018, primarily because my partner at the time was from the country.
I considered working in Australia a few times, but because of the issues a friend of mine had with visas I was put off thinking about it seriously. In particular, it is a hassle getting permanent residency visa status, which seems to be comparatively easier to obtain in New Zealand as a building surveyor.
In the end, I recently returned to the UK because I wanted to be nearer my family.
Tom Annau, senior building surveyor at Trident Building Consultancy Ltd.
Personal testimonies - three
After reading Craig's original article on building surveying in Australia, I contacted him in December 2016. He gave me an overview of how he had secured a position in Australia, including the vital information that a fundamental part of my identity as a building surveyor – my job title – had to go. I would have to substitute it for "building consultant".
It was my ambition to live in Australia, even before I chose a career in surveying. When I was very young my family had settled for a spell in Perth, Western Australia, but by the time I was a toddler we moved back to Scotland.
My next trip to Australia was in my early 20s for a holiday. I knew then I would explore my options after completing my APC.
After becoming chartered in 2017, I pursued a role at CBRE in Sydney as a building consultant after being referred by a former colleague. This cut out a lot of the stress involved in emigrating to Australia on a short-term visa and having to find employment to get by in the interim. I've been here ever since.
The right to work and live in Australia presents unique challenges. The country seeks to train its own domestic workforce, so migrating is not as simple as it may have once been. The fact that RICS building surveying qualifications aren't recognised as such in Australia means that the government has not made it a priority on skills shortage lists.
Building surveyors wanting to move to Australia should therefore be prepared for it to be a temporary arrangement due to visa constraints. It may also be difficult for them to transition into related roles that are on the skills shortage list. I recommend speaking to a registered migration agent before making any plans to move.
While Australia does have many opportunities for building surveyors, the role and the way it is recognised are different, and there can be issues with remaining in the country for the long term.
However, because there are only a few RICS building surveyors here, travel for work within the country is often on the cards. I've visited most states this way, and it certainly makes a change meeting a kangaroo when inspecting an industrial shed.
Although the lifestyle is matched by high living costs, it remains a draw – and if you are interested in its climate and outdoor recreation, then Australia definitely offers more sunshine than a lot of other destinations.
Tom Turner, quantity surveyor at WT Partnership.
- "I arrived in Australia in March 2020. My partner was due to arrive two weeks later, but unfortunately the borders had been closed by the government as a result of the pandemic, so I had to come back. This meant I had to cancel several interviews I had lined up following my arrival in Australia. I am planning to return when the dust settles, but right now I’m back in the UK."
- "I wasn't able to find any building surveying work in Australia. As a graduate lacking experience this was understandable – it would have been a big investment for an employer to sponsor me. After a year my relationship broke down as well, and I ended up coming back to the UK. Maybe I had just had enough of working in hospitality. Perhaps now that I’m chartered, and have a few more years' experience under my belt, it could be a different story if I decide to go back."
- "My partner and I are trying to figure out how to live and work in Australia and the main challenge we have is navigating visa options. I'm a building surveyor and he’s a recruiter for specialist engineers. Due to the changes in the skilled occupation list, it's occurred to us that it might be easier for him to get sponsored by an employer and include me as a de facto applicant. We'll take whichever option sticks first."
Working through the visas
It took nearly seven and half years after I arrived in Australia myself to become a citizen. I arrived with my fiancée on a subclass 417, 12-month working holiday visa before I was 30.
I sent my CV out to prospective employers both before and after arriving in Australia, and my cover letters were transparent about seeking their sponsorship. I eventually scored a role at DTZ, a UGL company – now Cushman & Wakefield – with the title of building consultant and project manager.
My employer agreed to sponsor me on a four-year, subclass 457 visa, which included my fiancée as a de facto applicant. I moved to KPMG SGA Property Consultancy – now KPMG Property and Environmental Services – when there was more than a year left on this visa, and the new employer simply reapplied for a new one instead of transferring the remaining time across. Soon, I was eligible to apply to be a permanent resident under employer nomination subclass 186.
My employer agreed to support my application, with my now wife as a de facto applicant. The company also agreed to a financial contribution in lieu of a raise or bonus that year, and completed the process through its own migration agents.
During this time my first son was born in Brisbane and the application had to be updated to include him, resulting in further costs and health screenings. My wife, son and I were granted permanent residency, a visa for which the travel facility can be renewed every five years indefinitely so you can leave and re-enter the country as often as you like.
After a year on this visa we were eligible to apply for citizenship, but didn't do so right away. When our second son was born, he was the first of us to become an Australian citizen because we were already permanent residents.
We completed our own citizenship applications shortly afterwards – which were significantly less costly and time-consuming than previous visa applications – and became citizens in an online ceremony during lockdown in June 2020.
Since our arrival in Australia, much has changed. Prime ministers have come and gone – several times – and often the goalposts have moved along with them. For instance, the working holiday visa is now available to those up to 35 years of age, but only if they are French, Canadian or Irish citizens. For other eligible countries the age limit remains 30.
The skilled occupations list has also been updated to exclude some jobs and qualifications, such as the key role often used by building surveyors in applications, namely building inspector.
Sacrifices and support
We have faced a number of challenges along the way that had nothing to do with employment or visas.
When we first arrived, for instance, we had no accommodation or transport of our own. But people gave us a place to stay and lent us their cars to drive to interviews. We were prepared to return to the UK after a year, and my wife always had this in mind so she could remain close to her family.
But the year we got married my father passed away, and we flew back to the UK at short notice; it was when we returned to Australia afterwards and it felt like flying home that it became clear we were going to stay there.
The biggest sacrifice we've made is not having our children's grandparents nearby, and the immediate family support they could provide. At times it's very hard. Even the comfort provided by being able to fly back to family in the UK at a moment's notice has been taken away from us by the pandemic.
Technology makes it manageable, however, as well as close local friendships and communities. The life we have built is incomparable to what might have been in the UK, and reflects the sacrifices we've made.
A personal process
One of the main things to remember is that there is no single, surefire way to relocate successfully, because the process will be personal. As well as relevant work experience, variables also include your partnership status, dependents and your age.
In determining which visa subclasses you're eligible for and successfully completing each stage of the process, consulting a migration agent about your options is useful.
Bear in mind that chartered surveyor (building surveying) continues to be a coveted and unique role in Australia and New Zealand, and rules, regulations and eligibilities regularly change. Who knows what it will look like in a few years' time?