About K ROV
K ROV is a specialist technology company based in Brisbane Queensland. Founded by Ingmar Kofler in 2016 they specialise in diver-free, brushless in-water hull cleaning.
In addition to hull cleaning, they also provide services such as hull inspections, diver interventions and diver niche cleans. Their system is the only one of its kind in Australia and is renowned for its safety and environmental status.
The K ROV team not only prides itself on fulfilling their customers’ expectations but also protecting the world’s oceans and the environment.
The Problem
As a specialist industry, there is a limited number of people worldwide with the experience to work with the hull wiper. While the hull wiper employs overseas technology, the biggest issue Ingmar faces is training people to fly this machine.
Ingmar and his team had little success in finding people locally who possessed the knowledge and capability to undertake this task. K ROV needed a pilot that could not only fly the machine to handle the current workload but also someone with the expertise to train up other pilots for future work.
The Solution
Given the specialist nature of this machine and its technology, most people in the industry know one another. Ingmar met Chris several years ago in Dubai. Chris is a pilot from the Philippines with a vast amount of specialist experience with the hull wiper. When Ingmar heard that Chris had become available, he jumped on the opportunity to have him work with him.
A migrant himself, Ingmar knew that obtaining visas to have overseas workers come to Australia was complex and involved a fair amount of work. Given the time required to apply for a visa, Ingmar decided to engage the services of experts in the field – Visa Solutions Australia. Dan Engles and the team at Visa Solutions were referred to Ingmar by another company known to Ingmar that had previously employed their services.
Once approached by Ingmar, Visa Solutions’ registered migration agent, Vanessa Wibawa set to work in applying for a Temporary Work (Short Stay) visa (subclass 400). The subclass 400 allows the visa holder to stay in Australia for a period of 3 – 6 months to do highly specialised work.
The whole process, from Ingmar contacting Visa Solutions to having Chris arrive in Brisbane took 6 – 8 weeks. A timeframe, Ingmar admits is impressive and would not have been achieved had he tried to undertake the visa application process himself.
Having arrived in Brisbane just before the floods, Chris has proven himself to be an asset to the K ROV team. He is now fully entrenched in the K ROV business, flying the hull wiper as well as training up-and-coming pilots.
Vanessa is now working on an application to help Chris obtain a Temporary Skills Shortage Visa (subclass 482) which will enable him to stay in Australia for a further two years.
What does the future hold?
Chris’ visa is temporary and as much as he would like to make Australia his permanent home it’s not possible on this visa. While he is providing a service to help a local company train up locals, at this stage there is no option for him to stay beyond the validity of his visa. Ingmar is hoping that over the next couple of years there may be changes in the legislation that will enable Chris and other hard working overseas employees like him to stay in Australia permanently.
Using a registered migration agent can prove invaluable when it comes to employing overseas skilled workers. The Visa Solutions team is not only highly experienced but also proactive in obtaining the best possible outcomes for their clients. They have the knowledge and expertise to complete visa applications, saving you and your business time and money.
If you’ve thought about hiring overseas workers but you’re not sure where to start or if your business is eligible, contact the Visa Solutions team on 1800 828 008 to discuss the possibilities.
