Green Grass

Hi All,
If you are in Australia on a working holiday visa, and then switch to a student visa (secondary school teaching), what is the pathway to PR after that?

Sorry but a few linked questions:

Do you need to secure a job while studying teaching which can be sponsored on a 457 or are you automatically eligible for PR afterwards?
Would there not be a work experience requirement before the granting of PR?
Surely there is a risk of spending $25k on a post grad course and then needing to leave Australia having not secured PR or a 457 visa.

Can someone assist please?
GG

Pollyana

The pathway to PR is the same as ever. The person has to meet the PR requirements at the time. Its not as simple as qualifying for PR just because you study here and then get offered a job here.
You need a very good read of Australian Government Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the various PR visas. Even if a newly graduated teacher manages to get a contract on a 457 (which I must admit I think is unlikely) that teacher still has to fulfill the requirements to get PR - and the skills assessment will almost certainly involve a certain amount of work experience.

Have a read here - Extending Your Stay
while you wait for someone with more indepth knowledge than e to come along.

quoll

Basically there is no pathway that's automatic. Students are expected to study then leave.

Bermudashorts

Yes there is a huge risk of spending $25k and then having to leave. Well in fact, that is what is supposed to happen, it should be the students intention to leave.

Green Grass

Thanks everyone. I understand not getting PR just by completing a post grad teaching course (and that experience will be required). However I don't understand why there would be an expectation that students would complete a qualification important to Australia and then have to leave. Secondary school teachers can be sponsored and therefore logically given student teachers undertake placements during their training, they might find post graduation employment opportunities and arrange 457 visa support thought the respective State Education Department or perhaps local authority.

Note that tertiary education is a major Australian export and we do not attract foreign students just for their money but for the skills many of them will offer to Australian economic growth and the nation's social welfare needs.

Surely we don't just give them a visa cancellation to go with their degree certificate. Why would they bother paying $25k per annum if there was no chance to stay?

Thanks

quoll

Because Australia is in the business of selling education, and it would be naive of someone to believe that just because they forked out for an international degree that they were buying a permanent resident visa - that may once have been the case but Immigration have wised up to that one. Australia has plenty of home grown graduates, many of whom are struggling to find jobs. You wouldnt be any worse off if you did a PGCE in UK and then applied, in fact you would be better off to the tune of $25k+ if that is what your international studies cost you. Youre unlikely to find anyone to give you a 457 visa because they would have to show that there were no qualified Aussie teachers who could do the job and there are many out of work young Aussie teachers.

Bermudashorts

Students come over to do courses for themselves, not for Australia. It is the business of selling education. Australia is not providing. Education services in order to keep those skills, there are plenty of Australians going to college as well.

Why do they bother? Very good question, perhaps because the Australian institute is more reputable than the one in their home country? For the experience maybe? Personally though, I would not spend my money studying in Australia.

TeeTMI

There is no automatic guarantee of a route to permanent residence after studying in Australia. One of the requirements of the student visas is that you should be a genuine student.

You might also look at the Temporary Graduate Visa valid for between 18 months and 4 years depending upon your previous studies. This could provide some time to obtain work experience in Australia which if appropriate to the nominated occupation may assist meet some of the requirements towards eligibility for permanent residence. Again there are no guarantees after this visa you would still need to meet the requirements of one of the permanent residence visa options to be eligible to apply.

Green Grass

Thank you for your advice. I think you need 2 years of full time study to be eligible for Temporary Graduate Visa, which for say a 2 year Masters in Teaching could cost $50k in total.

spouse of scouse

Hi GG - I understand where you were going with your questions, you've had some great advice and are probably feeling a bit down about it, which is understandable.

The 'flaw' (for want of a better word) in your thinking was viewing a student visa as a method DIBP use to obtain skills for Australia (and hence a possible pathway to PR for you), but as you're now aware it isn't. People can get a student visa to study all sorts of fields and subjects, but that doesn't mean that Australia needs those skills.

I'm assuming you've fully explored skilled migration already? Anyway, wishing you good luck.

Green Grass

Hi spouse of scouse. Thank you for kind wishes and empathy. I'm very fortunate to have PR but have been posing these questions for a friend who is here from the UK on a working holiday visa which expires soon but has close family here (parents/sibling) and wants to find a pathway to stay.

spouse of scouse

Ah, I see. My husband's nephew is in a (sort of) similar position, he did his first year WHV, including 3 months rural and is getting towards the end of his second year. He met an Aussie girl 6 months ago and seems to be going down the track of marriage. He's a nice lad but is only just 21 - I just hope if he marries her it's for the right reasons, for both their sakes!

Best of luck to your friend, with family here and also enjoying living here it's no wonder he wants to stay.