xpatadventure

Hello,

Husband will mobilize to Brisbane in mid-April with a job. We are heading there next week on tourist visas with 2 school aged kids. Please advise!

Sending kids to a state primary school as visitors. Is it true that the kids can enroll in school of up to 12 weeks with international school fees?

Can we choose any school or has to be within the school zone even with int. tuition fees?

While awaiting for 457 visa approved, can school fees be transferred as 457 visa holders or not until we have the labels in place?

We were told that the fees are a lot lower compared to international fees.

Lastly, what if the 12 weeks period approaches and our 457 visas still under processed (worse case scenario), will the school let our kids continue schooling?

Thanks so much. We just want the kids to start school in Brisbane as soon as possible so they don't miss out too much with the academic year.

Pollyana

Can't help much, but i dk know you can't say they are 457 holders until the visa is confirmed. A school might take them in the meantime, I'd recommend you contact DETA (Qld Education Dept) or the school you are looking at.
You might get more help in the main forum so I'll move the thread - lots of teachers in there

xpatadventure

Thanks so much.

quoll

Most states will allow 12 weeks on international fees but it would be much easier just to wait until you have your visa and have a permanent address than to faff around, probably changing schools. No one is going to worry if your kids are out of school

fairystar

I would also wait until you have your 457, then you do not pay fees.
I am sure 12 weeks will not make that much difference and you can get settled.

Bermudashorts

Agree with others, I would just wait and then come over when you have the required visas. Or at least not bother with school until then.

Dorothy

That makes the most sense. Especially if the 457 is an offshore one - they'll all have to leave to have it granted anyway. Not to mention the risk of being refused entry in the first place. ETA/tourist visas are meant for tourists. Showing up with the intention of staying, enrolling the kids in school, etc is not tourist activity. They may just get to the immigration lines here and be turned back if the border guards see they have a 457 in the works.

xpatadventure

Thanks everyone for your input. Sorry for the confusion. Perhaps our situation is a bit different. Husband has a job offered but can't leave his currently employment until April. His Aussie employer doesn't want to process 457 visas until he arrives. We thought of sending the kids in Brisbane now so they can start a new academic year (as we understand the school year just began a few weeks ago). Our kids are in private school now so we don't want to loose advance tuition fees knowing we will leave in April.

Anyway, we just found out from EQI website that our kids can enroll in school as tourist visa, then switch to bridging visa (apparently much cheaper) until 457s arrived.

Thanks

Dorothy

Please don't take this the wrong way, but...Are you freakin' insane? Your husband is going to leave his current job, you're going to pack up your family and try to move to Australia on tourist visas with no other visa in place?

You do realise that immigration can turn you all away at the border if they think you are not genuine tourists. Which you won't be. You also realise that DIAC may refuse your husband's 457. Or the company won't be able to sponsor. Or they may just decide that they don't feel like offering him the job anymore once he gets here. Then what? Do you also realise that a 457 can take weeks or even months to process? Your OH will not be able to work while he waits for a decision. What are you going to do for all that time? And are you prepared to go home if it all falls through?

Pollyana

Bridging visas generally have the same conditions as the original visa, so if it is possible to get a bridging visa from ETAs to 457 then you will almost certainly have to live with ETA restrictions, school fees etc - which also means no work.
There is a big risk of you being refused entry due to DIAC not believing you are tourists - you would stand a better chance of entering the country smoothly if the 457 was already applied for and you told the CO you are holidaying here during part of the wait.

If you stick to your current plan, I wish you luck. It might work out but its not a way I would choose to go, far too many pitfalls.

Turban Explorer

I wouldn't trust an employer who put me in that position. You need the 457 in place really before you arrive. If the employer lets you down you are in Australia without an income and no ability to get one and have given up the British job. Any employer would be aware of that. People aren't more trustworthy because they are in Australia!

comet555

This is one of the most insanely risky plans I think I've ever heard of on here. Not to mention strange, I've never heard of a company holding off applying for the visa until you're actually here... which to be honest makes me kind of suspicious of the whole thing.

Normally the employers sponsor people prior to arrival so that they are ready to work when they arrive and also have the appropriate visa to enter the country on. I'm thinking either the company has no idea about 457 visa or they have a reason why they're unable to sponsor earlier. Both of which I find concerning.

To be honest with your plan I would think there runs a high chance of being turned away at the border as you're definitely not arriving as tourists.

I'd think long and hard before attempting such a plan as your husband would have walked away from his job and you will have taken the kids out of school. I'm also assuming you would have spent all that money on flights as well. You could arrive and be turned away by immigration before entry or you could arrive and not get the visa.

Since no one has asked this yet, does your husband have any sort of contract in place for all this?

comet555

Are you not going to Christchuch anymore? This post was just from a month ago. I'm curious why the quick turn around as it looks like you at some point had PR visa for New Zealand.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...53&postcount=1

Bermudashorts

Your plan is high risk and really quite daft. Stay put until you have the 457 visa in place. The reasons have all be en mentioned; risk of being turned away at the airport, risk of not getting the 457 and the cost of school plus potential cost of having to move everyone back if visa does not materialise. Bridging visa won't make schooling cheaper by the way and in any case it won't kick in until the other expires.

Don't do this.

fairystar

Agree with everyone else.
There is no way I would move kids, leave job etc... without even having a working visa in place?

I thought we took a HUGE chance giving everything up hoping for PR and ours was on a 457 and the employer paid for everything........Without even having a 457, I wouldn't chance it, not with kids.