Hello, since starting the process I have found out from some places that I need a 12 month contract from my chosen job before applying for state nomination.

Can this really be right? What chance have I got for finding a teaching job in Western Australia without having a visa and being on the other side of the world?

Have anyone else had this problem. There were places which said "may" require a 12 month contract because my occupation is on csol and schedual 2.

Any advice would be appreciated...I had hoped to get the visa, move to Western Australia and then search for a job...

Many thanks

Steven

Without a visa, I would say no chance... Too many teachers already looking for jobs in wa, you have to qualify on visa on your own right (in my opinion) and then with visa in hand, apply for jobs....

It's a bit of a catch 22... Has anyone else been in a similar position. Surely I'm not the only teacher in the position. I literally couldn't believe that any teacher has got a job prior to having a visa and living there.

Well any primary teacher looking to emigrate would be in the same situation. The fact is that there are too any teachers in Australia and a lot are unemployed, so yes it is hard to migrate as a primary teacher these days.

The state is entitled to set any criteria it wants, possibly someone could land a job in a remote part of Australia that no local teacher would want to take and so they are making allowance for that scenarios. But other than that, they really dint need any more primary teachers turning up and hence the difficult sponsorship criteria.

Well if they were that full of teachers then surely they should just remove them from the csol list...I'm determined to progress but am a bit stuck, I'm certain once I get there finding a job won't be too difficult, I am very experienced and pretty good at what I do...

As I said, they have probably just kept it in the list for that very rare chance that someone secures a job in a remote location perhaps. They don't need primary teachers so it is very difficult to get sponsorship, insisting upon a job offer is only one small step short of taking it off the list altogether.

Have you checked the other state lists?

It may be that teachers are needed by WA. Just not in the places you want to be. Not in Perth metro. Not in Mandurah or Bunbury. But rather in places like Tom Price or Onslow.

As others have said, the reason things stay on the CSOL but the state moves to schedule 2 - i havent checked the WA list recently, but i am guessing that is the issue - is because people might still get a job is some of the very undesirable places to work. There are a lot of small towns in the far north that struggle to attract teachers. So that may be your option - research them and contact them direct.

But, you would have to do so knowing what you were letting yourself in for! It would not be for the faint hearted

I'm lodging the application without a job. Fingers crossed...

Harmless but pointless... unless they change their criteria between now and when they pick up your application.

Well they say "may require a 12 month contract" in most places and on others it says it is a requirement.

Honestly, I feel teaching is different from usual jobs in the way you apply and are interviewed.

No they don't. There is no "may" about it. For a schedule 2 occupation, WA requires that you:

Not sure what this means?

That's not the point, you will be taking a job from an Australian and like others have said there isn't a shortage of teachers. Its still on the csol because they want teachers in the remote towns, places no Australian wants to live.

Except it does say "may"

You are most likely correct but we shall see.

When I say finding a teaching is different to most other interviews, I mean that usually they need to see you teach a lesson, as well as have a formal interview. I'd imagine seeing a lesson would be a challenge considering I am on the other side of the world.

If this fails is there anything to stop me applying for a 189 visa without having a job to go to?

No, it doesn't say "may". I have cut paste and quoted what it says from the website, it definitely says that schedule two occupations require a job offer.

For a 189 visa application, the occupation needs to be on the SOL (not just the CSOL), primary teacher is not on the SOL so you would not qualify for it.