sambagirl

Hello,

I have a question about the Skilled Sponsored Regional Visa 176 - I am sponsored by WA which means I have to live here for at least 2yrs.

I'm just wondering if anyone knows when the start date of that 2yr commitment is - is it from the date the visa is awarded, or from the date I arrived in WA? I always assumed the latter but I came across the Migration website for the NT and it referred to the former as a valid start date.

It's just WA is not working out how I had hoped, and I am desperate to move over East. I know I'm very limited on my options but trying to find out any others.

Thanks for any advice

moneypenny20

If it was from grant then you could validate, go back to current country, stay there for two years and then move wherever you wanted - that doesn't make any sense.

DIAC state If you are nominated by a State or Territory government, you need to agree to:

* remain in the State or Territory for a period of at least two (2) years

That means that your two years start when you arrive and take up residence in your chosen state.

sambagirl

That's what I'd have thought, but on NT's site it states:

What are my commitments if I am nominated for a Skilled - Sponsored visa by the Northern Territory?

By accepting Skilled - Sponsored nomination from the Northern Territory you are agreeing to:

* live, work and settle your family in the Northern Territory for a minimum of two years after arriving in Australia or from the grant date of your permanent residence visa.
* keep the Northern Territory Department of Business and Employment (DBE) informed of:
o the status of your visa application;
o your arrival in Australia and current contact details for two years after your arrival.
* participate in surveys conducted by DBE in monitoring the Skilled - Sponsored scheme in the Northern Territory.

This is why I am asking the question....I guess I should probably ask my sponsors...

Bermudashorts

Perhaps the bit in bold applies to people who perhaps were in the state on another visa, e.g. student or 457 and then were granted a 176 SS visa. So for them, it would not be correct to state that the two years starts from the time they arrived in Australia.

It seems patently obvious to me that as you are expected to live in the state for two years that it could not possibly include the time spent in your own country or elsewhere before you move over. You know .. because you are not living there then.

sambagirl

Sorry, I highlighted the bit in bold!

I still understand what you're saying though, and I agree that's from the arrival date is the obvious choice, but this NT gov site has thrown me and I just want to know from someone who knows for sure what the rule is....I'll drop WA migration people an email and find out....

Bermudashorts

Did you read my previous post? I explained the bit in bold. It is relevant for people who were living in the state BEFORE they got the 176 visa on another visa. So for them the two years requirement to live in the state does not start from the time they entered the state / country, which could have been years earlier.

By all means ask WA if the two years you are supposed to spend living in WA includes the time you were not living in WA. Can you really not answer that question yourself though? Wow.

Pollyana

It does say you will live, work and settle your family in the Northern Territory therefore logically it has to be for two years from your arrival, rather than from the grant (if its an offshore grant) or else you won't be living working and settling there, you'll be somewhere else

sambagirl

There's no need to be rude Bermudashorts! I'm not stupid, but you have to admit it's not very clear, especially when the webpage is specifically for 176 OFFSHORE applicants. Jeez. This is why I'm seeking clarification. Regretting asking now, you don't seem to be understanding why the question is being raised.

Bermudashorts

Well granted I am a little impatient today; it can be frustrating to see somebody get the answers from more than one person but continue to ask the question.

And no I do not have to admit it is not very clear, it seems perfectly clear to me and a bit obvious too.

Lots of people living in Australia on other visas apply for a 176 visa by the way and as I have stated (twice) the bold bit is directed at them.

If you are finding WA is not working out for you, you could always just write to them, explain the difficulties you are having and ask to be exempted from the 2 year rule.

JenniGee

Hi Sambagirl

I understand WHY the question is being asked, you are not happy living in WA. The trouble is, the fact that you are not happy bears no relevance to the fact that your visa conditions are that you live in WA for 2 years.

The way I see it, you have a few choices: find somewhere else in WA that you can feel settled; stick it out for the remaining time until you can apply for PR & then live where you like (east); go back to your country of origin...

I hope you can sort something out - how long did you say you had left?

moneypenny20

But what NT says is kind of irrelevant as you're in WA

Pollyana

I've heard of other people doing precisely that, contacting the spnsoring State and explaining things, and the State is almost always very supportive and won't hold them to the 2 years as long as they have actually tried to make thngs work.

wilson01

I understand exactly where you are coming from as it is very confusing, but unfortunately do not know the answer. Until you actually email WA and receive clarification from them you won't know for sure. Good Luck

Bermuda, may I suggest that when you feel like this, you refrain from answering - it is really unfair to the OP, who actually does have a point and was trying to get clarification about this

Bermudashorts

Wilson, since when did you get to decide when and in what mood people need to be in before they are allowed to post. I must have missed that announcement.

And how exactly was it unfair of me to twice explain to the OP what the rules meant and why was it unfair of me to offer some other advice to the OP regarding the situation they find themselves in in WA. Seems my post is a damn site more productive than your own which appears to be purely to have a go at somebody as usual.

So perhaps it is you that should refrain from posting unless you actually have something useful to say.

moneypenny20

Please don't accuse someone of being rude just because you didn't like the way they gave you the correct information. If I was back at the beginning of the migration journey I would much rather have the likes of Bermuda giving me the facts any which way than false or misleading information but with love and kisses.

I would also request that someone who has no advice to give whatsoever could refrain from telling a seasoned and highly respected poster to stop posting.