Oli

hey,

Hope someone can help with this plsss?

I'm in Melbourne at the moment on a 5 year temp 461 visa. I arrived June 2006. I'm married to a non eligble Kiwi who is not an Aus permanent resident.
Basically we met in 2002 while i was backpacking, moved back to london for a few years then came back here.

I've been permanently employed since Sept 2006.

We want to start a family here and live here forever, but how do i go about applying/obtaining permanent residency. From what i can understand from the immigration website all i can do at the moment is extend my 461 visa when it expires and the only way i can apply for permanent residency is if my wife is a PR? Is this correct?

Now, looking at kiwi's applying for permanent residency i'm not sure she would be able to get a 'skilled visa'. She's an admin assistant and i dont think she would have enough points, but yet she can stay here forever just not as a PR!

Does anyone have an idea's / help or advice on what we can do???

thanks in advance people

JAJ

It doesn't sound like your wife can get permanent residence based on her skills. Maybe in regional Australia there would be an option with RSMS, but not in Melbourne.

What's your occupation / skill base? Have either of you got relatives in Australia?

You need to be aware that if one of you doesn't get PR, any Australian born child will not be an Australian citizen by birth. The child would get Australian citizenship if he or she lived in Australia from birth until age 10.

Oli

hey Jaj,

no i dont have any relative's in Australia...

I work for an agency of the Victorian Workcover Authority as a claims officer.

I have a degree in Philosophy.

Previously while in England I was an account manager at a publisher's...