Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

Hay guys,

just wondering what you guys are doing as there are a few of as at the same stage.

We applied for the graduate visa last month, so on bridging visa A just now and probably for the next year eh?!! LOL

Anyway, just to let ya know hubby just got the thumbs up from TRA this week so WHOOP WHOOP!! Another 'hoop' cleared!! :thumbup:

Cheers
Mandy

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

Thats great news Mandy..my brother is also on a student visa here and has been refused by TRA since he fell short of 900 hrs for cook occupation. Is there a way to apply for graduate visa without assessment, else he has to go back to his country.

I read from ur post that u got graduate visa and recently got YES from TRA---I wonder how is that possible. Am I missing something?? that can help my brother.

Regards,
Raes

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

You have to have applied for TRA to apply for the graduate visa. As TRA are so quick, presumably if you fail that is that visa appplication cancelled.......

There is no way to get the graduate visa without the 900 hours. There are two option.... apply for another student visa, and make sure you finish the hours within 6 months to be able to apply for the other visa, or go home and finish the hours.

The stage I am at is:

Finished TAFE yesturday (YAY, but actually quite sad too)
Passed IELTS test (overall score of 9 yay)
Just sending off for police checks this weekend
Will have my 900 hours by the second week in January... so then will apply for both TRA and the 885 visa the second I have them lol.
Have to book in for medicals before applying for the visa, so will be doing that soon.

The main concern I have now is that I am going to have to do this bloody job ready test, and nobody seems to be able to tell us anything about it, how much is will be, what it will be etc.
I am probably worrying for nothing, but it is a concern that I may not pass.......

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

Good luck everyone!! We are on 886 since Jan 9 after student visa just glad we don't have to pay school fees or do a job ready test!! But would still be here waiting than in the UK

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

Hay Sambo hope all good with you guys!!

Hope everything works out for ya PP, well done on the IELTS. . .sorry haven't heard anything about the job ready test. . just more $$$ to pay out!!

The TRA application takes around 1 month now, you get a ref number within a few days so that you can apply for the visa, we are on the Bridging visa at the moment. . . .as PP says you would have to apply for the extension to get the hours in to get the TRA. . .good luck!!

Cheers
Mandy

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

Good luck to both Mandy and Pumpkin Blossom, welcome to the club.
Been on bridging visa A now since march, when 885 lodged. Looks like a long wait for PR, but hopefully will be worth it.
Also good luck to everyone else on the student route.

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

I passed my course YAY.
And I will have my hours done by the first week in January (typical hey).

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

I'm still over 1 year away from all that. Working on my 900 hours work experience... Quick question, when on Bridging visa (A) I'm thinking, can you travel in and out of the country?

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

Congratulations PB. . .

No you need to apply for bridging visa B (I think) to leave, or rather re-enter Australia.

Cheers
Mandy

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

Ok thanks for the info.. will look into it when I get to that point. It seems so far away, but time has been flying by pretty quickly. My husband works overseas and flies in and out of the country on a monthly basis. So he needs to be on a visa allowing him to travel.

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

no idea but just wanted to wish you every sucess in the coming months. Good luck!

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

How many months in advance did you book your IELTS? It's my understanding it's valid for 2 years? With all the things that need to be done, TRA, IELTS, job ready test, medicals, police clearance etc and so on... I think it would be nice to get some stuff out of the way. And try to spread the fees over several months. But in what order should I be doing these things? Don't want to waste my money either...

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

Yep, IELTS is valid for two years. I did mine I think the beginning of last month??? Police checks are off being done at the moment.
It seems now you can't apply for the visa until your TRA assessment is back, and I can't apply for mine until about 2nd week in Jan, but they are supposed to be pretty quick at coming back..... So by that time the police checks should be back.
I am hoping that the job ready test will not apply to my job just yet (fingers crossed).

The one thing worrying me now is the medicals. It says you must have applied for them, but I was also under the impression that they only last a year, and the applications are expected to take at least two years at the moment, and from what I understand they don't look at them until the last bit, where they have to still be valid???

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

Hi PB,
Everything had to be front loaded for the 885 in March, which included medical, so check on this in case anything has changed.
It's a concern now that it's taking so long for this visa to be processed as medicals are only valid for a year, and everyone will probably be on the bridging visa for a very long time, it seems optimistically at least 18 months Does anyone know if you have to keep everything current. By that I mean do you have to re-do the medicals before they run out when on a bridging visa, to make sure you continue to comply with the original criteria.
Hope that makes sense!

Re: Student visa holders. . .which route did ya choose?
 

At the moment at least it just says they have to have been applied for, apparently they give you a reference number when you book. BUT from the 1st of Jan you have to have your TRA assessment back before applying, so it could be that the medical has to be done and dusted from then too??