Martin Cleaver

Hi,
My Skilled Independent application is currently being processed by
the Adalaide Centre having got the thumbs up for the skills
assessment.

Does anyone know whether there are study restrictions on permanent
residency status? I want to do an MBA and do my 2 years for
citizenship whilst doing so.

Can anyone see any problems with this?

Thanks,
Martin.

ptlabs

There're no restrictions against not working if you're on a skilled permanent visa.


Peter

dpr21

Hi Martin

The honest answer is - I am not certain. However I am also on a PR visa and will be doing postgrad study next year. I qualify for PELS (essentially a government sponsored scheme to pay for the cost of your course which you repay post qualifying via the tax system)).

The PELS Scheme is structured in such a way that only 'new' PR visa holders and citizens can use it. If you are a PR holder and eligible for citizenship i.e. been in Oz for 2 years but have not taken it up you don't qualify for the PELS Scheme. There is more detail but essentially it appears that they encourage study so I would guess you will not be penalised.

DPR

Jaj

If you mean, are there any restrictions on you studying in Australia
once you've arrived as a permanent resident, the answer is no. You've
the same work and study rights as any other Australian.

And 2 years spent this way will qualify you for citizenship just as if
you had spent the time working, or travelling around Australia.

Visit http://www.hecs.gov.au - it may or may not
be applicable, but
you should be aware of it. Also visit
http://www.go8.edu.au - these
are the more prestigious universities in Australia, and even then, I'd
check very carefully the reputation of the institution before shelling
out thousands of dollars on an MBA.

Jeremy

    >On 24 Oct 2002 22:21:07 -0700, [email protected] (Martin Cleaver) wrote:
    >Hi,
    >My Skilled Independent application is currently being processed by
    >the Adalaide Centre having got the thumbs up for the skills
    >assessment.
    >Does anyone know whether there are study restrictions on permanent
    >residency status? I want to do an MBA and do my 2 years for
    >citizenship whilst doing so.
    >Can anyone see any problems with this?
    >Thanks,
    >Martin.

Iny

There are no restrictions on studying, working, vacationing on a PR
visa. A few points about studying:

You'll be able to apply as a local student and qualify for HECS (look
at http://www.hecs.gov.au), which might make
your education less
expensive.

You won't qualify for ausstudy payments until you've lived in
Australia for two years (Ausstudy is a support payment paid to those
over 25 who are studying full-time).

Any time you spend in Australia, whether studying or working, will
count towards your two years for citizenship.

Ivanhoe

To the best of my knowledge, there are only two Australian B-schools
considered to be among the top hundred internationally.

These are :

1) Australian Graduate School of Management
http://www.agsm.edu.au

2) Univeristy of Melbourne Business School
http://www.mbs.unimelb.edu.au/home-
.cfm

- John

[email protected] (JAJ) wrote:
    > If you mean, are there any restrictions on you studying in Australia
    > once you've arrived as a permanent resident, the answer is no. You've
    > the same work and study rights as any other Australian.
    > And 2 years spent this way will qualify you for citizenship just as if
    > you had spent the time working, or travelling around Australia.
    > Visit http://www.hecs.gov.au - it may or may
    > not be applicable, but
    > you should be aware of it. Also visit
    > http://www.go8.edu.au - these
    > are the more prestigious universities in Australia, and even then, I'd
    > check very carefully the reputation of the institution before shelling
    > out thousands of dollars on an MBA.
    > Jeremy
    > >On 24 Oct 2002 22:21:07 -0700, [email protected] (Martin Cleaver) wrote:
    > >Hi,
    > >My Skilled Independent application is currently being processed by
    > >the Adalaide Centre having got the thumbs up for the skills
    > >assessment.
    > >
    > >Does anyone know whether there are study restrictions on permanent
    > >residency status? I want to do an MBA and do my 2 years for
    > >citizenship whilst doing so.
    > >
    > >Can anyone see any problems with this?
    > >
    > >Thanks,
    > >Martin.

Jaj

AGSM and University of Melbourne are probably the two best ones. I
would have though that if the original poster planned to get
employment in Australia, some of the others from the Group of Eight
would be reasonable - at least a lot better than some of the
institutions I've seen mentioned on these pages in the context of
doing MBAs.

Jeremy


    >On 25 Oct 2002 08:11:12 -0700, [email protected] (Ivanhoe) wrote:
    >To the best of my knowledge, there are only two Australian B-schools
    >considered to be among the top hundred internationally.
    >These are :
    >1) Australian Graduate School of Management
    > http://www.agsm.edu.au
    >2) Univeristy of Melbourne Business School
    > http://www.mbs.unimelb.edu.au/home-
    > .cfm
    >- John
    >[email protected] (JAJ) wrote:
    >> If you mean, are there any restrictions on you studying in Australia
    >> once you've arrived as a permanent resident, the answer is no. You've
    >> the same work and study rights as any other Australian.
    >> And 2 years spent this way will qualify you for citizenship just as if
    >> you had spent the time working, or travelling around Australia.
    >> Visit http://www.hecs.gov.au - it may or may
    >> not be applicable, but
    >> you should be aware of it. Also visit
    >> http://www.go8.edu.au - these
    >> are the more prestigious universities in Australia, and even then, I'd
    >> check very carefully the reputation of the institution before shelling
    >> out thousands of dollars on an MBA.
    >> Jeremy

dpr21

HECS is for undergrad study. If you're doing postgrad e.g. MBA, then PELS is the assistance you may be eligible for

DPR

Martin Cleaver

Thankyou all, this is just the reassurance I was looking for.

I know about the MBAs and actually already had offers from both AGSM
and Melbourne and I have subsequently taken my place at Melbourne.

I now have a timing issue that I hope is not going stuff me. Perhaps
you can comment?

I submitted my PR application plus skills assessment confirmation at
the beginning of September. The MBA starts in January. If the PR does
not come through by beginning of December I'll have to start the
course on a Student Visa. I had never thought that the PR VISA was
going to take long once the Skills assessment was complete - but I was
recently told by immigration that cases are averaging 50 weeks. I
can't see why, is there a backlog? Can anyone confirm 50 weeks as
typical?

But in the timing lies a catch. I seem to remember reading that
applying for a subsequent visa quashes the application for the first
one. Would my student visa invalidate my PR process? If so, is there
any way to avoid this?

Thanks for all your help.
Martin

[email protected] (JAJ) wrote in message news:...
    > AGSM and University of Melbourne are probably the two best ones. I
    > would have though that if the original poster planned to get
    > employment in Australia, some of the others from the Group of Eight
    > would be reasonable - at least a lot better than some of the
    > institutions I've seen mentioned on these pages in the context of
    > doing MBAs.
    > Jeremy
    > >On 25 Oct 2002 08:11:12 -0700, [email protected] (Ivanhoe) wrote:
    > >To the best of my knowledge, there are only two Australian B-schools
    > >considered to be among the top hundred internationally.
    > >
    > >These are :
    > >
    > >1) Australian Graduate School of Management
    > > http://www.agsm.edu.au
    > >
    > >2) Univeristy of Melbourne Business School
    > > http://www.mbs.unimelb.edu.au/ho-
    > > me.cfm
    > >
    > >- John
    > >
    > >[email protected] (JAJ) wrote:
    > >> If you mean, are there any restrictions on you studying in Australia
    > >> once you've arrived as a permanent resident, the answer is no. You've
    > >> the same work and study rights as any other Australian.
    > >>
    > >> And 2 years spent this way will qualify you for citizenship just as if
    > >> you had spent the time working, or travelling around Australia.
    > >>
    > >> Visit http://www.hecs.gov.au - it may or
    > >> may not be applicable, but
    > >> you should be aware of it. Also visit
    > >> http://www.go8.edu.au - these
    > >> are the more prestigious universities in Australia, and even then, I'd
    > >> check very carefully the reputation of the institution before shelling
    > >> out thousands of dollars on an MBA.
    > >>
    > >> Jeremy
    > >>
    > >

Jaj

Whatever made you think the PR process was going to take such a short
period of time?

Applying for a second visa does not override an earlier application.
However a second visa *grant* does override an earlier visa grant.
That's why you need to make sure Adelaide knows about your student
visa application, and the AHC London (if that's where you'lll be
applying for a student visa) know about your permanent application.

Your skilled visa is unlikely to come through for a while, and when it
does it will override your student visa.

Make sure that Adelaide know you're in Australia and have a reliable
contact address for you. When they are about to grant your PR visa
you will need to leave Australia (Auckland is a popular destination)
to have your visa granted.

Make sure you actually have your student visa before you commit
yourself to payment of fees etc.

Also remember that time you spend in Australia on a student visa will
*not* count towards the 2 years you require for citizenship.

Jeremy


    >On 26 Oct 2002 05:47:13 -0700, [email protected] (Martin Cleaver) wrote:

    >Thankyou all, this is just the reassurance I was looking for.
    >I know about the MBAs and actually already had offers from both AGSM
    >and Melbourne and I have subsequently taken my place at Melbourne.
    >I now have a timing issue that I hope is not going stuff me. Perhaps
    >you can comment?
    > I submitted my PR application plus skills assessment confirmation at
    > the beginning of September. The MBA starts in January. If the PR does
    > not come through by beginning of December I'll have to start the
    > course on a Student Visa. I had never thought that the PR VISA was
    > going to take long once the Skills assessment was complete - but I was
    > recently told by immigration that cases are averaging 50 weeks. I
    > can't see why, is there a backlog? Can anyone confirm 50 weeks as
    > typical?
    >But in the timing lies a catch. I seem to remember reading that
    >applying for a subsequent visa quashes the application for the first
    >one. Would my student visa invalidate my PR process? If so, is there
    >any way to avoid this?
    >Thanks for all your help.
    >Martin
    >[email protected] (JAJ) wrote in message news:...
    >> AGSM and University of Melbourne are probably the two best ones. I
    >> would have though that if the original poster planned to get
    >> employment in Australia, some of the others from the Group of Eight
    >> would be reasonable - at least a lot better than some of the
    >> institutions I've seen mentioned on these pages in the context of
    >> doing MBAs.
    >> Jeremy

Sylvie

Hi Jeremy,

I am also in this situation as my husband needs to apply for a student
visa if our PR does not come through by the end of November. I have a
question to ask - you mention that you should have your student visa
before paying any fees: how is this possible. We have to pay the
Universtiy before we receive an e-COE from uni. When we've got this
in hand, we can then proceed to apply for our student visa.

Also since our medicals and police checks are in Adelaide, I have to
contact ASPC to check if we can lodge our student visa with them as
otherwise we have to go through the inconvenience of re-doing the
medicals etc. (not to mention all expenses involved).

Martin- we applied in Jan. 01 and our PR will be hopefully been
granted soon. So do not assume that the PR process is quick. It also
depends on your profession. My husband is an accountant and we're not
fast track so we had to wait in the 'queue' like other non fast track
applicants. Good luck with your MBA - I agree with previous advice
given to you about the Uni. of Melb. My husband chose the same
university.

Syl.

[email protected] (JAJ) wrote in message news:...
    > Whatever made you think the PR process was going to take such a short
    > period of time?
    > Applying for a second visa does not override an earlier application.
    > However a second visa *grant* does override an earlier visa grant.
    > That's why you need to make sure Adelaide knows about your student
    > visa application, and the AHC London (if that's where you'lll be
    > applying for a student visa) know about your permanent application.
    > Your skilled visa is unlikely to come through for a while, and when it
    > does it will override your student visa.
    > Make sure that Adelaide know you're in Australia and have a reliable
    > contact address for you. When they are about to grant your PR visa
    > you will need to leave Australia (Auckland is a popular destination)
    > to have your visa granted.
    > Make sure you actually have your student visa before you commit
    > yourself to payment of fees etc.
    > Also remember that time you spend in Australia on a student visa will
    > *not* count towards the 2 years you require for citizenship.
    > Jeremy
    > >On 26 Oct 2002 05:47:13 -0700, [email protected] (Martin Cleaver) wrote:
    > >Thankyou all, this is just the reassurance I was looking for.
    > >
    > >I know about the MBAs and actually already had offers from both AGSM
    > >and Melbourne and I have subsequently taken my place at Melbourne.
    > >
    > >I now have a timing issue that I hope is not going stuff me. Perhaps
    > >you can comment?
    > >
    > > I submitted my PR application plus skills assessment confirmation at
    > > the beginning of September. The MBA starts in January. If the PR does
    > > not come through by beginning of December I'll have to start the
    > > course on a Student Visa. I had never thought that the PR VISA was
    > > going to take long once the Skills assessment was complete - but I was
    > > recently told by immigration that cases are averaging 50 weeks. I
    > > can't see why, is there a backlog? Can anyone confirm 50 weeks as
    > > typical?
    > >
    > >But in the timing lies a catch. I seem to remember reading that
    > >applying for a subsequent visa quashes the application for the first
    > >one. Would my student visa invalidate my PR process? If so, is there
    > >any way to avoid this?
    > >
    > >Thanks for all your help.
    > >Martin
    > >
    > >[email protected] (JAJ) wrote in message news:...
    > >> AGSM and University of Melbourne are probably the two best ones. I
    > >> would have though that if the original poster planned to get
    > >> employment in Australia, some of the others from the Group of Eight
    > >> would be reasonable - at least a lot better than some of the
    > >> institutions I've seen mentioned on these pages in the context of
    > >> doing MBAs.
    > >>
    > >> Jeremy
    > >>

Martin Cleaver

[email protected] (JAJ) wrote in message news:...
    > Whatever made you think the PR process was going to take such a short
    > period of time?

Fair counterpoint!

    > Applying for a second visa does not override an earlier application.
    > However a second visa *grant* does override an earlier visa grant.
    > That's why you need to make sure Adelaide knows about your student
    > visa application, and the AHC London (if that's where you'lll be
    > applying for a student visa) know about your permanent application.

Okay, excellent, thanks, I'll mail them.

    > Your skilled visa is unlikely to come through for a while, and when it
    > does it will override your student visa.

Any takers on how long 'a while' has been recently?

    > Make sure that Adelaide know you're in Australia and have a reliable
    > contact address for you. When they are about to grant your PR visa
    > you will need to leave Australia (Auckland is a popular destination)
    > to have your visa granted.

Okay, will do.

    > Make sure you actually have your student visa before you commit
    > yourself to payment of fees etc.

MBS wouldn't take my acceptance of my offer until I'd part paid the
fees. They do the notification to the Australian government in order
to grant my Student Visa.

    > Also remember that time you spend in Australia on a student visa will
    > *not* count towards the 2 years you require for citizenship.

Shame, but I suspected as much.

Thankyou very much for your help, and thanks to the others on this
group, especially to Jeremy for pointing out the HECs stuff. With a
bit of luck I can fund the second half of the MBA with a HECs loan.

Best regards,
Martin.

    > Jeremy
    > >On 26 Oct 2002 05:47:13 -0700, [email protected] (Martin Cleaver) wrote:
    > >Thankyou all, this is just the reassurance I was looking for.
    > >
    > >I know about the MBAs and actually already had offers from both AGSM
    > >and Melbourne and I have subsequently taken my place at Melbourne.
    > >
    > >I now have a timing issue that I hope is not going stuff me. Perhaps
    > >you can comment?
    > >
    > > I submitted my PR application plus skills assessment confirmation at
    > > the beginning of September. The MBA starts in January. If the PR does
    > > not come through by beginning of December I'll have to start the
    > > course on a Student Visa. I had never thought that the PR VISA was
    > > going to take long once the Skills assessment was complete - but I was
    > > recently told by immigration that cases are averaging 50 weeks. I
    > > can't see why, is there a backlog? Can anyone confirm 50 weeks as
    > > typical?
    > >
    > >But in the timing lies a catch. I seem to remember reading that
    > >applying for a subsequent visa quashes the application for the first
    > >one. Would my student visa invalidate my PR process? If so, is there
    > >any way to avoid this?
    > >
    > >Thanks for all your help.
    > >Martin
    > >
    > >[email protected] (JAJ) wrote in message news:...
    > >> AGSM and University of Melbourne are probably the two best ones. I
    > >> would have though that if the original poster planned to get
    > >> employment in Australia, some of the others from the Group of Eight
    > >> would be reasonable - at least a lot better than some of the
    > >> institutions I've seen mentioned on these pages in the context of
    > >> doing MBAs.
    > >>
    > >> Jeremy
    > >>

Jaj

    >On 27 Oct 2002 01:22:03 -0700, [email protected] (Martin Cleaver) wrote:
    >> Your skilled visa is unlikely to come through for a while, and when it
    >> does it will override your student visa.
    >Any takers on how long 'a while' has been recently?

Adelaide are quoting a 12+ month processing time.


    >> Make sure you actually have your student visa before you commit
    >> yourself to payment of fees etc.
    >MBS wouldn't take my acceptance of my offer until I'd part paid the
    >fees. They do the notification to the Australian government in order
    >to grant my Student Visa.

Apparently that's common practise.


    >> Also remember that time you spend in Australia on a student visa will
    >> *not* count towards the 2 years you require for citizenship.
    >Shame, but I suspected as much.
    >Thankyou very much for your help, and thanks to the others on this
    >group, especially to Jeremy for pointing out the HECs stuff. With a
    >bit of luck I can fund the second half of the MBA with a HECs loan.


You should check this further - someone else has posted that HECS only
applies to undergrad studies. Apparently you should be looking for a
scheme called PELS instead.

Jeremy

Jaj

    >On 27 Oct 2002 01:05:06 -0700, [email protected] (Sylvie) wrote:

    >Hi Jeremy,
    >I am also in this situation as my husband needs to apply for a student
    >visa if our PR does not come through by the end of November. I have a
    >question to ask - you mention that you should have your student visa
    >before paying any fees: how is this possible. We have to pay the
    >Universtiy before we receive an e-COE from uni. When we've got this
    >in hand, we can then proceed to apply for our student visa.

I think you generally do have to pay fees (at least part of them) in
advance.



    >Also since our medicals and police checks are in Adelaide, I have to
    >contact ASPC to check if we can lodge our student visa with them as
    >otherwise we have to go through the inconvenience of re-doing the
    >medicals etc. (not to mention all expenses involved).

ASPC doesn't process student visas. Although you could ask your local
Australian mission to liaise with them re medicals etc, they might say
yes and they might say no.

Have ASPC asked you to do medicals? If you've been asked by them, the
a visa should not be too far off. In fact, you should be careful
about applying for a student visa in these circumstances.


    >Martin- we applied in Jan. 01 and our PR will be hopefully been
    >granted soon.

Do you mean January 2002, if your application is in Adelaide?



    >So do not assume that the PR process is quick. It also
    >depends on your profession. My husband is an accountant and we're not
    >fast track so we had to wait in the 'queue' like other non fast track
    >applicants.

Everyone has to wait these days, other than the small number of nurses
and those with STNI nomination. If you're Victoria bound you should
have checked that out with the people in Victoria's migration unit.


Jeremy

Martin Cleaver

[email protected] (Sylvie) wrote in message news:...

    > Martin- we applied in Jan. 01 and our PR will be hopefully been
    > granted soon. So do not assume that the PR process is quick. It also
    > depends on your profession. My husband is an accountant and we're not
    > fast track so we had to wait in the 'queue' like other non fast track
    > applicants.

Well, given that I have to mail them now I will probably lose fast
track status given that it is obvious that I am not going to work! I'm
a MSc Comp. Sci Management Consultant, a fact that might otherwise
have sped through my application.

    > Good luck with your MBA - I agree with previous advice
    > given to you about the Uni. of Melb. My husband chose the same
    > university.

Cool! How to meet your classmates before the induction week!

    > Syl.