Pollyana

Ypu can't just change to a bridging visa, you have to apply for another visa and then DIBP may grant you a bridging visa.

The friend cannot apply for last remaining relative (even assuming she qualifies for it in other ways) while the mother is on a bridgng visa. The mother will need her visa granted first. So even if the mother applied onshore and was granted a bridging visa that doesn't help the friend.

Isn't yours a general skills visa? Rather different scenario I'm fraid.

hairart

So what visa are you applying for ?

hairart

Could she apply onshore for the last remaining relative ?

Pollyana

Previous posts say a 189 which is general skills migration.

Your friend really needs to look into this more herself. Most important question is - where do her husband's family live? Are they in the UK, Aus or elsewhere? If they are in the UK Remaining Relative may not be an option anyway.

Pollyana

http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/115.aspx

No, she must be offshore when she applies and offshore when its granted.

Bermudashorts

I think you have misunderstood something.

The parent has already applied for her visa onshore, so she is now in Australia, presumably on a bridging visa and is waiting out the 15 years.

OP's friends are looking into options. In my view, they don't have any though because they have said they do not have skills and they are too old to retrain at this point. They also would not qualify for the last remaining relative visa, because the mother is not PR yet and also because one half of the couple has a brother not in Australia.

Bermudashorts

There is an onshore version of the last remaining relative visa and they could apply for it, but there is no point because it would be quickly established that they do not meet the criteria.

hairart

Looks like she's running out of options

Bermudashorts

Unfortunately there is not a visa option for everyone that wants one and in this case, no I don't think that your friend has any. Other than visits of course

hairart

It's a pity the UK wasn't more like Australia !!!

Bermudashorts

Not sure what that means. It is actually quite hard for anyone outside EU zone to get to UK. Even the partner of a British citizen will have a much harder time getting to UK than a partner of an Australian trying to move to Australia.

hairart

Mmmm but there are so many in the UK that can't even speak English

Grayling

Much the same as here then

TheCreature

That one made me think. I can honestly say that I've never met anybody here in Australia who couldn't speak English, not a one. Plenty who may prefer to speak in Serbian/Croat/Macedonian etc, but they can all speak English when its called for.

When I lived in Manchester there was a sizeable percentage of the Chinese and Bangladesh communities who couldn't speak any English at all.

I'm obviously comparing apples with oranges as Manchester and Wollongong are not really comparable cities in terms of population makeup.

Pollyana

Try some of the Brisbane cab drivers. One had to get me to sit in the front and wave my hands for right or left as he didn't know the words