shark bait

In an immigration meeting I went to a few weeks ago, I was clearly told that at the moment
1, pass your 2 year course prefer to diploma level.
2, u have to have 900 hours or your on your way home
3, the 900 hours needs to be like a project- photos, letters from employers proving work experience, descriptions of jobs & work done, proof of hours, signed off, a bit like an apprentiship.
4, then apply for tra, through an agent, cause they will tell u if you have a chance or not.
5, then apply for a graduation visa, NO SCHOOL FEES for kids.
6, wait, if your tra is granted, you can stay and wait for pr, work full time on a gradation visa, stay in Aus.
7, pr can take 4-5 years , because student visas are the bottom of the pile.
8, If you don,t get ur 900 hours or tra or fail your course- see u later.
these we were told are the current june 09 rules, they can change at any time.
Personally we are just waiting for my wife to get sponsored by her employer, I,ll continue my studies but the student visa is a stressful, money making, rip off Imo, quicker We can get off it the better.
Also you CAN get medicare on a student visa, we have it , medibank is another rip off.

pumpkin blossom

Mmmm, it is funny that they all tell different things isn't it.

Someone on my course just got a possitive TRA assessment and certainly did not send photos.
And we are being told a 2 year wait for visas at the end of the course. I wonder if it makes much difference what country you are from?
Immigration did try to convince all of us to go for state sponsorship, I wonder now if maybe that might be quicker?

pumpkin blossom

Forgot to say, when immigration came to talk to our class a few months ago now they had a big chart of all the visas which showed that the CSL, the MODL, the sponsored visas and then all other visas were done, in that order. (actually the sponsored one may have been in a different position, I didn't pay so much attention to that one).
But they did tell us that the student visa went onto the pile waiting with all other skilled visas, not that they were down the bottom of the list (well they are, but so are all the other none CSL/MODL/sponsored jobs).

They also did not tell us we should use and agent for the TRA (the one who just passed on my course didn't and found it all pretty simple). And they also said they could not tell us anything about what TRA wanted, as they are seperate to immigration so they could not tell us, we would have to speak to them.

Even the immigration people though do not seem to have a thorough understanding of the system, which is rather scarey.

Shark bait, one thing I am REALLY interested in, did they mention the job ready test? That was announced not long after our immigration people came to talk to us, so we had no chance to ask any questions.

mango4

Good luck trying to get state sponsorship on a student visa. Queensland have totally shut the doors to all graduates apart from health professionals and a few others...You also need to have studied and got full time job in most of the other states too..

I think we are considered the lowest of the low (thats how I personally feel anyway). I have applied for 886 in Dec 08 and am sitting at the bottom of the pile...4 / 5 years sounds horrendous!

You do have to pay school fees on bridging visa A until your PR or 485 is granted but you can apply for a waiver...

Good luck all
x

pumpkin blossom

Yes, Victoria has done the same I believe. We are in SA and they are still happy to have us Infact, that seemed to be the main visa they wanted to tell us about.

shark bait

yeh, the photo thing just gives extra evidence but its not essential.
Here in Qld, they only recommended the state sponsership to the bricklayers.
To be honest I,m worried, if my wife fails to get sponsered by her employer, its down to me and they move the goal posts all the time on the student route, there seems to be no clear guidelines.
Everyone give different info, also they can change the sol list, at the mo landscape gardener is on there but will it be in 2010?

shears

we all feel your pain, shark bait

shark bait

shears

don't be mad ... I've had a fair few rants meself on here about the same issues!!

Carlton Cold's

hiya shears, just been catchin up with the threads.. I called the victorian education authority to ask specficially if someone is on a bridging visa do they have to pay international school fees.. and they confirmed YES. Timescales we have been advised for either the 485, 885/886 etc are approx 18months - 2yrs..

Assuming we achieve a successful TRA, which we plan to do next month, the route we believe might be best for us given we have two children in primary school in melbourne is the 487.. Our understanding that these applications are processed outside of the priority list and few other applicants advised us that it took them around 4-6months to be processed. Yes its slightly longer to hopefully achieve pr, but all depends on your circumstance i.e. whether you have children etc or family sponsor, but given the lower points required for 487 and no restrictions at all, we feel it will give us some security and then after 2-yrs we can lodge for the 887 which again seems to imply has a shorter processing time..

I agree, every agent or even immi seems to be stating something different and its not very clear...

Best wishes to all us lot on this crazy student visa ride, I reckon if we knew all about this upfront then maybe we might have had different thoughts, but its a great money spin for australia..

shears

hi cc ... had a look at the 487 on the immi site ... would you believe we are about 1 or 2 numbers out in the postcodes for regional relative sponsorship?! I'll have to get my brother or sister to move house

I didn't realise I live in an eligible area ... if only I could sponsor myself!

yup, it's a tough one alright, I think the main people struggling are the ones with children as we have those bloomin school fees to pay (we could have bought about 3 houses on what we've spent so far!)

yeah, so best of luck to all the struggling students with the long and winding (and getting longer and windier) road to PR

cheers
shears

Carlton Cold's

I fully agree and what a shame about postcodes!!!, good luck to you and the family and lets hope the future works out for us all..

Best wishes

sambo76

We have been sponsored by a relative in a regional area, but still no end in sight for a visa tho......good luck to all on this expensive and risky student to PR route

zee004

hi,
can some one please help me. I would like to go to australia on student visa for advanced diploma in accounting offered by tafe sa this is two years course. My question is that what are the chances of getting the pr based on the student visa.
My other question is that whether the australian immigration accepts IELTS G.T for education purpose, as they do not say anything about it, thay say it could be G,T or Acadamic but check with the institution. The Tafe SA has issued me unconditioal offer letter.
Other question I am 33 years old will it affect my chances of getting the student visa.

or I have another option I can apply for my wife on student visa and I can come as her husband, in that situation what are the chances for me getting the PR. I have already +assessment as Accountant from NIA.


Please guide me.

shears

sorry zee, they're some pretty complicated questions I can't help you there! Maybe do a new thread with your questions and one of the agents who post on here could give you some advice?

The only thing I can say is there's no problem with your age for the student visa.

good luck