missapps

Ok, to all of you who know me its the panicker back again!!
I am in the process of fulfilling dream to teach in australia in january 08 at the moment and evrything was hunky dory until i received a phone call that has challenged all my research and understanding on immigration rules and visas!!!
I have applied,paid and sent off all information to 'Teaching Australia' should hear back in 3 weeks for my skills assessment. I assumed that when this came back it would have a number and i was to place this number onto my 'skilled worker migration visa' and be accepted fingers crossed- as i have passed all the online tests with flying colours and have 120 points as stated.)
However, after filling out the online visa bureau assessment thingy and receiving a phone call just now from a lovely australian lady who works for the immigration people. she has told me that this type of visa costs £3500 AND takes 12-18 MONTHS to come through.
I thought that it took 6-9months to come at most and would cost standard price- (around £2-300)
Am i going mad, did i misread all the 200 posts i researched on here or did i seriously miss something in big black letters that was in my face and missed it???
Somebody please tell me she is wrong????

If she is correct, she said that i would be best off getting a working holiday visa and working supply for 6 months, if im lucky find a school that will sponsor me and then i can stay in the same job for longer than 6 months if it were to become permanent.
oh hold on does that also mean we can only stay for 6 months? or does a WHV last a year and you just have to change jobs???

ah, pulling my hair out, thought i had it all sussed- SSSSSOOOOOO WRONG!!!!!
HELp please.
Australia bound and WSwhere are you friends???? HE HE HE -have PM you x
shouldnt laugh but i'll cry if not!!!
Laura xxxxxxxxx
p.s. a very appreciative laura by the way after all that moaning!!!!

GracieK

If you're applying for the 136 skilled independent it will take about 12 months as teaching is non-MODL (have a look at austimeline to see how long it's taking for others). Sometimes it seems to be quicker and sometimes slower so no guarantees on duration.

The £3500 must include the fees for the agent too?? To apply for the 136 without an agent costs around £800 (if you don't speak english there's an additional fee on top of that). Not sure why someone who works for the immigration dept would be working as an agent at online visa bureau either - think there's some misunderstanding there?

You need to send off the teaching australia certificate they send to you as confirmation of your positive skills assessment as well as cert copies of anything that you sent to teaching australia along with your visa application form.

There's also the costs of the medicals (~£220) and police check later on too. Once you know you're going you'll also have to apply to register with the state education authorities which will again cost before you can teach there. It all adds up rather scarily.

Guess she's suggesting a WHV because they can't guarantee getting the 136 visa by Jan 08. I think there may be another way which is the sponsored regional (don't quote me on this as I haven't really been looking at this type) where the state territory can sponsor you - I think these happen a bit quicker that 136. But that has more restrictions that the 136 i.e. you are bound to that state only and may have to go beyond the black stump as they say

I'm no migration agent but we're applying for 136 without an agent and hubby is teacher so this is based on what we're doing. It seems a bit quiet on the Teaching board - might be worth posting this on the immigration board in the Australia section as more peeps frequent those boards (if you haven't already).

You'll find definitive information on http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/gener.../136/index.htm

HTH

WS

If you can get the points for a 136 definitely go for that. They are taking 7-12 months at the moment (after 6 months, we've got a CO and awaiting final decision).

As Gracie says, its about £800 for the visa fee, plus medicals and PCC's.

State or employer sponsorship will tie you down for at least two years, it maybe only a temporary visa and you might have to live in the middle of nowhere.

A problem with the WHV is you may not get an employer to sponsor you, or if you can't even find work over 20 hrs/week for 12 months, you then don't meet the work experience requirements for a skilled visa (which you do at the moment!).

Australia_bound?

Have pm'd you sweetheart

Stop fretting xx

saoghalbeag

Oh no! Goddam there is always something isn't there???

I don't know enough about migrating to Oz (as I'm trying to get out of here myself!!) but what about that STNI in Victoria that people were talking about on the Australia forum? Would you qualify for that? Not as remote as the regional visa???

Buuut, don't discount that regional visa. It is not the end of the world - at least you're in the country, and believe me (well, you probably know) it feels worse to be outside the country wishing you were there. Plus there's often more chances for management posts etc and more responsibility in those areas. I'm living in one and unless you drive to the edge of town and realise it's just red dust and sand dunes for thousands of miles, you could be anywhere! If you have a partner there's also usually more of a labour shortage in the regional areas.

I hope you find an answer asap!

WS

Missapps already qualifies for a 136 PR visa?!

missapps

Thank you everybody, have posted new enquiry now!!
Sorrry its taken so long to say thank you have been trying to get in contact with my unc;e in australia to see if he can help, only to find he's changed his bllody email address!!! family!!! But my room to stay in in auctralia, in perth us ready for january so i ahvce to find a way to get there!!