Hi all,

Got sponsorship for a permanent Visa to teach in Victoria...applied for the visa etc etc.

I'm a bit unsure on two things -

1)salary - can anyone confirm whether UK experience is usually credited for salary scales. The victoria govenrment website says it can be but is it???!!! Makes a big difference!
2)registration for Victorian Institue of Teaching - they've given me provisional registreation and said i can apply for full reg (which i obviously intend to do) the form looks like one side of A4 to be completed by my current headteacher. Is this all that is required? Do I attach any evidence etc etc

Thanks for the help!

We are in WA and experience was used for hubby to be on right payscale. Working for WA education department.

I also know that a teaching couple went to Vic, think it was the start of this year and they told me that they got right payscale for 10years experience.

*However we did need a reference from every employer stating job title, full time/part time, any time taken off work, and when employment start date and finish, duties etc. This had to be on letterheaded paper, signed and stamped by school or teaching agency.

So you should, this is working for state schools, so cant comment on private/catholic schools pay scales.

Gems

you will need a statement of service for all employers, with this your experience will be counted.

I assume for provisional reg you filled out part A of this form http://www.vit.vic.edu.au/files/documents/971_Reg_A.pdf

for full registration you need your head to fill the whole of Part B- two sides of A4 following the guidance on the next 2 pages. Doesn't ask for evidence.

Thanks

Actually applied using PArt E (Trans-Tasman as I'm registered in NZ) - part B seems to be what I have to fill in now - it asks the principle for "summary of evidence presented...." - waht does this mean exactly???

Thanks again

If you refer to the notes provided for filling out the form, it states what standards are required to gain full registration. In that area of the form you need to provide examples of how you met these standards...a bit like applying for threshold in the UK.

My head teacher let me fill this in (to be honest I don't think he could be bothered with the hassle!!!) and he read through and then signed it.

I am going to Victoria too on an stni 137 as a secondary teacher....going out in april to validate and then moving over in the summer holidays.

Just wondered whether you are planning to teach in Melbourne or further afield. I am teaching in NSW because we live on the border and the job offer in NSW was better but I have Victoria registration.
Your teaching experience will count as long as you get your statement of employment and bring that with you. Also part B of the form doesn't require evidence as a rule but it might be worth giving VIT a call just to be certain as it is being completed overseas.
Nicky

Thanks - that's handy advice. Now got full reg with Vic. Not too fussed where I teach but would like to be in striking distance of MEL for shopping etc.. any ideas...?

Just wondering if your move is imminent...?!!

As I said, I am going out for 2 weeks in april to validate my visa then hoping to move out in the summer holidays...probbaly august as apparently this is when most of the job adverts start coming up for january.

Depends what you call striking distance. Where we live Melbourne is about 2-3 hours away and we often head down for a shopping spree. If you don't want to be in the city then areas like Bendigo are worth a look or look at some of the smaller towns outside of Melbourne. It really depeds on what areas you teach and what is available at the time. Check out the job advert site and see how it goes, I usually have the site open with whereis.com open on another window to check where the schools are.
http://www.teaching.vic.gov.au/ then check out recruitment online.
Good luck.
Nicky

There seem to be a lot of jobs advertised on the government site. Is there an obvious reason why they are so short or are these not real jobs???!!!

many of them are not real jobs- they will go to someone who is in a temp position at the school already.

Some are not real jobs as they have to advertise temporary positions regularly even if they have someone on site who is doing the job perfectly well. However usually if you phone the school they are very up front about this and the truth is that even if they have someone in job doing a good job if you are better then that person may not get re-employed (the life of a temp teacher isn't always a good one).
The reality is though that even whe you take all of this into account, they are short of teachers in the rural or regional areas. Schools are expanding and teachers are moving or retiring so jobs are always out there for those that want them.
Nicky

I see that VIC are offering opportunities for sponsorship for perm Visa's. What are the restrictions on this VISA (176)? How long do you have to live in VIC for, once the visa is granted how long do you have before you have to validate the visa and when do you have to finally settle?

My g/f and I were originally looking at opportunities in WA but they seem to want to get people out there ASAP. Due to debt, up and coming wedding, issues with the housing market we are now looking a bit more long term with the hope to get over to oz in the summer of 2010. We are planning a holiday next easter to visit and was wondering what the reality would be of starting the Visa and Vic gov sponsorship application now and validating the visa next easter with a view for the perm move summer 2010 in time to apply for job?

Would this be possible or would we be better waiting until the beggining of next year before starting the process? I am concerned that the sponsorship option may be withdrawn if we wait.

Any advice would be great. Given the choice I would go with the WA route to get out there asap but my g/f doesnt fancy the idea of being too far from a big town/city.

A 176 visa will prob take 6-12 months to be granted.

Once granted you agree to stay in the state for 2 years (though in actual fact this is a moral rather than legally enforcable obligation).

If you wanted to delay your move to 2010 but appy now you would need to do a validation trip- which would prob tie in with your planned holiday.

The visa is valid for 5 years from grant.