Panicking about Low Availability

[Guest gr1ffiths]

"Primary School Teacher" has now turned to low availability and we're still waiting for the AITSL assessment to come back.

 

IELTS was done on saturday and we get the results 2/2/12, I'm checking the SA SMP everyday and going crazy.

 

Am I right in thinking there are new rules for the SMP's / 176 visas next year??

 

Any help would helpful

 

Many thanks

[Leeds1877]

Hi

 

We are in the same boat as you and are watching everyday too!!

 

Its really stressful but we are thinking that what will be, will be.

 

We have submitted last week and our docs recvd on 19/1....just hoping that it gets done before the quota fills up!

 

Dont know if this helps but it dropped to medium beginning of November and then to low on 11/1 so you may have a good few weeks yet depending on how many in pipeline....

 

Have you checked the AITSL tracker as ours took just less than the 10 weeks quoted and hat included receiving the cert...they don't email you the outcome. (from checking tracker that aid completed cert took 5 days)

 

There are changes planned for July this year and you can read a bit about it on DIAC website.

 

Good luck- I have found this forum really helpful.

 

Anna

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

There are new rules coming in for DIAC in July (this year).

 

Firstly though, and I know its hard, we were there last year, try not to panic about the SMP list - at the end of the day you can't do anything about timings and whether or not the list goes to low or full or not, what will be will be.

 

The changes really are that it is going from 'everyone who applies who has 65 points applies' to an 'Expression of Interest' scheme. That basically means you lodge an 'Expression of Interest' instead of the application for the visa, and then every so often (it may be every week, every couple of weeks, every month or however long they set each cycle for) DIAC will 'invite' the top scoring people to apply. It may be the top 100 people each cycle, it may be everyone that is over a set amount of points - until the system is up and running tbh I don't think we will know for certain.

 

The big difference for applicants is (imho) two fold - 1 is a really good thing - you don't run the risk of spending lots of money on a visa application to get refused (ie you will only get invited to apply if you are pretty much certain of getting the visa, other than medical results) 2 is that instead of getting the proof together for the 65 points threshold, you'll want to claim as many points as possible to up your chances of being picked from the pool.

 

Once its up and running it will be easier to see what's needed - NZ have had an EoI system for several years now (I went through it years back), and they publish what the points threshold is each cycle (possibly every other week? Its been about a year since I last looked at it in any detail, if you just google it though you will be able to find points etc from the NZ system to see how they work it) and how many people were invited to apply, so its not like its all cloak and dagger and you don't know what you should be aiming for.

 

At the moment, there isn't any point in claiming for any more points over the 65 points, as they just stop counting - I accidentally claimed points for work experience in my DIAC visa application, but was never asked for any proof of it (I didn't supply any over the 12/24 months basic requirement), as I already had 65 points with other things. So after July, there would be a point in gathering as much info/proof as possible - basically it just means you can't be as lazy as we were lol.

 

IMHO and my experience of the system its really not something to stress about, you have to ask yourself why you want to move to Oz, in our case one of the things is we don't want to be in a country where they let and Tom, Harry or Sally in, so having tight regulations to only allow the 'best' in appeals. It meant a lot of proof finding and pieces of paper for me to gather when I went to NZ, but it wasn't really an issue, it was just what I had to do to get there.

 

HTH a bit, try not to stress, I know it's hard, but what will be will be.

[sidestep]

Bear in mind that obtaining a teaching job may be harder than you think if you intend living in Adelaide rather than in a regional town as the occupations in demand list is for the whole of SA not just Adelaide.

[aliogilvie]

Hi Griffiths

 

Adelaide_Bound has covered off the details I think, try not to panic because, as she says, you can't change what will be!

 

That said though I was in the exact same situation as you late last year - still waiting on VETASSESS when the availability for my chosen job dropped to medium availability and then to low, it was on low by the time I put in the State Sponsorship and I was convinced we would miss the boat but we didn't, even though it took a month to get the SS back approved. For us it seemed to stay on Low for a good few weeks so you never know, it could all be fine. Fingers crossed for you! I know and remember very clearly how anxiety inducing it is to be at the behest of slow systems.

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Bear in mind that obtaining a teaching job may be harder than you think if you intend living in Adelaide rather than in a regional town as the occupations in demand list is for the whole of SA not just Adelaide.

 

But seeing as you don't actually have to work in the occupation your visa is in, its all happy days

[hannybabe]

But seeing as you don't actually have to work in the occupation your visa is in, its all happy days

 

I thought you were tied to working in your chosen occupation for 2 years??? Surely that's why you chose an occupation?

 

If I'm wrong please explain how and maybe I can smile a bit after the stresses of form-fillings!!! Thanks

[Leeds1877]

Great news getting form in...

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

I thought you were tied to working in your chosen occupation for 2 years??? Surely that's why you chose an occupation?

 

If I'm wrong please explain how and maybe I can smile a bit after the stresses of form-fillings!!! Thanks

 

 

I'm talking about the 176/175 visas, which is what I presume the OP is going for, in which case you're not tied to anything job wise - you get the visa on the occupation because you've got the qualifications and experience in that job, so that's why you chose it for the forms, as it were. It would be the normal thing to think you would continue working in that job (either because you like the job, or because you don't want to do anything else, or because you can't do anything else), but you don't have to. As its only on skills assessment, not a job offer/holding down of a job I don't see how they could police it otherwise. (When I was going through for my NZ PR visa, I had to actually have a teaching job offer and confirmation I had taken it up etc in order to get the visa, but nothing like that for Oz).

 

If you're employer based visa (457) then you are tied not just to the occupation, but that employer (unless you part ways and get the same job conditions etc elsewhere), but that's a different kettle of fish all together, and a lot more complex than my little sentence there lol.

 

Personally I chose the occupation here in the UK because the UK Gov promised to give me a small bursary and pay the fees which meant I could afford to do it, and then promised to pay back all my student loans (which they later welshed on, but we won't go into that one), at the same time that the dot com bubble burst (what I used to do) and my Mother had always wanted me to be a teacher. Found I actually really loved the teaching bit and was rather good at it (if I do say so myself - well, I didn't really, it was a combination of getting one of the coveted distinction grades for my course, having all my tutors tell me over and over again, having Ofsted tell me I was grade 1 everytime I've been ofstedded etc that finally convinced me lol) Having been thoroughly burnt out by teaching in the UK, if I don't go back to the classroom - whilst slightly wistful for it, I very much doubt I will be too unhappy despite really liking the teaching part (and the making to do lists bit lol).

 

So, no stresses to be had imho - I'll personally be happy picking litter, working in a supermarket, polishing shoes or something else that pays the bills tbh

[Guest gr1ffiths]

Many Thanks for all your replies!! I guess you're all right "What will be, will be" It's just a waiting game now.

[Guest railman2404]

I thought you were tied to working in your chosen occupation for 2 years??? Surely that's why you chose an occupation?

 

If I'm wrong please explain how and maybe I can smile a bit after the stresses of form-fillings!!! Thanks

 

Can confirm what Adelaide_Bound has said if you are on a 176, because the gov cannot guarantee you a job you can turn your hand to any occupation but must reside within South Australia for a period of two complete years within the five years of the visa.

[Guest gr1ffiths]

State Sponsorship Approved!!! Happened quicker than I expected.

 

Just sorting out DIAC form now.

 

Does anyone know If I apply online for the visa, what happens about certified document etc, Do we upload them or send them off??

 

Many Thanks

[hannybabe]

State Sponsorship Approved!!! Happened quicker than I expected.

 

Just sorting out DIAC form now.

 

Does anyone know If I apply online for the visa, what happens about certified document etc, Do we upload them or send them off??

 

Many Thanks

 

You have to upload them they won't accept copies through the post if you apply online.

It's really straightforward and you have 28 days to add the docs. We did it last week, was easy! Good luck!

[Guest gr1ffiths]

You have to upload them they won't accept copies through the post if you apply online.

It's really straightforward and you have 28 days to add the docs. We did it last week, was easy! Good luck!

 

Thank you for the reply.

 

I know this might sound a stupid question, but when you upload documents - how do they know they are certified or don't they have to be??

[Guest Brigitte-SH]

Our 175 visa for teaching states you have to prove that you've worked in your nominated occupation for a minimum of 2 years if you then want to apply for citizenship when your original visa comes to an end. Anyone any further update to this? Thank you.

[hannybabe]

Thank you for the reply.

 

I know this might sound a stupid question, but when you upload documents - how do they know they are certified or don't they have to be??

 

 

Altho it says on the DIMI website that colour originals don't need to be certified you can scan the original, we got them all done just to be on the safe side so we weren't asked again.

You need to have the copy certified on the front of the document and scan it all in as one piece.

All our copies were certified and I scanned in A4 sheets - photocopied all docs onto A4 and signed on the extra space even if the originals were smaller like passport data page.

 

Hope this helps - did take a while to scan and upload them all!

[hannybabe]

Our 175 visa for teaching states you have to prove that you've worked in your nominated occupation for a minimum of 2 years if you then want to apply for citizenship when your original visa comes to an end. Anyone any further update to this? Thank you.

 

As far as I am aware you don't have any work conditions restricting your ability to apply for Citizenship. Take a look at this;

 

http://www.citizenship.gov.au/citizenshipwizard/

 

which may be of help. And this;

 

http://www.citizenship.gov.au/applying/how_to_apply/

 

Failing that you might have to contact the DIAC. Hope that helps and all the best!

[Guest gr1ffiths]

Altho it says on the DIMI website that colour originals don't need to be certified you can scan the original, we got them all done just to be on the safe side so we weren't asked again.

You need to have the copy certified on the front of the document and scan it all in as one piece.

All our copies were certified and I scanned in A4 sheets - photocopied all docs onto A4 and signed on the extra space even if the originals were smaller like passport data page.

 

 

Hope this helps - did take a while to scan and upload them all!

 

 

Many Thanks for your reply

 

I think I will play it safe and certify the documents like you did.

 

Fingers crossed and good luck with your visa :-)

[hannybabe]

Many Thanks for your reply

 

I think I will play it safe and certify the documents like you did.

 

Fingers crossed and good luck with your visa :-)

 

 

That was our thought!

 

 

Good luck to you too Maybe see you out there at some point!