State Sponsorship/visa - Prep!

[Guest MarK Jowett]

Ok, so my skills assessment is in and being validated. Fingers crossed all will be fine and I'll get the nod to continue. In the mean time I would really like to be on top of everything so that when the nod hopefully comes, i'll be able to quickly put everything in for the state sponsorship.

 

With that in mind, can anyone help, or point me in the direction of a list of things I can be doing/gathering/writing in the mean time so that i'm in a position to do the SS as soon as I can, and then be in a good position for the visa app too.

 

I'm looking mainly at things like preparing answers, gathering documentation that will be required etc. I've had a look on the net and i'm so far drawing a blank trying to get a good list together.

 

thanks in advance for any help

 

Mark

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

We included: (me as primary applicant)

Passport pages

My IELTS cert

My Skills Assessment letter/certificate

My Degree transcripts

My Degree cert

My PGCE transcripts (teacher training qualification)

My PGCE cert

My registration with the General Teaching Council certificate

The front cover page that someone had signed saying we were who we said we were

Marriage certificate.

 

None of them were certified, only the front cover page being witnessed and signed (by a friend in our case - could be your neighbour, as long as they aren't family!)

 

Heres the list from their website:

 

Must include:

Application Cover Sheet (this page) signed and witnessed in English.

Copy of Positive Skills Assessment from the relevant Assessing Authority.

Copies of your qualifications and/or fellowships/memberships detailing highest qualification achieved and date of completion.

Copy of an IELTS test that is less than two years old unless you hold a valid passport from, and are a citizen of, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America, or the Republic of Ireland. For the aforementioned countries where the special requirement is 7.0 or higher, you must provide an IELTS test result.

Copy of Passport pages with Name, Date of Birth and Country of Citizenship.

If applicable:

Evidence of any Licensing or Registration requirements for your nominated.

Letter from current or previous employer (optional).

 

 

 

Hope that helps (it felt rather thin when we posted it off, if thats any help!)

[Guest MarK Jowett]

I had a feeling you'd be my saviour on this one

 

That's great thanks. Seems pretty straight forward too - i did loads of photocopies of most things at the time I was doing my documentation gathering for my skills assessment.

 

What about the sort of questions you get asked? Is this the one where you have to wax lyrical about why you want to immigrate to SA?

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Yep, you get up to 1000 words to say why you want to move to SA (in blocks of 200 at a time) - just tell the truth really - why do you want to move there? Its basically just to show you aren't applying without knowing anything I think - that you've done a little job research, that you know it isn't 30 degrees all year round there, that you know how you are going to support yourselves and so on.

 

Apart from that its all 100% just age/sex/name type questions - facts filling in red tape - easy peasy lemon squeezy

 

Thanks for this question - its reminded me I must update the blog to have this included in the Info section!

[Guest MarK Jowett]

thanks again, that's very helpful, and calming!

 

One last question then - is it worth getting the medical and police checks out of the way early? - from some of the posts I've seen on here, people seem to be getting caught out with quick acceptance from SA and then are in a rush to get sorted for the visa application.

[Guest Helchops]

I wouldn't as they're only valid for 12 months.

 

They're processing 176's fast at the moment, but we don't know whether that speed will continue - possibly not. Submit your visa, see how things are processing, and your Case Office will tell you to do the police checks and Meds.

[Guest MarK Jowett]

Coolio! thanks Helchops

 

I will be patient and wait till i'm asked then - i'm just chomping at the bit at the moment as there's nothing I can do whilst my skills are assessed!