Jowill

You say you can't study in South Korea - are there international schools where you are where you can continue studying? If you are serious about returning to the VCE - you can try to keep up with the work your peers would be working on at school. You can't teach yourself everything, but if you're motivated you can probably source the VCE textbooks from overseas (or even get an electronic version or something). Good thing is for some VCE subjects, units 3 and 4 (i.e. Year 12 units) are separate to units 1 and 2, so essentially a different topic is covered so you could get away with not doing units 1 and 2 and still not fall too far behind. Others like mathematics you'd be expected to know and use content from Units 1 and 2. From memory the VCE certificate itself might also require you to do a minimum number of Units 1-2, but there might be exemptions etc around it if you are joining at Year 12 level. And what doesn't make sense to me - what visa were you in Australia with before? Could you not return on a student visa while this other visa is being processed?

Have you had a look at the application online? They go through each document you need to provide when you go through the application. E.g. proof of date of birth: birth certificate, etc etc. and then you select the document you will provide for each one. You can start the application (but not submit it) before you are actually eligible, so you can fill in the details and see which documents you need.

Oh yes - there are those things associated with citizenship that you won't get because you can't ever become a citizen directly from the temporary visa. The other things like commonwealth government jobs, joining the army etc have already been mentioned I think. Oops - didn't realise I'm not allowed to post a link. But if you want more information - There is a group called OzKiwi that has a facebook page and webpage with more information - they're trying to get the Aus gov't to relax rules for NZers already living in Australia. Your wife might already be eligible for a permanent visa (RRV) if she's been in Australia prior to certain changes in Sept 1994. (Edit: Actually - I'm not sure why giving that link before was against the forum rules. Wasn't exactly trying to advertise a business or redirect traffic to another site. More just trying to provide information. But anyway, maybe there was a part of the rules I didn't read properly.)

There is more. In addition to HECS loans, citizenship and some Centrelink payments, sh would also not be eligible for: - the new National Disability Insurance Scheme (despite having to pay the increased Medicare Levy to help fund it) - She won't qualify as an Australian resident in her own right for the Aus Aged pension. Currently she would be considered an Australian resident based on the bilateral agreement between the two countries, but this may change in the future - Student public transport concessions in various states - Seniors card in Victoria - Disaster relief and victim of terrorism payments - e.g. the cyclones in Queensland over the past few years, NZers on SCVs did not qualify as a resident for those payments and it was only some time after that an ex gratia payment was made. And anything else in the future that the gov't might want to remove from temporary residents to help fix the budget. If you are already applying for a permanent visa, it is probably worthwhile to include your wife +/- dependants. Has she been in Australia prior to 1994 by any chance? There's more information here. *** link removed per forum rules ***

After reading the thread, I really don't get it. What do you mean? Everyone needs to prove they have English skills - just that if you're a NZ citizen you can get a concession by way of your passport. It's not really spending "extra" money. You're just saving money cos everyone else in the world would need to sit IELTS. If that doesn't give you enough points and you think your English is good enough for the 5 or 10 points then you'd need to sit the test to prove it like everyone else? It's the same idea as a PhD being worth more points than a Bachelors degree. It'd also "cost" you a lot to do a PhD over just a Bachelor's degree...... Thought if you're a NZ citizen you'd be more interested in how NZers already living in Australia don't particular get any concessions for the skills independent visa. No consideration of age concessions etc if they have already lived for years in Australia and paid heaps of taxes. And you'd get the same Medicare as everyone else if you're a NZ citizen living permanently in Australia. If you want to call that "limited"..... It's the disability support (i.e. new NDIS), Centrelink etc that you'd miss out on.

In theory you should leave and enter with an Australian passport..... But I just travelled back to Australia last week and there were people in the Australian/NZ passport line using foreign passports to enter the country as Australian citizens. They just had to have a quick chat to immigration. Still managed to get into the country no problems. Just caused a massive hold-up for everyone else queuing in the citizen line.

http://citibank.com.au/aus/banking/everyday_banking/citibank_plus.htm this one But "free" only if you use Citibank ATMs. you might still be subject to local ATM fees.

I don't think you need to worry. I changed my name by deed poll and applied with my passport in my old name. I filled out the application in my new name (it seemed easier with all my supporting documents in the same name except my passport itself) and provided details of name change with the application. It all worked out fine. The emails from dibp incl visa grant was in the new name but the visa's still in my passport in the old name.

CO today! (12/3/14) Lodged 8/2/14; progressively uploaded all docs except medical. Just need some more employment info, medicals and Form 80 now. Any ideas how long it takes for Medibank to process the medicals??

There's lots of information about it on OzKiwi https://www.facebook.com/OzKiwi2001 Similar situation to you Fluid36 - just applied for 189 and CO requested medicals as well. Been here over 9 years now....

Think if one branch refuses then just rock up at another branch. Often that solves the problem!

Well, who is going to know when you apply for the second one? I thought you can apply for two visas anyway? http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/eligibility-second.htm

So what happens to the first invitation? Does that mean they take back the first invitation when you get the second one?

I have heard that they will only take very recent results... like within 1 year so the IELTS is still valid when they finally move to Australia?

I see on the website: " The following information is a guide only and is subject to the legislative process. More information will be available closer to 1 July 2012." What do they mean by the "legislative process"? Does that mean the changes might not take place if they can't get the right laws through? It's nearly June already! Not much time for them to fiddle with the legislation?