Squilookal

Oh wow, aren't you lucky, what about the average 13 months wait time? Maybe things are quicker in Perth? Well done!

Just as a quick follow up for anyone in future with a similar issue... My wife went to the local DIBP office and was told that she did indeed need a HAP ID and should have received one but was the person she spoke to was unable to offer a reason why she hadn’t. This is the second time we’ve had a problem being issued with a HAP ID so I guess a pro active response would be the way to go if you’re in doubt about whether one is needed or if one should have been issued.

Thanks very much for your thoughts, Wrussell. Think my wife better do one of those 50 minute waits in the help line phone queue and see what is going on here!

I’ve searched the threads to try to find some info about this, without any luck my apologies if I've missed it. 8 months into an onshore 820 spouse visa application (not front loaded) we’ve received an automated email telling us to get our police check and health assessment organised and the application “will be allocated to a case officer when we have received all of the outstanding documents”. Everything I’ve looked at everywhere clearly indicates that we need a HAP ID to get the health checks moving and that this will provided by DIBP when it is determined a health check is needed. My feeling is that this automated message is just a bit clumsily worded but I wouldn’t want to add to the waiting time if the application doesn’t even reach a CO’s desk because we didn’t get the medical done. Have I got this right that the way it works is that the CO takes a first look to make an assessment of the medical exam needs and then issues a HAP ID so we can then get the exam done? Thanks very much in advance to anyone who could shed some light on this. Cheers, Simon.

Hi Britsabroad2013, My wife and I have just moved to Hobart, it’s a return to Tassie for me as I used to live in Launceston and it is absolutely fantastic to be back! We’re outdoors folk too and I really think it is difficult to beat Tasmania, although NZ would be one place that could but I would say only the South Island which is a significant issue because then it’s a very different proposition work wise etc to living in Auckland for example. Also, if you have any kind of interest in travel and/or general international mobility, NZ is one of the last places in the world to live, the south island even worse. Can’t really say about the job situation in Tassie being difficult from first hand experience as my wife walked straight into a nursing job here and I’m self employed and work from home via the Internet but my feeling is that if you are in admin you will find something. There are almost endless government admin jobs and of course they have to choose to fill the positions from the available applicants so, without being rude to lovely Tasmanians, the range and possible quality of applicants is likely to often be rather more limited than you might find in Sydney for instance. A good example is our landlord, he used to work as a building labourer but now has an admin job in a government department (and a very nice investment property that we very happily live in!). As mentioned by Skani though, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know so get here, network and it will be fine I’m sure. The government jobs pay quiet well enough for a nice lifestyle, housing costs are obviously a lot different to Sydney. We’re paying $260 per week for a lovely unit (really more like a little house) with a garden in Lenah Valley that’s 10 mins drive from the CBD and 2 minutes walk from bush at the foot of Mt Wellington. Wallaby’s in the garden, views of mountain and sea, trees everywhere. Echoing what Skani mentioned, Hobart still has good options for the best of both worlds city/rural mixture suburbs that have become gentrified and absurdly expensive in other state capitals, partly because it’s small but also because the fringe suburbs really feel like they’ve just been borrowed from the bush so you can be on the edge of town but in the trees very easily. Personally, I feel more connected being on an island but in a state capital than I did when we lived in Bendigo just 150kms from Melbourne. I think living in the Blue Mountains for example or other regional area would feel the same. The island fever can be helped with a $50 flight to Melbs or elsewhere and is important I think. Tassie is for sure not perfect but it is very special. I’ve visited around 50 countries and lived in 10 of them from Haiti to India to deep in the German countryside and although it isn’t for everyone, I can honestly say Tassie is an extremely special place on a global level and I would absolutely not say that for most places in Australia. Hope you arrive at the best choice for you! Simon. P.S. You get a Tasmanian tiger on your car number plate here too...now come on, how cool is that!

Ah great to see someone trying to drag Tassie into the 2000's with some real heating! Now if we could just get people to understand that everyone else decided double glazing and insulation were AMAZING ideas 40 years ago, we might actually start keeping some of that heat inside the house! Seriously though, good luck with the business :-)

Hi all nurses, Does anyone know if EU trained nurses (German in this case) with proof of EU directive 2005/36/EC standard education, IELTS 7.0 and experience and recent practise meeting AHPRA requirements need to undertake any kind of bridging/adaptation course in Australia before being granted registration? Our registration application has been processed to the stage where its going to the board for assessment on 16 April but AHPRA in Tasmania has said it’s likely a bridging programme will be needed. Searching AHPRA’s website I can only find proposals from 2009 of what might be put in place for this not anything current nor can I find anything very illuminating on the net in general. Does anyone know anything about this, my fingers are nearly worn out from searching! Many thanks and good luck to all who are waiting and hoping. Simon.

Hi Robel, I used several 6 and 12 month visas to live with my partner in Australia before applying for permanent residency and also renewed one by visiting friend in NZ. We weren’t doing it to reach the 12 month living together requirement as our relationship was longer term but from my experience there seems no reason at all why your partner can’t do this. The only restriction of course is the financial one because she won’t be able to legally work. I notice it has been suggested that you can’t live in Australia on a tourist visa and this is of course true on one level as they’re clearly designed just for visiting but its worth considering what “living” means. I had an external income from the UK that continued whilst I was in Australia so I didn’t work or break any tourist visa conditions but apart from that I had a “normal” life – I had a bank account, bought a flat and a house and two cars etc etc with my partner. It was just that from an official perspective my legal status in the country was still that of a tourist so for example my name wasn’t on the property deeds, I didn’t have Medicare cover etc. I don’t know about how this would be affected if your partner is from a HR country but if you can cover the money side of this a tourist visa could work ok. It would also be cheaper than coming on a study visa and having to pay fees etc. You girlfriend could also volunteer in the community (if this is permitted on a tourist visa, not sure) to help keep her occupied and show a level of engagement and investment in Australia that would certainly not hurt her application. Also, once you apply for residency (you would normally get temporary residency for two years initially) you have the right to stay in the country while the application is processed so this could also help a lot. Good luck! Simon.

Hey Gill, That's great news thanks very much for the info - greatly appreciated :wink: Simon.

Hi All, Can anyone with recent experience tell me if AHPRA accept IELTS test results and certificates of good standing when they are transferred from the ANMC after they’ve completed a skills assessment? I’m asking because under normal circumstances these two documents should come directly from the issuing authority – common sense suggests there shouldn’t be a problem but we are talking about AHPRA… Any input would be gratefully received. Thanks, Simon.

Hi All, My partner is just about to send in a registration application to AHPRA and as it’s now the national registration scheme (theoretically) it shouldn’t matter where we apply right? We were thinking of sending it to the Tasmania office because it should be much quieter than the mainland state offices so it might be quicker. Whether this is true or not I don’t know but does anyone have any experience with the Tassie office for processing overseas applications? Also if for some reason we have to actually go to AHPRA to show ID originals etc, can this be done at any office or only the one where you are applying? Any and all thoughts gratefully received, Simon.

Hey Dave, Always nice to see someone grabbing some bad luck and trying to turn it round into something good :-) In Thailand go to Railay Beach in Krabbi province. An amazing piece of paradise with something for everyone and accomodation from a couple of bucks to over 500 per night. Ton Sai is climbers and deep backpacker country, West Railay is flash packers and families and East Railay is somewhere in between. Absolutely my favourite place in the world for chilling and making plans. Good luck! Simon.

Hi Helen, Thanks very much for the input. We’re pretty much committed to a 175 because we need the flexibility of doing it independently rather than with the obligations attached to state level sponsorship but I hear what you’re saying about the cat 2 verses cat 3 processing priority. The IELTS is done and we have a positive skills assessment from ANMC so we’re good to go as far as making the visa application is concerned but I didn’t realize it was such a drama to get registered. Thanks for the heads up on this, I’ll take a look at it sooner rather than later. Sounds like you’re caught in a bureaucratic vicious circle with all this – I really hope it gets sorted out soon. Thanks again, Simon.

Hi all, I know it’s another one of those how long is a piece of string questions but does anyone have any idea about recent processing times for a 175 for a nurse? We’re trying to get an idea of what “priority processing” might actually translate into in terms of months once an application has been submitted. Thanks for any thoughts and good luck to everyone sitting and hoping for that magic letter from DIAC! Simon.

Hi Karen, I would say that it’s very important to be goal focused in that period before taking the leap, not obstacle focused. This is difficult because the potential benefits of making the move are probably not all evident yet but the problems and difficulties attached to taking the plunge are very clear from the outset – visas, family and friends at home, what if you don’t like it etc. The idea of going for a year is the best way to put some of those intimidating obstacles to one side for a moment to allow a clearer look at the benefits you hope to gain from the move. If at the end of a year it doesn’t work out, you probably really haven’t lost much and at least you’ve given it a go and if you really like it then perhaps the down side and difficulties of leaving the UK will seem smaller once you’ve experienced the benefits first hand. I really do think that you regret the things you didn’t do a lot more than the things you did but they didn’t work out so I’d always say go for it! Good luck, Simon.