boom

I spent around $5k getting my PR (visa cost, ielts, medicals, PCC..etc) and was just wondering if this is tax deductible. Has anyone ever claimed visa cost as a tax deduction?

everything worked out prefectly :biggrin: we payed a migrant agent $300 for advice (which was a bit of a waste as she just told us what most people in this thread mentioned). My partner wrote a statement to explain he was sorry for his 'crime' and we both wrote a statement apologising for not declaring the conviction an the application. My partner also got two character references from his previous employers stating 'he is a good character'. anyway no issues, PR granted a day after I submitted all the final documents. Been loving Oz since PR grant but miss home and fam quite a bit. Good luck with your application and don't stress, as long as your partner hasn't spent 12 months or more in prison I think you will be fine.

oh wow... I just went through a few of my old emails and found the SS agreement I signed. I've copied it below but it basically says I must REMAIN LIVING AND WORKING in WA 2 years after my grant. Oh crap -does that mean I can't go uni next year (perhaps I can just try to work pt to fulfill my agreement). Don't get me wrong, I don't want to screw the system. If I have to live in WA for the next 2yrs I don't mind, its just I wanted to know my options and would like to know what (if any) affect it would have if I did move states and by no means did I mean to cause a big fuss in this tread. My sincere apologies for people who have gotten upset over this tread and thank you everyone that has contributed. STATE SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT State sponsorship has been granted to you based on your commitment to Western Australia as outlined in your application: 1. You remain living and working in Western Australia for a period of two years after obtaining your visa; 2. You keep the Western Australian Government informed of your contact details during these two years; 3. You complete a settlement survey every six months for a period of 24 months; and 4. You have access to sufficient funds for living costs and domestic arrangements in Western Australia. I acknowledge and understand my Western Australian Government State sponsorship obligations and will notify Skilled Migration Western Australia if there are any changes to my original proposal. Visa applying for: Skilled – Nominated (Subclass 190) visa

nomination letter is the same as my IMMI grant notification right? Its very vague to be honest, its just has my name, DOB, passport number, visa grant date, must not arrive after date (5 years from grant date) and under condition it just says NIL.

are you suppose to register with the state even if you are a on-shore applicant and have been living in the stare prior to the visa grant?

I thought we had to completely surveys/questionnaires from the state for the next 24 months.. i remember reading that somewhere but hadn't received anything of the sort yet.

er...because i wanted to live in Australia Sherlock (why else would anyone apply for PR if not for that reason) and 190 WA SS was my only option... I didn't realise applying for the 190 meant I had to work in the occupation even if I didn't want to, surely this can't be true - I don't remember reading this on the agreement.

Thanks for all the info guys... I actually don't want to work in my profession anymore. I want to return to uni and do another masters. The reason for moving state is just because I want to try living somewhere a bit more lively and fun and not because of work but if I am required to (and if it can cause potential problems for citizenship/immigration) i am happy to stay in perth for 2 more years... I guess reading from the above post it shouldn't really have an impact right?

also one more question; as i have been in perth 2 years already (but before my pr was granted) have i already meet the conditions of staying in the state or is the 2 years counted only after pr has been granted. i just re-checked the grant email an has no conditions attached

I recently got the 190 visa (WA state sponsorship) but lost my job a few days later. I have been in Perth for 2.5 years now (1 month on my PR and the remainder on 457). Its not hard finding work but I kind of want to leave Perth an am thinking of going Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne however I know I have a moral obligation to stay in Perth for 2 years. Has anyone ever broken there moral obligation and what consequences has this had?

get your PCC done first and see if it shows up

my police clearance took around 4 weeks to come through. i got my visa grant this morning - two days after submitting my PCC. good luck everyone else!

we got our grant today! thanks for your help and advice - i don't we would have made it without you guys!

hows everyone doing... any updates? i finally got my uk pcc back and submitted that yday.

So should I complete the form an submit it to the CO or wait to see if they request it?

What is Form80 and do we only need to complete it if ask by the CO? In the interest of trying to speed up my visa application, should we complete and submit Form80 even though it has not been requested just in-case it might be or should we wait to see if its required?

can anyone shed some light on this please? I really want to hand in my resignation on Monday...would I really have to leave the country/try find another sponsor. Has anyone been in this situation?

crap, crap, crap..... i don't know what to do anymore. I have tried to seek some help from a agent, but because of the stupid bank holidays she won't work on my case till Tuesday/Wednesday next week. I'm so stressed at the moment, i'm not eating or sleeping properly and im at a stupid mine site having to work 12 hours a days for the next 7 days an everything seems to be going wrong. I don't know what to do anymore, a part of me just wants to go back home and forget about this idea of living in Australia. Its just too hard sometimes. We honestly didn't know we have to declare spent convictions, i didn't even know what a spent conviction was an my partner thought (as he told when he got the conviction) he didn't have to declare it so in all his immigration application (in the card you fill out on the plane, his student visa application and now his current 457 application) he always ticked 'no' under criminal convictions.... so i guess we are going to get in trouble for that as well. He feels so bad right now (i think he is not eating or sleeping either) he has asked me to remove him from the application as its not worth both of us getting rejected an he has a current 457 application pending, so has that to fall back on.... but i don't even know if that would even help (as would I have to explain why I am removing him) and if his 457 got rejected I definitely wouldn't want to stay in Australia without him. I thought everything was going so smoothly till this point, grrr... there ain't nuffin good about this friday thats for sure!

We recently lodge our 190 application. I am the main applicant and my partner is the secondary applicant. We answered “no” to the question on the application “ has any applicant ever been convicted of a crime or offence in any country (including any conviction which is now removed from official records)?”. When perhaps we should have answered “yes”. My partner has a spent conviction, he was caught shop lifting 4 years ago from Coles supermarket. We assumed as it was a spent conviction, we did not have to declare it but it has shown up in his police clearance… are we now completely screwed?? What should we do?

5 months??? really??? noooo....im hoping it won't take that long so if you don't hear anything back from your medicals does that mean they went ok?

I was in a similar situation, I had two years work experience but made up the 60 points (needed for the 190 visa) without claiming for the work experience, so decided not to claim for work experience just to minimise risk an avoid the hassle of getting references and payslips. Anyway I have not been questioned about it yet (but I have not recieved the grant yet either), however all my CO has requested is proof of defacto and Medicals and PCC, so I assume everything else was fine.

Thanks Ledourvellec, Another thought I had is maybe I can try apply for a tourist or even my 2nd WHV (as I have spent 3months outbush in mining when I was on my first WHV) as this may give me the freedom of quitting my job whilst I wait for the 190, is it even worth the hassle. Most people seem to get there 190 visa within 3months of being allocated a CO from what I gathered. I called up immigration just now, an the women seemed to believe if my 457 got cancelled (ie if I quit my job) and i couldn't find a sponsor within 28days my breaching visa would take into effect but couldn't comment on if it would affect my 190 visa application, also I guess I can't really take there advice as biblical.

Hi, I came to Perth on a WHV for 7 months and then got sponsored on 457 visa, which I have been on for around 2 years now. I have been working as a consultant and am semi-FIFO (i go on site when im needed) but am really fed up of the job and the lifestyle and may be slightly depressed! I started seeing a psychologist to try help me feel better, but it hasn't really worked. I have managed to save a fair bit of money and am looking to go back to Uni next year in Oz (one of the main reasons why I decided to apply for PR instead of going back home). My initial plan was to work for the rest of the year (whilst we get our PR) and go uni and work part-time next year. However things have gotten really bad with work - i'm constantly stressed, am still making mistakes and getting things wrong, I dread going to site, and I use to enjoy the the office work but not anymore. I am always extremely anxious and pulling my hair out. I feel like I really to leave my job and take some time off (and have even stopped worrying about money and willing to dip into my saving) but am worried about what affect leaving my job would have on my 190 visa application. Can anyone spare some though on this? I lodge my 190 visa application in Feb an have been allocated a case officer who has requested medicals, PCC and defacto evidence. I presume that means everything else was ok. I did not claim points for work experience as I made 60 points through my age (30 points) , degree (15 points), IELTS (10 points) and state sponsorship (5 points), however I did notice VETASSESS points test letter it did say I need one years work experience (which I have) the assessment outcome was positive. Should I quit my job or is there a risk it may affect my 190 visa application? If I do quit, do I need to tell the CO? If I talk to my employers an they agree to give me unpaid leave for several months, would I need to inform my CO/DIAC?

there is also a february 190 lodge gang group here http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/177712-february-190-visa-lodge-gang.html perhaps we can merge the groups somehow?

I got a CO today! Felt a bit relieved (not exactly sure why). He has requested evidence of relationship, Meds and PCC for me and my partner and has given me 28 days to submit it. He also also asked to submit it all in one go rather than lots of emails. Hows everyone else doing? Let the continuous hourly checking of emails continue...thank god for smart phones