Birch4

Hi Wolla Bolla Bing Bong (do you have a shorter name?:laugh:) Well I am fairly new to this and just sent off my qualifications to be assessed as a Secondary Teacher. My OH is an Electrician. We are planning to head to Brisbane next year on 189 visa all going well. Our plan would be to start looking and applying for jobs/expressing interest once we have the visas from this end. We have one son aged 11 and he is very sporty. We are not really sure the best areas to look at and I guess it will all depend on work/schools. My cousin is currently in Cairns and heading to the Sunshine Coast to live next year. However, I was thinking we would have more work opportunities in Brisbane. I am aware that I would probably just pick up supply work/ temp cover work and then hopefully eventually get a longer contract. Our plan is to come over and see how it goes. Keeping the house here etc... nothing ventured nothing gained. We would be looking for an area with close links to the city and good secondary schools. Any suggestions re the best areas to have a wee look at online? I have been searching here but it is hard from the UK to get the full picture.... Lx

Hi everyone, Wasn't sure if this would help others starting this journey. A few months ago I wasn't sure where to begin! :laugh:I have just sent my documents away to be assessed to AITLS as a Secondary Teacher. I needed the following documents: - Degree Certificate - 4 years - Degree Transcript - PGCE Certificate - PGCE Transcript - Letter from Strathclyde University verifying my PGCE was over 45 days of 'supervised' teaching experience - Statement of employment from current HT on letter headed paper - p60s for past 10 years (didn't have them all so needed a statement of earnings) - statement of earnings from local authority on letter headed paper - Copy of marriage certificate I copied all of these and had them stamped and signed by a local lawyer and then sent them off. Now it is a waiting game :eek: I also kept a copy for myself as well as the originals. Also a wee question... does anyone know what a positive assessment should say and are there categories? Lx

Hi there Selina Smith I am in a very similar position. My qualifications were all just sent off however I have a birthday in June which means my points could drop too! I am a Secondary Teacher and my OH is an Electrician. All this waiting :unsure: Good Luck! Look forward to hearing how you get on.

Hi there, You would be best to contact a visa agent for advice or search on google? do the skills assessment? It all depends on your age? what jobs you do? etc.... You can also check the Skills Shortage List to see if that occupation is there. Hope that helps a bit :rolleyes:

I have also included statement from my employer to verify that I have been working there for over the 10 year period...

Hi Sharyn10 I am in the process of applying for this visa and had to submit 10 years worth of P60s to claim the points for work experience. I am a Secondary Teacher. I now juts need to get that verified by a lawyer and then sent off. So much paperwork to sort...:eek:

So you can't do any of that in the UK? All has to be done in Oz is that correct?

Hi Pau1977 sounds like a lot of hoops to have to jump through! Thanks for reply! Do you have a license now? Lx

Just checked and the PGDE is about 90 days of supervised teaching - 450 hours (approx.) according to the letter from the University where I completed my PGDE not sure what the introduction of the Masters in Education will mean for people arriving without it though.... :frown: away to do more reading!

Hi there, I am in the process of applying via the 189 route and have a PGDE - I have over 12 years experience too. The PGDE does meet more than 45 days of supervised teaching as I have just had this back from Strathclyde University so that I can send it off to be assessed. I read about the 2 year Masters of Teaching interesting.... must read more about this.

Hi SteveinOZ Can you answer a few questions please? My husband is here in the UK still and planning to come next year all going well. So he would do the skills select or vetasses in London here and then hen he gets to Oz he needs to go to college is that correct to get the license without it he would not be able to work 'unsupervised' - is my thinking correct?? :skeptical: Thanks LMx

Tonight and the closer it gets the more challenging it is becoming! lol :laugh: I can only give it my best shot. I find the listening papers really boring and my wee mind keeps wondering!! my bad!! :arghh: must focus on the day!! I am sure on the actual day I will concentrate as it will be the real deal. No idea how this will go to be honest! Good luck to anyone else in the same position!

I need 7s at the moment according to the visa agent..... finger crossed! We are not 100% sure which suburb yet however hoping to head to Brisbane. Visa process permitting! :eek: There is certainly a lot to think about! I have been doing the online practice tests this week and have been performing worse than ever! Previous practice was going ok with the past paper book. I think I am just tired at the end of a working day. :SLEEP:

No I haven't failed ....... yet!!!!:cry: I sit the IELTS on the 28th of this month so only a few days to go!

Hi kayp09 - Any listening tests I have done I have not stopped them I have worked through them. But my mind does tend to wonder! lol - the middle sections seem to move a bit faster and at the start it can be slower. I thought the scores looked ok.... but then I am doing this at home without the exam pressure so to speak. How far along are you in this process?? Lisa x

Hi everyone, I have my IELTS General exam booked for the 28th of March in Scotland. I have worked through the IELTS 9 book and have printed past papers from online too. I have completed about 5 listening tests, 3 writing test and about 6 reading tests over the past few weeks. When I mark my own I seem to get about 36-37/40 for each section. Can anyone offer any advice on what else I should do? Is this enough practice or can you never do enough? :frown: I seem to get to some parts in the listening where I seem to 'switch off' hoping this doesn't happen on the actual day of the exam! :eek: Thanks Lx

Hi there, I just wanted to say that we have just started this journey too. We are using Go Matilda and so far they have provided an outstanding service. They have called when they said they would and have given specific advice for me regarding getting my teaching qualifications assessed. We are applying for a 189 visa. Also they have said if we need them to call us they will. I have a guy helping me with skills assessment and a woman helping with overall visa. They sent an email today to 'check in' on our progress. It is early days but my experience so far is positive! We are also in Scotland. Good luck!

Hodgies2oz Just thought I would say hi! We are in the same position. We are just starting this process. I am a Secondary Teacher and I am just collating my documents for visa assessment. I sit my IETLS exam at the end of March and have now informed my HT in my current school of our plans. My plan is to take a year out initially and see how it goes. Although we are applying for 189 visas. Decided to take things a year at a time. What stage are you guys at? And when would you plan to go? I have to say my wee heid is bursting with all the paperwork and phone calls to get the paperwork together we are with the Visa Agents Go Matilda! Lisa

That is a good start to have some contacts there. My cousin is in Cairns at the moment and moving to the Sunshine Coast next year. It will really depend on Job situation for an electrician and a Secondary Teacher? from what I am reading the Teaching situation isn't great :dull: might need to research a lot more in this area to find the best prospects of finding work. Lisa

Hi Maisie Thanks! not quite sure how long the whole process will take need to keep plugging away - my skills assessment is first on the list. I think 'Joe' at Go Matilda will help me with that and Marina is my case officer :wink: Too much 'thinking' time is never good for me! :confused: ha ha! Lisa

Hi everyone! Thank you so much for the replies :wink: We have just transferred the first payment to Go Matilda! So it loos like we are finally going ahead with this plan. So much to do! Head feels a bit like:wacko:

Maisie where are you planning to go in Australia? :smile:

Thank Maisie! I will get on to that - I have been trying to work out how to do it. Benj - thanks! Go Matilda reckoned it could take up to 3 months. I am Social Subjects at the moment I teach Politics and History have also taught geography, RE and PHSE. I am a Principal Teacher of Pupil Support and have been for 6 years. I know I will have to probably settle for supply work until I get my face known etc... Hopefully my OH will pick up work quickly :daydreaming: What do you teach?

Another question Benj1980? How long did the AITSL assessment take? And did you have to tell your current school about your plans? I was thinking it was a wee bit early for that at the moment? :huh:

Hi Benj1980 and maisiedaisy :hug: Thanks for the replies. Benj any idea what the job situation is like in any areas of Brisbane? or Sunny Coast? even just generally speaking? I am pretty sure that is who we should go with. We actually were about to start this process in 2013 but due to family circumstances it had to be put on the backburner. We had only discussed with Go Matilda the last time and they were fab and gave us lots of info. Now we are actually progressing and have booked the IELTS and will process first payment soon I think. Have a different question? how do you get the footnote on your page? Go Matilda said I need 7s in every category of the IELTS exam to gain 10 points. I have 55 a the moment so that would take me to 65. Thanks for replies :wink: