Selina Smith

It seems the online form is different, there is no section for previous names or a section that asks for addresses for the last 10 years. I thought it was a bit basic for a police check. Maybe I should use the one in your link and just send it via snail mail? Does anyone else know why the online form doesnt ask for extra information, or do you have to fill in more details once you pay the fee? I didn't go that far. Thanks, Selina

Hi, I need to apply for an Australian PCC for my 189 application. Looking through the guidance notes I need to supply any previous names. When I was in Australia I was using my maiden name, I now go by my married name. Looking at the actual PCC form there is no where to put in your previous names just: Family Name Given Name Middle Name Has anyone who is married filled one of these in and where did you put your maiden name? Thank you, Selina

Yes I was aware that I would get a CO at some point. People who front load all of their documents including medicals, PCC and form 80 may just get a direct grant and not hear from a CO at all. I waited until CO contacted us because you have 12 months to validate the visa from the date of the PCC or medical, whichever is the earliest. We want to give ourselves the flexibility of a full 12 months.

Hi, this is is the first of many questions I am likely to have filling in form 80. Question 15 asks: Do you currently have, or have you ever had, any national identity documents or numbers? If you are far British citizen what documents did you put here? Shall I put my driving licence or national insurance details? Thanks in advance, Selina

We have done it ourselves (2 adults, 2 children). I uploaded everything that was relevant on the checklist apart from PCC and medicals which the CO has now requested as well as form 80 for myself and my husband.

Hi, Had a CO allocated today who has requested medicals, PCC and the dreaded form 80!! I was hoping to avoid it as I moved around a lot as a child going to around 5 different primary schools and have no one reliable around to help me fill it in. I've also had 2 WHV so have been all over Australia doing random jobs and have no idea of my addresses. CO has requested Australia PCC for my husband, he's only visited Australia for 9 months. Shall I contact CO and explain that my husband hasn't stayed in Audtralia for over 12 months or is it easier just to get one? (He didn't do anything naughty while he was there so it should come back clear) x

Hi, It is original scan of the document in colour that's accepted. I applied for my 189 in September and CO has only asked for medicals etc. so all of my scanned documents are ok x

Congratulations! Another quick one, all the best for your new life in Oz x

Still waiting for a CO :-( will let you know if I hear anything. Hoping to get a CO this week. Good luck with your new application, hopefully it will be easier now you know what to expect x

Congratulations on your grant! X

I didn't get my experience assessed. Hmmmmm it's a hard one but I would assume that it would be the school with letterheaded paper because the council is so generic you could work in any department.Do you need to send in payslips though, because these will be council? Must be a relief that your head knows, I'm scared to tell mine and they found out I have been looking for other jobs while on maternity leave, I don't think they are happy with me x

@duckygee I am an early years teacher. I'm waiting on my 189 visa so can't answer your questions about the comparison. Lots of people on this forum talk about there being an oversupply of teachers all over Australia, primary and secondary. If you go onto the jobs and careers section there is a thread called 'Teachers in Oz' this has been really helpful during the visa process and most teachers on there are ones that have made the move already x

Wow amazing news @RMT1980 and @bronwen congratulations!!! I'm loving all of this good news. Hoping for a CO next week x

Thank you for the reply. I understand that it will be difficult to get anything permanent in a school so have been looking at childcare centres. I have a baby that will have just turned one when we make the move and have seen a lot of day care centres offer a discount for children of staff so this may offset the drop on wages a little. I've also had a look into the legalities of running my own family day care too but this obviously depends on the type of property we can secure when we arrive. I'm thinking ACECQA will only assess my qualification as a cert III because my course didn't cover 0-2 age range which seems to be a problem for a lot of UK early years teachers. It's a bit of a minefield!!! X

Congratulations @Stablemav that was really quick! Good luck to everyone else xx

Hi, Looking for a bit of advice from fellow teachers. I am waiting on a visa grant for a 189 under Early Childhood teacher. My family and I are looking to move over Summer 2016 (in time for new jobs being advertised for Jan 2017 start). My husband may have a job offer in Perth so that's where we will be headed. I have just completed my NQT and am on maternity leave. I really don't want to go back to my current school full time and have been told part time will not be an option. I don't want to start at a new school when I will be leaving in the summer and think I'll struggle to find a fixed term, part time contract. This leaves supply work but will this make it difficult to prove to TRBWA how many years service I have? Will I find it harder to find a permanent position in Australia if I have done supply in the UK? If I were to do supply work in a private nursery/kindergarten would this count towards my years of service because in Australia there has to be a qualified Early years teacher employed by the nursery but that is not the case in the UK? Thank you x

If you are a British citizen and studied for your degree and teaching qualification in the UK you don't need to provide AITSL with your IELTS results. I only used IELTS to claim 20 points for migration and took it after I sent all of my AITSL paperwork away.

Wow! Can't believe there has been a direct grant already!! Exciting times especially for those that front loaded everything. I'm waiting to hear off a case officer before I do medicals and PCC but we aren't in a hurry to go over. Feel like the countdown is on!!! Good luck everyone x

How frustrating for you SOJ!!! But honestly don't give up just try again, I'm sure you will succeed next time. Make sure you put in a letter explaining everything that happened from the beginning up until your paperwork was held up by the service from Royal Mail (grrrrrrrrrr, I had problems with them too). I'd send everything with a courier company too who are a bit more answerable than Royal Mail. My application is in just waiting for a CO to be assigned who will request medicals etc. Handing over the £3500 visa charge was pretty hard when you don't have a guaranteed outcome!! Keep us posted with what you decide to do x

Oh no!!! Had you payed the assessment fee again too? Don't give up!! X

I had put on mine that I have not had a medical in the last 12 months and it allowed me to continue. Are you sure this is the question that has stopped you moving forward? In answer to your other questions... once you have paid you should start uploading documents as soon as you can. There is a documents checklist on the immigration website which shows you what documents are needed. A CO will look at your application and will then tell you what extra documents are needed (usually medicals, PCC and possibly form 80) You will need to put your partners details in somewhere in the 17 pages. Then once you have paid for the visa for both of you, you will then upload documents to prove your relationship. hope this helps. Good luck x

Nothing here either x

Would it be a primary or secondary PGCE? I think with secondary you would be ok. I'm having trouble getting my PGCE in Early Years recognised by the specific board in Australia and may need to do an extra qualification :-/ Some states can also be a bit funny about the subject your actual degree was in too x

Thats great news chatterbox!! Double celebrations for you. Did you Skype interview for your teaching post? X

I am an early years teacher from the UK, I currently work in a school with children age 3-5. I have a PGCE in early years and a positive assessment from AITSL, my 189 application has been submitted and we are awaiting a case officer. While all of my certificates and transcripts are down from the loft I thought I'd start having a look at collating what I need to register as an early childhood teacher in Australia. I understand to work in this sector I need to register with ACECQA and they require experience with children aged 0-2. The UK does not offer this in their PGCE. I can arrange some volunteer work at a local nursery in their baby room (this needs to be a minimum of 10 days). I contacted ACECQA to ask of this would be sufficient to cover the 0-2 component of assessment. They replied very quickly and this is what was written....... 'Early childhood teaching qualifications must include curriculum and professional experience that covers the age range from birth to five years of age* (including transition to school). Qualifications that cover the age range from birth to eight years are preferred. * ACECQA will consider evidence of the following to satisfy the specific birth to 2 years old age focus requirement: • significant work experience with children aged birth to 2 years old • the completion of an approved diploma • the completion of relevant ‘non award’ unit(s). In your email you request whether volunteer experience would meet the birth to 2 years age focus requirement. ACECQA does not have guidelines on whether or not this meets the guidelines. Significant experience would be required. It is also worth noting that whilst volunteer experience may meet the practical requirement, this would only support your application if the curriculum content of your qualification also covered birth to 2 years' So my problem is that my degree wasn't in early years (it was animal science) so I haven't got practical or theoretical experience with 0-2 at this level. I do have a City and Guilds level 2 in children and young peoples workforce which covered childcare from 0-16 but I don't know if this will count for anything. I really want want to continue working as an early childhood teacher at the moment I think I would be assessed as an early childhood educator which would mean a significant drop in wages and longer hours working in private daycare. Does anyone have experience with ACECQA and their assessment of overseas qualifications? Can I do a top-up type course that includes 0-2 experience? Any by help would be really appreciated. Selina x