BettyBella Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Hi, I have a situation that I am hoping someone will be able to shed some light on: I completed the first year of an adult nursing degree in the UK in 2011, but then put my studies on hold in order to move to Australia to be with my partner who is a citizen out here in Perth. I arrived in October 2011 and in July 2012 applied for a Partner Visa. It was granted in August 2012 and I set about cementing plans to go back to university to complete my degree. Despite being told by ECU before I came to Australia that I would be able to transfer my first year, I have been unable to do so and am now starting again from scratch at Curtin University. This would all be fine, but I did not realise that I would still be classed as an international student right up until my permanent residency is granted, which I have been told by someone on the immigration general enquiries line would be in August 2014... The international fees are so exorbitantly high compared to the domestic fees, and we just can't afford to pay them for the 4 semesters that would pass until August 2014 (approximately $60,000 compared to the $12,000 for domestic). I am fairly certain that my case officer said that I would be eligible for PR in about 12 months from the date my provisional residency was granted, which would make it this August, but now I can't get hold of him to confirm this. Does anyone know of situations where the 2 year waiting period has been shortened? I don't wish to put off my nursing studies any longer, but if I can't go back to university in Perth this year, I will have to go back to the UK. I am happy to do this in order to get my degree, but it would throw our lives into turmoil. My partner would have to come with me, which means selling our home, and then I would have to do a conversion degree when I returned to Oz in order to practice as a nurse. Also, I might lose the PR eligibility and have to start from scratch again when I return - IF they let me return. I'm just looking for any avenues that I might not have explored yet - anything to create a little light at the end of the tunnel. Sorry for the long post! Thank you for taking the time to read it, Betty xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 The temporary partner visa changes to a permanent visa after two years, I think it might be from the date you applied, but nevertheless your visa was granted very quickly anyway so that doesn't make much difference. How long have you been living together as a couple? If it is more than three years then you could apply for another partner visa and this time you would get the pr one straight away, it would still take time and would be an expense of course which you would need to weight up against international fees or waiting until August 2014. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GeorgeD Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Does anyone know of situations where the 2 year waiting period has been shortened? Basically, no. What your CO should've said is that you will be reassessed for PR 24 months after your original Spouse Visa application (NOT grant date.) basically if you are still together 2 years after you applied for the Spouse Visa you are eligible for PR. So when did you apply? You'll be eliginle for Pr 2 years from then. Bad news is...that's when you are reassessed...you fill in some forms, do a police check and send them off to DIAC. The current processing time sia bit random depending on where you live by the looks of things, butt he published timescale is around 8-10 months. So if you originally applied August 2012, you are elgible for PR in AUg 2014, and it can take 10 months from then to come through. Mine took around 4.5 months (I think) and was published at 10 months. You hear of the odd person who gets their second stage Spouse PR in days. It's completely and utterly random I'm afraid. Just because you are eligible for it doesn't mean you have it unfortunately, you need to wait until it is granted, even if it is a formality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettyBella Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 How long have you been living together as a couple? We've been living together since June 2011; from then until Oct 2012 in the UK, and from that point in Perth WA. We met travelling in South East Asia in July 2010, so he went home to Oz, and I went home to UK. We decided to start a relationship in Dec 2010. Unfortunately, we don't have the years totted up for the waiting period to be waived. Thank you for you help! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettyBella Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 So when did you apply? You'll be eliginle for Pr 2 years from then. I applied in July 2012 and temp was granted in August 2012. But as it may take up to a year to have my PR granted after I become eligible, basically I could be looking at having to pay INTL fees for my entire degree, which is around $100,000... yikes. The fella and I need to have a serious chat methinks. Thank you also for your help! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spherian Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 I am just gonna throw this out there for an idea.... Have you looked at a TAFE course that could be used towards a degree ? some tafe course are around 5k a seimester / 10k a year and if you could get a diploma / associated degree surely next year when you get your PR you will only need to go to uni for 6 months a year? I know they do a nursing course but unsure which one... http://www.eti.wa.edu.au/course-catalogue/health-and-community-services.html Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettyBella Posted January 9, 2013 Author Share Posted January 9, 2013 Thank Spherian, I'll get straight on that when I get home from work! x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 You don't need to be in Australia for the partner PR to be granted. As long as you are both still together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 9, 2013 Share Posted January 9, 2013 Hi, I have a situation that I am hoping someone will be able to shed some light on: I completed the first year of an adult nursing degree in the UK in 2011, but then put my studies on hold in order to move to Australia to be with my partner who is a citizen out here in Perth. I arrived in October 2011 and in July 2012 applied for a Partner Visa. It was granted in August 2012 and I set about cementing plans to go back to university to complete my degree. Despite being told by ECU before I came to Australia that I would be able to transfer my first year, I have been unable to do so and am now starting again from scratch at Curtin University. This would all be fine, but I did not realise that I would still be classed as an international student right up until my permanent residency is granted, which I have been told by someone on the immigration general enquiries line would be in August 2014... The international fees are so exorbitantly high compared to the domestic fees, and we just can't afford to pay them for the 4 semesters that would pass until August 2014 (approximately $60,000 compared to the $12,000 for domestic). I am fairly certain that my case officer said that I would be eligible for PR in about 12 months from the date my provisional residency was granted, which would make it this August, but now I can't get hold of him to confirm this. Does anyone know of situations where the 2 year waiting period has been shortened? I don't wish to put off my nursing studies any longer, but if I can't go back to university in Perth this year, I will have to go back to the UK. I am happy to do this in order to get my degree, but it would throw our lives into turmoil. My partner would have to come with me, which means selling our home, and then I would have to do a conversion degree when I returned to Oz in order to practice as a nurse. Also, I might lose the PR eligibility and have to start from scratch again when I return - IF they let me return. I'm just looking for any avenues that I might not have explored yet - anything to create a little light at the end of the tunnel. Sorry for the long post! Thank you for taking the time to read it, Betty xxx Just put it on hold for a couple of years. Get some full time experience as a Enrolled nurse in an acute hospital setting that way you will have a huge head start and 2 years will fly past. The money as an EN is not that bad if you do the usual hospital ward shifts either Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BettyBella Posted January 12, 2013 Author Share Posted January 12, 2013 Thank you to everyone for your help - Spherian, I've looked into TAFE courses and unlike the universities, they do class me as a domestic student and the fees will only be about $1000 for the whole course! You're an absolute life saver - I didn't even know that they did a diploma of nursing still. Once I have finished, I can either work as an EN for a while or go straight on to university for the final two years of the RN degree by which time my PR might have come through. :hug:Thank you so much!:hug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tafflass Posted January 12, 2013 Share Posted January 12, 2013 just in case you did have to go back to the uk to do your nursing, you don't have to do a conversion course to work in aus as uk nursing qualifications are recognised here.....but from the sounds of it you'd be better off doing the enrolled nurse course :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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