Blue Card = Police Check? Teaching preparation before partner visa grant.

[kerrylouise]

Hey everyone, would really appreciate any thoughts and opinions, my fiance and I are meeting with a migration agent on Wednesday this week to ask all this but thought it would be nice to get some thoughts on here beforehand as well.

 

Our story well we met in the UK in February 2010 and started a relationship on 16th January 2012. We were living together from around March 2012 until he returned to Aus in September. I came over to Aus on a WHV in March last year, and I'm currently on my second until March next year. We have been living together in a de facto relationship since January this year and got engaged in February.

 

My main questions at the moment are surrounding the police checks and the medicals etc. I have been reading about 'decision ready' applications where you give everything in at the same time and its a complete application and is then perhaps processed a little quicker. I'm unsure as to how I go about getting my police check from England as all I have found online is that an employer needs to apply for the check on your behalf, I'm sure you can get it another way I'm just not sure how to go about it or when. As for the Australian police check - I work in After School care and I have a paid Blue Card, which I was told is a police check and should suffice the requirement for one for the visa - is this correct? We aren't planning to apply for the visa until early next year as we are still saving for it (my fiance is a full time student with two part time jobs and I'm in casual work atm) and we are only 7 months into the 12 month living together requirement.

 

We are planning to apply onshore.

 

Another question I wanted to ask, which isn't really visa related in terms of the application as such. When I get permanent residency I aim to do my Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary). I completely understand that I have made my decision to wait to be able to do this and being able to be with my fiance is my priority right now but it is SO frustrating. Is there anyone who could give me advice on how to prepare for it when the time comes? I'm trying to get as much experience as I can in the mean time and make sure I'm well prepared. It would just be great to find more things to do which help me prepare as I don't want to feel like I'm not really doing anything. I've got experience in schools, both mainstream and special needs, with children of different ages, I was an Au Pair for a few months last year, I've done tutoring. I've done a course in working with students with special needs and I'm currently studying a TEFL course as well. I know I have to wait for permanent residency until I can take this Graduate Diploma, I'd just like to do as much as I can in the mean time.

 

 

Thanks everyone - apologies for such a long post - think I'm feeling a little nervous about Wednesday!

[Guest]

You need this police check. ACPO.

 

http://www.acro.police.uk/police_certificates.aspx

 

I would not apply for it till you are at least ready to lodge as they are only valid for one year. And often on shore applications run to 14 months or even longer. Personally I'd wait till asked for medical and police checks but that is just me. Others do them in advance. Again, medical is only valid for a year.

 

Does the partner visa blurb not tell you what Aus police check you have to provide? I could have sworn somewhere I read it amongst it all. I am not sure your current police check will be valid for your application. Hopefully someone will know one way or the other.

 

I dug up this in the partner visa info re police checks.

 

[h=4]Character requirements[/h]

 

• Police checks for everyone included in the visa application who is 16 years of age or older:
  
  • an Australian National Police Check for anyone who has spent a cumulative total of 12 months or more in Australia since turning 16 years of age
    
  • police certificates from each country in which anyone in your application has spent a cumulative total of 12 months or more in the past 10 years since turning 16 years of age.
    

   

   

 

Provide the original certificates and keep a copy for yourself.

 

 

• If anyone included in the application has served in the armed forces of any country: certified copies of their military service record or discharge papers.
  

 

 

 

For further information on obtaining a National Police Certificate from the Australian Federal police and or applying for an overseas penal clearance

See: How to obtain a police certificate

 

And http://www.immi.gov.au/Help/Pages/character-police/requirements.aspx