Teacher: Should I apply before July 2012 changes?

[filthyphil]

Hello all

 

It's my dream to move to Australia one day.... though the sooner the better!

 

I'm currently training as a secondary school teacher (PGCE in ICT) and will finish training in June 2012.

 

I have heard that the rules are changing in July 2012 to make it that you can't apply yourself? You have to be invited?

 

Should I apply before July 2012, even though I don't have any experience as a qualified teacher, or should I wait until I have experience and apply another way?

 

And can I apply again if the first application fails due to lack of experience?

 

Advice please!!

[PositivePixie]

Unfortunately you can't apply until you meet the basic requirements, and you won't do until a year after your PGCE as you need 12 months out of the last 24 months work experience (you can't claim the time from your PGCE as this, but you can your NQT year). For teachers the summer holidays count towards the 12 months, so don't stress about the fact you're not actually at school for most of that time, it still all counts if you are in postition.

The changes are to an 'Expression of Interest' system, basically you make your application and then every couple of weeks (or whatever time interval they end up putting on it) they 'invite' all the top scoring people to go forward and make the official application (ie pay, basically). Its not that different from now, you just don't pay until you are pretty much in the position that you will be given the visa, its not like only special people are invited to apply, or you have to have friends in high places or anything (or despite what some agents will try and tell you, that you have to have a migration agent). The more points you have, the faster you will be invited though generally, so more points = better. How it will actually work (and if they add anything else to it, as they like to do at DIAC) will have to be seen - it might be that everyone that gets the 65 point threashold and over just gets invited anyway, or it might mean you need nearer 75 etc - we will just have to wait and see. NZ already have this system in place, so maybe read up on how things work there to get more understanding? (Although it might not work exactly the same etc etc - DIAC have a habit of changing things with little to short notice btw, its something you tend to get used to when migrating to Australia imho, a little quirk of the place )

 

Basically, depending on your age, you probably will be ok after the EoI comes in, but you can't do anything about it anyway, as you need the 12 months experience at any rate. Your degree will get you good points, your age might (sorry, no idea how old you are), if you sit the IELTS (which shouldn't be a massive stretch for a teacher, especially if you've only just done the QTS skills tests) you'll get more and so on - and as an ICT teacher you qualify as a 'STEM' teacher, which is the requirement for most states when they sponsor secondary teaches (how I got SA SS) which gives another 5 points....

 

You can apply again if your application fails for any reason, but to be honest, there isn't any point in applying now, you simply won't be successful (and its a waste of 2K). Keep an eye on the DIAC website for updates and changes and do the nec. prep work nearer the time, and then you can apply once you've done your NQT year (without stressing too much whether you pass it or not, as you're leaving so don't need permission to teach in UK State schools again! Happy days lol).

[filthyphil]

WOW, such a detailed reply and so quickly, thank you! You have put my mind at rest.

 

I'm gonna read your blog now!