i spent like 15k

Yes you will need to do a new passport, just did mine 3 months ago and the price was the same as doing a new passport, it took about 2 weeks becos according to the officers the people tht do the changes on the system are from an external body and they come to do it 2wice a week also the change of name can only be done in abuja. These were d steps i took in doing mine
1. Did a court change of name
2. Did newspaper publication
3. Took the documents above with a copy of my marriage cert, 2 passport pics and my old passport
I did another image capture after 3days of submitting my docs came back about 10 days later they gave me my new passport and the old one which was cancelled without prejudice

yea u r right i think its best to do the medicals when they ask you to, because at least you will know at tht stage other aspects of ur application is ok and u will most likely get the visa if your medicals r fine (just my thot) then also u dont go and waste ur money and time doing medicals and at the end of the day you dont get the visa, cos am sure if your application is not ok and they r denying u they will nt ask you to do medicals (anoda of my own thots o not a fact lol). Just suggested wht i was told to him cos he complained abt not hving enuf time but i think he shud take ur adivise.

btw thanks jenny 4 always being here to guide advise us it helps God bless

yea he cannot just go to any hospital to do his medicals, the list of hospitals in my last post is from the Australian high commission website and i was directed to the info when i asked their SA office on the phone about the medicals
http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/overseas/n/nigeria/panel-doctors.htm

Why did it take you that long to apply after writing IELTS in march, what slowed you down? was it Visa issuance?
I was contemplating making the july 2012 session (just as u r now), if I had he info I have now then i would have gone for it who knows

Where would you suggest for the medicals?

Nigeria
ContactsVisa Information and LodgementPanel Doctors Panel Doctors
Abuja
Medical and Radiology Clinic
Zankli Medical Centre
Plot No. 1021
B5 Shehu Ya'adua Way
(opposite Federal Ministry of Works)
Utako District
Abuja
Telephone: +234 9 523 6854
Fax: +234 9 523 9570
Doctors:
Dr Lovett lawson
Dr J Lawson (female)

Lagos
Medical Clinic
Dr A A Fatayi-Williams Clinic
54/56 Bankole Street
(behind Elephant House at end of Broad Street on Lagos Island)
PO Box 3870 Marina
Lagos, 101001, Nigeria
Telephone: +234 1 477 1349, 1 470 0442, 0 808 100 9943, 0 808 100 9944, 0 709 812 3367, 0 709 812 3368, 0 705 174 0601 (Practice Manager)
Fax: +234 1 266 0611, 264 4906
Email: afwclinic@yahoo.co.uk
Doctor(s):
Dr Allan Fatayi-Williams
Dr Ayodeji Anthony Falana
Dr Louis Chukwuka Osode

Radiology Clinic
Crestview Radiology Ltd
276A Kofo Abayomi St
Victoria Island
Lagos Nigeria
Telephone: +234 1 462 7649
Email: crestviewradiology@yahoo.com

Radiology Clinic
St Nicholas Hospital
57 Campbell Street
Lagos, 101001, Nigeria
Telephone: +234 1 764 1419, 1 764 1420, 1 271 8691, 1 271 8692, 1 271 8693, 0 803 312 7839
Email: marifnwach@yahoo.com

@wahabcoal
Yea I am a february prospective student in Aussi been following this thread and its quite interesting, read through some of your posts and thot u might find this helpful

http://www.southafrica.embassy.gov.au/pret/lodgingvisaapplicationslodgingvisaapplications.html
Temporary Residence & Students
411 - Exchange - 4 weeks
419 - Visiting Academic - 4 weeks
421 - Sports - 4 weeks
428 - Religious worker- 4 weeks
Students - Assessment level 1 - 2 weeks
Students - Assessment level 2 - 3 weeks
Students - Assessment level 3 & 4 - 6 to 8 weeks

http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/573-0/
the streamlined visa allows your applicaion to be treated as if you are on assessment level 1, so i guess it will reduce your visa processing time as well as other requirement. so bear this in mind when applying to schools.

Geerally process of schooling in Aussi na long tin and its not easy at all ( and i guess its same with some other countries like USA and Cananda), i started my process january wrote IELTS in march the exam was easier than i thot, scored 8.0 started applying to schools in April got responses between may to july depending on the school cos some will want you to send hard copy of your docs before they give u unconditional offer.

just as Jennykadry said alot of factors will determine if you can still make feb session
1. how fast your skool sends you an unconditional offer,(apply to as many skools as possible)
2. how soon you are willing to pay your enrollment so they can send you the CoE so you can apply for visa immidiately
all this is possble in 1 month, i got an unconditional offer from a skool in 4 working days of applying just make sure you have all your document ready certified and uploaded so as soon as u get the IELTS result you can apply.
3. If you want your visa process to be faster you can do your medicals before you even send your appication becos tht 1 too takes sometime to get to them and can delay your application if you decide for them to instruct you to do the medicals while processing your application (i called the Assi embassy in SA myself and they told me this cos I am about to send in my applicaion so i clled them to ask some question and they were very helpful)

This is my 2 cents from my personal experience so far, and i encourage other prospective students and even those that made it there to pls share their experiecs so we can all learn and have success stories like the USA students thread.