₦airaland Forum

Hi Guys, while other western nations like UK and US tighten their policy on post-study opportunities for international students, Australia is introducing new policies to encourage foreign students to work and live in Australia after their studies! Find out more about migrating to Australia by liking Access Australia Education Services on facebook or follow on twitter @ AccessAustEdu

zioni: regards the ielts exam..i dnt think its a must you provide it for the school because i didnt provide any prove of english when i applied and i got my offer of admission from 3 different uni in australia but i ended up doing the exam because its part of the requirement for visa application.. my advice for anyone coming to australia is that you should do ielts exam to b on the safer side.....
shalom

Sorry about tardy response. Things have been pretty busy here and i just got a good job offer here in Naija that I had to turn down because I'm leaving for Oz in a few months and need to be there before May to validate or else my PR gets cancelled . It was rather painful to make the decision to turn down the offer but I believe I can do better in Oz eventually. Enough of my sob story! I agree with all Manmeta has said. I went through the state sponsorship route as Recruitment Consultants aren't in such high demand sadly .

You need to first sort out your IELTS and once the result comes out, you can figure out how much points you get from there (8 in all bands will give you a total of 20 points). Skill Assessment for me was done through VETASSESS and i was asked for my transcript (I only used my masters degree from Oz as the first degree in naija wasn't in a relevant field) and a statement of service from my employer in Oz at that time- For assessment in my field they require at least one year RELEVANT work experience. Please note that this experience can be either offshore or onshore so if you can ask your employers in Nigeria or wherever for reference please do so. What i submitted for ACT state sponsorship was:

Completed application form
IELTS result
Skills Assessment
CV
Letter of Commitment
Declaration of available funds (they won't ask for your bank acct details though)
Reference letter from previous employer - if any
$300 fee (Aussies like their dollar )

The state sponsorship application took approximately one month and I received an automatic invite to apply for a 190 visa after the approval from the state . For my 190 visa application, i submitted:

IELTS
Skills Assessment
Passport Bio data page
Birth Certificate
Naija and Australian Police Clearance
Form 90 Character Assessment form (It has a million questions so you have to answer carefully - i obviously exaggerate about the million)
Transcripts from Bachelors and Masters
Statement of service from three of my employers to support my claims on work points both here in Naija and in Oz

If i remember any other thing, I will add it later ! I need to make something very CLEAR, if you are claiming points on education and have a masters degree or a bachelors degree or both, please make sure you endeavor to get these qualifications assessed (both masters and bachelors), either by your occupation's assessment body or VETASSESS and they can assess your bachelors degree as equivalent to an Australian Bachelor's degree or higher. Also do not claim points on any work experience you cannot get evidence for. Evidence can be in form of reference letters, bank statements, payslips or tax returns.

All the best! I need to return to consoling myself about the offer i just rejected

I agree with Manmeta about assisting those who are thinking of sending in an SMP application - the process could be lengthy, rigorous and anxiety ridden. I think every little information counts and shared knowledge is what could make the difference between a grant or a rejected application, especially in light of the introduction of SkillSelect where over claiming on points could easily jeopardize your application ($3060 is not easy o)!!!! Having said that, these things are also on a case by case basis and could sometimes depend on the case officer or on an applicant's history and ability to provide the right info/documents. For me, it took less than three weeks after case officer allocation for the CO to grant me my PR and he didn't even ask for medicals but that could be because i had medicals done last year for 485 visa. Any which ways, i was over the roof and ecstatic when it came through and give God all the praise

Regarding the student visa application, I'd be happy to chip in my two cents when i can even though i applied for that 6 years back but still have an idea of the process involved. Jenny and some forum members seem to have that neatly covered though - You should seriously consider setting up an agency!!

Congrats Dr Julianna! How's Ballarat? It's not too far from Melbourne so u can always come in to the city on weekends and holidays if u want. I understand what u mean about that jetlag o! That journey is no small thing but it's well worth it.I'm looking forward to being back in Melbourne soon! Good luck in your program and perhaps we see when I get in ; ). My advice is keep a very open mind, mingle and mix with people from other cultures as well because u need that network for social activities and job referrals and choose your friends wisely. Enjoy!

Thanks manmeta !! So I'm all clear and won't need to stress about sending my passport to SA? Wonderful! Where in Oz will u be going and when are u going? I'm really thinking of going with south african airways cos it's much closer and only 8hrs away from SA (to land in Perth). Anyways, all the best and I'm certain you'll love Australia!

Hi Guys! It's actually refreshing to know there are a substantial amount of naijas in OZ . I was in Melbourne for 4years (study then work) and then came back to Naija early last year to see if I could settle back home (Get a good job and all ) but it hasn't been that way at all o! But praise be to God, i got my 190 permanent resident visa last week so I'll be moving back to Oz before May as i need to validate my visa before then. Just need to round up some things here and I'm off. I'll be in Melbourne but have been sponsored by ACT so looking for jobs in Canberra at the moment. Anyone in Canberra or Melbourne should let me know and i'll be glad to catch up with you when i get there
Also, with this new visa label thing, do i need to request for a visa label as i only have an electronic grant. Dunno if Naija immigration will give me issues with it when going out of the country.