american: September 2011

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

A Fresh Graduate

I truly apologize to anyone who still frequents my blog just to see if I've updated. I was actually back in Malaysia for the whole month of August and only got back just recently. Overall, it was a good trip. I managed to catch up with family and friends while I was back and ate most of the things that I wanted to eat. I also managed to buy a few articles of clothing while I was back during Malaysia's Mega Sale which is normally held from June to September.

Some of you might be wondering how did I manage to go back after applying for my Permanent Residency (PR) onshore. I managed to go back to Malaysia and return to Australia because I'm actually still on my student visa. My student visa expires at the end of September and therefore, I am still able to leave the country and return on that visa. Once my student visa expires, Bridging Visa A will come into effect and I will then be required to remain in Australia until a decision on my PR application is reached.

But if you're currently on Bridging Visa A, you can actually still make a trip back to your home country by applying for a Bridging Visa B. This could be done by downloading the required form here and then submitting it at your nearest Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) office together with a payment of AUD $105. You will also need to provide the DIAC with a valid reason on why you need to travel back home. I am not sure how lenient they are regarding the approval of these visas as I have not tried this before. And once you get back after your trip overseas, I think that you might need to check back in with the DIAC to let them know that you're back.

And now that I am back in Canberra, I'm currently looking for a job. Apparently it is pretty hard to land a job these days as a non-resident/citizen. I've tried applying to the big four accounting firms and some of the mid-tier ones and all my applications were turned down. I have even tried submitting my resume with various recruitment agencies here in Canberra and got called up for one interview. But up till today, I've yet to receive a job offer.

I will be taking a break from job hunting the next 3 weeks as my parents will be coming over for a holiday. But I will definitely resume my job hunting once I'm free. Hopefully, I'll be able to land myself a job soon or else my funds will be depleted and I might have to go back to Malaysia for good.

I promise to put up some pictures the next time I update.

Take care!