My Permanent Residency (PR) Application Checklist

This post will be set to remain on top of my blog for quite some time. To see if I've posted anything new, please scroll down to the next post

I will keep updating this post and adding links to it when I find out more stuff. Click on the hyperlinked numbers of each criteria to find out more.

I will be applying for the Skilled Independent (Residence) Visa (subclass 885) in Australia. I'm hoping to lodge my application by the 30th of June before the new point system takes effect.
Required: 120 points
Application Fee: $2575

For that, I will need to meet/have the following criteria/documents:

1. Age (30 points)
- 18-29 years old as of date of application
- Cost $172
- Required:
--->Translated Birth Certificate and
--->Passport

2. English Language Ability (25 Points)
- Band 7 in the International English Language Testing System
- Cost $317.15
- Required: IELTS test report form

3. Nominated Skilled Occupation (60 points)
- ANZSCO Code: 221111
- ANZSCO Occupation: Accountant (general)
- Assessing Authority: CPA/ICAA/NIA
- Cost $409.80
- Required: Skills Assessment Form from assessing authority

4. Eligible Visa
- I hold an eligible student visa

5. Two years study in Australia
- Required: Completion letter from the university

6. Location
- Must be in Australia when I lodge my visa application

7. Health
- Undergo medical check with Medibank Health Solutions
- Cost $321.80
- Test results will be submitted directly to the Department of Immigration

8. Character
- Cost $64.40
- Required:
--->Australian Federal Police check and
--->Malaysian police check

9. Australian Qualification (5 points)
- Required:
--->Academic Transcript
--->Completion Letter

10. Form 80 & Form 1221

Total points : 120 points
Total costs: $3,860.15

Nominated Skilled Occupation

The Australian Department of Immigration's Skilled Occupation List (SOL) which was last updated on the 1st of July 2010 could be found by clicking here. It basically tells you how many points you get for whichever occupation you choose to apply with. The SOL also tells you who your skill assessing authority is so that you can get your skill assessed by them.

I will be applying for residency as a General Accountant which carries 60 points (the maximum) with it. And the skill assessing authority that I have to refer to are the CPA, ICAA and the NIA. Two really common skill assessing authorities are the CPA and the ICAA. Both of these organisations charge the same amount for the skill assessment; $350 and promises to get your result back to you within 2-3 weeks. But only the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA) has a fast track option for this skill assessment. The downside, it costs an extra $45 for it. And they will get your application processed within 1-1.5 weeks.





Because I'm sort of in a hurry to get my application in before the 30th June dateline, I decided to use the ICAA fast track option and pay that extra $45. My uni results were officially released at 3pm on the 10th of June. I went to uni on that day, hoping to get my academic transcript as well as my completion letter printed but was told that I could only get my academic transcript on that day and had to wait till the following Wednesday for my completion letter to be processed (because Monday was a public holiday). This delay is due to the fact that the computer system hasn't updated my completed status because the results were only just announced on that day itself and will take some time before my completion letter could be printed.

What I did was I enlisted the help of my course convener whom I was on good terms with (being such a good student) to help me try and fast track the process of my completion letter. Fortunately for me, I managed to get my completion letter that evening itself (after numerous phone calls made by my convener).

So anyway, the subject requirements for each Australian University could be found here. What that document does is it tells you which subjects you need to have completed in your degree to be eligible for this skill assessment.

To apply for my skill assessment with the ICAA, I had to:
1. take the IELTS test and achieve a Band 7 in all four sections of the test
2. get a certified copy of my academic transcript
3. get a certified copy of academic award, stating the title of the award, name of the awarding institution and the year the study was completed
4. download the application form
5. fill up the application form, attach the required documents and post it off together with the payment

Cost: Application fee $395 (fast track) + Academic transcript $10 + Postage $4.80 (express mail)
Total: $409.80

Back to PR Application Checklist

Proof of Age

For my Permanent Residency (PR) application, I need to show that I am between 18-29 years of age in order to get that 30 points. And the documents that would be required of me are my passport as well as a translated copy of my birth certificate.












Passport:
I had to renew my passport prior to lodgement because my passport only had a couple of months left in it before it expires. I am actually allowed to lodge my application with my old passport and inform the department of immigration once I've renewed my passport so that they can update their system with my new passport details. But because I am planning to go back to Malaysia before my student visa expires, I thought that I might as well get my passport renewed and update my student visa details so that I would not encounter any problems or difficulties when I re-enter the country.

What I had to do was to:
1. download the application form here
2. fill it up and call the Malaysian High Commission to make an appointment at 9am
3. bring along my original identity card (IC) and a photocopy
4. bring along the original passport
5. bring along 2 recent passport sized photos (or have your picture taken on that same day for $12)
6. present all of the above to the person in charge
7. pay the application fee of $110
7. collect your new passport at 3pm the same day

It's pretty much a straight forward procedure. The only hassle is the waiting time between 10am and 3pm. What I did was I caught the bus home, grabbed some lunch and then headed back. Spent a lot of time traveling in the bus, but I didn't mind.

And once my passport was renewed, I headed straight to the Department of Immigration in the City Center to inform them of my change of passport details. Before I went over, I had to print out Form 929 and fill it up and submit it together with a photocopy of your old and new passport. Because I came straight from the embassy, the staff at the department were kind enough to make a photocopy of both my passports for me without charge. Changes will then be reflected in my online student visa after 24 hours.

Cost: Application fee $110 + 2 x Passport photos $12
Total: $122

Birth Certificate:
I actually got my birth certificate translated at the Malaysian High Commission here in Canberra when I got my Police Checks done for $10. But I later found out that the department of immigration only accepted translated documents by translators from the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).

So what I had to do was to head to the NAATI website, follow the selected prompts and locate my nearest NAATI translator. Once I located a translator (there was only one in Canberra for Malay to English translation), I contacted him via email about my query. He called me back later in the day and asked me to email him a scanned copy of my birth certificate, both front and back (even if the back was blank) and he will translate it and affix his legal stamp and arrange for a meeting time where I will have to pay him $40 for his service.

Required:
1. Locate NAATI translator
2. Email scanned, coloured documents
3. Meet up to pay $40 and collect translated documents

The translator here in Canberra is pretty efficient. I sent him an email on a Friday afternoon, he called me in the evening, I emailed him my document the night itself and he could get it translated and ready for pick up the next day.

Cost: $40 + $10 (unofficial translation from Malaysian High Commission)
Total: $50


Total costs for proof of age: $172

Back to PR Application Checklist

Character

So I had to get my police checks done in both Australia and Malaysia.







The Australian Federal Police Check application was pretty easy. All I had to do was
1. head to the AFP website,
2. read the instructions,
3. print out the application form,
4. photocopy and certify my passport,
5. get a bank cheque and
6. post all of the above to the stated address.

It took them about a week or so to post the results to my home address.

Costs: Application fee $43 + Bank cheque $5.40 + Postage $0.60
Total: $49














The Malaysian Police Check was slightly more complicated. I had to
1. head to Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website,
2. lodge my application online,
3. print my application form,
4. call the Malaysian High Commission in Canberra to make an appointment,
5. submit my application at the Malaysian High Commission bringing with me:
-> original and 2 copies of Malaysian Passport
-> original and 2 copies of Malaysian Identity Card
-> original and 2 copies of Australian Visa
-> 2 passport sized photographs
-> confirmation of enrollment from the university
-> $10

I reached the Malaysian High Commission at 9am (appointment time) and I had to wait for half an hour before they saw me. I then had to wait until 11.30am before I can get my Letter of Good Conduct (police check).

Costs: Application fee $10 + Bank cheque $5.40 (found out that it was not necessary on that day itself although the website said they only accepted bank cheques or money orders)
Total: $15.40


Back to PR Application Checklist

English Language Ability

For the English Language Ability section of my permanent residency (PR) application, I had to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test again although I had to take the exact same test in Malaysia before I came to Canberra as part of my pre-requisite for entry to the University of Canberra. For PR application purposes, I had to achieve a band 7 out of 9 for all four sections of the test because I am planning to lodge my PR application by the 30th of June before the new point system takes effect. If I were to apply for PR from the 1st of July 2011 onwards, I'll be required to achieve a band 8 out of 9 for all four sections of the test.

I sat for my IELTS test on the 14th of May and had to register the month before. Registration was simple enough. All I had to do was to:
1. visit the IELTS test centre's website (which so happens to be at my uni),
2. look through the available test dates, bearing in mind which test you need to do (I had to sit for the academic test and not the general test because my skill assessment authority required academic IELTS)
3. download the application form
4. complete the form and submit together with payment, 2 recent passport sized photos and a copy of your passport
5. a confirmation letter will be posted to you a week before the test date to inform you of the time and location of your test
6. test results will be posted out to you 2 weeks after the test date

Cost: Application fee $317 (increased to $330 from 1st August 2011) + Passport photos $0.15 (because I did it myself)
Total: $317.15

The test was simple enough. It consisted of four main sections; Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. More information on the test format could be found from the IELTS website. The test started at 9am on the 14th of May, and in the confirmation letter that was posted to me the week before my test, told me to be there at 7.45am. I thought, why do I have to go so early to sit for a 9am exam? But I didn't question any further and arrived at my uni at 7.45am in the morning on that cold autumn day. The temperature that morning was sub-zero.

Once you enter the test hall, you're not allowed to leave until the first there sections of the test is complete; Listening, Reading and Writing. After you're done with the three main sections, you have to wait until your allocated Speaking time to be tested on your speaking ability in a one-on-one question and answer format. Fortunately for me, I had my Speaking session set pretty early. So I managed to complete all four sections by 12.30pm that same day itself.

I received my test results in the mail on the 30th of May. My results were as follow:
Listening: Band 9
Reading: Band 8.5
Writing: Band 7
Speaking: Band 8

Although I am a little disappointed with my writing ability, my results will still be sufficient to help me gain enough points for my PR application.


Back to PR Application Checklist

Cheap Passport Photo Solution

Because I'm a cheapskate and don't really like to spend my money unless truly necessary, I decided to print my own passport sized photos instead of having to take a proper one in a shop. The cost for printing 4 passport sized photos here in Canberra, Australia is around $12 per set. And you won't even get to keep the soft copy to reprint more pictures in the future if you ever needed them.

So I went on to google and came across this website, http://www.epassportphoto.com/. It essentially helps you come up with passport sized photos according to your country's requirements. All you have to do is to select which country you're doing the passport photo for, browse for a picture that you want to use, crop the picture to ensure that your face is within the required boundary (all done on the website itself) and finally, download the picture. Now all that you need to do is to go to your nearest photo shop to get the picture developed.

I went to the cheapest store to get the cheapest prints I could get. Big W were offering 15 cent prints and I could hardly resist such a cheap offer. The only downside to this method is that you have to take your own photo and cut them up yourself.

Taking the photo is not too hard. All I had was my handy digital camera, a couple of books as a tripod, a well lit place and a photo editing software for editing the brightness, contrast and a bit of touching up. If you need a blue background photo, go invest in a blue cloth. And as for cutting up the photos, because they get developed in 4R sizes, I used a guillotine at my uni to cut up my pictures.

Here's a sample of a passport sized photo from epassportphoto.

Australia Permanent Residency (PR) / General Skilled Migration Independent Visa Subclass 885 Point Test

As this is my last semester here in Canberra, Australia, I've got to start planning ahead on what I want to do. At the moment, I really don't know. But since I'm here in Australia and have been studying here the past three years, I thought, why not apply for my permanent residency first and see how things work out? If I don't get it, that's fine, that won't be the end of the world. I can always head back to Malaysia and work for a couple of years and then decide where I want to go after that. If I get it, that's fine as well. I could stay here and work, and if I do like it here, maybe get my Australian citizenship 5-10 years down the road.

So anyway, my exams end on the 2nd of June and my results will be out on the 10th of June. If I were to apply for PR under the current point test, I'll definitely get it with a Band 7 in IELTS. But the Australian government recently announced a new point test for people applying on/after the 1st of July 2011. Under the new point test, I'll need to get a Band 8 in IELTS in order to qualify for the PR visa.

IELTS, for those who don't know, stands for the International English Language Testing System. There are four parts to this test; Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Those who take the test are scored out of nine for each section. And with the new PR point test, applicants would need to score a Band 8 our of 9 for every section in the test. I've got to say, I'm a bit worried about not getting an 8 for every section. Sure my Listening, Speaking and Reading skills are fine. But I'm not too confident with my writing ability. When I first applied for my uni, I only scored a Band 7 for my Writing section with the other sections getting an 8 or an 8.5.

Why not apply before the 30th of June 2011? Well, the thing is that I might not be able to get my application done within that 20 day period after my results are released. This is because, I'll need to get my skills assessed by a Chartered Accountant body in Australia once my results come out as part of my application for PR.

Anyway, here's a diagram of the new point test system for future applicants. You'll need 65 points in order to be eligible for Permanent Residency. Click to enlarge.


Under the old point test system, applicants would need to score 120 points in order to be eligible for PR. But points were easier to score back then. Here's a table of the old point test system. Click to enlarge.


Here's a comparison between the old and the new point test system. It's not that clear though. Click to enlarge.


My point test:
Age - 25 points (18-24 years old)
English language - 10 points (Band 7) / 20 points (Band 8)
Qualifications - 15 points (Bachelor degree)
Australian Study - 5 points (Minimum 2 years fulltime study)

Total = 55 points if I get a Band 7 in IELTS
Total = 65 points if I get a Band 8 in IELTS

So anyway, I've already registered and paid for my IELTS test over here. My test date is on the 13th and 14th of May. And the test fee is AUD $317 (RM700). It is so much cheaper to take my IELTS test in Malaysia because it only costs RM550 back in Subang.

And if I do well in my IELTS, I'll have to start forking out money to pay for the other expenses related with my PR application. Expenses such as a medical check up ($300+), police check both here in Australia and Malaysia ($60), skill assessment by professional body ($350+) as well as the application fee itself ($2575+). The prices quoted here were from when I enquired last year in 2010. These prices are expected to have increased by the time I apply. Overall, I would have to set aside about $3700 for the total application. That's excluding any translation and certification fee that I might have to pay to get my application done.

I guess that's all for now. Will update again on my PR application process.