If it is under a de facto relationship, they might ask for some proof of at least 12 months cohabitation. I am not so sure on this part but I will try to check on this. I'll update you with whatever I can get. If, ever, she will then be considered as your spouse and would have to add extra money for her - you can see the additional funds required in DIAC's website under student visa financial requirement.
Yup, i noticed though that the financial requirement are all based on annual expenses, however i will only be staying for the duration of the course which is 13-weeks... Should i prorate it?
Yup, i noticed though that the financial requirement are all based on annual expenses, however i will only be staying for the duration of the course which is 13-weeks... Should i prorate it?
hi jeplong RN :) I''ll try to explain bridging program in my perspective if there's anybody who wants to add, please do :) ... A bridging program is available only for overseas nurses whose first language is not english, and wishes to be employed in Australia. It is sort of an orientation to foreign nurses how nursing is practiced in their country. The bridging program also involves theoretical and clinical placement in a hospital.. It takes 3-6 months ( i think ) to finish this program, depending on the course provider... for me, taking the bridging program is better because it's way cheaper than studying again. :)
hi jeplong RN :) I''ll try to explain bridging program in my perspective if there's anybody who wants to add, please do :) ... A bridging program is available only for overseas nurses whose first language is not english, and wishes to be employed in Australia. It is sort of an orientation to foreign nurses how nursing is practiced in their country. The bridging program also involves theoretical and clinical placement in a hospital.. It takes 3-6 months ( i think ) to finish this program, depending on the course provider... for me, taking the bridging program is better because it's way cheaper than studying again. :)
Thank you Sofia for the information
Let me add some more too :)
Bridging Program is also known as the Competency assessment program of the State Boards in Australia. Currently, the registration of Nurses is controlled by each state's regulating authority. In 2010 though, all of these will be handled solely by a National Registration Board ( comparable to PI's PRC).
The BPs are different in each state and has a range of 3-6 months as what Sophia has mentioned earlier. The odd one out is Queensland's Bridging Program which is also known as CAS. CAS is the only BP which offers 2 pathways - either take the Exams or the Modules (which is similar to all other BPs). No news yet of how the BPs will be like when the National Registration takes place, so I can't comment on that part.
By successfully completing the program, you will now be eligible to register in that specific state as a Division 1 Nurse (RN). Although it may be a bit expensive to do the Bridging Program, it is still by far the cheapest option for any nurse to work in Australia. Studying another BN degree in Australia is not really that worth it since you will be repeating the same degree - this is my opinion on this especially if you'll be credited 1.5-2 years which will mean you will only need to study for another year or year and half.
Let me give you a simple comparison and let you decide:
Bridging Program:
PRO: Short term
Less Expensive
Faster
CON: Risky
Needs a sponsor to apply for a 457 Visa
Since the Nurse will most p robably be holding a Short-stay visa, he/she will not be able to work while doing the BP
BN Degree:
A. Less than 2 years study:
PRO: Less Expensive than a 2 years study
Will be able to review thoroughly Nursing skills and concepts
Will be eligible for Registration right after completion
Since the Nurse will be holding a Student Visa, he/she is eligible to work while studying (conditions apply)
CON: More Expensive than a BP
Will only be able to apply for a 457 Visa - granting the applicant doesn't have any experience
Takes a long time till the nurse practise the profession and earn money
B. 2 years study and above:
PRO: Will be eligible for Registration right after completion
Will be eligible for a Skilled-Graduate (temporary) Visa - 18 months
Will be eligible for a Permanent Resident Visa after completion - provided the applicant reach the points required
Since the Nurse will be holding a Student Visa, he/she is eligible to work while studying (conditions apply)
CON: Most Expensive Route
Takes a long time till the nurse practise the profession and earn money
thank you sofia and aelith, i would like to add some more questions
1. how can I apply for the BP?
2. is there anyone perhaps agency that can help me speed up the process for applying BP?
3. how much do you think BP cost?
4. do they require work experience and IELTS?
5. after completing the BP how long will it take me to get a job and earn money?
6. what can I do after BP to earn points to become citizen?
am really anxious about so many things, thanks for he information s that you have extended, your help is deeply appreciated. Godbless!
hi jeplong.. you can apply for the bridging program by choosing first where in Australia you intend to take your BP. Then you apply to the State Board, as mentioned by Aelith. The cost of the BP depends on the course providers like in Hollywood Private Hospital in WA, the current cost is AU$1100. There are some States that requires experience and there are also those who accepts applicants even with zero experience. The IELTS is required for all States, with at least a band score of 7 in all areas. . IMHO, it is perhaps faster and cheaper to process application without the help of any agency. By doing so, the applicant can also track down what's happening to his/her application. I suggest, if you have time try to read the posts from this thread as it is very informative. It may even help you select which State you would like to apply to.. Hope I was able to answer your queries.
thank you sofia and aelith, i would like to add some more questions
1. how can i apply for the bp?
you would need to apply first in the relevant nursing state boards - e.g. queensland nursing council, nursing board of victoria, nursing and midwifery board of new south wales, nmb wa. you have to pass all the requirements to the specific nursing board where you want to practise. they will be the one to give you the "go" signal to take the bps. you would then need to present the assessment letter you've received from them to the bridging program providers to be able to enroll in those programs.
2. is there anyone perhaps agency that can help me speed up the process for applying bp?..
in actuality, agencies don't have any direct correlation with the process of registration in australia - they are just mere guides and would help you look for possible employers. agencies will be responsible in helping you complete the application forms correctly, guide you with all the requirements needed, some offer review materials for qnc's cas program, and then they guide you with the visa processing too.
so, in the end, the processing time for your papers is more or less the same with or without any help from the agency.
3. how much do you think bp cost?
bridging program costs varies from state to state and from providers to providers. in some states, you have more choices for the bp providers whereas in some, you only have one option. nsw and queensland have only one bp provider. in nsw it currently costs 10k aud and in qld, it is roughly 600 aud - 4k aud. victoria has the most choices for bp providers with a minimum fee of 5k aud up to 12k aud. in wa, there are 3 choices and the cheapest is hph with 1.1k aud - bear in mind though, that the 2 cheaper bp providers in wa requires experience for you to enroll in their program.
4. do they require work experience and ielts?
ielts is a universal requirement in major western countries for one to practise. in australia, the ielts requirement differs a bit at the moment but it would be safe to just aim for a flat 7.0 in all bands.
as for work experience, there are still some states now which are open for those without experience (e.g. qld, nsw, vic). they may or may not make experience as a main requirement in 2010 with the national registration in place; so, it would be wise to apply now since we know they are still open for inexperienced nurses.
5. after completing the bp how long will it take me to get a job and earn money?
after successfully completing the bp, you will have to wait for a couple of weeks (maybe) for your registration. you will be able to look for employers while you are doing your bp - it would be best to scout for possible employers while you are doing the program since you won't have much time left for your visa after you finish the program. if you are successful in finding an employer to sponsor you, then you can proceed with the working visa (457). working visas can be applied for whilst in australia or when you return back to pi. you can apply for a 457 whilst in australia if the visa you have is still valid - if the visa expires after you have applied for a 457, you will automatically have a bridging visa which will permit you to stay legally in australia. if, however, you were able to find an employer but not able to lodge your visa application while you were in australia, then you can apply for it in pi and just wait for a couple of months for it to be approved or rejected.
in my opinion, the whole process, from application till employment will take around a year or so to finish.
6. what can i do after bp to earn points to become citizen?
applying for citizenship will take a long time - 4 years if i'm not mistaken. and to be able to apply for citizenship you should've been a permanent resident for about 2 years.
if for example you found an employer to sponsor you for a 457 visa, you will be eligible to apply for a pr status after a year or two. you can ask you employer to sponsor you for a pr if they like or you can apply on your own. you just have to satisfy the points required as well as all other minimum requirements for a pr visa.
for more information on visas, please visit diac's website.
am really anxious about so many things, thanks for he information s that you have extended, your help is deeply appreciated. godbless!
chabeli
271 Posts
Yup, i noticed though that the financial requirement are all based on annual expenses, however i will only be staying for the duration of the course which is 13-weeks... Should i prorate it?