My wife arrived Saturday morning!!

Just wanted to thank everyone here, in particular the Ozzies that helped us get thru the long rough road of the visa madness and being apart (you know who you are!).

We have a lot of work to do to get settled and all but at least we're doing it together side by side.

Anyway, thanks lads!!

See y'all round the traps... beer on me!

A & C

Good for you Char.Here's wishing you a good future to both of you.

Well done mate. My wife phone today to say her visa has been granted too! We put our application in mid January, so that was a lot sooner than we expected, but no-one is complaining!

Well done

we fly back from perth today and will lodge our application next week. I hope its as fast as yours

Spike & Pui

Lotsa successes coming through. Good stuff.

Congratulations to you all.

Yes congrats.

My wife got her visa Monday and I have to go(come) pick her and bubs up. Just got back from visiting them 3 weeks ago. Wish I'd known earlier. Never mind.

She applied in December.

Carl

Nice one Charee, congrats dude! We put our visa in next week. The only bummer is I will go home and the wait is on for me. Might be calling on you soon for some moral support in those killer months!

Nice one Charee, congrats dude! We put our visa in next week. The only bummer is I will go home and the wait is on for me. Might be calling on you soon for some moral support in those killer months!

Hehe, no worries. Thanks everyone!

In regards to the study issue, it looke like provisional SV is treated like a student visa, that is, international student fees, not local fees. At least for the first 2 years until the PR is granted.

Which, imho, is stupid. Being married doesn't seem to be enough for anything anymore...

Congratulations Charee. As you know my wife arrived a week ago and its been just great! Wish you and your wife all the best mate.

I am surprised to hear about the study fees. It doesnt make sense to me! Surely we need to encourage our wife's to further study if need be to settle here?

Paul

If they don't pay full fees then the universities will not make any money, and then they would be competing with local students for the HECS based places, which is unfair to the locals.

Nice one Charee, congrats dude! We put our visa in next week. The only bummer is I will go home and the wait is on for me. Might be calling on you soon for some moral support in those killer months!

Hehe, no worries. Thanks everyone!

In regards to the study issue, it looke like provisional SV is treated like a student visa, that is, international student fees, not local fees. At least for the first 2 years until the PR is granted.

Which, imho, is stupid. Being married doesn't seem to be enough for anything anymore...

It's a bit off topic but anyway, incorrect about the student fees.

You are entitled to 200+ hours free tuition from TAFE for English, driving and citizenship subjects.

Children will be exempted from international fees there is an organisation (sorry cant remember name, which the school you wan to enroll in will advise you of), which will oorganise this for you.

and congratulations

It's a bit off topic but anyway, incorrect about the student fees.

You are entitled to 200+ hours free tuition from TAFE for English, driving and citizenship subjects.

Children will be exempted from international fees there is an organisation (sorry cant remember name, which the school you wan to enroll in will advise you of), which will oorganise this for you.

and congratulations

While you are correct about the English etc, for normal full-time tertiary education such as degrees, diplomas etc, provisional status SVs are treated like student visas (international fees). However, no government assistance, including HECS, AusStudy, etc is available to provisional visas.

So I think that for any class SV's local fees should be available without HECS, AusStudy, etc. That seems reasonable, doesn't it? Surely SV holders should be considered "permanent" and thus as "locals".

Congratulations Charee. As you know my wife arrived a week ago and its been just great! Wish you and your wife all the best mate.

Congrats too, mate! Yeah mine arrived a week ago too, and we're off to Qld for a coupla weeks over easter and anzac day (which happens to be our anniversary too!).