UK teacher relocating to NSW - any advice?

[michelle403]

I am a 27yo female with a UK passport planning to move to Sydney in August 2024 to live with my boyfriend (Aus citizen) who I've been with for 5 years. We lived in the UK at the start of our relationship but never cohabited together. We have been doing long distance for the last year of our relationship as he moved permanently back to Sydney and I moved temporarily to Hong Kong and we will be doing another year of long distance before I relocate to Aus. When I move to Sydney, I will move into his place and will contribute to paying off his mortgage. I know I have a couple of options for visas to start work there but I was hoping someone would be able to advise me on what the best one would be so that I can start working with a permanent job role as soon as possible after I arrive in Aus. From my understanding it will be difficult for me to get a de facto visa as we have never lived together. I know that there is the option to go in with a working holiday visa and then apply for the de facto visa after living with my partner for a year or so but I would prefer to start on a permanent role (instead of having to change employer after 6 months with the WHV).

There is also the option of applying for a 189/190 visa once I am there, but there is another issue in that I am a secondary Maths teacher trained with Teach First. This is a school-based SCITT-like route which I know is not accepted often in NSW as it does not include the >45 days of supervised teaching by a university professor. I have tried asking my university for a document to verify this but I'm not hopeful as I was observed mostly by a Teach First educator and not a uni professor. I have been advised that another route into getting my NESA is through applying for a NZ teaching registration and then applying for a Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition with NSW.

Since I still have a year left before I make the move, I have some time to try different routes and get all the necessary documents ready, but is there anything I'm missing here? Any other advice you can give me based on my situation? (Sorry for the long post!)

[mcdonagh migrations]

Depending on how serious your relationship is you might want to consider a SC300 Prospective Marriage visa.  Other than that you seem to have the broad pro's and con's correct.  As usual I will say that investing the few hundred dollars in a consultation with a Registered Migration Agent is a tiny fraction of the cost of Migrating and will give you a clear idea of your best path and some proper personalised advice.

The only other (non-migration) thing that pops to mind is to cross check that your qualifications will be acceptable for Secondary Teaching?

Good luck - migrating to be with your Partner is exciting!

[Marisawright]

7 hours ago, michelle403 said:

I am a 27yo female with a UK passport planning to move to Sydney in August 2024 to live with my boyfriend (Aus citizen) who I've been with for 5 years. 

Firslty, I would ask your partner to find out about registering your relationship in NSW.

Most importantly, there are two different hurdles to jump with your qualifications.  The first one is to satisfy Immigration, to get the visa.  They don't care about registration, so your NZ registration hack will cut no ice with them:  they are interested only in your teaching degree.  So If you want a 189/190 visa, you will probably need to upgrade your teaching qualification, unless you can find some way to get your current qualification recognised.

The bad news is that usually, you can't claim any work experience that you gained before you were fully qualified, no matter how relevant. So it's possible you'll have to upgrade your teaching degree and then work for the required number of years to gain the experience before you can even apply for a 189/190 visa (and then it can take a year or more to get the visa, if you get one at all -- both visas are highly competitive, exactly like applying for a job:  everyone who applies has the required qualifications and experience, so they can cherry-pick a few, and the rest miss out).

Once you get your visa (whichever one it is), and come to Australia, then you have to satisfy the NSW Education Department's requirements.  That's where your NZ hack may work.   

And that is why, in your shoes, I would definitely go for the WHV.   If your NZ hack works, you'll be able to get a job as a teacher.  If it doesn't work, there are further education colleges which don't require their teachers to be registered.  Yes, it means you have to change employers after 6 months but really, is that such a huge obstacle?   In every other way, it offers you an easy and comfortable transition:  the visa will be granted within weeks, you'll be able to move when it suits you, and you can start building your lives together straight away.  A year or so of contract work won't negatively affect your career in the long run.  You may even be able to use that year to do something about upgrading your qualifications in Australia (I have no idea, but it would be worth researching). 

If you stilll can't face the WHV, then it's worth knowing that although you've been living apart, that doesn't automatically mean you can't get the partner visa.  It is more difficult of you've never co-habited, but not necessarily impossible.  Married couples sometimes have to live apart due to work commitments, so that is allowed for.  If you can prove that you have a genuine shared life together in spite of the distance, you can still get a partner visa.  One of the most important things is to show that you have shared finances in some way.  If you don't, then that is something to think about now, and see if there's any way you can start putting something in place. 

If you want to try for the partner visa, I wouldn't contemplate it without using a MARA registered migration agent.  It can be hard enough to DIY at the best of times so I wouldn't risk it in your case. They will know how to prepare the evidence the right way.

 

[Quoll]

A permanent teaching job is a bit pie in the sky tbh. I’d be going for the prospective marriage visa then you’ve got 9 months to get around to it, by which time you’ll probably know if you want to make a go of it. You’re not bound to be a teacher, especially if you don’t qualify for registration - plenty of other jobs which could utilise your mathematical talent and they’d probably pay better with less stress. As a newbie in NSW if you can wangle registration somehow, they like you to get your runs on the board with rural and remote placements before they’ll look at offering you a plum role in a place where people actually want to live.  I’d go through all your visa options with a MARA agent.

[Cheery Thistle]

I think some people have managed to get successful skills assessments with the SCITT but it’s a battle, takes a while and only a few are successful. 
You will need a successful skills assessment to go for a 189/190. Registration with the teaching boards for each state are a different thing and unrelated to the skills assessment. 
Good luck with your pathway - could you not do a WHV and then transition to a partner visa after you’ve lived together? 

[Marisawright]

7 hours ago, Cheery Thistle said:

Good luck with your pathway - could you not do a WHV and then transition to a partner visa after you’ve lived together? 

Exactly what I suggested.  Why battle the the system when there's an easier pathway?

Edited July 17 by Marisawright

[wrussell]

From my understanding it will be difficult for me to get a de facto visa as we have never lived together.

Wrong!

and a skills assessment is not required to work as a teacher in Australia.