Student Visa (Step by step)

lightsaber07 · August 2013

@michikoi

Hi Michikoi. In Australia only University of Melbourne, Bond University and Macquarie University only offers the Doctor of Physiotherapy which is a post-graduate entry for Physiotherapist. In Bond University the preferred pathway to their Doctor of Physiotherapy (Masters degree - extended) would be their Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science which only commences during January of each year. So not to waste time, Bond's International Regional Manager suggested that I'll first take up their Bachelor of Health Sciences then transfer to the Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science in January, hopefully. Because both program has same core subjects, so that would not be problem.

The advantage at Bond is that they have 3 semesters a year, so you can finish a 3 year program just in 2 years which gives you a one year head start from other universities. Also, having a Doctor of Physiotherapy title in Australia would give you an edge to other applicants in the field. As Doctor of Physiotherapy degree is now a prerequisite before you can practice in United States, if you want to go and practice there. Which I somewhat consider.

At Bond, first you will / should take the Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science which is a 3 year program but because of the trimester program at Bond you can take it for only 2 years. Then after that you will now take the Doctor of Physiotherapy which is another 2 years. Which makes it 4 years in total. In other Uni you'll need at least 6 years before you graduate the Doctor of Physio (Undergrad + DPT).

If you have any other questions or inquiry, I would glad to help you and give you options. I can also discuss with you the cons and pros of different university, especially the advantages of taking your physiotherapy program at Bond. At last I have someone who is also interested in taking up this program.

By any chance are you a graduate of the same profession here in the Philippines or studying the same program at the moment? If yes, if you don't mind, what university?

Hope to hear from you soon.

ten2six · August 2013

Meron ba dito na married with kids pero iiwan yung mga kids? Paano ginawa nyo? Gusto ko sana isama na sa application pero required yta na i enrol yung mga kids na nasa school age na e. Gusto ko sana i apply pero di ko muna isama. Pag stable na dun or makaipon kunin sana sila para may visa na sila kaagad.

lightsaber07 · August 2013

@michikoi

Hi to ALL.

Am actually new here and I have been taking time to read this forum for those who are planning to go to Australia through student visa. This forum has been very helpful. I have not yet started my applications, I have yet to take ielts exam this September and thengo through the same process like everyone else.

I am still looking for a University in Melbourne and am planning to take up Physiotherapy just like @lightsaber07. I am actually a graduate of Physiotherapy here but I have only worked as volunteer staff for at least 3 years (but that was a long time ago) and then I worked on a different field in Human Resource.

I haven't encountered anyone yet with the same course/degree as I am. I was hoping to get some insights if I will be taking up Physiotherapy again in Australia if they do the same as with Nursing braduates in regards to crediting of subjects to shorten your years of study.

If anyone of you here knows or has some ideas it would be very much appreciated. I am posting my queries here coz I still have not yet made any appointment with IDP for assessment.

Good Luck to your IELTS examination. If you have time enroll yourself to a review center or download IELTS books in the web and practice, it would be very helpful. Most or All Universities in Australia requires an 7 OBS with no sub score less than 7 for their admission requirements for their Bachelor of Physiotherapy / Master of Physiotherapy / Doctor of Physiotherapy program/s.

If you are finding some uni in Victoria. Only La Trobe Uni, Monash Uni and Melbourne Uni offers the Physiotherapy program. But in Uni of Melbourne you need first to finish their Bachelor of Biomedicine / Bachelor of Science (3 Years) then Doctor of Physiotherapy (3 years). And only La Trobe and Melbourne Uni offers the Post-Grad entry.

When did you graduate and earn your degree? When was that "long time ago" when you work as a volunteer staff? I am afraid that you can't be able to go for the post-grad entry if your experience and if you graduated 5 years ago.

Taking up Physiotherapy again in Australia would be quite expensive but when you graduate, i believe it will worth the price and the hard work. Physiotherapy in Australia are highly recognized / respected allied health profession and are also highly paid. You can try to have your transcripts be evaluated and maybe some of your subjects would be credited, cutting 1 or 2 years of your program. If I am not mistaken, If you have earned the degree and have relevant experiences recently there wouldn't be any problem in seeking credits for your degree.

I hope I have able to answer some of your queries.

chill_ice · August 2013

@ten2six hi! Ako inapply ko n daughter ko n school age pero d ko pa isasama. Tapos n medical namin pati ni daughter n hubby ko.

Rhina13 · August 2013

@i_am_ybba sa kilmore ako. Kayo ba?:)

Rhina13 · August 2013

@Siopao23 ay ganon ba? cguro depende talaga sa CO na may hawak ng documents mo.

lightsaber07 · August 2013

God heard my prayer. - - Thanks God! Just at this moment, I receive the embassy's response about my visa having been processed under a wrong assessment level. Here is their email:

"Thank you for your email. Please be advised that your application is
currently for allocation. We will strive to finalize it within the
published service standard of 14 working days for streamlined applications." - T. Mendiola

They responded to my email immediately and I thank them for that. I hope that I would be able to receive the decision earlier before the start of my O-week on the 2nd of September. :-bd

"Praise God"

iheartoz · August 2013

@ten2six hi! i did not include my daughter sa application. kami lang ng husband ko. kasi, in Sydney, you have to pay na the first semester tuition bago ka bigyan ng Confirmation of Placement na kelangan for the visa application. when you apply for placement, they initially issue a statement of the payable amount and not an offer letter. so you need the COP talaga. gusto ko sana na iinclude na sya para wala nang hassle in the future. kaso, ang mahal ng tuition!!! $2,500 per semester. at public na yan ha. i could use the amount pa sa ibang kakailanganin, pwede na ring pandagdag sa tuition ko, so i did not pursue na lang. pero nabasa ko somewhere, i think sa site ng public schools sa WA, na they issue offer letter, no need to pay pa, and yun lang ang required sa visa application. so if you're going there, lucky you!

iheartoz · August 2013

pero sa Sydney din pala si @chill_ice. i don't know what they did. i applied sa NSW Department of Education and Communities. i was given the statement of account na i submitted din sa IDP. di daw yun ang offer letter na kelangan. so i emailed DEC again and requested for an offer letter. ito yung reply:

Dear XXX,

I refer to your email regarding the offer letter for your child.

This office issues the Confirmation of Placement for dependants of international students. This is the document that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship requires to issue the visa.

Before this document can be issued you are required to pay the invoice that was sent to you.; Once the payment is confirmed the document will be emailed to you.

Kind regards

XXX
Customer Service Coordinator
Temporary Residents Program
DEC International
NSW Department of Education and Communities

iheartoz · August 2013

@ten2six pero kung ok naman kay @chill_ice, baka pwede nga.

chill_ice · August 2013

@iheartoz hi! Kasama naman ung daughter ko s application ko. Nakapag medical na din kami at hnhntay n lang decision. What we will do is mauuna kami ng husband ko tapos ssunod n lang ung anak nmin after months pag ok na kami dun at dun n rin kukuha ng insurance ng bata at saka na i-enroll dun.

hopingako · August 2013

Hello guys! I am planning to take 10weeks Elicos +2yr Associate Degree in Accounting (TAFE School-not listed sa SVP) I supposed this is subclass 573? but I need to show proof of funds since my school is not listed under SVP... May I know, if the visa processing days is still same 14days?
Please help!

Mia · August 2013

@hopingako No, it won't be 14 days. That will only apply when you are on SVP.

iheartoz · August 2013

@hopingako i think not. mas mabilis kasi supposedly ang processing time for SVP.

lightsaber07 · August 2013

@hopingako If I am not mistaken you'll be classified under subclass 573 still and because your school is not a participant of the streamlined processing I think it would take 21 days following the published service standard of the Australian Embassy, but this will only be followed if you'll have no problem in your medicals. And yes you are correct that you'll still be needing your proof of financial capability.

hopingako · August 2013

@lightsaber07 - Thank you so much! that's helped me a lot.. Good luck to you!

Mia & iheartoz - Thank you guys too!!

lightsaber07 · August 2013

@hopingako No worries. You too, Good Luck to your application.

hopingako · August 2013

@lightsaber07 - yep this will be my second time, ive got a refusal just recently and i applied for subclass 572 - but the refusal was all about evidence of regular income and it's DIY, but this time i will ask help from IDP and my school asked me to enroll to bachelor or associate degree and because they assessed me wrongly, they supposed to offer me Bachelor degree and not Advance Accounting, my ielts is lower so I need to take Elicos first..

kulay17 · August 2013

hello po patulong lng po. nglodge po ako last may 10 kaso refuse ang visa kc u sponsor ko may nsponsoran n pla. so nglodge ulit ako last july 22 and my intake is aug.12 until now wla email from embassy kung i need to submit my coe sbi ng agent ko w8 lng daw u email. bka po may alam pra matulungan ako ty

ten2six · August 2013

@iheartoz and chill ice.. thanks for replying..

chill_ice.. may I know pano ginawa mo? pina enroll mo na ba yung anak mo before ka ng apply ng visa?

@kulay17.. naku my sponsor also sponsored another last year lang.. malalaman ba nila yun? I am under 573 and svp ako. Kung kaya wag ko na i declare ang sponsor ko? Requirement ba proof of funds pag svp?

lightsaber07 · August 2013

@hopingako Ohh. Good. Ask the help of IDP, its free anyway. And this time, maybe grant will soon be on your way. It would be better if you'll be enrolled to a Uni who participates with the streamlined visa processing to lessen the risk of refusal and you'll not need to provide the financial capability documents. Why not consider that? But I think you'll be good, now that IDP will help you in your application.

For the IELTS, may I ask what score did you got and what is the required ielts score do you need? In some cases, it would be better to retake the IELTS than to take the ELICOS for 10 months.

kulay17 · August 2013

@ten2six opo nlalaman po nila u sa akin nga po name palang eh kya deny ako d daw pwde recycled u account

lightsaber07 · August 2013

@kulay17 Have you tried to email the Embassy? I think it would be better to just ask the status of your application. I think that is not bad. You can contact the embassy at [email protected] and just attached your CoE, and say my COE is attached for your referral.

iheartoz · August 2013

@ten2six kung SVP, no need for sponsors. some schools though, humihingi ng proof of funds before sila nag-iisue ng eCoE. pagkaganyan, they wouldn't know na siguro kung yung sponsor mo may nasponsoran nang iba. so it's fine.

kulay17 · August 2013

ah ok minsan kc u agent d alam din u gagawin w8 p nila u sasabhin ng boss nila ty

kulay17 · August 2013

@lightsaber07 ok lng po magemail kht wla pang 1 mon. u application ko and u aug.12 intake po ba u ilalagay ko na coe o u nirequest ko po na bagong date

lightsaber07 · August 2013

@ten2six You need not a sponsor for your application if your are under the streamlined visa processing. Masmaganda siguro na wag mo na i declare ung sponsor anyways it is not required for your application. Baka sabihin ng embassy na ung sponsor mo pala kaka-sponsored lang niya last year, baka maging minus yan sa application mo.

lightsaber07 · August 2013

@kulay17 When did the embassy acknowledged / received your application and are you under what subclass visa?

hopingako · August 2013

@lightsaber07 - I need to pay 10K sa IDP kasi nga may visa refusal na ako at di ako fresh applicant nila
I've got 5.5 sa IELTS and Bachelor degree required 6 or 6+ score.. kaya i need to take 10weeks lang naman hehehe not 10months...
Sabi ng IDP, it's better to stick sa old school para di na magtanong ang immigration... para iwas na din sa ganung sitwasyon baka daw magduda...
Yep this time, I will be careful na in submitting additional requirements pag humingi ang immigration... nakakapanic kasi last minute sila hihingi at hingi pa ng hingi ng extension letter sa school ko..tapos yun pala...anyway, it was my fault, I forgot to submit yung evidence ng regular income ng sponsor ko...puro bank history lang and they are asking 2.7M lang naman..

lightsaber07 · August 2013

@hopingako Oh Okay. Sorry, 10 weeks pala. Pero pag hindi ka naman gahol sa oras mas makakatipid siguro to retake the IELTS exam but this time try to review a lot or enroll yourself in a review center. But it still up to you. Anyways, as I said IDP is there now. All I can say is Good Luck sa atin and sana grant na this time.