After all the waiting and the spending....

IELTS test: AUD 160
Postage of IELTS application to Malaysia: AUD 48
Health check : AUD 303
Australian police check  + bank cheque + postage: AUD 49.20
Postage fees for NZ police check: AUD 2.50 (i love how you do not need to pay anything to get a NZ police check!!!)
Malaysian police check: AUD 11
Accommodation at Canberra for police check: AUD 93
Academic transcript: AUD 22
Skills assessment: AUD 330
Health insurance: AUD 66.30
Application fees for Australian PR: AUD 2575

Total spending to obtain an australian PR: AUD 3660


To know that the wait is now all over: Priceless :)

Obtaining this PR was by far the most grueling process ever!!! Didn't know there was so much to do, so much to spend, so long to wait. I hope this will be the end of all applications and that I do not need to go through this anymore. I HATE paperwork. I first encountered it when I had to apply for my student exchange to Canada. So many deadlines to meet in such short period of time.

I then had to go through the whole process again for my application to do my masters in Sydney. It is getting the other required documents together, finding a justice of peace part that was such a pain. I thought that will be the last of all paperwork as I do not intend to study anymore after this.

And then...... I had to apply for my physio registration in Australia. So much paperwork as well. And the wait was freaking darn long which affected my job applications. I couldn't get some positions because I didn't have my physiotherapy license yet. I submitted my application way back in November 2010 and only got it at the end of February 2011. I remembered walking into the AHPRA office 6 freaking times to ask about my registration. They claimed that I needed to send in my IELTS results for proof of english but I actually didn't need to because I sent it my NZ high school results. But because my cert said University of Cambridge (i did A levels back in high school), they claimed it's not a school in NZ. Seriously WTF... I was so mad then.

And whilst I was chasing up for my physio registration and also looking for a job, I was also applying for my PR. It all started on jan 14th. The day after I landed in sydney. I had to get all of the above listed ready along with reference letters from my clinical educators before submitting my PR application. I took me 1.5 months to get those documents ready I tell you. A lot of waiting. Waited for the reference letters to come in before I can get my skills assessment done, waited for the skills assessment to be done, waited for my nz and australia police check, travelled far and waited one whole morning for my msian police check, waited for the results of my medical check up.... wait wait wait wait wait. After all those waiting,  I then submitted my application on the 7th of March. And from then on, it was one last final waiting game.

I didn't really mind the final waiting game. I was told a minimum of 3 months from the 21st of March. And hence, I wasn't really waiting. I mean, I will only REALLY start 'waiting' from the 21st of june. That was the plan. My parents and aunt kept on asking me.. when are you getting your PR? Have you heard anything from them yet? I think you should contact them and chase them. When? When? When? That was the part that bugged me. It was like... Hello? It's a minimum of 3 months, so don't ask me yet till that 3 months is over. I will only start chasing them after 3 months because the letter did say - minimum 3 months!

Come 6th of June... I checked my email and Voila! Your visa have been granted!!! I was so shocked to see that. I didn't expect it to be approved so soon. As the email said, minimum 3 months from the 21st of March. No case officer contacted me prior to that or anything. No interview, nothing. It was so unexpected. In a good way of course :) Hehehehe.... and so, I let out a huge sigh of relief.

I feel quite complete right now. Got a job that I'm enjoying and got my PR. I can start making plans now. Holiday plans...before that, I had to put all plans on hold. For the past few months, I felt trapped. Like a prisoner here. Because I had no idea when I can leave the country. Now.. I can!!!!! The only uncertainty is what happens after the 14th of November..... but no biggie right now... I got my PR! I can apply for public hospital jobs if my contract doesn't get renewed.... Wooooohooooooooo!!!!!!