Visa quagmires. (EDIT: Possible solution!)

OK. So I’ve just received some new information about the Temporary Graduate visa I was going to apply for, and now my head’s in a tizzy.

1. The Temporary Graduate visa takes at least SIX months to be processed. This made me yelp because I do not want to be in Malaysia (well, Ulu Tiram) for six months. There’s nothing to do and I’ll stagnate in there. I’d lose half a year of circus training and just end up atrophying in front of my computer like I usually do.

HOWEVER

2. Apparently once you lodge your application you are NOT ALLOWED to leave Australia. You are given a Bridging visa that lets you stay in Australia legally while the other visa’s being processed. I’ve heard “you can’t leave” to “you can only leave for compassionate reasons” to “you can stay, or you can leave”. I don’t know if you are given the Bridging visa immediately or if you have to apply for it and wait (hopefully not for months). Some bridging visas give you working rights, but I have to check that too.

I’m cool with remaining in Australia for as long as I need to. I can continue circus training, learn burlesque and pole, do fun stuff, get involved (there’s TONS of things happening in the next couple of months), and actually apply for jobs without wondering about whether I’d be around long enough to start work. However, there are a few issues here:

• I am running out of money. I have less than $200 in my account, which is just enough to last me until the 27th – the date I was supposed to fly out to Malaysia. I have been looking for jobs, but without luck – I haven’t had an interview, and people are generally reluctant to hire folks with immigration issues (like myself). I’ve been doing casual and part-time gigs here and there, but they haven’t been enough to cover major expenses.

• I need a place to live. Currently I’m sharing a room with Mark (in the same apartment with Nikki, who has her own room). While we generally get along, being in the same small room as Mark 24/7 has really taken a toll on our relationship. The room’s only meant for one person, so there’s not enough space for our clothes, our computers, and so on. We end up being pissed off at each other, or feeling cramped. We had a long conversation about this last night where we came to the conclusion that we work better with having our own working spaces (or at least a working space that’s separated from the bedroom) but sharing a bed, instead of having everything “on top of each other”. Any longer in our current situation, though, and things may get really ugly. (Those of you who received a message from me saying “We all live and die alone” – this was part of the impetus.)

• My parents will be pissed off. They’ve been wishy-washy about me being in Australia – a few months ago, when I was going through a deep depression and just wanted to get out of everything, they were so eager for me to be a PR that they even got all the forms and hired agents before I was ready. Now, though, they keep dropping anvil-sized hints about “taking a break” by coming back to Malaysia, forgetting about Australia because we’re apparently getting Malaysian citizenship anyway (after waiting my whole life!), and besides circus doesn’t give you a future so why bother. (There’s a looooooooong story behind this.) They were willing to support my visa costs, but were more willing to pay for everything if I lived in Johor. Even my dad says on the phone, “You know, we’re allowing you to apply this visa to make you happy…” and doesn’t get it when I say it’s not a question of me being allowed or not allowed to do something. When they find out the quagmire I’m in, they’re likely going to conclude that I’m so disorganised and it’s such a hassle that they’re not willing to cover the AU$3000+ cost for the visa and paperwork – “just go home!”

The factor that complicated this is my student visa. It’s valid till the 30th of August, but due to credit transfers I’m graduating a semester ahead of schedule. I called up DIMIA a few months ago asking about my visa and they told me that my student visa stops being valid as soon as I graduate (this Tuesday). With this understanding, my parents booked tickets for the 27th – graduate, put in application (even though I can only apply around the 7th of April because I have to wait for my IELTS results to be released), go home, wait for approval. But if my new information is correct, I can’t go home at all. Not a loss for me – but a big source of trouble for them. I had already delayed my return date twice.

I sent an email to the migration agent I visited in February asking for clarification, and CC’d my family. If they read the email they’ll hopefully see my side of the situation. My parents are currently in the Middle East and will be in Australia just before my graduation – I don’t know if they’ll get the chance to even read the email beforehand. And we have 3 days between the graduation and someone having to go back on the flight. Or something.

ARGH!

I’d love to remain in Australia; I just need the following:

• A job, or enough money to live on
• Somewhere to live – cheap or free rent, good people, utilities included, not dodgy (I’ve had two renting experiences that didn’t go so great; I’m worried to go renting now!!). Hell, I’d go live with my burlesque teacher and be her apprentice if she’d let me. Or something.
• My expenses and needs taken care of
• Some way of going back legally (there’s a Bridging Visa variant that lets you do this) – my sister’s getting married in July! Ironically she’s more supportive of my plan than my parents are!
• Less stress – I already had such a stressful night talking with Mark about our future, starting over, whether we cope well together, and so on. I couldn’t sleep at all. Now this is just giving me a greater headache.
• A guardian angel

I was doing so well. I had dreams! There were things I wanted to do! There were people here who wanted me around! I found the people that care for me and want me back here! And now this?

I’m running out of things I can do in the mundane world. I’ve asked for advice, I’m getting the paperwork sorted, I’ve told my parents. Sometimes I wonder if my parents are praying for me to just come back to Malaysia and drop this Australia thing – they are in the holiest Muslim place in the world. Can prayers override each other? If I asked all my spiritual and magical friends to pray and spellcast and wish and who-knows-what for my visa success, for my dream life to be true, for my wave of joy and good fortune to return – will it work against the wishes of my parents which seem to be conflicting? (If you are a magical person, feel free to do whatever ritual you want towards my aid. Or pray for me. Whatever works for you. You have my eternal gratitude.)

URGH! I hate visas. Hate them so much.

EDIT EDIT EDIT! POSSIBLE SOLUTION!

I just took a shower and I think I’ve come up with a solution that suits everybody.

1. Graduate on the 24th. Get degree cert to apply for VETASSESS. Go talk to immigration agent to see if this plan holds water.
2. Go back to Malaysia on the 27th.
3. Receive IELTS results by mail around mid-April. (This is the main thing stopping me from making an application now.)
4. Go back to Australia either on the student visa (risky, but it does say “valid till 30 August 2009” on it and apparently people have done this before) or on a tourist visa (a bit of a hassle, and costs a bit, but it only takes a day and there are cheap flights) by end of April with IELTS results and other paperwork stuffage.
5. Apply for Temp Grad visa.
6. Get Bridging visa. Possibly ask for modification to go overseas in July.
7. Live in Australia for as long as I need to.
8. Rock on.

!!!!!

The main things here are the flight back to Australia and the visa to come back. A little bit of extra cost, but possibly worth it?? My parents will have me back (though I hope they don’t kick up a fuss that it’s not as long as they’d like), I get to come back to Australia early, and I get to liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive.

YAY!