URGENT MATTER please help. (1 Viewer)

[TheKey]

a few of my friends after checking the cutoffs they were all happy, untill they got told suddenly they are not eligible for hecs place.

How? Well they are not citizens but permanent residents, this is ok, however they have been permanent *RESIDENTS for >3 years and so they are not eligible for a hecs place in uni.

this is what my friend was told by some guy on a hecs enquery line: 1800 020 108

what should people in this situation do?

edit: citizens -> *RESDIDENTS

 

[TheKey]

if your >3 years in australia as a permanent citizen then ur NOT eligible.. but i still cant believ that. any ideas anyone

 

[TheKey]

we all read that, he just decided to call anyway to make sure, and he got told this, i also think that guy on phone was bs, if that was so it would have to be written somewhere.

 

[sunny]

Originally posted by TheKey
if your >3 years in australia as a permanent citizen then ur NOT eligible.. but i still cant believ that. any ideas anyone

That can't be right - people who are born here are permanent citizens and they would've been here for 18/19 years.

 

[TheKey]

sorry i meant to say permanent residents,

AUST citizens = all good
permanent residents >3 years = not eligible

but all of this is bs, whoever told this to my friend should be shot, on the site it says they have to pay it upfront but thats all, they are still eligible.

 

[jase_]

Can't u become apply to become an Australian Citizen if you've been here that long?

 

[ssssonicyouth]

Originally posted by TheKey
sorry i meant to say permanent residents,

AUST citizens = all good
permanent residents >3 years = not eligible

but all of this is bs, whoever told this to my friend should be shot, on the site it says they have to pay it upfront but thats all, they are still eligible.

what the guy probably meant was that they'd be eligable for full fee paying positions, but not eligable for hecs places

 

[White Rabbit]

Why doesn't your friend apply for citizenship? Then he'd/she'd be eligable?

 

[santaslayer]

yea...but it'll be too late now wouldnt it?

 

[David27]

Well Hecs SHOULD only be for Aust Citizens since it's subsidized. Not for fly by nighters who've been in the country for five minutes.

 

[TheKey]

thats the thing, if your here for 5 minutes you would be ok, what my friend got told is that this Hecs thing is goverments way of pushing you to become an Australian Citizen, so if you just came here they will allow you to have a hecs place as long as your permanent resident for less then 3 years (to encourage you to become an aust citizen, show how good aust is..), however if your here as a permanent resident for more then 3 years, you are basically saying 'i do not wish to become Aust citizen' and so you are not eligible for a hecs place.

also it would take around 20-30 days notice before you can become an australian citizen, so yeah right now its too late.

 

[ameh]

try n get citizenship

 

[Hottieflossy]

citizen ship takes a while though...i applied for citizenship in mid-2003 and i became a citizen about 5 months later

 

[lil_star]

What the

read this:

Once those three years have passed, if you have not become an Australian citizen, you will no longer be eligible to defer your HECS and receive a discount for up front payments.


http://www.hecs.gov.au/pubs/hecs2004/5.htm

im in trouble!

 

[sunny]

But then....

If you do not meet the above requirements you are still entitled to HECS, but you must pay your HECS contribution up front without a discount each semester.

That has got to be better than paying full fees! If there is no way out, maybe you'll just have to go with it for first semester - get the citizenship settled before the HECS census date for second semster.

 

[ameh]

lol mine came a few YEARS later

 

[perfectionist]

From HECS website
5.3 How can I become an Australian citizen?

The Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs provides information on the eligibility requirements and application process for Australian citizenship on its website www.citizenship.gov.au , or you may wish to call the Citizenship Information Line on 13 18 80. You should allow sufficient time for your application for Australian citizenship to be considered if you are intending to become an Australian citizen before you enrol in a course of study.

If you have an application for citizenship approved, you may defer your HECS payment even if you have not yet attended a citizenship ceremony, made the pledge or received a certificate of Australian citizenship.

Please note, however, that you do not become an Australian citizen until you attend the citizenship ceremony and make the pledge of commitment. You must attend the ceremony and make the pledge within 12 months of your citizenship application being approved unless you have an acceptable reason for not doing so (this could include having to travel overseas either for medical treatment not available in Australia or to care for a close relative who is critically ill). If you fail to do so, approval for your Australian citizenship will be revoked. You may no longer be eligible to defer your HECS payment or to receive a discount on an up front payment.

I think if u go and hand in an application at the citizenship office, it will be fine...as they accept your application when u go...

so yeah i am going on Monday...hope everything turns out to be fine

 

[perfectionist]

Originally posted by TheKey


also it would take around 20-30 days notice before you can become an australian citizen, so yeah right now its too late.

Still...if you go to the citizenship office...and they accept your application!

refer to my above post.