British Passport Vs South African

[BARBS1]

If Dolly or Kaz could please help me on this one??
My daughter is looking to emigrate to Oz and would like to know if there is any benefit in her obtaining her British passport vs a South African one?
Her Dad was born and lived in Uk for number of years so this would be an ancestral application?
Thank You

[dewey]

Hi Barbs

I can help you! I am a South African with a S A Passport! I can also get the British one! The only way the British Passport helps is it will qualify you for 15 points for the English Language! Should you require the 25 points it doesn't help at all! Further more to obtain a British Passport will cost about R2000-00!

So which ever way you look at it you will be paying R1900-00 for the IELTS Test or R2000-00 for the Passport!

Hope that helps

Joanne

[kaz101]

Hi Barbs1

There is one other difference too. Britain has an agreement with Australia over Medicare. so if your daughter has a British passport and is on a temporary visa then she will get Medicare. If she is on a South African one she won't with a temporary visa - I found this out from a South African friend here a few days ago.

If your daughter is coming in on a permanent visa then it shouldn't make any difference with Medicare since as a permanent resident she will be entitled to it.

Feel free to check this with an agent.

Regards,
Karen

[BARBS1]

Thank you both for your reply Is it necessary for EVERYONE to take the IELTS test, even on a Business Visa Application? Agent never mentioned that in our interview....

[kaz101]

Check out your business visa type at the immigration site since that should be able to tell you - Visa Options - Business - Visas & Immigration.

I had a look at the first one and it still mentioned the IELTS test.
I think it may depend if you can prove whether or not you are a native speaker of English.

Regards,
Karen

[BARBS1]

Will read up on that, thanks. Yep, in South Africa it's always been my mother tongue, alongside the good old Afrikaans (compulsory in schools), and nowadays the kids have to do Zulu as well, the latter two both being absolutely useless overseas.....
I heard the strangest things from a friend that is leaving for Oz in August - he says that Japanese is a compulsory 2nd subject in schools - I was flabbergasted as I have not seen this whilst looking into your schools curriculums.... I am sure it's not true..... my youngest of 11 is hoping that we emigrate, especially since he does not have to do 2 second languages by force.

[kaz101]

Originally Posted by BARBS1

I heard the strangest things from a friend that is leaving for Oz in August - he says that Japanese is a compulsory 2nd subject in schools - I was flabbergasted as I have not seen this whilst looking into your schools curriculums.... I am sure it's not true..... my youngest of 11 is hoping that we emigrate, especially since he does not have to do 2 second languages by force.

I don't have kids so I don't know for sure but no-one has mentioned it to me.
We do a lot more trade with China than Japan!

[Dolly]

Originally Posted by BARBS1

I heard the strangest things from a friend that is leaving for Oz in August - he says that Japanese is a compulsory 2nd subject in schools - I was flabbergasted as I have not seen this whilst looking into your schools curriculums.... I am sure it's not true..... my youngest of 11 is hoping that we emigrate, especially since he does not have to do 2 second languages by force.

Hi,

Yes, it's true. Most schools teach either Japanese or Indonesian and then usually a European language (German/French etc).

Languages other than English (LOTE)

Our boys school teaches French and Japanese.

Dolly

[BARBS1]

Dolly, little confused here..... so it is COMPULSORY to take a second language in the schools then?

[Dolly]

Originally Posted by BARBS1

Dolly, little confused here..... so it is COMPULSORY to take a second language in the schools then?

Yes....if it's on the school curriculum that a 'foreign' language is taught, then it's compulsory to do so. It will depend on the school but in my experience most schools teach 2 foreign languages, the student then chooses one language to learn.

School websites usually detail what subjects are taken...our school mentions subjects taught in it's prospectus.

Dolly