# My 189-PR Journey, Quarantine Story & Life In Australia Amid COVID-19



## majjji (Dec 8, 2017)

*DISCLAIMER*: Please ignore any spelling and grammatical mistakes. I wrote this blog in my hotel where I was in quarantine from 2nd July 2020 till 16th July 2020, so sit back and relax. 

•	*A Little Bit About Me and My Background:* 

I am from Islamabad (the capital city), Pakistan and have an educational background of engineering (Information Technology), which was not my choice in the first place but as you know that every other person wanted to become a doctor or an engineer and we had no career counselling as well, so I opted out for this field without knowing my interest at all (well I had and still have interest in Fine Arts) but that’s another story. 

•	*My Decision To Move Out of Pakistan and Immigrate: (2016 – August 2017)* 

This dates back to 2016 when I had to quit my professional job and was looking to switch to a new company. I had a few acquaintances who would always discuss migrating to Canada and starting a new life there from scratch. I always wanted to get the best out of my skills and experience and for that, the only way for me was to search for ways to migrate to Canada. I started searching for Permanent Migration (PR) visas to Canada and got to know that EXPRESS ENTRY is the most suitable visa for me. Then I started searching out for the steps to reach a point where I could apply for the visa and get the PR. But as you all know that Cana da has harsh winters that could last up to 9 months and that thing was a huge turn off for me. Well, it was going passively and I was hired in a consultancy company in early 2016 and got busy there with the job and with that job I stepped into the year 2017 and it went on as I didn’t have any motivation at that time but wanted to do this as well. 

A few months later in August 2017, one of my colleagues arranged a get-together for me and 2 of my friends. I went there to hand out and have some fun with them. In that meeting, that friend told me that he has been granted a PR visa for Australia and he would be moving at the end of November 2017. That was the point where I got the extensive motivation. Moreover, I already had one friend in Australia and this colleague of mine was also going to settle permanently in Australia, so now I started thinking of Australia and cancelled the plan of migrating to Canada. Additionally, it was also the tropical weather in Australia that gave me another green signal that Australia would be the best place for me to settle permanently. So, I started to research the steps in detail and got to know that these are the main steps that I ought to follow:

1.	Give an English exam and get a good score
2.	Start preparing for “Skills Assessment” using that English test
3.	Submit an EOI with updated documents
4.	Get an invitation and apply for PR visa when invited. 
However, things didn’t go as planned and seem as simple as I was thinking. 



•	*English Test (IELTS): (September-October 2017)* 

To get the PR visa, the first step that I researched was to prepare for the IELTS test. I researched a lot about all other English language tests including PTE (Pearson Test of English); however, in my country, there was no PTE test centre operating in 2017 (Update: Now it is operating in Islamabad). I started preparing for IELTS in September 2017 and subscribed to some YouTube channels and bookmarked some websites. I studied for 1 month and booked my test in late October 2017. The overall experience was nice and it was like giving an attempt to see how much I can score with one month of preparation. I was expecting to get 10 points (7 in each of the 4 modules of IELTS). I got more than 7 in each module but guess what! I got a 6.5 in one module and that was a little frustrating for me. Anyhow, I was not disappointed with my performance and got myself motivated to move forward.

•	*Skills Assessment: (November 2017- March 2018)* 

I was standing at 55 points with 0 in IELTS score, so technically I was unable to cross the threshold points of 65 (which were 60 before 2017). However, knowing the fact that I couldn’t even cross 65 points, I was of the view that I could still get my skills assessment done because it only required 6 in each module of an English test and that I already had with my IELTS test. So, I started preparing for my skills assessment with that IETLS test. So, now the hurdle was to do a lot of research writing work for skills assessment. As I was good in research writing and my occupation was coming under Engineers Australia (EA), I started to go through each and every step and came to a conclusion that this is what I have to do to get positive skills assessment:

1.	Write 3 Career Episodes (CEs) as Competency Demonstration Reports (CDRs)
2.	Prepare a Professional Engineering Summary (PES)
3.	Write a complete Continuing Professional Development (CPD) 

I started writing my CEs, PES and CPD and it took me 1.5 - 2 months to complete them all. As I didn’t want to waste much of my time, I submitted my documents and paid for the skills assessment via the FAST TRACK pathway on 13the February 2018 to get the result within 28 days. On 28th March 2018, I got a positive skills assessment result and that was another milestone achieved which enabled me to get one step closer to my goal.

•	*Research To Get More Points + PTE (Pearson Test of English): (April 2018 – July 2018)*

Having received a positive assessment from Engineers Australia (EA), now the big hurdle was to get enough points to get an invite for the PR visa. I explored a lot about 189 and 190 visas but my preference was to get a 189 PR visa to have rights to live and work anywhere in Australia indefinitely. At that time i.e. in April 2018, people with 75 points were getting invitations to apply (ITAs) in the very next round (invitation rounds started happening 11th of every month back then). So, I was short of 20 points and being offshore, I had only one way to get this done and that was to sit in PTE exam and get 20 points straightaway. I researched a lot and got mixed reviews but many people were of the view that you could get 20 points in PTE, unlike IELTS. But another big problem was that there was no PTE centre operating in Pakistan at that time. So, I made a plan to study and prepare myself for PTE and then take the test by going all the way to DUBAI. That was a big step but I felt comfortable because I had already been to DUBAI before and knew some of the areas and transport system as well. 

So, in May 2018, I started preparing for each and every module and because there were many areas where you need to practice in PTE, it took me 2-3 months to prepare for each part in each module. Then, I took 3 online paid practice tests in July 2018 and got 79 in each band in the 3rd practice test, which made me think that I am now ready to sit in the real test. So, I made up my mind and booked my ticket and paid for my travel visa and went to DUBAI to sit in the PTE test on 29th July 2018. I gave my test in TEPTH centre in DUBAI which had almost 30 computers and enough space between each candidate. On my test day, there were only 4-5 candidates so it was easy for me to give the test. Due to the nervousness of the real test I made a few mistakes but eventually, I managed to score 79 in each module (got the test result within 1 day of giving the test). That was another happy moment for me and another milestone achieved because this time, I officially had 75 points to apply for the EOI.


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## majjji (Dec 8, 2017)

•* Applying For EOI, Getting ITA and VISA Application: (July 2018 – August 2018)* 

Immediately after getting 79 each in PTE test, I applied for EOI on 30th July 2018 without wasting a single bit. And now started the nail-biting time again and many of you who are reading would know how strenuous was it to spend those days before getting the ITA. 

I was walking towards a bus stop to start my night shift on 11th August 2018, when I got an email on my mobile. I stopped and opened up the email and it was ITA from the Australian Government. That was the happiest day for me at work because I started planning to gather all the documents to apply for my visa. 

Came back from the work, had some rest and started planning to gather the documents. I wanted to make each and everything ready before applying for the visa (I was doing it all myself without taking any help from any consultant). So, it took me almost 2-3 weeks to gather documents and check and re-check to confirm that I am not missing anything. After getting and gathering all the documents required, I applied for the visa on the 29th of August 2018. Task completed and frustration started, as these were the most frustrating and difficult months of my life to wait, wait and wait for any response from the CO (Case Officer).

In this period, I also completed my medical tests that were automatically updated on my immi account. On 13th November 2018, I got a CO contact that my police verification needs an update. That was another issue for me so I went to my police verification centre and told them the story. You can relate that in Pakistan, it is very hard to get any official document from the police stations but thanks to the government that in my city, I had a central digitised centre where I could get my updated police verification certificate in a few minutes. I updated it on my immi account and then the wait started again.

•	*VISA Grant Notification: (May 2019)*   

So, after November 2018, it was like I had to wait for ages to get any good news. I stepped into 2019 and was still waiting. I almost lost all hopes because the points were then reached to whooping 85 points for almost all occupations and I was already having so many mixed thoughts, obviously negative thoughts, but finally on 8th May 2019, when I was again having a night shift at my office, I got my GOLDEN MAIL and got my 189 PR VISA. Whoo Hoooo!!! It was a great moment that couldn’t be described in words. Next day, I told my family members about this great news and they were all happy. 

•	*IED & First Visit To Australia: (September 2019)* 

Now comes another problem. My IED (Initial Entry Date) was on 11th September 2019. So, I had 3 months to think about whether I had to move permanently or need some time. So, within these 3 months, I decided not to move permanently due to some personal issues and instead go for a visit and come back. So, I booked a ticket before 11th September and planned 1 week trip to Sydney. I stayed there and explored all the major tourist attractions. It was altogether a nice feeling exploring 1st world country and knowing that I had to live here permanently. After 1 week, I came back to my country and continued with my job and sorted out some issues that I was facing at that time. 

•	*Quitting My Job & COVID-19: (February 2020 – May 2020)*

In February 2020, I finally planned to quit my current job and move permanently to Australia. So, I resigned from my job and started preparing for my permanent move. However, after 2 weeks of quitting my job, my government placed a ban on international travel due to COVID-19. Now, I stranded again in my country thinking that what I should do now. Thank God, I had some freelance jobs that I continued with and didn’t get any setback.


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## majjji (Dec 8, 2017)

•	*Permanent Move & Quarantine In Sydney: (June 2020 – July 2020)*

In May 2020, my government removed the ban on international travel and that was the point I thought that I should not miss the opportunity. I had already prepared for the move, so I booked my tickets. Qatar Airways was the only flight, which I selected to travel. My flight was on 2nd July 2020 but there was a 9-hours layover at Doha’s Hamad International Airport in Qatar. Though I could apply for a FREE TRANSIT VISA and I did it when I went to Australia for my initial entry, the temperature in Doha was around 43 degrees and there was no point in wasting time in wandering around in Doha. So, I skipped that plan and preferred to stay at the airport instead. Took the flight after 9 hours and boarding was hassle-free. Landed safely in Sydney on 3rd July 2020. Remember! You need to fill a declaration form where you have to declare any or all possible things that you’re carrying, which are not allowed in Australia. So, it’s better to declare any such things like raw meat, any herbs, surgical instruments, medicines etc. 

It is advised to disembark from the plane as soon as possible because there is a long queue nowadays at Sydney airport where you need to get your temperature checked and listen to the authorities for a few important things. I disembarked very late and had to wait in the queue for at least 1 hour to reach the help desk. The authorities checked my temperature and handed over to me a pamphlet where all the necessary instructions were written with an emergency number that I could use while being in any kind of health emergency. 

After that health check, I went all the way to clear my immigration, which I did successfully within 5 minutes. After that, I took my luggage from the baggage claim area and now comes another issue. There was again a queue to wait for your turn to get on to the bus and then all the way to your hotel for 14-days quarantine. They have separate queues for singles, couples and families (couples with children), so you need to select your queue and wait for the authorities to call you. I waited there for a good 45 minutes and the authorities (police within the airport) called me to go out of the airport. Before the exit point, there is another desk where you need to show your passport and boarding pass and they will confirm your name from a list that they already have. Done with that and I was out of the airport. There were the army, air force and police personnel who assisted me in adjusting my luggage into the bus. I along with 25 other passengers reached the hotel, where I had to wait for another 40 minutes before the authorities called me to get into the hotel. 

In the hotel, I was first welcomed by the receptionist, who then asked for my passport and then handed me a form, which was the hotel admission form where I had to enter my details. I did that and handed it over to the receptionist and took my passport. She then asked me for my Credit Card details for security (This is in case, if you have any liabilities for the hotel within those 14 days, the hotel authorities will deduct the money from your credit card). After confirmation, I was then called by a police officer (there could be 2 or 3 police officers with their laptops to ask a few more questions). I was asked about my consent to live here, my name, emergency contact number back in my home country (in case of any emergency), my post-quarantine home address after leaving this hotel and that’s it. One guy from the military assisted me and took my luggage to my room. And now, I was in my room locked for 14-days with nothing to do and just to keep myself alive. 

I spent these 14 days with as many activities as anyone can do in a room for 14-days (Just Kidding). It was a 2-bed room with every facility available including TV with cable connection, sofa, comfortable bed, mirror, study table with chairs, separate kitchen area with utensils, coffee + sugar sachets, tea bags, plates, cups, wine glasses, iron box, iron stand, towels, shampoo, conditioners and plastic bags for waste. Every day, I got 3 meals: Breakfast at 9 AM, Lunch at 12 Noon and Dinner at 6 PM (you cannot customise your order and cannot add or subtract anything from it, so you have to consume the food that you’re provided with). Moreover, every day, the hotel nurse would phone me in the morning to inquire about my health and any COVID symptoms during my stay. After every 3 days, room service guys asked for any issues and anything that is required in the room or not (You can ask for linen and pillow covers, towels, shampoo, conditioners, coffee + sugar sachets or tea bags, if you want). In my entire period of 14 days, I got tested twice for COVID-19. They used swab test to put the stick in my mouth and then in my nose and kept that stick in my nose cavity for a good 30-40 seconds (So, you need to me very patient). You would be lucky if you get a good view from your room, unfortunately I didn’t get that, so I had to watch TV and use internet (they give you the password of the internet when you register yourself at the reception on day-1).

Finally, on my 14 day of quarantine, I was provided with my COVID-19 test report (which was NEGATIVE). I was also provided with NSW Police Certificate declaring that I have spent 14-days in quarantine in a specified hotel and I am good to join the mainstream public. On the day when I was leaving, there were 2 police guys at the exit point of the hotel, who asked about my name and did some paper work and released me after 5 minutes. 


*Coming Up Next:* Centerlink, Medicare, Bank Account, TFN ……


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## Hamadeh (Jul 9, 2018)

Awesome. Keep writing!


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## Hamadeh (Jul 9, 2018)

Were you able to order something online (delivered to you in the hotel)?


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## OzboyfromCH (Mar 27, 2020)

majjji said:


> •	*Permanent Move & Quarantine In Sydney: (June 2020 – July 2020)*
> 
> In May 2020, my government removed the ban on international travel and that was the point I thought that I should not miss the opportunity. I had already prepared for the move, so I booked my tickets. Qatar Airways was the only flight, which I selected to travel. My flight was on 2nd July 2020 but there was a 9-hours layover at Doha’s Hamad International Airport in Qatar. Though I could apply for a FREE TRANSIT VISA and I did it when I went to Australia for my initial entry, the temperature in Doha was around 43 degrees and there was no point in wasting time in wandering around in Doha. So, I skipped that plan and preferred to stay at the airport instead. Took the flight after 9 hours and boarding was hassle-free. Landed safely in Sydney on 3rd July 2020. Remember! You need to fill a declaration form where you have to declare any or all possible things that you’re carrying, which are not allowed in Australia. So, it’s better to declare any such things like raw meat, any herbs, surgical instruments, medicines etc.
> 
> ...


Mate, thanks for sharing this! Very informative and eloborate (effects of Quarntine )
Cheers!


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## majjji (Dec 8, 2017)

Hamadeh said:


> Were you able to order something online (delivered to you in the hotel)?


I didn't order anything, but you can order food from any nearby restaurants using uber eats. Tell them your hotel name and room number and the police guys will deliver it to your doorstep. 

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## lovetosmack (Apr 22, 2013)

Do you think if a couple with 1 year old will be able to do this quarantine? Can you tell anything more about families quarantine condition?


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## majjji (Dec 8, 2017)

lovetosmack said:


> Do you think if a couple with 1 year old will be able to do this quarantine? Can you tell anything more about families quarantine condition?


Yes. Why not. 
You need to pay the fees as mentioned on the official website. For a couple with one or two kids, the quarantine fee is something around $5500.

Actually, you will be separated in another queue at the airport totally designated for families. Then they will call each family depending upon how many family members you have with you. Then, they will take you to a hotel only designated for families (As of now, they have moved families from one hotel, which has been dumped from COVID-19 quarantine program here in Sydney due to unsafe sanitary conditions). So, you will be taken to any nominated hotel that you will know when you'll reach the hotel from the airport. 

The facilities will be good; you'll get everything you need for your 14 days stay. You'll be provided with food 3 times a day on your doorstep. You can't customise the menu, so you need to eat what you'll get. You can order uber eats though. You can also request to change the linen, pillow covers to the room service guys, who will knock your door every morning. 

You and your family members will undergo COVID-19 tests 2 times during your 14 days stay in the hotel. Try to request the nurse to be extra careful with the swab test as they might be careless while doing the nasal swab test with the stick. 



BR.

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## majjji (Dec 8, 2017)

• *1. Bank Account: (July 2020) *

First thing was to create a bank account. I knew that because I had read online that for medicare card, I needed a bank account beforehand. So, I went to a NAB branch in Sydney as a walk-in customer with required documents and told them that I need to open a bank account here. Following things are required:

1. Your original passport
2. Your PR visa copy
3. Your overseas driving license
4. Medicare card (But as I didn't have it, so I told them that I am opening this bank account for medicare card, so first I need my bank account then I 'll be able to get it.)

The manager took almost 5-10 minutes and I opened up my classic bank account with a visa debit card (black one: because the only other option was to go for pink color, which I though would be good for ladies. Just kidding  ). Now the question that why I chose NAB bank? It is because I read online and they had no yearly fees for the account as well as for any debit card, so that was the most suitable option for me. That was it. I got a notification on my mobile that my account has been created. 

NOTE: If you're applying for other banks like Commonwealth Bank, Westpac Bank etc, you might need different documents as per the bank's policies other than the primary documents mentioned above. 


• *2. Centerlink: (July 2020) *

Now, it is the 2nd most important step to create your Centerlink asap. Everything related to Centerlink is accessible online. I read the procedure online on services Australia website and got to know that I need to create my CRN (customer's reference number) first. 

*CRN:* For creating CRN, it is necessary to create "mygov" account, which I created by filling in the details to create the account. In mygov account, there's an option to create CRN. I checked that out but the link was not working at that time. Therefore, I put in on hold and waited for my quarantine period to get over. When I was finally out of the hotel where I spent my quarantine days, the first thing that I did was to search for a combined CENTERLINK/MEDICARE office in Sydney to activate both my Centerlink and medicare together. There's no need to get any appointments beforehand; the office works on a "First Come, First Serve" basis. I went there to activate both my Centerlink's CRN and Medicare. There was a Check-in area where you need to tell your details and tell them what are you here for. Take your passport and visa's copy handy. I told them about activation of both my Centerlink's CRN and Medicare. There were 2 different departments for Centerlink and Medicare. The Centerlink guy called my named (No ticketing system at all). I went there. The representative was very nice. He activated my CRN within 5 minutes and gave me my CRN number on a card. I also told him that I need to link my Centerlink application to mygov account, as I was getting error for not getting the CRN online. He guided me with the link code procedure and my Centerlink application was linked to my "mygov" account successfully. First thing was done. Now it was waiting time for Medicare.


• *3. Medicare: (July 2020) *

I was then called by the Medicare representative. He handed me over the "Medicare enrolment Form (MS004)" which had almost 5 pages that I needed to fill up. Remember! you need to take following things with you when you need to go for your Medicare card activation:

1. Your Original Passport
2. Your PR Visa Copy
3. Any One Overseas Documents Required: Employment Termination Letter from your recent company overseas OR sale of property OR cessation of lease agreement or closure of bank accounts etc.
4. Any One Document Required From Australia: Purchase property/Gas or Electricity Accounts OR Lease Agreement of Rental Property OR Evidence of Employment OR Opening of Bank Account etc.

For 1 overseas document, I had my employment termination letter in my cloud account that I showed the representative and he accepted that. For Australian document, I had my bank account opening letter handy. So I presented these 2 documents to him. He accepted my form along with these documents and that was it. 

After 5 days, I got my medicare card, bank's debit card, and letter from Centerlink that my Centerlink application is successfully linked to my gov account. 


• *4. Australian Tax Office (ATO) Tax File Number (TFN): (July 2020) *

The next thing was to create TFN number. TFN is needed when you need to create any claim in your Centerlink. It is also required when you will get any employment; the employer will ask for your TFN number. You should also need TFN to avoid any extra tax levied by the government just because of not having TFN number. 

It is really easy to get your TFN number. You need to go to the official website of ATO and go for the PR option, where you will need to fill up a form online and submit the application. For TFN application, you would need the following:

1. CRN number 
2. Postal Address 
3. Australian Phone #, Email Address (That's it)

Note the application reference number at the end of the application. I got my TFN letter from ATO office within 5 days. 



Coming Up Next: Will be updating the thread with the most recent information that I'm working on i.e. NSW Driver's License.


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## Architect Joe (Aug 26, 2019)

majjji said:


> Yes. Why not.
> You need to pay the fees as mentioned on the official website. For a couple with one or two kids, the quarantine fee is something around $5500.
> 
> Actually, you will be separated in another queue at the airport totally designated for families. Then they will call each family depending upon how many family members you have with you. Then, they will take you to a hotel only designated for families (As of now, they have moved families from one hotel, which has been dumped from COVID-19 quarantine program here in Sydney due to unsafe sanitary conditions). So, you will be taken to any nominated hotel that you will know when you'll reach the hotel from the airport.
> ...


Thank you very much for the detailed write up. Wasn't quarantine expense taken care of by the government itself for Citizens and PRs at first? What's the fees for single immigrant now for quarantine? All the very best for your Australian journey.


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## majjji (Dec 8, 2017)

Architect Joe said:


> Thank you very much for the detailed write up. Wasn't quarantine expense taken care of by the government itself for Citizens and PRs at first? What's the fees for single immigrant now for quarantine? All the very best for your Australian journey.


My pleasure. 

Yes, before 18th July 2020, all expenses for quarantine stay at hotels were managed by Australian government; howbeit, after that date, Australian government started charging every person travelling to Australia for the reason that the government has given ample time for residents to move to Australia since March 2020. 

Single immigrants now have to pay $3000 unless the tickets were booked before 18th July, 2020, which needs further confirmation from the airline they chose while booking the ticket. For families with 1 or 2 kids, expenses are around $5500. 


Thank you so much for your wishes. Stay healthy, happy and blessed.


BR.

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## sahmedraza (Jun 10, 2015)

majjji said:


> • *1. Bank Account: (July 2020) *
> 
> First thing was to create a bank account. I knew that because I had read online that for medicare card, I needed a bank account beforehand. So, I went to a NAB branch in Sydney as a walk-in customer with required documents and told them that I need to open a bank account here. Following things are required:
> 
> ...


Any update regarding your driving license?


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## majjji (Dec 8, 2017)

sahmedraza said:


> Any update regarding your driving license?


Hi,

Just to inform you that I got my driver's license in first attempt too, back in November 2020. I will share the details very soon. Was just occupied by few things and wasn't able to update here. 

BR.

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