# Joining australian police - Help



## apc9000 (Jan 27, 2009)

Hi all

Am interested in joining the australian police, obviousely relocating there. Wich is the best Visa to go for and would it be classed as government sponsored etc. Or would i have to move over permenantly and then apply?

Am from UK, done 10 years military service, does this have any relevance when applying for visas?

Thanks for any help in advance.

apc9000


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

Hi apc9000, 

I just had a quick look at the following police websites (each state seems to have their own police website)

Stepforward
South Australian Police | Careers | Overseas Applicants

but they seem to assume that you are a police officer already and wanting to make the move to Oz.

Have you contacted an agent? They may be able to tell you the best way forward since you may have to get a visa and then apply to be an officer. We have several agents on the forum - recent posters have been SOMV and Alan Collett. 

Let us know how you get on.... 

Regards,
Karen


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## ad.w (Apr 11, 2010)

Hi just joined this site.I am seriously looking to transfer to australian police,currently a serving sergeant with nearly 12 years experience.Would like to join victoria police,like to live melbourne area ideally.Any advice re visas,websites recruitment drives from anyone.Got a friend who moved to oz recently,best decision he ever made.


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## SCMover (Jun 2, 2011)

*Hi..new to site (so bear with me)! few q's...*

Hey all,

I am a British Police Officer in Norfolk currently and am looking to emigrate to Australia soon. Norwich has the lowest crime rate in England, so definitely not looking for too busy a city to move to!!

From my research it looks like I have to be a UK Police Officer for a minimum of 5 years + 2 years probation. Is this true? Unfortunately I have only been in 2 1/2 years and therefore only 6 months out of probation. I was a PCSO for 2 1/2 years before that, but i don't think they will take this into consideration?!?! I also do not have any specialist skills & would certainly need to practice down the local gun range in my spare time as I have never shot a gun & the SA agility test looks tough. If this 5+2 years is a must, can anyone recommend what specific skills I should get under my belt while I wait?

I have been looking into South Australia/Adelaide as they seem to actively recruit British Police Officers. However, I know people who went to Western Australia. Can anyone offer me their opinion on where is best to move to, based on lifestyle & weighing up the ease of recruitment for both places?

Also, my boyfriend is a Special Sergeant and a Custody Detention Officer/jailor. What is the likelihood of him getting a job as a Police Officer? Would he have to do the 5+2 years here as a Constable first? We are looking at getting married soon. Will this help him get a VISA if he cannot enter the country without me being accepted? If so, would he be eligible for a residential visa so he could apply to be a PC while we are there? 

Realistically, i know the pay out there is good, but how much does it cost to actually move. We only have a two-bedroom coach-house to sell and savings & there will obviously be initial trips to look at the area before the big move (£££!!)

Many thanks & I hope there isn't a word limit!!

(I've never been part of a forum before, so hope that I've posted correctly!)


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## Weebie (Sep 16, 2009)

Western Australia have publically stated that they won't be recruiting internationally again. SA recently did a big recruit but there were a massive oversupply of applications. There is Talk of a big recruit from the UK but pay and benefits have gone up with police force lately and I don't see how there will be too much need for overseas officers in the near future.

As for the OP you will need to be a constable in the UK for at least 5 years before you could be considered your military training won't count. It is though possible to immigrate over to Australia through the defence force though if your interested.

As for being a Police Officer in Australia be aware that unlike the UK it's not considered a respectful career path so you will most likely have many more problems dealing with people who with utter contempt won't show any respect for you.


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2011)

One day we'll find out Weebie's definition of a respectable occupation and his concept of living above the poverty line


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## Gaurav (Oct 29, 2009)

ausimmi said:


> One day we'll find out Weebie's definition of a respectable occupation and his concept of living above the poverty line


:lol: :lol:


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## ricks1088 (Mar 10, 2011)

ausimmi said:


> One day we'll find out Weebie's definition of a respectable occupation and his concept of living above the poverty line


:rofl


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## PaulaLou (Dec 29, 2010)

ausimmi said:


> One day we'll find out Weebie's definition of a respectable occupation and his concept of living above the poverty line


:clap2::rofl::rofl:


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## stormgal (Sep 30, 2009)

ausimmi said:


> One day we'll find out Weebie's definition of a respectable occupation and his concept of living above the poverty line


I love it I love it I love it! :happy:


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## Guest (Jun 3, 2011)

Hey Weebie!!!! Your fanclub is crying for 'The King' to reveal 'The Law'. Don't keep 'em waiting for too long   

P.S. Anj I know you are fuming at the off-topic discussion but please, please, please, please just this one thread hmmm????? I am asking so sweetly - don't say no!!!!!


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## Hobbit1621 (Mar 15, 2011)

SCMover said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I am a British Police Officer in Norfolk currently and am looking to emigrate to Australia soon. Norwich has the lowest crime rate in England, so definitely not looking for too busy a city to move to!!
> 
> ...


Hi SC Mover,

you're already eligible for SAPOL. I think I read it correctly: you're 2 years post-probation. Bad news is the current recruitment drive closed 08/04/2011. Don't worry about specialist skills, SAPOL don't seem to have a preference one way or another.....should you end up here you will end up on patrols anyhow (our equivalent of response teams). The same goes for firearms experience.....UK AFO/SFO officers recruted by SAPOL still need to undergo the same basic course at the Academy. Most of the UK cops who come over have never touched a firearm before, so unless you wamt a new hobby, save your cash and don't bother with shooting clubs etc. 

Your B/F can come across on your visa without being married to you so long as you can show you have been co-habiting for over 6 months and existing as de facto husband/wife. His status as a Detention Officer and Special Constable do not qualify him as a Police Officer transferee candidate for SAPOL. He would obtain permanent resident status as your partner should you get here in the future thereby enabling him to apply as a Cadet candidate for SAPOL. This would be a 9 month undertaking followed by another 12-15 months probation.

Our wages are better than the UK but due to the unusual exchange rate right now they look more than truly are.....you'll never be rich as a copper north or south of the equator! However, Mr Weebie is a little harsh in his assertion about how we are regarded by the public....true, we have our detractors, but habing been a cop in Wiltshire (quiet leafy true blue conservative blighty) and South Australia I can honestly say cops are better regarded and more welcomed in SA. Weebie lists himself as a Victorian, I've never been there, perhaps the cops there are less well regarded, I can't say for sure.

WAPOL (Perth, Western Australia) don't appear to want Pommies right now.....who can say what they'll do in the future? SAPOL weren't supposed to be carrying out this current drive, if you'd believed the local gossip....but they did. Currently, more cops resign/retire than are recruited in SA! Does this mean they will recruit in the UK again? Possibly but not probably IMO.

I've never lived in WA so I can't tell you what it's like but my life in SA is HUGELY improved compared to that of the UK years.

I can witter on non-stop but maybe it's better you PM any other Q's to me. BTW, I grew up in/around Norwich and went to school in Reepham.....fond memories, so whilst you're waiting for the Aussie situation to change in your favour you won't be living in the worst part of the UK - quite the opposite!

Nige.


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## Hobbit1621 (Mar 15, 2011)

Hi SC Mover

slight revision on the previous submission......

SAPOL require that you have 2 years post-graduation experience. As things stand in the UK there isn't a Graduation Day as per the SAPOL academy. However, this is commonly taken to be the date you finished training school. Did you undergo the traditional Training School system or the newer Student Officer training? Thus far SAPOL have not come across the Student Officer graduates and therefore only the recruitment branch would be able to give advice on the latter of the two methods.

Nige


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## SCMover (Jun 2, 2011)

Nige,

Thank You for your reply, that all helps loads! I finished my 2 years at non-residential training school (i.e. 9-5 in the classroom at HQ) in December 2010, so not that long until i do 2 years. I was on the IPLDP new Student training. We have a very basic confirmation ceremony after 2 years, but mine wasn't until Feb this year! Very small world eh?!

Apart from recruiting Constables, do they offer other jobs? Is there anything my bf could do, a he is worried about entering another country unemployed & rushing to find work while he's there (if they're not recruiting constables from residents). We don't live together yet.

I'm a little on the un-fit side at the mo (but working on it) & I've found reference to an agility test on the SAPOL website! It talks about jumping four foot walls concurrently and then shooting 6 shots! That concerns me having never fired anything or knowing how to..and maybe the wall jumping could be interesting! Seriously, how fit do you need to be to get in?!

Completing my VISA as a Single person emigrating, my basic VISA application (for permanent residency) shows that I currently only have 110 out of 120 points. Do you know what I need to do to get those crucial extra 10 points? Is it true they sponsor you (because I get extra points for that) and do you know how it works?

Will my bf/husband have to have a separate VISA application as he will definitely fall short of points? Is he definitely eligible for a VISA to get residential status and apply as a PC while living there?

How did you register your interest with SAPOL so they let you know when the next intake is/answer basic questions?

Did you visit first or just apply & then go?

As a cadet could i live residentially (with bf) at Training school as I train? This could give us time to look for a place to rent. Do you know at what stage you're given a posting so we could look at properties then?

How do I 'PM' you? I assume that's like private messaging?

THANK YOU!


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## Hobbit1621 (Mar 15, 2011)

SCMover said:


> Nige,
> 
> Thank You for your reply, that all helps loads! I finished my 2 years at non-residential training school (i.e. 9-5 in the classroom at HQ) in December 2010, so not that long until i do 2 years. I was on the IPLDP new Student training. We have a very basic confirmation ceremony after 2 years, but mine wasn't until Feb this year! Very small world eh?!
> 
> ...


Hi SC Mover

If I were you I'd contact SAPOL recruitment about the date they consider your training to have ended. IDLDP is not a phenomenon they have had to contend with yet as most of its graduates are not experienced enough to qualify for the recruitment process thus far, I wish I could be more helpful on this one but I just don't have the knowledge - they probably don't, so you'll be breaking new ground! Do this via email and keep the response VERY safe, it may be the evidence you need to prove you're eligible for next time (should it come round!) try South Australia Police :: Home :: SAPOL

It sounds as if you have had a look around some of the SAPOL recruiting website (the physical tests - more later!!!), the option for you is the UK recruitment pathway. The appliction stage is currently closed, selection/testing/interviewing is on-going as we speak, however. 

Should you secure a job with SAPOL on any future campaign you would be offered permanent residency and SAPOL would 'sponsor' you with DIAC. No need to apply independently on the points system as a UK copper moving to SAPOL! It is a requirement for all police officers to be permanent residents or citizens of Australia - that includes the UK 'transferees'. Hence you're offered permanent residency (PR) from the outset. Trust me, this is HUGE. Look at the submissions on other threads on this website and see the hassle practically everyone else has to go through just to get a working visa that leads to being eligible to apply for PR. These poor sods take years and thousands of dollars/quids to get it and UK cops get it in about 6-9 months with 'only' a job application in their way. This prized commodity would be yours and anyone else eligible to accompany you - most often this would be a co-habiting partner/spouse. As we discussed, you can't just move him in and put his name down you have to evidence a shared life not just a 'marriage of convenience'. Food for thought!

Should BF come with you he would automatically acquire PR and thus be eligible for SAPOL police cadet status, subject to the usual selection procedures. This would basically be the same as the 'old' UK system: training school (aka The Academy) followed by a period of probation. All up about 18 months. He could also apply for Police Security Officer - the closest equivalent is PCSO - but the two roles are not that similar. Again have a squint at the SAPOL recruintment site - it says it better than I could. His previous UK experience (DO and SPC) would stand him in good stead but it would not give him any recognition of prior learning. All of our DO's here are cops. Everyone takes their turn - it's not a permanent job.

The physical tests???????............You get off lightly: UK cops have to do a gender/age-biased bleep test, sit ups (twisty, elbow to opposite knee ones!!!) and press ups. ONLY the local recruits get to suffer the 'assault' course and dry firing the firearm. So, BF won't be a happy bunny! The pre-employment medical isn't anything much different to the UK one but they are pretty strict on the Body Mass Index side of things, I had to stop eating kebabs for 6 months - now that's commitment!

The recruitment website has a tab allowing you to register your interest. If not add it to your enquiry eamil about the IDLDP situation. DO NOT rely entirely on the registration of interest email to pre-alert you of any new campaign. Our IT system is notoriously fickle and can let you down when you least expect.

You are not expected to have visited Australia, South Australia or Adelaide in order to apply or get the job. Most UK cops I know had never been prior to recruitment.....but this is an amazing country and I love Adelaide (but I am biased!), so please come and see what all the fuss is about by all means! The Academy is being re-built at present and will be an unknown quantity to me. However, the accommodation has usually been 99% single-person. There were two cottages a loooong time ago but they were less than luvverly! They're not open to UK cops anymore. 'Living in' is not compulsory so you and your BF would be free to find a rental somewhere nearby. Most folks pre-book a holiday rental for a week or two and use that as a stop-gap whilst they locate a longer term solution. You're offered a list of available LSA's (Divisions) once you are offered the job - SAPOL decide which station you will be posted to and notify you once all the UK recruits have responded with their choices. 

SAPOL offers 50% rent subsidy to cops who occupy a country posting. This means you must take a minimum 2 year tenure at a station 100+ kilometres from Adelaide. Generally, this would be one of the rural HQ stations so you can be tutored (sort of!)

Hope this helps, PM is private message.......I'm havinf a senior moment and can't remeber how many posts you have to make in order to qualify for this feature. Keep plugging away and eventually the forum will let you and you can ask whatever you like in privacy!

Cheerio

Nige


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