In his own words:“12A small regret from 12 yearsago, finally resolved after 47 months ofpatient waiting.”

Below, we share his story.

→ Finding a New Path ←

One evening at the end of the first semester of Year 12, my mum said:‘Sweetheart, how about we send you overseas to study?’

Sitting at the dinner table, I looked up and let out a long sigh of relief.

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders in that moment — the invisible pressure of being ‘nurtured’ by teachers at a top school in a top class, the expectation that you’d ace the university entrance exams — it was like finally being able to breathe in air that had been suffocating you. I came alive.

Wasn’t that exactly it?

In China, the competition is fierce no matter where you look — school, work, life. Being the ‘top student’ or the ‘standout’ in everyone’s eyes means you have to keep running, non-stop, whether willingly or reluctantly, whether you’ve grown used to it or not.There are always those moments when you’re simply too exhausted to catch your breath, yet you have to keep going… as if there’s no other path to choose.

Because my mum had a large network of relatives in Sydney, I ultimately chose Sydney as my base,and enrolled in the foundation programme at the University of New South Wales.

→ Taking the Road Less Travelled ←

Back then, Australia still operated under a system where having relatives there could earn you bonus points,so after getting into the University of New South Wales in 2007, I chose, without hesitation, actuarial studies and finance as my two majors — rather than the popular migration pathways like accounting or engineering.

But reality proved harsh, and the story took an unexpected turn.

In the new financial year of 2009, policy changed abruptly:having relatives living in a major city was no longer a bonus, and occupations were split into 50-point and 60-point categories based on market demand. Unfortunately, actuarial studies and finance — not being particularly in-demand fields — were classified as 50-point occupations.It was now clear that my original plan to obtain PR had hit a dead end. The 50-point category had one key requirement: you had to find locally based, profession-related work for at least one year before you could earn additional points.

However,starting from Year 3—I began trying to find local work related to actuarial studies, finance, banking, and insurance.But when applying to large local companies, their recruitment forms would almost always include one question:

‘Are you an Australian PR or citizen?’

The moment you clicked ‘No’, you’d essentially get a polite ‘Thank you, goodbye.’

And just like that, I was caught in a ‘death loop’:You need local work experience to apply for PR, but you need PR to apply for local work.

Source: personal experience

But wait — wasn’t there a second pathway?

Indeed, and that’s exactly the path I’ve taken over the past decade or so. It was winding, but I got there in the end — didn’t I?

→ ‘The Long Way Round’ ←

Amid the objections, opposition, falling-outs, and arguments from family members (who were firmly set on me getting PR),I ‘resolutely’ returned to China and took my second pathway.

But they simply couldn’t understand my approach, questioning why I didn’t stay in Australia.

No matter how many times I explained,it got me nowhere — some people will never understand, no matter what

But before I got my PR, I still believed I hadn’t made a wrong turn.

As the points requirement kept climbing,it wasn’t until 2017 that I finally — after much difficulty — secured the +10 points for overseas work experience.Along the way, my skills assessment was rejected once, and it took a lawyer’s help to successfully appeal.

When I was nearly ready to submit my health examination,my wife became pregnant — to avoid X-ray radiation, we decided to wait a little longer and apply as a family of three together.

After the post-natal confinement period, it was already August 2019. With our baby in tow, we happily went for the overseas health examinations, submitted the additional documents, and settled in to wait.

The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 brought Australian visa processing to an almost complete standstill, and offshore visa applications entered a state of near-total neglect.Nothing to do but keep waiting.

While waiting, our second child arrived — so we decided to wait a little longer and apply as a family of four.

It wasn’t until early 2022 that Western countries began to gradually reopen. I received notice in March to redo my health examination, and after the whole family completed it in June,the most wonderful birthday gift finally arrived on 8 September.

Nearly four years of waiting had finally come to an end. A sincere thank you to Simon and Tracy, who were with me every step of that long wait.

Finally, a few words of advice for fellow skilled migration applicants who may be feeling lost:

Don’t get stuck on one path — ‘all roads lead to Rome’;

PTE is an absolute lifesaver for those who can’t seem to crack IELTS — take a course, learn some structured techniques, and four 8s are within reach;

Every cloud has a silver lining;

Be patient in your wait — I don’t think anyone has waited longer than I have.

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