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Hi, I'm very confused on when to start my process (136). I want to go ASAP but I have to wait until August 2009 before we can possibly fly over to stay.
I have been seeing and hearing conflicting stories of how long all this takes. There's all the preparation work before sending off your visa application like police checks (40 days), character checks, having your qualifications assessed (2 months), certifying all your docs (3 months???)... think thats all. Obviously some of those can be done in parallel. I know someone at work who has just received his visa this month based on having family over there. He's told me from posting off your application and receiving the acknowledgment, it can sit on a desk for 6 months without anyone processing it due to the backlog, then it can take on average 12 months from then to receive your visa, sometimes even 18 months! Then you have 12 months from the date of your medical to go and collect your visa (job finding and house selling time), which you have to go in person to Australia to collect. If I'm wrong please someone tell me.
I don't want to start the process too early incase it conflicts with my sons exams, but I don't want to wait any longer than I have to, Aug 2009 seems an age away already. Is there any prep work I can do well up front that doesnt have a expiry date, or at least 12 months? I'm guessing you cant use a police check that was done 5 years ago...
Ideally we want our visa to come through just as he does his exams.
It's doing my head in :(
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