AlburyAhoy

Brilliant. Thanks a million for letting me know. We are only paying for part container as it is so expensive and selling most of our stuff and replacing back home but will take these two TVs then. cheers!

Hi, we are moving back to Ireland in a few weeks. Boy is the shipping dearer than the move here! Trying to move the more expensive items back to save money and wondering is there any point in sending TVs as I know they may not work at home. We have one Sony Smart and one TCL digital. cheers

We just got a 90% homeloan approved from Westpac as 457 temporary visa holders! Yahoo. We also got the good news a couple of days later that we got permanent residency! Double good news but they did grant us the loan as temporary visa holders. So they are worth looking at people! Great to deal with too

Well I am delighted to post this news! We got our visa. Our skilled health waiver was approved finally and we got confirmation of our 857 visa today! Just thrilled. Cannot believe it. We were terrified as I did the whole application and I was afraid that this might go against us. But we are now permanent residents! So cheers guys and fingers crossed for everybody else, Sian x

At last! Cannot believe it. We just got an email from Immigration today and we have got our visa! The skilled health waiver was passed. Just ecstatic Cannot believe it. Caroline you will be next hun! And we did it all by ourselves from start to finish! Time to go pop some corks! Yahoo xxx

Hi, I am so excited I can hardly type this post! We just got confirmation today from Immigration that our Skilled health waiver has been passed and we have got our 857 visas. We had been offered these as a possible option as I had failed the medicals due to a kidney transplant. After lots of paperwork and form filling we finally got there. And we did it all on our own. We did not use an agent or a lawyer. Not that I am saying this was the right move to make but it worked for us. I did all the paperwork and research. And thankfully it has paid off. Time now to celebrate! I hope everybody else's dreams come true just like ours, Sian xxx

You will also probably have to sign a contract with you employer who is initially sponsoring you. It may tie you to them for a number of years and if you leave before that you will need to return all costs to them in regards to your visa, relocation etc.

Hi Sorry for the delay in replying. We are away in Melbourne at the mo. To give you an update. I did all the application myself with no agent. I gave a specialist report to the doctor appointed by Medicare. I got one from both my Irish and Australian Nephrologist. At the end of the day the Moc est my costs at shy of $500k. My Aus nephro argued that. They looked for info towards proving predujice to access for Australians. I provided letters from friends and family willing to be tested if I needed another transplant and also a letter from my Irish nephro saying I could return there for treatment. So now it is a waiting game again ..... Have many transplant patients got PR? apologies and will reply again when back home in Albury x[ QUOTE=George Lombard;1936064285]Hi Cal2, We've dealt with a couple of renal transplant cases recently. The major issues are the cost of anti-rejection medication and the statistical probability that you'll need another transplant - that's why the cost is estimated so highly. As far as I can see it's not really a question of what your specialists say about you but what they say about the current state of medical science, and whether you can persuade the DIAC doctors to interpret their own guidelines favourably in this respect. On the other hand, when it gets to a question of waiver it's much more about addressing the criteria which apply to you, for example in Albury you've got to meet the NSW government criteria as well as the DIAC criteria. I'm sure your RMA is across this. Good luck! Cheers, George Lombard

Still waiting to hear the outcome from my application for a skilled health waiver. Tearing our hair out at this stage. Should have heard about a month ago the outcome. If anybody has had any experience with these and outcomes, any advice and consolation would be appreciated! Stuck in limbo! :sad:

Look into private schools. We are in NSW on a 457 and it would cost us 4500 to put our son into a Public School but we have instead enrolled him private and it actually works out cheaper at roughly 1800 per year. This includes books and materials!

We had no problems. Shipped loads in bags. Handy for duvets and pillows as well. Arrived perfect!

Thanks a million. Will check out the Quest. Had already looked at the Mansion but it is booked out

Hi there, Hubbie really wants to go to The Harvest Festival in Melbourne to see Sigor Ros so I am thinking of surprising him with a ticket. I want to make a weekend of it and would like to book somewhere near there and along the beach so myself and my son can keep ourselves entertained! It is on at Merimbee Park. Self catering or hotel would be fine. It is the weekend of the 11th November. Would anybody have any suggestions? Looking from the Friday for 3 nights. Don't know Melbourne area at all! Thanks guys

Thank you RockDr. That is a relief. i didn't want to bombard our case officer with questions. At this stage I would nearly take up religion again!!!

Hi there, You are so good to go to all of this trouble. We have submitted everything. All 77 pages of documents. I suppose it is just a waiting game now. I am afraid to ask them what our options will be if we are unsuccessful. Does this mean at the end of our 457 that we will have to leave? It is all very confusing and very upsetting. I just hope we hear soon and are at least put out of our misery. My nephrologist here said in a letter to them that they have overestimated my costs at 479k and he said that at most they would be 200k and that would be if my kidney failed which it is showing no sign of doing. So it is all a waiting game now. Thank you again. Sian x