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Originally Posted by nico
Hi Gill
I got quite excited on Thursday when I discovered my credit card had been charged, which seemed like the first stage in the long process, so this isn't good news at all. But at least it helps to plan things this end...looks as if I'll end up renting for a long time at this rate.
Thanks for passing it on. We can but hope.
Nico
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Hi Nico
Not to worry. I was so concerned about my very elderly Mum that I got up at 3am on Friday morning in order to ring the POPC. I spoke to a very helpful, friendly gentleman. He said as follows:
1. They have 3,100 CP applications in hand at the moment, which is the highest number they have had since CP visas began in 2003. They don't have enough staff to be able to process so many as quickly as they have been able to do in the past.
2. They were visited by a couple of ladies from Canberra the week before last. The ladies told the POPC staff to tell people "12-15 months." However the lad on the Helpdesk says that the staff are confident they can complete these visas in about 12 months, despite being short-staffed, as long as there are no complications.
3. He thought it VERY unlikely that anyone's application would take as long as 18 months to process, even with things as they are (ie short-staffed.) The only reason he could see for it to take this long for any applicant would be if there were complications, either because half the documents are missing, or medical difficulties or something like that.
4. They are actively trying to recruit new staff to help with the increased workload, he doesn't think it will be long before some extra staff are in post, and when they are, he thinks the POPC will be able to make some serious inroads into the current backlog.
5. They have not had to cap the CP class for 2005/6 because the quota is 3,500, which hasn't been reached.
6. Don't bother with the queue calculator tool. It churns out figures but they are just dummy figures, put in to ensure that the tool works properly. It has not been used for real for the CP class and won't be activated unless and until the cap has to be applied.
In general, he felt that the situation was a little disheartening for a couple of months maybe, but that they would soon be able to get on top of the caseload and that things should improve again after that.
I believe him. He did not sound like the type who would give me a load of
PR flannel, none of it accurate and all of it designed solely to shut me up! He sounded honest, sincere and genuine, and was at pains to reassure me that we won't all have to wait till Doomsday and to go back to bed and get some more zzzzds.
I felt much happier after talking to him, so it was well worth getting out of bed for.
Chin up. They might still be able to get the waiting time down to the 6-9 months they had been running at, so a visa for you this side of Christmas is by no means an impossibility, I think.
