The Brand New PIO Parents Visa thread

Our container was picked up today, John Mason's did a fantastic job. It's certainly happening for us all now! Have a great birthday and celebrate in style.

Kim

We have booked John Mason's too Kim so good to read your positive comment. Angie

Top tip Angie,

They drink their own weight in tea! We bought a £5 kettle from Tesco and kept out some odd mugs which we dropped off at the charity shop last night. The kettle is going into the case to keep us going when we first arrive as it is very light. The 2 guys we had worked solidly from 7am until 6pm on day 1 and didn't even stop for lunch. They were gone by 3pm on day 2. It was a very close squeak with the container, we couldn't have got even another small chest of drawers in. They packed it expertly! Good luck!

Fantastic news. So happy for you

Moira

CAN'T BELIEVE IT YET, BUT..........VISA GRANTED TODAY..........EXACTLY FOUR WEEKS FROM ALLOCATION OF CASE OFFICER!

 

Just out for the day in the Cotswolds and looked at my phone to check the time and there it was - the email we've been waiting so long for!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! The celebrations have begun.......

 

I love you all.....especially our CO - you gorgeous girl!!!

CAN'T BELIEVE IT YET, BUT..........VISA GRANTED TODAY..........EXACTLY FOUR WEEKS FROM ALLOCATION OF CASE OFFICER!

 

Just out for the day in the Cotswolds and looked at my phone to check the time and there it was - the email we've been waiting so long for!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! The celebrations have begun.......

 

I love you all.....especially our CO - you gorgeous girl!!!

What a fabulous birthday present - you'll be here in no time! CONGRATULATIONS

Good morning everyone! Thank you all so much for your good wishes and congratulations! As you can tell, a couple or three glasses of champers and I'm not in control of my emotions and I'm afraid I got a bit carried away last night! But, well, I just wanted to share the joy!

We're going to have a very busy time for the next few weeks as we hope to arrive Brisbane last week September, staying with daughter until we find a house to buy, and which would be perfect timing as our Son and family are visiting from Sydney so we'll all be together to celebrate our arrival! I think our feet are not going to touch the ground for some time - but more than makes up for all these months of inactivity - BRING IT ON!

Val x

Good morning everyone! Thank you all so much for your good wishes and congratulations! As you can tell, a couple or three glasses of champers and I'm not in control of my emotions and I'm afraid I got a bit carried away last night! But, well, I just wanted to share the joy!

 

We're going to have a very busy time for the next few weeks as we hope to arrive Brisbane last week September, staying with daughter until we find a house to buy, and which would be perfect timing as our Son and family are visiting from Sydney so we'll all be together to celebrate our arrival! I think our feet are not going to touch the ground for some time - but more than makes up for all these months of inactivity - BRING IT ON!

 

Val x

You have every reason to get carried away Val! Sooooo happy for you both and thank you for sharing your good news with us! Angie x

Congratulations Val & Matt! Sorry I didn't join in with the good wishes earlier, I got a new computer and hadn't logged in to PIO properly!

Hope the rest of the move goes smoothly - keep us updated on your progress!

Best wishes, Val x

Hi Val, great news for ye, so exciting. I am Brisbane bound too, I'll be heading for Hemmant where my son lives. What part are ye going to settle in? Congrats again.

Hi Val, great news for ye, so exciting. I am Brisbane bound too, I'll be heading for Hemmant where my son lives. What part are ye going to settle in? Congrats again.

Thanks Summerdaisy, its been a mad week - definitely a rollercoaster! We're heading for Redland Bay initially, to stay with our daughter. I expect we'll house hunt in a radius around there, so not so far away from you (I had to look Hemmant up on the map!) well, in Ozzie terms anyway, just down the road!

I hope its not too long before you're reunited with your family.

All the best,

Val x

CAN'T BELIEVE IT YET, BUT..........VISA GRANTED TODAY..........EXACTLY FOUR WEEKS FROM ALLOCATION OF CASE OFFICER!

 

Just out for the day in the Cotswolds and looked at my phone to check the time and there it was - the email we've been waiting so long for!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.....HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! The celebrations have begun.......

 

I love you all.....especially our CO - you gorgeous girl!!!

Brilliant news!

Sorry to have taken so long to congratulate you, but we're spending all our time at the mo going to tip, Red Cross, etc... and also selling off / giving away half our stuff, including our stash of spirits and liquers never opened!. We're taking a chance on the wine, as duty is roughly 50% + GST.

Container guys from Doree Bonner come to pack on 3-5 September and our flights are booked for 12 Sept.

Contracts on our house are to be exchanged early next week and completion is planned for 10 or 11 Sept.! Fingers crossed! That's what I call cutting it fine

We've been unbelievably lucky to get to here without any problems whatsoever along the way, especially after reading about the grief many of you have suffered.

Can hardly contain our excitement now.

Hope all goes well for you all from here on in.

See you all in Sydney soon!

John & Eirian

Good luck on your exciting journey val, raising a glass of wine for you wishing you all the best on your new adventure. I am expecting a CO any day now so here's hoping all runs smoothly and i make for the arrival of my grandson in October in Perth. So glad your now on your way and the dream begins. All the very best to you both Ann xxx:hug:

p.s. Just checked Auspost tracker and the bank cheque is received and signed for - phew! Might be booking flights next week............fingers crossed! Sooo excited!

Hi Val. We've just had our letter requesting the final VAC payment. I hope you don't mind me asking but which address was your bank cheque sent to - the Locked bag address or Wellington Central? Thanks, Angie

Thank you all so much for all of the wonderful threads i have been reading over the last few days, it has been like a breath of fresh air hearing all of your stories the ups and the downs, ive laughed and cried at some of the stories and i feel like ive got to know you all.

Its so much better than reading books because i can relate to it.

I havent started with the whole journey yet, (husband isnt convinced its the right thing to do, needs more work i think) but when i do i will know exactly how to do it all, heres hoping!, the advice given has been enormous.

I also watch everything Oz, i didnt dare tell anyone before ha ha ha.

good luck to you all in your new lives in Oz and thanks x

Tab x:notworthy:

Thank you all so much for all of the wonderful threads i have been reading over the last few days, it has been like a breath of fresh air hearing all of your stories the ups and the downs, ive laughed and cried at some of the stories and i feel like ive got to know you all.

Its so much better than reading books because i can relate to it.

I havent started with the whole journey yet, (husband isnt convinced its the right thing to do, needs more work i think) but when i do i will know exactly how to do it all, heres hoping!, the advice given has been enormous.

I also watch everything Oz, i didnt dare tell anyone before ha ha ha.

good luck to you all in your new lives in Oz and thanks x

 

Tab x:notworthy:

Hi Tab. That's a lovely post!

This site has been absolutely priceless - a fantastic help to Ted and myself. I really don't know what we have done without it. The great thing is that you can get information and advice from those who are going through or have recently been through the process. The immigation office are really busy and tend to have 'standard' replies to queries which sometimes don't really relate or answer your question!!! So yes this site has been invaluable to us on the journey which figures crossed is nearly at an end. Good luck with the process when you decide to start the journey yourselves! Angie x

p.s. Just checked Auspost tracker and the bank cheque is received and signed for - phew! Might be booking flights next week............fingers crossed! Sooo excited!

Hi Val. We've just had our letter requesting the final VAC payment. I hope you don't mind me asking but which address was your bank cheque sent to - the Locked bag address or Wellington Central? Thanks, Angie

Hi Angie, that's great news! We sent everything to the Locked Bag 7 address - PCC's, Form 80 and the Bank cheque. I got daughter to address the envelope with the Bank Cheque in to include CO's name and position number (found at the end of any correspondence she'd sent) and our File Number as well as on the back of the cheque - that baby was not going to get lost! Oh yes, and it was sent in a Platinum Express Envelope. Hope this helps.

So excited for you!

Val x

Thank you all so much for all of the wonderful threads i have been reading over the last few days, it has been like a breath of fresh air hearing all of your stories the ups and the downs, ive laughed and cried at some of the stories and i feel like ive got to know you all.

Its so much better than reading books because i can relate to it.

I havent started with the whole journey yet, (husband isnt convinced its the right thing to do, needs more work i think) but when i do i will know exactly how to do it all, heres hoping!, the advice given has been enormous.

I also watch everything Oz, i didnt dare tell anyone before ha ha ha.

good luck to you all in your new lives in Oz and thanks x

 

Tab x:notworthy:

Hi Tab

You and I are in the same boat, my husband isn't convinced either! (Apart from the fact we would still have a daughter and two granddaughters here!)

I am going to Sydney in October on my own and keep threatening not to come back........watch this space:biggrin:

In March next year we are both going and I have booked 'flexi' tickets, so they can be changed and are valid for 12 months (I wish!)

There are some lovely people on here, so do keep popping in. We actually met some lovely PIOers that have made the move and hearing their positive stories did sway my OH a little bit. You know what it's like though, you get back into same old routine and the positivity sort of faded.:cry:

Anyway, two trips booked with Singapore Air and a 5 day stopover in Singapore on the second one with OH.

Lots to look forward to, oh yes and a new granddaughter in Sydney by the time I get there:biglaugh:

Cheers Pam

Hi Val. We've just had our letter requesting the final VAC payment. I hope you don't mind me asking but which address was your bank cheque sent to - the Locked bag address or Wellington Central? Thanks, Angie

Hi Angie, that's great news! We sent everything to the Locked Bag 7 address - PCC's, Form 80 and the Bank cheque. I got daughter to address the envelope with the Bank Cheque in to include CO's name and position number (found at the end of any correspondence she'd sent) and our File Number as well as on the back of the cheque - that baby was not going to get lost! Oh yes, and it was sent in a Platinum Express Envelope. Hope this helps.

So excited for you!

Val x

Thanks so much for that Val. It's a big help. We'll do the same as it worked for you!! Hopefully not long now!!

Angie x

Hi Tabitha, I want to live in Aus to be with my son and his family but am trying to convince my partner! I also watch everything Aus on tv and keep telling him all the plus points but he's yet to be convinced.

Thank you all so much for all of the wonderful threads i have been reading over the last few days, it has been like a breath of fresh air hearing all of your stories the ups and the downs, ive laughed and cried at some of the stories and i feel like ive got to know you all.

Its so much better than reading books because i can relate to it.

I havent started with the whole journey yet, (husband isnt convinced its the right thing to do, needs more work i think) but when i do i will know exactly how to do it all, heres hoping!, the advice given has been enormous.

I also watch everything Oz, i didnt dare tell anyone before ha ha ha.

good luck to you all in your new lives in Oz and thanks x

 

Tab x:notworthy:

Hi Tab, you pretty much summed it all up in your post, the highs and lows, the tears and laughter! It is a huge leap of faith! My husband took a little more time to decide on the move. His Mum is still going strong at 86 and leaving her is our main concern! But he has promised to come back to the UK each year for a holiday to see her. Whether we both come back or not, we'll decide nearer the time. She has said she will not visit us in Oz. But making the decision to emigrate is one thing, and actually doing it as the cost is really quite high is something else. Applying for the CPV pretty much means we are all of "a certain age", basically everything we've worked for all our lives is now coming to fruition - and normally we would be settling back to enjoy a comfortable retirement. But instead we've chucked everything on its head and are heading off to live in Oz in the next few weeks - crazy or what!! So, all the perks we are just beginning to collect on in the UK, i.e. free prescriptions, heating allowance, bus pass, and various other concessions, we will now have to wait for in Oz a few more years! Plus, we all wish the exchange rate was a lot better.

And that's where PIO comes into its own - like you we've read everything we can about Oz, but nothing beats people's real expereinces, and that's what keeps us all going, the reassurances are hugely appreciated.

We are like a huge family, and do feel like we know each other somewhat, (I hope we do get to meet some of you!) And as we leap off the edge of the UK, thanks to PIO its not into the unknown as we land in OZ!

Best of luck.

Val x

I'm trying to talk my partner into going over to live. I keeping telling him all the positives without saying too much about wanting to live there. I keep hoping that he's want to go without me pushing!

Hi All, I might have asked this question earlier in the year, can't remember. My head is all over the place these days waiting for my CO, especially as I had a hiccup in April because I was told I had a CO and it was all a mistake:arghh:

Anyway what I want to know is there any way I can get the extra baggage allowance with a 173 temporary visa. I will be travelling to Brisbane from Ireland, hopefully October, all depends on when I get the CO. I have made inquiries on the phone but not getting any joy. Signapore airlines told me they may give me 5 extra kgs but I would have to book first and then they would look into it. I know Emirates allow 30kgs but they are alot more expensive. I am not shipping anything over as I'll see how it goes before I apply for the 143 will depend on getting a good job and saving the money to upgrade to it.

Thanks to everyone on this site for the great advice and updates. This is a brilliant forum and have gotten friendly with Liverpooloo who helps me through all the highs and lows.:biggrin:

Fran.

Hi All, I might have asked this question earlier in the year, can't remember. My head is all over the place these days waiting for my CO, especially as I had a hiccup in April because I was told I had a CO and it was all a mistake:arghh:

Anyway what I want to know is there any way I can get the extra baggage allowance with a 173 temporary visa. I will be travelling to Brisbane from Ireland, hopefully October, all depends on when I get the CO. I have made inquiries on the phone but not getting any joy. Signapore airlines told me they may give me 5 extra kgs but I would have to book first and then they would look into it. I know Emirates allow 30kgs but they are alot more expensive. I am not shipping anything over as I'll see how it goes before I apply for the 143 will depend on getting a good job and saving the money to upgrade to it.

 

Thanks to everyone on this site for the great advice and updates. This is a brilliant forum and have gotten friendly with Liverpooloo who helps me through all the highs and lows.:biggrin:

 

Fran.

Will let you know with Singapore Airlines as i am flying with them and i have read they give extra allowance, we have helped each other fran through most of this process don't know what i would have done without you, and Asda's wine offers of course, my recycling bin wakes the whole street up on bin day, no room for paper and such like. Getting closer to getting a CO so may need a second bin. :biglaugh: Ann

Hi Fran,

We contacted Singapore last year to ask for more luggage allowance and they said that as our visa was a 173 temporary one, they could not let us have more than the 20kgs. However I wrote back to thank them for their quick response and said that I wished we had booked with Emirates as they give 30kgs as standard and probably would not travel with them again. They changed their minds then and let us have 30kgs each but only on the outbound journey. We didn't mind as most of our extra allowance was taken up with Christmas presents etc. You don't get anything if you don't ask!

Good luck! Val x

Will let you know with Singapore Airlines as i am flying with them and i have read they give extra allowance, we have helped each other fran through most of this process don't know what i would have done without you, and Asda's wine offers of course, my recycling bin wakes the whole street up on bin day, no room for paper and such like. Getting closer to getting a CO so may need a second bin. :biglaugh: Ann

I know what you mean Ann I think I'll have to put on a disguise going to the bottle bank at the rate I'm going.

Thanks Val, will try that when the time comes. It will only be a one way flight anyway. Best of luck to ye.

Fran.

Hi all,

couple of things i need to ask please, what are the chances of ,once getting the 173 visa, of not getting the 143 if any ???

also do you have to validate both visas on two different occasions??

thanks for that

:huh:

Tab x