Has Anyone Applied for Tasmania Sponsorship Recently?

**runslikeafish** · 25-09-2011, 05:38 PM

Ours came through pretty quickly as well. We'd spoken a lot with them beforehand and met with them when we visited Tasmania so they already knew us which may well have helped.

Congratulations!

**Strick** · 10-12-2011, 10:50 PM

I think I might have made a terrible mistake..............

I have obtained off-list Tasmanian State Sponsorship for the qualification of Welfare Worker, which is found on the SOL list Schedule 2. On October 8th I lodged an application for a 176 visa.

I think this might put me in Priority Processing Group 5, which I believe are due to finally granted when hell freezes over. It's my understanding that only off-list nominations on SOL list 1 will be processed as a category 4.

Can someone confirm that this is the case?

**Strick** · 17-01-2012, 12:56 AM

Panic over..........Visa granted yesterday. Phew!!

**runslikeafish** · 17-01-2012, 06:12 AM

Originally Posted by Strick

Panic over..........Visa granted yesterday. Phew!!

Woohoo! Congratulations - fantastic news for you!

**canadiantooz** · 20-04-2012, 02:52 AM

Runslikefish - I know we applied with only a couple of weeks difference but I don't know why it took them so long to grant but well worth waiting in the end. So how is new life in Tassie going and where you are staying in Tassie?

Would the grant letter be enough to travel to OZ or do I need to get visa label in passports? Also, is there DIAC office in Tassie where I can ger visa label in passports after I aarive there?

I plan to come in couple of months. Did you stay in short term rental accomodation? If yes, I would greatly appreciate if you can please share?

Cheers,

**runslikeafish** · 20-04-2012, 08:45 AM

Hi Canadiantooz. Congratulations on getting the visa! Life in Tassie is great! Have a look at my blog (link below) for an idea of how it's going.

I think that you have an electronic visa - i.e. when the immi people scan your passport it flashes up that you have a visa. We didn't want to chance it and got the paper ones stuck in the passport anyway. That has helped in other places too, an easy way to quickly show that we've got a visa. You need to make sure you do that in good time to get your passports back before you travel though!

We did stay in short-term accomodation initially. We stayed in a self contained flat (unit) in Werndee which is in Mount Stuart, just up from the North Hobart restaurant strip. We booked there initially for 4 weeks which in the end turned out to be the ideal amount of time. It took us that long to get everything sorted out, look for rentals, select one and organise it.

Good luck - and good to hear that you've got the visa :)

**canadiantooz** · 22-04-2012, 06:37 AM

Thanks a lot for your detailed response. I am glad to hear that you are enjoying the stay in Tassie. I am also hoping for similar experience.

Just wondering if the apartments / houses in Tassie are centrally heated?

Cheers!

**runslikeafish** · 22-04-2012, 07:12 AM

Originally Posted by canadiantooz

Thanks a lot for your detailed response. I am glad to hear that you are enjoying the stay in Tassie. I am also hoping for similar experience.

Just wondering if the apartments / houses in Tassie are centrally heated?

Cheers!

In my experience, most houses aren't centrally heated. There is usually a combination of a reverse cycle heat pump (i.e. air con) and electric wall mounted heaters. That said, the house we've just moved to has gas central heating ducted through the ceiling. I think as a general rule, that the newer the house, the better the heating.

**Skani** · 22-04-2012, 11:14 AM

Yes, runslikeafish's observation is correct - most aren't centrally heated. Many houses also have enclosed wood heaters - and are becoming more popular again as electricity prices have increased sharply in the last year or two.

**Strick** · 22-04-2012, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by runslikeafish

I think that you have an electronic visa - i.e. when the immi people scan your passport it flashes up that you have a visa. We didn't want to chance it and got the paper ones stuck in the passport anyway. That has helped in other places too, an easy way to quickly show that we've got a visa. You need to make sure you do that in good time to get your passports back before you travel though! :)

I am just about to do this - I think in the UK the process is free, but you need to pay registered postage both ways. For me, having a stamp in my passport will make the process more REAL. Since visa grant, I've had one email from DIAC about the skills matching database and that's it! It feels like they've forgotten about me. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was a little more than this, maybe a welcome pack with a complimentary jar of vegemite and a hat with corks round the side, something like that!