sandch

It's good to see the thread is alive and kicking after all this time. I see the processing times have really slowed up over the last few months which is frustrating for anyone waiting. I wonder what the cause is?

My better half has just (yesterday) obtained citizenship - thank goodness, she got invited to a ceremony just as we were about to invest in a returning resident visa for holidays at the end of this month. So now she's an Aussie. Always wondered what it would be like married to an Aussie girl.

For now I've had to settle for a RRV due to work time spent overseas.

All the best

Steve

Hello All

Area: Moreland (Melbourne)

Application online: 4 Feb 2014

Test & interview: 25 Feb 2014

Approval: 25 Feb 2014

Ceremony: 1 May 2014

We were led to expect a long delay between approval and ceremony, but I think they're trying to catch up (more than 200 received certificates in this ceremony)

Good luck to everyone currently in the pipeline!

Steve

Sorry Folks, the domain is moving between providers - by rowing boat I think. It should be available now.

Thank you Alan for alerting me to the broken link. And it's a good excuse to catch up on ... oh no ...several hundred posts.

Steve

My husband and I are in the very late stages of acquiring our 176 pr visa. It is my parents intention (as luckily they have the funds available) to join us once they acquire the CPV.

 

My question is as follows, am I right in thinking that as long as we have been there working for 12mths+ that they can then apply as long as they know someone who would be willing to act as their assurer of support? My dads cousin is a PR and has been for many years so I was wondering whether to ask her if she would be willing. This leads me on to my following question...

 

What does the Assurer have to do and is there any risk to themselves by doing so?

 

My parents still wish to work once they get out there (mum is a radiographers assistant and dad is a carpenter) and luckily have funds of $825,000.00+ (this is to inc CPV fees) to support themselves.

I just need to know how to explain the assurer role to my fathers cousin so I can hopefully get them out there with us sooner rather than later.

 

What would the assurer have to do exactly?

 

Also my mum is a type 2 diabetic, should this incur any problems?

 

And how long is the CPV currently taking to process for WA perth?

 

Any info as always is appreciated Many Thanks Kate

Hello

For AOS I suggest you read this: http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/34aos.htm. There is of course a financial risk, but it's a small one if your parents have adequate resources.

At the time of application you need to be "settled". In itself 12 months might be insufficient. There's a lot of information about this subject on this forum, do a search for "settled" in this thread to see some of the many posts.

The CPV process is a national one, and it seems to be about 14 months from application to being allocated a CO at the moment.

I've no information about type 2 diabetes and I hope others may be able to help. It's a matter of degree for some conditions.

Best wishes

Steve

Happy New Year to everyone!

We’re already into 2012 here, and expecting 40 degrees tomorrow in Melbourne. About 18 degrees above my optimum that.

Liverpoolloo, we often ask ourselves if it was the sensible thing to do. Financially it certainly wasn’t, but we have created some memories and family ties that money couldn’t buy. As time goes on, it becomes more beneficial, but only as long as one of us is earning Aussie dollars. If that changed we’d be back in England within 6 months or so I think. Because of family ties in England, we’ll always have a challenge, but we’re slowly working towards dual citizenship, the holy grail.

Very best wishes to all for a good 2012.

:smile:

Steve

Is the "AOS date" on the tracker the date the application was made by the Assurer, or the date the Assurer received acknowledgement of being an accepatable applicant as Assurer?

Hello

It's intended to be the date the AOS process in completed - bond in place - though it may vary as it depends on user input.

Stay in touch Phoebe, we will all be interested to see what you decide next year. It's a big setback for sure, but you are in good company making the decision to defer, something we would certainly have done if we were faced with the present economy and exchange rate.

All the very best.

Steve

Hi All

 

I've a question regarding CPV lodgement. My parents are currently offshore and have sent me all the required documents. Can these documents/forms be posted to Perth visa center from Australia instead of from offshore?

Yes they can.

:cry:

 

Ar 7.30am yrsterday morning when I was checking my emails the one we all long for dropped into my inbox.....our CO had been appointed. It's taken 58 weeks from acknowledgement.

 

I've spoken to him about our situation basically asking if there was any leeway to postpone the application for 6 months but it seems not so we have had to withdraw the application, it has to be resubmitted (more $) and back to the

starting post.

 

Its good news for those who are waiting there's a CO free to be reassigned. :biggrin:

 

Im so gutted I feel like giving up altogether :cry: :cry:

 

Phoebe

Sounds rotten Phoebe, sorry. It doesn't mean you can't visit though, and in a couple of years it might be a bit cheaper. Might.

Not much solace there I'm sure.

Steve

After a frantic fortnight of packing up, parties, goodbyes, house and car selling, staying with friends and living out of a suitcase........:chatterbox: WE HAVE SET FOOT IN THE PROMISED LAND. We arrived yesterday on the 5th anniversary of my daughter's arrival and are happily settling into our new life in Adelaide.

 

Off to sort out Bank, Tax, Medicare, Seniors Card etc in the next few days and have already planned a few 'opens' for the weekend! The adventure has begun (shame we left 30 degrees and blue skies in Surrey and arrived to 16 and rain in Australia):biglaugh:

 

Can't believe we're finally here (probably never to return to the UK) and living the dream. Good luck to all on the journey, your time will soon come and 'g'day mate' to all those already here who have helped us along the way.:wink:

That’s excellent, a very warm welcome and best wishes for your settling-in period. It sounds like you are committed and that really helps.

Cheers

Steve

Hi Everyone

Ive been following this thread quite closely but not had anything to contribute as yet.

But i do have a dilemma which i would appreciate some advise on.

My parents are "Imbrioscia" on the CPV tracker - they were allocated a case officer 04/10/2011.

we were told to arrange AOS. called up centrelink to find out the procedures to do so, etc.

My Husbands parents are also awaiting a case officer. On the tracker as "Grant" (they should be due a CO any day now too. So my question to centrelink was whether my husband could sponsor AOS to both sets of parents as you need to be employed (im just a stay at home mum - i dont qualify to sponsor). Centrelink have said NO! he can only sponsor 1 applicant at a time within the 10 year period that the AOS is held for.....! We dont have any other family here that are permanant residents or citizens that can do this. I have a brother who is in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa (non resident) - not sure whta this means for us now.

Can anyone say they have sponsored more than one set of parent/parents within 10 year?

Is this an unlucky phone call to centrelink to someone who doesnt actually have the right answers?

Could be. For one thing you need to separate the concept of sponsorship from Assurance of Support. The former is a function of DIAC, the latter of Centrelink. So direct questions about sponsorship to DIAC. If that's resolved to your satisfaction (and I don't know the rules) you then have the question of who is to be the Assurer for the second set of parents.

I hope others can comment with more authority.

Cheers

Steve

Hmmm…

 

Are you sure? I thought it was a year from permanent residence.

 

Mike

I believe it's one year from first registration Mike.

(later that day...)

The brochure is here: http://www.privatehealth.gov.au/assets/lhcbrochures/lhcenglish.pdf

and the relevant text is:

As a new migrant to Australia you do not have to pay a LHC loading if you take out hospital cover within 12 months of being registered for Medicare. After this time

you have to pay a LHC loading of 2% more for each year you are aged over 30 when you take out hospital cover.[/Quote]

Please can someone give me some advise on how to find a sponsor, we really dont know where to start. My husband is a supervisor on the local council on highways. Any help would do, ive been told its very expensive if we should find a recruitment firm to help, or is that the best option i really dont know. Thanks guys x

I think you might have the wrong thread - this one is for parents migrating to Australia, normally sponsored by their resident son or daughter. If not please add a bit of information about your circumstances so that someone may be able to help.

Does anybody know if my digital radio would work in Oz. I know it would not pick up the BBc but I wondered if it would pick up Oz stations?

Moira

I recently ordered a DAB radio / iPod dock from the UK Moira because it was nearly half the price of the cheapest local retailer (after taking into account shipping of £22!). It works perfectly here. It found about a thousand stations and set itself to local time when I plugged it in. It seems like they don't all work though based on previous comments – this is a Sony DAB/DAB+/FM model.

Cheers

Steve

I hope they didn't manage to drown you, Steve!

It was quite an afternoon! Very loud, very wet, though it didn't quite match the fireworks of Africa or the deluges of PNG. I was glad not to be commuting anywhere. Melbourne's rail and tram system comes to a halt if the weather is bad. It comes to a halt quite often.

:fish:

My daughter was going to open an online account for me in her name at 6.5% with UBank but she would have had to pay tax on the interest :goofy:, they couldn't afford to do that so I'm looking for another option :yes: if there is such a thing :swoon:

 

Worst case senario is.....if for some reason we can't get into Oz we can still use it for holidays etc :biggrin:

 

Phoebe

Surely if you are the investor, she would only have to declare her share of the interest? That is, zero?

Someone will end up paying it though!

This is the sort of exchange rate curve it's good to see!

Heading up towards 1.6, but we've been here before not too long ago.

Welcome to Australia Les, I hope it turns out to be a good decision for you both. We're working hard to try to make it work and at least the weather is improving down here in Melbourne. Odd weather, but I'm not complaining. Our first few months were quite difficult, but except for the fact that we have to rent, we're a bit more settled now. After the initial heavy outlay for car and basic furnishings, we're pacing it - next purchase will be an elliptical-trainer to try to get back to fitness. I occasionally think of the one I already have, a large abandoned ornament in a deserted house.

Say Hi to Marmite Matt if you ever get the chance to meet up.

All the best

Steve

I have been informed by daughter that those in Oz are predicting a decline in the strength of the Aus $ back to about 2:1 "soon", how soon that is I do not know but it is predicted not to last long before regaining it's strength back to ????.

Anyone else heard anything?

I'm not sure I susbscribe to that view, simply because there's no short-term prospect of UK interest rates rising. The Aussie Dollar is weakening a bit but it's mainly the US Dollar that is rising (you only have to look at sterling against the US Dollar over the past few weeks to see that).

We've only moved from 1.5 to 1.58 or so with all this talk of Aussie Dollar weakness. It will need an upward hike in UK interest rates or a fall in Aussie interest rates to help move the rate back towards 2:1 (or a serious global downturn but who wants that?), but we may be living in the past a bit even then. The economic balance is shifting west to east and there's talk of many years of stagnant European economies.

There's a lot of sense in buying currency in batches when you perceive the rate to be acceptable, which helps to even out the cost over time. If you've budgeted at say 1.5 then 1.56 looks quite good!

Cheers

Steve

Good information, thanks folks.

As usual it's not clear-cut this returning healthcare entitlement thing. Have a look at:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Healthcare/Entitlementsandcharges/OverseasVisitors/Browsable/DH_128866

So it could be interpreted that for the first five years after leaving, you may be covered providing you have 10 previous years of residence.

Our situation is probably different as I remain employed by a UK company and still pay taxes over there, so it shouldn't be a problem for me. My wife on the other hand is on the 5-year deal.

Hi Folks

If someone has already posted apologies but could ALL people of pension age or not sign this petition as it is unfair that if you live in certain countries you do not get the increases in your pension for the rest of your life.

 

https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/16387

 

I will post more when I get chance

 

regards

This is a really thorny subject and it's understandable that people who retired to Australia and South Africa for example feel the disadvantage. The treatment seems inconsistent.

Apparently it saves 500m per annum and with the UK facing years of cutbacks, job losses, public sector pay and pensions freezes, consequent strikes I guess that a petition for more money from those who have fled the UK ranks right up there with the good old snowball on its first visit to hell.

For anyone who suffers from insomnia, try reading the last ruling:

http://cmiskp.echr.coe.int/tkp197/view.asp?item=1&portal=hbkm&action=html&highlight=%22THE%20UNITED%20KINGDOM%22%20%7C%20pension&sessionid=78505579&skin=hudoc-en

:SLEEP:

Cheers!

Steve

Not sure this is a good time to ask about my electric toothbrush plug, but in for a penny in for a pound. When in Melbourne (and i am going out for xmas) I cannot find an adaptor that my electric toothbrush will fit into. Has anyone else come across this? and better still has anyone found a solution?

Love the site as much for the support as the info

Moira

I'm of the UK 2-pin adapter persuasion Moira, which I plug into a UK extension lead which has a local plug on it. It's worth bringing a good quality switchable UK extension lead with you if you have a number of UK plugs which can't be changed (eg on chargers). But you can also get 2-pin and single UK adapters locally in many places.

Ah yes, I remember it well... Queuing at the GPO in Martin Place in 1965 to make a call to my parents back in the UK, at a cost of £1 a minute! (Oz hadn't even gone in for "dismal guernsey" yet.)

 

(And now most of the GPO building is a shopping centre.)

 

Cue nostalgic music!

 

Mike

 

PS: If you don't understand "dismal…", take a look at (if you can find a copy) Let Stalk Strine.

Nah hadn't heard of that one but now absolutely have to get it.

Dismal guernsey indeed - had to look it up!

:biglaugh:

and may I add it wasn't the moderators on here........

Thank you very much for that.

It always surprises me how easily people get confused distinguishing between chat forums and authoritative reference works, but it continues to happen.

I’ve always drawn comfort from of the personal interaction on this forum, support, a lot of support, informal guidance, a good deal of light-hearted chatter. Some people have had bad experiences in the CPV process, illness and rejection, even death in the family, and they’ve found comfort here; they weren’t admonished and sent off to set up a “comfort” thread. And it’s been good to see moderators that understand that, in the background to help if needed but not disrupting.

Keep up the good work!

Hya, we had our 173 app accepted Oct 2010, so hoping we get our CO at the end of this year, and then visa's next May. It takes such a long time and we are getting a bit fed up. The Grandchildren are growing up so fast, skype is good but its not the same as being there. We still have to sell our house too. But its good to know that the system works, as you got your visa's.

Thanks

Ann and Roy

Hang on in there Ann and Roy. You get there eventually, perhaps only a couple of months or so to CO? When we look back it seems to have gone quickly.

I also agree Skype is good, great in fact, a really positive product of the information technology era (there are lots of negatives!). Not long ago we'd have had to put up with bad, and very expensive, phone lines. It's a real luxury to be able to see our other daughter regularly.

Cheers

Steve