sandch
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Everything posted by sandch
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See the post from Cath which nicely sums up the issue of "settled" which your sponsor needs to be when the application is lodged. If this has to be your son (who has just gone to Oz) he'll need to show he is settled. Personally I think that might be a challenge in only 6 months, but not impossible. You can't work if you are in Australia on a tourist visa. You can if you're on (say) a student visa. A migration agent is useful if your circumstances are likely to be non-standard or you find the whole prospect daunting. Otherwise it's just a tedious form filling process, most of which you'll probably end up having to do anyway. Do choose an agent carefully as there are many stories of agents simply shutting up shop overnight. The good ones stick around through challenging times. Best of luck Cheers Steve
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Great news! Congratulations to you and also to Dave and Linda who crossed that important threshold whilst we were up in the air last week. Now we all just need a sensible exchange rate. Moderators, if you pop in to this thread, I saw an advertisement embedded in one of my posts. It makes it look as though I put it there. I'm not at all keen on that. (ps - it has disappeared now) Best wishes to all. Steve
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Streaming / downloading = same thing. The data still has to flow (download is better because you can then watch it without the "pauses" which can happen on a slow connection)! Cheers Steve
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Hello I used a VPN service for a month (scothost), but it kept freezing. More annoying than worth the bother really. The F1 coverage is unbelievably poor in Oz, but then it was in the UK too before it went to the BBC. If we live in Oz we have to get used to the rampant commercialism. As in the UK Sky TV where you pay an expensive subscription for having your programs interrupted by ads. Pure co-incidence I'm sure, that it's a News International company.:frown:
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Caught up! I think. Thanks to all for the posts - please check the tracker to make sure I've recorded events faithfully. Great to be back in the UK in late spring - I have a feeling we will be dual nationality one day! We flew Malaysian MEL to KL - old aircraft, good legroom, good food (unexpected that). KLM to Amsterdam - modern aircraft, good legroom, good food, uncomfortable seat (for me anyway) KLM to Bristol (only one hour - fine) All economy by the way and all on time. All the best! Cheers Steve
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Makes sense Les. We're coming the other way, next week, and I may have to stay for a while as I'm still employed in the UK. Working with the time difference has gone well, but is still a major challenge. However I'm grateful for the chance and thanks to technology for making it possible. The current exchange rate is a false one, but as long as the RBA keeps pushing interest rates up (yes, there's another on the way), and the UK keeps the lid on, there won't be a quick return to normality. Cheers Steve PS - good luck with the journey!
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I reckon PSS might be a shipping company! Whatever you do Helen, AAA. (avoid abbreviation anxiety). :biggrin:
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I think it's a combination of factors, but all can be traced back to the rapid rise in the dollar and the poor economic conditions caused by the "credit crunch" (house prices mainly) in other countries. Australia has become a very expensive destination, especially for those (older people on pensions for example) whose income is fixed in a different currency such as sterling. The effect will have been to dampen demand for these visas, which will reduce the number of new applications and increase the drop-out rate for applications in the pipeline. I've no evidence for this, but it would seem a logical hypothesis. The Australian government does release statistics from time to time, and it will be interesting to see how demand for the 143 / 173 has fared.
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Hello You definitely need to wait for the final VAC request, but given that today is only 3 May, you still have plenty of time until 30 June. And as others have said, do watch the rate, because after an extreme run of gains as we have seen in the last few weeks, you often get a correction. However the fundamentals don't seem to point to any short term improvement for sterling via dollar. Cheers for now. Steve
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It's a pleasure. There's a whole community here ready to help, so you're never on your own. Cheers Steve
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Hello Angie It will probably be OK to mark this as "unknown" or simply write "tourist" or "ETA" in there. The date it was issued might also help, I think the form is a little outdated. Cheers Steve
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Hello Helen The bond has to be in place before the visa (143 only) can be granted. It's normally asked for by the CO around the time the medicals and character checks are requested. Hope that helps. Cheers Steve
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Thank you Matt. You're a fine example of what it takes to make it in Oz, even at our ages. Cheers Steve
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Ah neat, thank you! For some reason some airline seats seem very uncomfortable. I'll certainly look into that for the return journey. Cheers Steve
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Blow up padded seat? I couldn't find anything that was remotely suitable, but I could do with one! Any recommendations gratefully received.
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Hello Phoebe - I don't blame you, and I think at these exchange rates, we would have backed away from it altogether, perhaps applying for the 103 even. Good luck with it all. Cheers Steve
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Hi Jean We're in the northwest of Melbourne. I wish I could sleep through the flights like you, that would remove a lot of the stress! We'll see how this one goes. All the best Steve
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Hello Jean, it is good to hear from you again, and wonderful to get news of the post-visa years. There are many like you, us included, who budgeted at $2.3+ to the pound and then the goalposts moved after the commitment was made. It's reassuring to hear that you are pleased with your move, despite all that. We're nearly six months in to our residence here and holding it together, but we'd prefer to live somewhere nicer (like your description would be just fine) than the city suburb where we are; however it's five minutes walk to our daughter's family house, so that outweighs everything for now. We're off back to England in a couple of weeks to catch up with family and try to decide what to do with our property and other stuff. Not looking forward to the travelling! All the best Steve
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Many congratulations! I remember the experience well - ours is just approaching 3 which is hard to believe. We were fortunate to get here a couple of days before the event. Best wishes Steve
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They are here: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/990i/converter.htm and the rate is 1.53846. There's very little in it at the moment.
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And a word of warning; flights from this end are nearly twice the price as those originating in the UK. To save money we came out on one way tickets - mistake if you plan to go back after a while. Returns from here are between £1100 (cheap) and £1400 (Singapore). We're coming back next month KLM for about £1,300 each (but that's to Bristol and with a £250 charge for seat selection). :sad: With the state of the economy and dollar, Australians think it's cheap, whereas I suppose demand at the UK end is weak. Good luck with the trip!
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You keep your place Phoebe if you switch from 103 to 143 (probably because it's an upgrade, but it may be just a routine random rule).
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The CPV is the only one you need for the next five years!
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The answer may be as simple as a CO off work for some reason. Did you send the email to your CO's address or just the general one? If you don't hear on Monday, a nudge would be advisable. I remember checking with HOC directly and I then passed the info to our CO - but there is no HOC contact facility for applicants now as far as I can see. But relax over the weekend because there's nothing you can do! Cheers Steve
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Great news Audie, but it should have been routine as you rightly say. I bet you wish you'd never heard of Australia by now. We hope your trip is a really positive one. All the best. Steve