sleepywombat

Try Natures Own Vitamin B 150... Great for lots of health things, in addition to slightly changing the way your skin smells so the flying insects aren't interested... It works for me better than any of the chemical lotions, sprays and potions I'be tried... Good luck Cx

Sounds a good plan How will we know who we are though...!!! Shall we all wear hats or something? Lol....!!! Cx

I would be Alex but I have promised myself a night of laundry and tidying... I'm at a Halloween bash in the city tomorrow and then on a harbour cruise on Friday night. Normally I do nothing all the time... Sorry chap Cx

Hey I'm in Dee Why and might be up for that one.... Can I bring Julie, my new colleague? She is 30, from Glasgow and new to Crows Nest but likes Manly nights out The 10th is OK for us!! Cx

Hey all .... It seems my wait is over... Immi emailed me last night to say that my ship has come in and they are processing me I have to update some of the checks (medical & police) but fingers crossed it's smooth sailing from here on in... Cx

YAY!!!! I JUST HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I AM BEING PROCESSED AND SORRY FOR SHOUTING BUT i JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW!!!! MEDICAL BOOKED FOR NEXT WEEK AND POLICE CHECK UNDERWAY MAN AM I EXCITED!!!!!! Cx :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin: :biggrin:

Is OK... I have looked, found it and emailed them. Brave me!!!! Will update as and when I hear anything Cx

Hey Lazybones... Please can you post the link for me? I am 30 June 2010 and haven't heard from them. Maybe they have forgotten about my dusty old file Cx

Thanks for your responses... Rupert - sorry for the mistake. I kinda keep forgetting that I am still waiting for the LRR Lazybones - I didn't know about the 'experience' bit so thanks for that... But the silence from immi is immense. I haven't heard a bean from them in 18 months and it's quite frustrating... Given that they processed 27 of these visa applications last year (or around about that number) I have decided that holding my breathe might be a bad idea. One day I will open my email to some good news I hope...!! TickledPink... If they are able to sponsor me, I will happily accept, however it is looking as though they may not be able to clear it as there isn't a 'business need' for it. Meaning that they can employ me and there is no risk to them or my job as I am here on the 'never-never-leave-these-shores' visa!!! Thanks again all Cx

Hi Donna You can work on the bridging visa if you claim hardship and fill in the form when you submit your application. I applied in person and it was approved straight away, although that was before the lengthy wait was confirmed... Once your bridging visa comes into force, you can then apply for your TFN (tax number) and go go go!! I don't think that any immigration officer in their right mind could refuse anyone the ability to legally work for over a decade... Good luck Cx

Hi all Again, apologies for not coming on here too often recently however I now need some advice from all you wonderful people who have been such an immense help to me over the last 3 years...! Creep over :wink: After being here on the Last Remaining Relative for what feels like forever but is in fact just short of 3 years... I have heard nothing from DIAC regarding my visa having been given a queue date of 30 June 2010. I have the opportunity of being sponsored through work onto a 457 and am wondering what, if any, issues may arise from this. It's very exciting and I love my job (in publishing :biggrin:) but the usual concerns start raising their heads... 1. Could there be any issues regarding getting PM after the 457 has run out? 2. How long before I could apply for PM given that I have 2 1/2 years under my belt on a bridging visa? 3. Could there be any issues regarding anything that I haven't thought of? I really am quite excited that this company took me on as a temp 6 months ago want to take me on permanently and potentially will throw PR in with the bargain... The pay offer isn't that great for a single renting on her own, but it's a job that I love and it's permanent - which means paid holidays and all the benefits of feeling wanted and needed and secure !! My olds are stress-heads and as my sponsors, they really need assurance, and not just from me, that I won't get into any visa problems that may mean that I can't stay... Any advice would be appreciated - I am sooo tempted to jump right in a scream YES in an orgasmic manner, however I need to appear to be the grown-up that I look like and err on the side of caution, for my parents more than for me... Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom Cx

Hi GeorgeD The websites state that Residents just need photo ID, none-residents need their passports. I have been on domestic flights with just photo ID but I'm a bit nervous about stepping onto a boat - although I don't know why, I think it would be worse to be refused entry from a boat if they consider me to have been into International Waters... It's all a little too complicated though - maybe I should just head out on the harbour in a tinny!!! Cx

Hey Rupert They define 'domestic' as a cruise that doesn't dock off Australia... Cx

Bugger....! Thought as much but had to check - thanks

Hi All Long time, no posts!!! I'm still on the waiting list for the LRR 835 visa and am thinking of booking myself a wee domestic cruise to break the winter blues ... Does anyone know if I will need to get the Bridging Visa B before I go...? I am finding the information on the cruise sites confusing. The cruise I am looking at won't dock anywhere, just go out from and back to Sydney... Thanks C x

It's great... but yes, I should get into the city more. Just feels like it's alot of effort to put the shoes on.... Cx

I wouldn't even think of commuting to the Northern Beaches from Parramatta (which is a lovely place, just at least an hour away on a good day).... Brookvale itself has decently priced accomodation and is close to everything. Also try Freshwater, Dee Why, Narrabeen, Seaforth if you want to be on the beach. Belrose, Frenchs Forest, Forestville, Allambie, Allambie Heights, North Manly, Cromer if you don't mind being a little bit away from the beach. Pricey maybe, but I don't think you can compare out-of-work-finish-and-get-home time to fuel price, road rage & traffic jams.... JMHO HTH Cx

Hi! I've not been on here for a while but thought I would see how things are going (good and bad it seems!!) My stats.... Date applied: 23/11/09 - onshore - Date on queue: 31/6/2010 - CO assigned: feb/10 - Visa granted: not yet..... - Period: 2.5 years & counting My CO wrote to me a year ago and advised she was being reassigned from the division in ACT and I should communicate with a generic email account in Perth... I haven't heard a bean since... But living happy & working hard in Sydney and that's all that counts I guess... Cx

Take a look in Vinnies for a decent pram - they seem to be the most popular things in my neck of the woods for transporting the papers I like reading the local Saturday rag when I get home from a friday night out - bit surreal reading tomorrows paper with yesterdays news today...!! Good thinking for the pocket money thing & good luck with it! Cx

Hi I know nothing about Perth, but I was reading a very interesting article the other day in some random magazine in a hospital waiting room about some of the FIFO boys working 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off and commuting in from Bali... Don't know if this would interest you & your partner (she could set up an arty thing over there and live the dream full-time...) but it certainly made me wonder why more people don't do it... Just an idea Cx

Oh and coleslaw.... ((((( Boy do I miss that (((

Oh yes... Completely normal!! Being a cadbury loving veggie I have to say that after 2 & a half years its hard (( Coles are slowley upping their game though (with a little help from Tesco I understand...) I have recently been teasing myself with online shopping for stores that I used to buy decent basic clothes in (ASDA, Tesco, Primark...) knowing that they won't ship here but still going "ooh... NICE shoes...!!" I need to stop before I drive myself silly with pangs of hunger, frustration & homesickness ...!!! Cx

Hi Day09 You can work.. read back through this thread & posts will tell you. I am here on this visa and all I had to do was fill in a 'hardship' form when I applied for the Bridging Visa. Was easy HTH Cx

Yes, you can work whilst you are on a brigdging visa pending this one being assessed. You can't get into debt or leave the country (without BVB) or change your situation to make you invalid for the LRR - but yes, you can be, and they want you to be an upstanding, tax-paying member of society here... It's all good Cx

Hi Banana Trawl through this thread - http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/93110-other-family-visas-cutbacks-delays.html - it has loads of info on it. My parents came on the Contributary Visa a few years ago and instead of the 2 year wait, they got their visa within 5 months... I think because it is so expensive. Once they can prove that they are 'normally resident' in Aus, your brother can follow. I am aware of people who have come over on the same flight as their parents and successfully applied for it. I am nearly 2 years into what could now be a 10 year wait.. My only advice to your family is to try to convince your brother to apply on-shore after travelling here on a tourist visa HTH Cx