owendoyle

Finally got my visa granted today after an epic wait of 15 months (or 467 days)! Thanks pomsinoz for being a great resource and good luck to all those waiting.

Visa: ENS 186

Occupation: Science Professional

Method: 186, Non-DRC, Direct Entry

Location: CoE Parammatta

Timeline:

Applied for Nomination - 30/01/2012

Nomination Granted - 20/09/2012

Applied for 186 Visa - 25/09/2012

Case Officer Assigned - 30/04/2013

Meds and Police Clearance Submitted - 08/05/2013

Visa Grant - 10/05/2013

Owen :ssign19:

just got told by C/O that she would grant my visa as soon as my son's medical be cleared.

And the medical result was uploaded onto eHealt yesterday, any one knows how long it takes to clear out?

Wondering the same.

Hoping a few days but could be a week or two. I guess it depends on your CO and what they are currently doing, some go on leave for a week occasional.

**This is an automated response. Please do not respond to this email**

Email Updated on 23 April 2013

ALLOCATION TIMEFRAMES

We will no longer be publishing allocation dates by processing centre as we are using a number of strategies to manage the caseload more efficiently. Generally we are managing allocations via the following:

Priority 1: Decision Ready, complete applications in ANSCO 1 & 2 occupations (by date of lodgement)

Priority 2: All other Decision Ready applications (by date of lodgement)

Priority 3: ANSCO occupations 1 & 2 requiring further documentation (by date of lodgement)

Priority 4: All other applications by date of lodgement

Agents should ensure that applications are as complete as possible at the time of lodgement. Case Officers may contact them with another opportunity to provide information if the case officer considers they require further information in order to make a decision. Contact by the case officer is by no means automatic or required under legislation.

We are working through our large caseload in the most efficient manner possible and thank you for your patience during this busy period.

____________________________________________________________________________

Bull$^#*!

Proof that immigration have scrapped allocated timeframes and now heavily prioritise DRC applications.

All respect to migration agents but giving them the golden ticket to much faster processing times is quite simply ridiculous, especially when its done retrospectively.

Dep. of Immigration.....you are the bane of my existence!

Congratulations Ben!!!

my pain is still going...................it has been 6 months now...non drc

Congrats Ben! Looks like DRC is the way to go if you want a visa processed in a respectable time-frame.

How long more do you think Big John? Their processing times are pretty off, especially with DRC's being processed so fast and non-drc taking ages.

http://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/8.0.htm

I'm approaching 7 months now (14.5mts inc nomination) so in similar situation.

Woo hoo!!!! PR Granted

 

 

Application filed 24.09.2012.

Acknowledgement letter received 08.11.2012

PR granted 08.04.2013.

Parrammatta office.

IT Professional

Timeline 6 months 16 day - phew!

Congratulations!! Damn long wait... Was it non-drc? (without agent)

My application was a day after yours so here's hoping!!!

WE GOT IT!!!!!

Nomination applied 28th Aug 2012 Non DCR Direct Entry

Visa applied 21st Jan 2013

Nomination approved March 2013

VISA GRANTED 6th APRIL 2013!!!!!!

 

We're on holiday currently - just thought I'd check my emails and what a lovely surprise!!!!

 

Good luck to everyone else still waiting!!

Congrats!!

LATEST UPDATE RE. ENS 186:

On Sat, Apr 6, 2013 at 7:54 AM, NSW PSE <nsw.pse@immi.gov.au> wrote:

Thank you for your email. At this stage your application has not been allocated to a case officer. Once the application is allocated, a case officer will contact you within 7 days of allocation. We are currently allocating applications received in July and August 2012. Thank you for your patience.

Administration Team

Permanent Employer Sponsored Entry (NSW, QLD, ACT)

Parramatta Centre of Excellence

Department of Immigration and Citizenship

Telephone: 13 18 81

Fax: 02 8861 4439

Email: nsw.pse@immi.gov.au

I found this which might answer some questions about whether particular employers or occupations are being processed faster:

 

http://www.immiexperts.com.au/2013/03/11/ens-rsms-processing-times-and-decision-ready-applications/

 

Grouping of cases

In an attempt to better manage the caseload, applications are being grouped by occupation (to enable case officers to develop expertise and experience in those areas), by employers and also by agents (whose reliability in providing good applications is recognised).

That's a great post RobertaSparrow. Thanks for sharing that link. Good summary of what we were told in dips and drabs.

I guess I was right with IMMI case officers working on specific occupations, therefore having slightly different time-frames. They actually do seem to be getting their act together now so you should be processed in no time being a "recognised" DRC application.

There is no rhyme or reason to how things are being processed. 6 months on the 23rd March. Our application was DRC with nomination and through an MA who has processed several others from the same company, i.e. the company I work for.

 

So I do not think we get preferential treatment at all, just relived of all money and hope. Yes they have pretty much screwed things up personally. Ho hum this is Australia and nothing is ever simple, this what they call living the dream!!! If it was Christmas at this point I would say "Bah Humbug".

That was pretty unlucky on your part after going through an agent. You should have been allocated a case officer by now but I remember IMMI released a message (last Nov) saying that they could not identify DRC from non-DRC so you were obviously one of the unlucky ones caught up in this. This was the message so may be worth a try if you have not already:

02-11-2012, 07:45 PM

"At the moment our system is not readily identifying applications declared as “Decision Ready” by a registered migration agent. As an interim measure we suggest that you send an email to the relevant processing office mailbox advising that the application is decision ready with the TRN number highlighted in the subject line. Please ensure that the application is decision ready"

I know, I can't really explain why we went through so quickly either - apart from front loading everything so it was ready to be processed from day one.

 

I have often wondered if it is a bit down to who your employer is, and what job you do... whether it is quite specialised for example. But who knows!

Yeah, I front loaded my application too but I guess that doesn't make a difference to an application sitting on the bottom of a pile (figuratively speaking). You may be right that it could be job / skills dependent. (eg. A case officers deals with all "engineering" or "I.T." applicants though they are meant to work chronologically from what I am told)

Keep up the good advice anyway. Much appreciated on this forum.

No, this certainly isn't the case. Our application was non DRC, we did it ourselves with no agent involved. Also went through Parramatta. The beginning to end process was 4 months and 10 days.

I obviously know MA's and IMMI are not connected. It is just very convenient (and quite lucrative) that they are given special treatment by immigration. Yes, it speeds things up. I guess its a bit similar to paying for queue jump tickets when boarding a plane!

I also wonder if immigration may have a fast track system for employers who have previously sponsored people. 4 months and 10 days is incredible! Especially when you consider I sent my nomination in on January 30th 2012 and my application was sent 5 days after nomination approval (a combined wait of almost 14 months so far)

Although that's a great response for you, I on the other hand have lost total faith in the Department of Immigration's ability to process anything in a timely (and fair) fashion, provide any sort of reliable information over the phone, and funniest of all, not be held responsible for misleading advice given! (migrations agents often quote this!)

As indicated on this forum by the many posts which I have read, they are seriously screwing with people's lives by changing rules quicker than they can keep up with and sometimes providing false information which crucial decisions are made.

On the day I get PR grant (hopefully!) I will first be celebrating the fact that my 7 year relationship with the department is finally over!! :jiggy:

(sorry for rant...I'm usually quite positive!) :smile:

I know it sucks! Well I feel better knowing I am not the only one, but also feel like we've been forgotten...

I cant even check the status because the current correspondence is with the employer and diac, not me.

Appears they are smashing people who chose to do it solo without an agent with huge waiting times. Waiting 6 months now for visa app to get a case officer (non drc, 186, paramatta). Already took 8mths for nomination to be approved.

Use an Migration Agent.....looks like 2 month wait maybe!

Are MA's and Dep. of IMMI in business together by any chance?? :huh:

Patience is right! Applied for Nomination in January 2012. Once approved (8mts, Sept 12) send Visa Application in (186, non-drc, paramatta). Over 5 months now and still waiting for any form of communication.

Patience...:SLEEP:

My fiance applied in the beginning of August, DRC, Parramatta. He just received his visa grant letter about a week ago. Good luck to the rest of you still waiting!

Thanks for update. Congratz!

I am not sure if it speeds things up to apply before nimincation approval? I have read on here people who's nomination is approved then days/weeks later the visa is approved, alternatively I am sure there are people who put both in and are waiting months between? I think the system is so new it really is luck of the draw?!

It can basically take half the time if you submit them together. My understanding is:

Nomination and Visa together = 5-6month wait for case officer, nomination assessed and if approved visa assessed.

Nomination and Visa NOT sent together = 5-6 month wait for case officer, nomination assessed and if approved..visa application sent. 5-6month wait for case officer, visa assessed.

I applied for 856 nomination in January 2012. It was finally approved in September. Applied for visa (under new 186 visa, non-drc, no agent, direct entry, paramatta) on Sept 25th and am still waiting for case officer. So basically 1 year + now!

Even a cricket game moves faster than Immigration.

Good luck with your app!

Any input is much appreciated.

Back on topic, Would love to know if any NON-DRC ENS 186 applications have been assigned case officers? (I seriously doubt it but just asking!)

I know DRC ones have already but are us non-DRC once doomed to wait until they clear the old 856 cases (June backlog).

Really should have submitted Nomination (Jan 30th 2012) and Application together. :no:

what reasons might stop the nomination approval?

Probably training requirement or market salary would be the big two. But obviously all conditions need to be met. My sponsoring company was very new so I was a bit worried about the training requirement. I was the only permanent staff member at the time of application (apart from directors). Still passed but I waited until it was approved before sending my visa application.

My second question is I have received an email to say the nomination will take 5 -7 months to be approved and I have been told that my visa app will take 5-7 months to approve; if I wait for my nomination to be approved before I submit the application will I then have to wait a further 5-7 months or will it then be a case of immigration just processing the app? Alternatively if I submit my application before nomination approval will this speed up the process or will it not make a difference and I'll still be waiting a further 5-7 months after approval - in which case I may as well wait for approval!?LMW

Yes. From my experience applying for nomination first (took 8 months) and application after (still pending but been told 5-7months) I may be waiting twice as long as someone who submits nomination and visa together. It is likely that your case officer will review both together.

So you can gamble $3060 to (potentially) save 5-7months. I chose not to!

I am not 100% certain that this is the case for everyone but it is for me. A good MARA registered migration should know your chances of nomination approval if you visit one.

Best of luck!

Hi all,

 

Does anyone know how DIAC treats applications that are submitted complete with a checklist but not certified as Decision Ready by a Migration Agent? It seems that prior to July 1st there were 2 different DRC checklists, one for use by Migration Agents and one for use by applicants. However, now the website only seems to have an agent checklist. My employer advised me that I could apply Decision Ready by compiling all the documents in advance of lodgement and attaching a checklist, which I did. But now I am wondering whether that is correct. In the auto-replys from DIAC, which have been posted earlier on this thread, the DIAC only mentions priority for agent certified DRC applications, not for general DRC applications. There does not seem to be any information as to how long a general DRC application should take, and I fear that I have wasted months doing my police checks, etc, in advance if my application is not even getting any priority for that.

 

Overall, this has been a hugely frustrating experience. Like some other recent posters, I finally got my acknowledgement email after 9 weeks (though the website has said it would come within 10 working days). The letter said they prefer to be contacted with enquiries by email, but of course did not include an e-mail address. The DIAC website also has a Contact Us page which doesnt include an e-mail address, and a contact form which doesnt allow you to write a question, but only to select a pre-written question to which they e-mail you a pre-written answer (which makes no sense whatsoever - how is this pre-written question / pre-written answwer e-mail charade any better than a FAQ?). When I finally found an e-mail address for what appeared to be the right office, all I got in response were auto-replys, as others have posted here. Where does the exorbitant $3000 that one pays for a simple visa application go if they dont even hire enough people to process the applications or have any customer service?

 

Meanwhile Ive been waiting over 3 months with no end in sight or any idea of when I will get a case officer. I am supposed to start my new job in a couple of months but of course cant make any moving plans until the visa is sorted out. This sucks.

I feel your pain. I believe (my opinion only) that the checklist can ONLY be used by a registered migration agent. They submit DRC applications differently to our process online and attach this form: http://www.immi.gov.au/gateways/agents/pdf/ma-checklist-ens-visa.pdf

So if you were to attach that form to your application it probably would only be seen once the case officer is assigned after 5-7months in a queue.

Just my opinion though.

In general, while I have nothing against Migration Agents, who provide a valuable service, I find it extremely unfair that DIAC seems to discriminate against applications filed by an individual, who are relegated to the back of a long queue even if they do everything correctly

Yes, this is ridiculous. I agree Migration Agents can be great and necessary for many, but some people are now using agents and paying them a fortune just to only submit their application as DRC. [it reminds me of people paying farmers to sign off for their 2nd WHV visa] Though this is legal!

Took 8 months for my Nomination to come through and now waiting about two (so far) for my application (ENS186, non-drc, paramatta).

Expecting April 2013!

No I did not submitted my application at the same time as nomination. I wanted to be quite sure that it will approve the sponsorship to my employer. Cheers

Similar to myself them. Best of luck. Hopefully hear something before Christmas but doubtful...

I replyied your hopeless it's been 8 months and you have done nothing

Haha! I felt like saying that so many times.

To be honest, I wouldn't mind if I has some idea of progress and I would be very interested to know why they are processing so many June / July applications (no offense if you applied and have been approved) ahead of January once. Probably due to dreaded DRC (the Migration Agents golden ticket!). Non-DRC are most likely being penalised with longer waits.

Pot luck I guess!

My employer has applied to sponsor me at 9 January 2012. Until now, he has not received any response from DIAC. Long time to wait!! The light at the end of tunnel ???

Looks like I am in a similar situation to you mate. Nomination sent on 30th Jan 2012 and only approved on 25th September. Crazy! Seems like the applications sent early 2012 were put on hold while the July ones were being processed.

I can imagine some poor fella in Paramatta with paperwork up to the ceiling.

One question, did you submit your visa app at the same time as nomination? I only sent mine in a few days after approval of nomination. Hopefully not another 8 month wait!

Good luck!