vava
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<p><p>Hi Phoebe, I hope things are getting easier for you now youve had chance to get your head together. I also hope your sister is bearing up - it cant be easy for any of you.</p></p>
<p><p>Thanks for the info for the parcel. I usually use a firm called Parcelflight and they are quite reasonable - Im just mad at myself for telling the kids I would bring loads of stuff for them!</p></p>
<p><p>Had another try with Singapore Airlines today - I sent them a message saying that I wished I`d booked with Emirates for the bigger luggage allowance. It probably wont do me any good but it made me feel better for having a go at them!</p></p>
<p><p>Hope you have a good Christmas and hope we can keep in touch on here too! Val xxx</p></p>
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Hi Again, Since posting my question earlier, I did some more research and it seems that Singapore will give the double allowance but only if you have an unvalidated PERMANENT visa..............we got the 173 temporary parent visa! So it looks like all the baby stuff and party dresses will be going via DHL. If anyone has had a positive outcome on extra luggage with a 173 then I`d be grateful to hear from you. Thanks again - Val xx
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Hi All, This question has cropped up before and I cant remember the answer; how do we go about getting an extra luggage allowance on our validation trip? I am sure I read that singapore airlines allow you to take double (eg 40kgs instead of 20kgs) but I cant find anything on their website about it and my travel agent thinks I`m wrong and you only get the extra allowance when you are leaving the UK for the last time (on a one way ticket). Hope I havent shot myself in the foot here, Oz daughter has been shopping online and all the stuff is here for me to take and it weighs a ton! Please help!!! Thanks Val xx
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Phew! Panic over! Just logged on and email is sitting there saying "police certificates have just arrived". Then another one asking for the 2nd VAC so we are thankfully back on track. Will request the big cheque from ANZ this morning and we`re done! Thank you all for your support and replies! regards, Val x
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"Could it be that the mail is affected by the Qantas situation? " Hi Linday, I`m not sure when the Qantas situation began. I posted the certificates on 12th October. The guy at Royal Mail said that immigration staff had been striking too. Will take your advice and send the next lot via courier. Am I correct in thinking that if using a courier, is the address different? I could swear I read that somewhere. We`re cutting it fine now for getting the visa in time for our 7th December trip. Poor daughter is going to be disappointed if I dont get the double luggage allowance on Singapore Airlines! Will save me giving Next and M&S the rest of my hard earned dosh though!! Cheers! Val x
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Thanks for the advice everyone! I spoke to Royal Mail and the bloke had a moan about Australians striking etc - not helpful at all! So, I have sent for some more police certificates and emailed the CO to ask what method she would prefer me to send the stuff to ensure it gets there! I also mentioned that "somebody" must have signed for the original package, therefore it must be there and please would she investigate further........hmmm we shall see! Never a dull moment - and just when we thought the end was in sight. Val x
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Had an email this morning from the case officer..................they are waiting for our police check certificates. I sent them via our very own royal mail "international signed for" on 12th October. Is it too soon to panic or should I just get another set and send them again? Any advice or similar experiences would be most welcome right now. I have started to eat the chocolate which was bought for Trick or Treaters..................I might not be able to fit into the aircraft seat....arrgghh!!!
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Hi Thanks for your help but could you advise me further. If we were granted a 173 we would have to sell the house before we go, in your or any one elses opinion is it worth upgrading now to a 143 or if the house is not selling can i upgrade from England or do we have to be in Aus. Sorry to be so dumb but i am just trying to work out what is the best thing to do. Cham Hi Cham, Unfortunately you cant "upgrade" your 173 application to a 143 before it is even granted. You have to begin the whole process again with a new application if you change your mind and go for the 143 now. We asked DIAC the same question last year and we were told to submit new forms and a further 1st VAC. Hope this helps! Val
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Hi Linday, My understanding was the same as yours! Surely if the 173 is a temporary visa to enable the applicants to "try out" life in Oz before making the permanent decision then it makes sense that when the time comes for the granting of the 143, you would be there (in Oz) anyway! We`re quite a way behind you in this process and I`m so grateful for all the tips and experiences that everyone shares on this site. If you have to be offshore then perhaps you could have a little trip somewhere exotic for your Christmas present!!! Good luck and do let us know what the outcome is! Regards, Val x
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Its so sad for you right now Phoebe but you never know whats around the corner. Just need to concentrate on getting through the next few weeks/months and see what the future holds. We still have Skype to keep us going till we get to the other side...:cool: Val xx
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Hi Mike, We are perhaps another three years away from being there full time. My husbands business is doing well again now so it would be silly to end it all at the mo. We wont have much earning potential once we make the move so we`re staying here for now and wintering over there in the meantime. House sales are still stagnant in this area so another reason to hang fire. I kind of knew that police checks would need to be re-done and I wont be unduly surprised if meds will need doing again too! Its only money!! Cant compare to a hug and a snuggle with a snoozing babe! Good luck with your move Val
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Thanks for the info Mike. Did Perth happen to say when you have to begin the application? If the 173 is valid for two years, should we begin the 173 to 143 process six months before the time is up or can we take it to the limit and then apply? I think I may have to send an email too! Soo many questions............... Regards, Val
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Thank you for replying Ann. There was a guy posting on this forum that on his parent's knowledgement letter in August, they said all applications up to June 2011 already had a co. That is why I try to have some confirm from someone else, just to have a little bit more hope. I suspect that whoever typed June 2011 into either the acknowledgement letter or the post on this forum made a little error which has got people a bit excited. My own application took 14 months and so did many others. I very much doubt that anyone would have a case officer allocated after only 4 months. Val
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Hi, there seems to be a wait of around 430 days from acknowledgement to the request for medicals and police checks - in my case, 26 July 2010 to 27 September 2011. We too are going for the 173. Why not have a look at the tracker which was set up and is managed by Sandch who is a regular poster on this thread. Go to www.gainwave.co.uk and click on applications in progress. Good Luck! Val x
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Hi Fiz, I am loving all these positive stories! Glad you got your stuff alright. I keep wandering around our house thinking "could I live without this?" the answer is usually YES! What I cant live without is my family and thats the most important thing. Enjoy your new life and keep us updated with your progress. Val x
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Hi, You can see everyones timelines from acknowledgement to visa grant if you visit the site www.gainwave.co.uk The site has been set up by a fellow member of this site - Sandch, and we all owe him a debt of gratitude for his time and effort. My own acknowledgement is dated 26 July 2010 and they said that they were currently processing applications lodged in May 2009. I had cause to update my application in May 2011 but I do not think it had any effect on my case. I had notification of my case officer last week. It is very hard to judge when a case officer will be allocated but you can rest assured that you will get one eventually. Val
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PANIC OVER!!!! Phew! Lady from clinic just phoned to say that the wording on the letter is wrong and should have read "forms 26/160 OR 26EH/160EH. You would think that for the money they charge they could get a simple thing like this right! They also didnt put enough stamps on my pack and I had to pick it up from the post office and pay another £1.12! As if you need any more stress right now! One day we will look back on all this and laugh (but not right now!) Val x
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Medicals Help Please Hi all, We have our meds booked in Manchester for next Monday and the information pack we were sent says that we have to bring forms 26 & 160 AND 26EH & 160EH. I have successfully filled out and printed 26 & 160 but I can`t find how to fill in and print the eHealth ones. I thought that you could only access the eHealth forms if your application was lodged online and ours was lodged in the post. To make things worse, the clinic has moved from the city centre to a fancy private hospital on the outskirts and when I phoned to ask about the forms, the lady didnt really know what I was talking about but said she would try to find out! Hope my blood pressure has gone down by Monday! Hope somebody can reassure me! Thanks, Val x
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Thanks! another tempting idea Mike! I have an old school friend in Wellington and I`ve been meaning to drop in for years so its a definate plan B. Val
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Hi, Yes, we booked our flights months ago because our other daughter lives in Korea and will be joining us. We though we`d have had the visa long before December going off other timelines but you cant really judge it. It doesnt really matter too much if we dont validate this trip and I suppose we would go again to visit next December as we have for the last few years. We`re not going to be living there just yet. I will take your advice though and email the case officer and just let her know we have flights booked. Its all good fun! Cheers, Val x
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Hi Ann, The email has certainly sent us into a panic! We have booked our medicals for the 10th October and have posted off our police checks today. With a bit of luck the visa will be granted in time for our next visit to our daughter in December, if not, we will have to go again to validate later in 2012. If only we had a money tree! Hope you get some news soon, Val x
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I was only moaning to a fellow PIO member last week about not yet having a case officer.............well guess what popped into my inbox whilst I was sleeping??? Eeek! Now the fun begins - bring it on!!
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Hi Ann and Roy, Can I too ask how your daughter knows that your application is being looked at?? We put our application in for a CPV 173 in July 2010 and have heard nothing as yet. Did your daughter phone DIAC or did they contact her? Regards, Val
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Hi Ann, I just opened the new savings account on the phone as they already had my original account to link it to. However, they said that I would not be able to withdraw funds until I had been to the branch in person BUT I already did that when the first account was opened and they have copies of our passports etc. So they agreed that if we got a case officer and the visa before our next trip (at Xmas) then the visa payment could be made directly from that account to DIAC. You might benefit from taking Alan Colletts adivice and having a chat with Moneycorp from this site. I would have done if I had not already had the ANZ current account. Good luck with everything - Val
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Hi Ann, I have had a current account at ANZ for a few years now and opened a savings account via the London branch in August taking advantage of an offer for 6.5% interest. Its now up and running alongside my current account in Oz and my £50,000 visa money is there earning a lot more than it would have done here. My best advice is to have a look at who is offering what and try to speak to someone in the UK first as the girl in Oz said I couldnt have a bank account in Oz at all (when I have already got one). Hope this helps, Val