bellaboshade

CO tells me that all Medicals were returned and all were 'satisfactory' - Medicals done 9 weeks ago, police checks all done and have provided everything they have asked for, including bank statements and p60's going back 10 years - all information uploaded over 10 weeks ago and all I have been told is the application is still going through routine processing

Our Medicals were done 8 weeks ago in Brisbane and we have not heard anything (all of the paperwork, including extras requested were submitted prior to this). I have emailed the case officer to find out if they were referred but no reply so emailed the medical centre who have let me know that all Medicals were fine - getting very frustrated

My C.O was allocated 10 days after I applied in May for a 190 - they requested further documents which I submitted by the end of May and medicals done on 7the June - since then nothing - frustrated at the wait

I uploaded all of my documents mid May, adding extras requested by the C.O at the end of May - medicals completed on 7th June and now nothing - no notification that the medicals have been referred or what the delay is - tried to email and got a reply stating my application was being regularly monitored - any ideas anyone?

Hi John, my family and I have lived in the Bay for the last 18 months. we originally lived in Eli Waters but I'm allergic to sand fly so it wasn't for us - nice area though and I have a friend living there who has no problems. Dundowran beach is lovely - it's out of town though and some parts of it struggle for Internet so I've been told. Torquay and Wondunna are both nice. You should spend some time having a drive around (the bus service isn't great) to see what you like and how close to things you want to be - as with everywhere there are nice bits and not so nice bits but they tend to be pretty obvious - hope I haven't put you off Tracy

Am finding the waiting game so frustrating, and it hasn't even been that long - submitted our application on 13th May, CO allocated within 10 days. Was asked to submit further details for the points claimed, including bank statements and P60's going back 10 years - took a couple of weeks to get them as we are already in Australia on a work visa but managed. Then was asked for a written statement from my ex husband, plus a certified copy of his passport, to agree that my daughter could be included in the application (I have a court order for Leave to Remove and a Residency Order but they wanted his consent again) - got that as well. Medicals on 7th June and then heard nothing - kept checking on line and medicals plus extra documents kept saying requested. After 2 weeks emailed the CO to ask if they had received everything and, after a few days, reply came saying they had everything, that the medicals were on file for further review (not sure if this means they are referred or just haven't been looked at yet) and that although they were reviewing things regularly we need to appreciate that everyone is assessed on their own merits - as I said, frustrating

Hi Suesk, Regarding entertainment it all depends what you are looking for - at different times during the year there are festivals in or around the Bay but they aren't weekly. There are a couple of places that do a veriety of water sports, mostly at the weekends, numerous kids parks, loads of beaches and a number of cafes and restaurants. There are also small markets at the weekend in different areas so you can find one either every Sat or Sun in different locations. For schools my daughter goes to Fraser Coast Anglican College which had a good reputation and my son is starting Kindy there later in the year, at the minute he goes to day care at Star of the Sea which is a Catholic day care although you don't have to be catholic to attend as far as I am aware ( at least I'm not). I've only been to Toogoom once and think it took no more than 20 minutes or so to reach the bay, it was a Sunday so not sure if it would take longer in the week but not much I wouldn't have thought. Urangan is the other end of the bay, about 15 mins away. As for the employment, sorry I can't be much help ther as my husband and I are both in the medical side so not sure about metal machinists. Hope this is some help. Good luck Tracy

Hi Emma, Regarding the accommodation - you shouldn't have too much trouble as its winter here around the time you are looking to come over and although there are some school holidays they are in early July so places shouldn't be booked solid as they are at Christmas which is summer ( still haven't got my head around it). I have met Denise who runs The Bay a couple of times as my friend Angela stayed there with her family for several months whilst looking for a house and they are now great friends. I will have a wird with Angela about you coming over and ask her if she can drop you a reply on this site. I know she has had a bereavement yesterday and is also due to go on holiday this weekend but sure she will be in touch when she can. If you like send me a personal message with your email address and I can let her know. You could also drop Denise a line to let her know the situation and ask if you could book provisionally and let her know the dates as soon as you book your flights. If all else fails let me know and I will try and send details of other places you moght like to try. Good luck with the Visa and catch up soon Tracy

Hi Emma, Congratulations - you must all be really excited about the job and moving - it's a big haul but so worth it we think. As you have a sponsor the process doesn't take all that long - I think for us it was about 5-6 months once we applied for the Visa. Have you applied to Aphra yet for your nurse registration - mine didn't take very long, only a couple of months, but I know people who have waited a lot longer and haven't been able to start their jobs on time as the NMC didn't confirm their registration etc so if you haven't do it I would look into it sooner rather than later. With regard to accommodation we stayed at Quaterdecks Harbour Retreat in Urangan for about 8 weeks when we arrived. It gave us time to get to know the area and look around at the houses available. Most agents ask for copies of your first 2 pay slips as well so it gave us time to get those. They also asked for our most recent council tax bill as we obviously hadn't rented here before so bring a copy with you if you can. You also need two people to put down as references - as my husband was working he put down two people from here as chasing people from the UK can be a bit much for the estate agents (some aren't very friendly and will do a lot to avoid work). One of the girls knows the owner of The Bay Apartments and stayed there for several months whilst looking for somewhere to live - it looks lovely, good facilities and is right in the middle of 'town' on the sea front whereas Quaterdecks is right at the end and you really need a car to get around. At the minute we are living in Eli Waters which is the opposite end of the Bay - beautiful house, pool, quiet area but SANDFLY (they love me), Torquay and Urraween are nice areas - there's a lot of competition for the good properties so you are probably going to have to be here if you want to stand a chance. Avoid the Augustus Estate at all costs - from what I've heard it's rather rough. Also with regard to furniture - we brought most of ours with us except for the white goods - glad we did as nice furniture here is hard to find and pretty expensive - also as the houses are in the majority quite big you need a bit to fill them out. At the minute my 13 year old goes to Fraser Coast Anglican college which was recommended as being the best school here and my son goes to day care at Star of the Sea catholic School - he is starting at Fraser coast Koala Kindy in August when he is 3. Anyway, good luck and let us know how you get on. Email back if you need anything else Tracy

Hi Emma and Gary, We have now been in e Bay for tgree months and are loving it so far. We hqve two kids, aged two and thirteen and as Claire says the beaches are very safe, the water lovely and warm and the sand hot enough to thaw out your bones after the UK. I am finding out about toddler groups, and our little one goes to a kids gym, swimming lessons and a play group - he also has a nursery place ( child care centre as its known here) and a kindy place in August for two or three days a week. Hope your move goes well and let us know if you need anything Tracy

Hi Bear 35 thanks for the reply - we will be out at the end of November and our furniture will be shipped out by the middle of January so we are staying in a resort until then, Quaterdecks Harbour retreat I think. Our daughter is due to start year 8 at FCAC in January and our son will go into Koala Kindy in August all being well. At the minute I am up to my eyes in boxes, shipping company are due next week and after that I am sure the panic will set in. Re jobs, my husband has a job as a doctor for the local mental health service and once our youngest is settled I will be looking to go back into nursing so fingers crossed. Would be lovely to catch up once we are over there Best wishes Tracy

Yippee - our 457 visa's have been granted today and we are booking our flights to come out to Hervey Bay at the end of November - looking forward to Christmas time in the sun. Can anyone advise as to places to rent either in Hervey Bay or the surrounding suburbs. I have looked at all the retail web sites but you can't really get a feel for places from them. My husband will have a car for work but until we are settled I will either be walking or using public transport so don't want to be too far out. Also, advice on places to shop, supermarkets etc would be greatly appreciated. If there are any users over there who live locally, we would love to meet up. We have two children aged 13 and 2 and are so looking forward to the move. See you all soon xxx

Hi Bear35 Thanks for the reply - its lovely to talk to someone who is living in the area to get a view of what it's actually like - there's only so much you can get from looking at the internet. We are hoping, all being well, to be out there September/October and plan to rent first until we decide where we want to live in the area before selling our house here in the UK. Are you planning on living in short term lets so that you can look around different suburbs? Would you be able to drop me a quick line about the best places to be the more you get to know the area? Must admit, I can't wait. I have 2 children, 12 years and 20 months - the younger one doesn't know what's happening, the older one is, luckily for us, excited - her favourite song at the minute is 'There's nothing like Australia'. The thought of beach life, sun and sea gives me something to look forward to, especially when the weather here is cold and miserable. Take care Tracy

Dear All Many thanks for the replies - my husband has received all of the paperwork and has also spoken to another medic who also moved over on a 457 and converted this once he had sat the college exam. I have looked on the links provided and even though my husband is 47, as long as his employer agrees that they could not get someone with his qualifications who is younger then the PR should be pretty straight forward (I hope - would hate to get there only to be told I had to leave at a later stage and had given up my own job back here and uprooted the kids for the pleasure!). I am sure as in every job you will have some others who will stab you in the back (I know I certainly work with one or two already) but am sure we will manage regardless. Anyway, thanks again, it's always comforting to know there are others out there who have either been in similar circumstances or who can point us in the right direction with a bit of friendly advice Will keep you posted x

My husband has been offered a very well paying job as a doctor on a 457 visa which he has accepted - he is 47 and was told the 457 was due to having to sit exams within 3 years of arriving in order to be awarded fellowship to the australian royal college? is this right? Do we have any other visa options as it makes me slightly nervous that the visa is not permanent and we are both giving up our jobs and uprooting our family to go. I am a nurse, aged 41 and don't plan to go to work straight away as our youngest is only 20 months (I am working at present but have good childcare - when we move I would obviously want to look into this before making any decisions as to where he would go). Also, when I looked at the points system, even with a Masters degree in my field and if I sat the IELTS test I would be 5 points short of the 120. Any advice re options? Also, if we do go over on the 457 what are the chances of making it permanent after 2 years given my husbands age?

Dear Pomsinoz Since my Dad died my mum lives with us for the majority of the week although has her own council property. She is only on a state pension so we give her extra money per month to help her pay her bills etc. She is not in great health and we are looking to see if we can add her to our visa application as a dependent. Given her health, if she fails the medical would we all fail? Although we want to take her with us, if our application is likely to fail we would rather just have her visit for as long as possible each year (I have read somewhere that as long as visits are under 6 months each time there is not a problem) and continue to provide her with money each month Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hi Lyndalelodge Thanks for your reply - I am going to e-mail some of those mentioned for further details about the school and see if I can get more of a feel about it

Dear Pomsinoz We are hoping to move to Queensland later in the year once my husband has been through the process of applying to the Royal College and our visas are obtained. His job is due to begin in August but there have been a few delays so it may now be October. The two main areas he will be based between are Bundaberg and Hervey Bay. We have looked at both and are thinking of the Hervey Bay area as our 12 year old wants to be close to the beach and our 1 year old loves the sand. Does anyone know anything about Dundowran Beach? I have looked at different suburbs around Hervey Bay and like the look of this one but there is only so much you can do via the internet. On a seperate note, does anyone know much about Fraser Coast Anglican College? This is the one we all like the look of and I would appreciate it if anyone who knows the area could let me know what it's like Looking forward to a sunnier future

Dear Wonderingaloud Many thanks for your reply - I have looked on the web site and downloaded the forms which I am going to start filling in - fingers crossed

Dear All I am sure this question has been asked a lot in the past but am hoping someone can help me - my husband has been offered a job in Queensland and we are hoping (fingers crossed and paperwork completed! - to be out there before Christmas) - anyway, he was signed up with an agency who helped him with all his paperwork (Medical), what to fill in, where to send it etc and we have spent the past several months doing that. With regard to me - although I do plan to work once we are settled out there, we have two children and I want to get them sorted first - our youngest is only 1 so I want to make sure I check out the best care system for him and school for the eldest before I look for a job. Therefore I haven't signed with an agency as I imagine their main aim is to find you a job. Is it worth me nearer the time of us moving applying to the nursing and midwifery board of australia and setting that in motion or waiting until I am there - I guess I am wondering if it will be easier to start the ball rolling when I am still in the UK for chasing up paperwork, references etc. My second query is do I just have to apply to the nursing board as I would here in the UK or am I missing someone out? Many thanks in advance Tracy