ElToro

I'm still facing some delays with regards to the citizenship ceremony. I called DIBP to see what's happening as it has gone quiet. After pushing for an answer they've said I'm provisionally down for Feb 20th, hopefully I get the letter soon. Date applied - 4/7/2016 City/Council area - City of Whitehorse (Melbourne) Online / Paper - Online Date received the acknowledgement email - 4/7/2016 Date of the Citizenship Test - 23/8/2016 Approval letter dated - 26/9/2016 Date of ceremony - Provisionally Feb 20th, won't be confirmed until I get a letter

Finally an approval letter! Took 5 weeks, but progress at last! Date applied - 4/7/2016 City/Council area - City of Whitehorse (Melbourne) Online / Paper - Online Date received the acknowledgement email - 4/7/2016 Date of the Citizenship Test - 23/8/2016 Approval letter dated - 26/9/2016 Date of ceremony - TBC

Following up on this, I've still to receive a letter confirming I've passed the test (4 weeks ago today). I called DIBP and they said that they have no updates and I just need to wait. Hopefully I'll get word soon. Anyone else still hanging on with delays from the Melbourne office?

You've maybe already tried but recommend you get on the phone and do what you can to speak to someone at the DIBP UK office. https://www.border.gov.au/Locations/Pages/Service-centres/europe-service-centre.aspx Hopefully you're able to get a breakthrough, I imagine it must be an administrative pain to get hold of anyone. Good luck

Interesting - let us know how you get on. Still no updates from my side. I reckon I'll give DIBP a call at the end of the week if there's no news.

I note that a lot of people seem to get an approval letter confirming the citizenship test has been passed. On most instances, it's dated the same day. I sat and passed my test on August 23rd. It's now over two weeks and I've yet to receive a letter. Is this anything to be concerned by?

Date applied - 4/7/2016 City/Council area - City of Whitehorse (Melbourne) Online / Paper - Online Date received the acknowledgement email - 4/7/2016 Date of the Citizenship Test - Approval letter dated - Date of ceremony - Hopefully things start to progress soon. Anyone applied via City of Whitehorse? Any feedback on their timelines? Can't see a lot on this or other recent threads.

I applied online. I'd also not take my 'advice' as gospel hopefully someone can verify if it needs to be a current passport.

I've literally just submitted my citizenship application. I didn't see anything that implied your passports need be current. I'm sure someone else better informed may give better advice but if I were you I'd just submit as is. I'm sure if this isn't acceptable you may need to provide some additional/alternative identification such as a driving license.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing Bungo. :jiggy:

'Served in full' to me suggests that as long as you didn't take the '1 year delay' option (which isn't available anyway in this case) and took the full penalty then you'll be down to zero. The penalty for 15 points is 3 month disqualification. I'd guess that would be wiped to zero however I see what you mean.

Cheers for the update. I've decided to suck it up too. The retrospective element is pretty poor however I hold my hands up and accept the original laws were unfair - this is merely righting that wrong. It's **** but it's only for a few months. As for your comment on points, I'm of the belief that post disqualification your back down to zero points. Can someone confirm? You can't be disqualified, come back and theoretically get banned again immediately for another penalty? I'm fairly certain that once you've served your penalty, you'll start afresh. I hope so anyway.

Any updates from your solicitor Alex?

Ease of commute to the city - I'd keep an eye on the rail map and also where the motorways are. This keeps a lot of options on the table however everyone has a different view on an easy commute. A West Country person may think differently from a Londoner! Close to coast resort. - Obviously a big factor is what kind of budget you have. The bayside stretch from Brighton down to Mount Martha is beautiful but pricey. Geelong side could be a bit cheaper. Good schools. - There's a real culture in Melbourne of private schooling. The best non-private schools are in areas of intense demand for this very reason. Great schools are everywhere.... if you're prepared to pay. Up and coming areas considered. - There's a lot of development out west - this gives easier access to the CBD without any of the established infrastructure. Tough one to call. Close to Airport/Rail if required. - Airport is not in a great place for the majority of the Melbourne population who live east or bayside. Train links are not bad. Perhaps areas where Brits have already settled. - we're everywhere :-) Check this link out for a perspective on the multicultural influence in each area - http://www.sbs.com.au/news/map/where-australias-immigrants-were-born-melbourne Tough to give real advice without being clouded by individual perspective or bias but hope this helps - good luck.

I don't understand this at all. This isn't 2011 when the dollar was at an all time high and people were moving over here getting bumper wages. The dollar is on a downward spiral, the cost of living is high and Australia needs working holiday visa holders to come in numbers to do the roles that many Australians are not willing to do. This, coupled with the crazy visa fees strike me as an avenue the Govt can try to exploit to generate additional income that will neither upset voters nor cause a media storm. It looks like a quick fix without consideration of longer term implications.

On a different note, I got my PR last week. (Hooray). So I need to transition to a Vic license within 3 months. How does this work now I am disqualified with my UK license? i assume the 3 month restriction isn't strict as long as I am not driving.

I'm in the same boat as Alex. I received a letter informing me that I've been disqualified. First of all, I agree it's fair to have a consistent law. I also appreciate I need to have more care on the road. Majority of my points were for going through red light/0-10km above limit speeding. It was mostly concentrated around 2013 with no offences the last 8 months. From everything I've read I don't think there's an avenue for appeal unless challenging any of the specific points/penalties. So we may just need to suck it up and take the hit. It'll make life a challenge with a child, a job where a car is important etc. The retrospective element is frustrating but what can you do? It looks pretty much black and white. Taking away my personal frustration, i totally understand why this is coming into effect. Alex, I will make some calls on Monday. Let me know how you get on if you speak to a solicitor.

Apologies Pumpkin - I agree that lying on an application form shouldn't be a consideration. My implication (although admittedly poorly worded) is that if she has a good relationship internally could there be opportunities for her to have be re-positioned in a different department, one where sponsorship could be possible. Now this may not be possible for a number of reasons but it's an idea worth considering. As for PIO, I've definitely received a lot of help over the years. I've also had some blunt feedback telling me that my prospects were slim. I took all feedback on board, chose which feedback to pay more credence to, gave it my best shot and was successful in securing sponsorship. Feel free to ignore me. All forums have their own personalities, it's impossible for everyone to agree with everyone. I didn't appreciate a lot of what I was told (which is my right) and you don't like things that I say (which is your right too). Don't take this as cheek - definitely not my intention and not something you should take personally.

Sounds like a tough situation Larissa. Only option I can think will be to have some conversations with your employer - could they offer some 'flexibility' with your application/job description? Positioning you in sales/marketing could provide an opportunity to permit you to seek sponsorship. There's always a way so think positive. If I listened to the doom and gloom merchants on here then I'd not be here in Oz right now. Good luck!

Cheers College Girl, much appreciated!

Bumping this one up to see if anyone can offer advice. I'm applying for my Partner Visa next week (820/801) and my 457 expires in January 2016 (16 months away). What happens if there's a gap between the visas being approved?

Hi all, thanks for the advice. Amused at Rupert's rebuke "Don't know why you have not done it sooner" haha!3 years ago PIO were telling me I'd never get a visa and shouldn't bother coming to Oz. I'm happy to recieve such blunt feedback telling me the opposite now. Thanks again for providing clarification.

Additionally to the above, I note that you can now apply online. Is this the case for onshore? Is it suggested to do it online? Is there any benefit/time saving from doing it online versus submitting in person? Thanks

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice as I finalise my 820/801 Partner Visa application. I'm currently on a 457 visa and have entered my 3rd year with 20 months remaining. (Thus I need to get my finger out and get this applied for...) My wife is Australian and have lived together for over 3 years so I meet all the defacto requirements. I started collating information 12 months ago however it's been on the backburner and I just wanted to check there was no changes/developments I need to be aware of that could impact my application. 1 - I'm reading conflicting reports on here re: medical. Some people suggest not getting medical upfront and waiting until asked. Others say you must get it in advance. Can anyone help with this? 2 - What medical do I need to apply for? I cannot find the specific name of the medical in my visa application forms - again, any help is appreciated! 3 - Does the fact that I've got a child on the way help in any way with my application? (In terms of advancing me up the queue, prioritising me, qualifying me for an alternative visa?) Thanks in advance guys!

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