twister292

The concern here, as rightly pointed out would be that once the 189 is lodged on-shore, the associated bridging visa that is issued is a BVA, which has a "no travel" condition on it. You will need to get a BVB before you travel (AU$125 IIRC) and return to AU within the validity period of the BVB if you intend to return before the 189 is granted.

I would still seek advice from a registered agent on the issue to be sure.

This is a relatively new issue, as previously onshore and offshore visas were clearly separated.

I suggest you seek advice from a registered migration agent, especially when it comes to a grey area.

Name:Twister292

Destination: Melbourne

Date of Visa application: 14-Dec-2011

Nationality: Pakistan

High/Low Risk: HR

Trade/profession:Mechanical Engineer

Visa type: 885

Onshore/offshore: Onshore

Pre-14th July 2010 Category (If applicable):NA

Post-14th July Category:4

Medicals submitted: Front-loaded 15-Dec-2011

Police check submitted: Front-load 15-Dec-2011

Date CO assigned: 23-Jan-2012

Date of employment verification (If applicable):

Date visa granted:

There are a lot of June 2011 applicants. However, when they were processing quickly, we saw a lot of the early June applicants getting COs and visa grants. Now, the mid and late June applicants are just not seeing allocations. They're just not allocating many cat 4s right now. Either they're getting a lot of higher category applications, still have a bunch of people off on summer holidays, or their people are doing something else. I don't know which it is...

They tend to work in waves of sorts...there was a large "wave" of CO allocations before christmas, and once that bunch is discharged by the COs, then only would a significant number of COs have freed up slots again...that's just my speculation though.

Hi could someone tell me how long external checks usually take? My status changed 2 September 2011 into: being processed further. I think they are doing checks on me for 4,5 months now.

Varies from case to case, but examples range from 2 weeks to 12 months...

if you don't mind could please tell me what did they ask about past address? as changed lot adresses in past two years and ur reply will be helpful for me!

If you've changed a number of addresses, it shouldnt create problems as long as they are declared.

In my case, one of my past addresses (actually quite a long period of residency) was at university residences, and I had lived in different room numbers in the same building. To compound it, that particular address has several forms for writing it (postal form and street form are different)...

I had written "Room XYZ, ABC Building, Suburb, State, Postcode" as the last address in the application form, but in Form 80 I had removed the Room no and listed the whole 5 years as "ABC Building, Suburb, State, Postcode", because I didn't want the CO to confuse it as several different addresses if I declared each room separately.

And that is what the CO asked to clarify...what he/she thought was that the form 80 address was different to the form 1276 address, and I explained it in my reply which was satisfactory for them.

CONGRATULATIONS..

Very fast processing for you...

 

Please guys, post you case officer news.. As there is no other news for category 4 processinf except BPremji..

Very slow processing..

I got a CO last week, and he/she is processing my docs...there was a query my CO put forward regarding my past address, but that's about it...there's no change in the document checklist though...maybe this CO is one those who dont change the checklist...

I do have a CO as well since last week, and I have had some correspondence as well with the CO regarding a clarification for one of my older addresses.

However, my online status doesn't show any movement except for the "Application being processed further" added as a sub-message to the "bridging visa granted" line on the 9th of Jan, and another line for "Application being processed further" added on 27th Jan on the main page...

My CO may be one of those who never update the online status? Can't say at this stage, but I haven't been told of any documents needing further attention as such.

Unlikely. No one has looked at your application yet, so they don't know if there is a problem. DIAC really doesn't start looking at the application until after allocation.

 

As you have noticed, the update gave us a date of 18 May. DIAC allocates within a range of usually a month from the update date. So, imagine how someone who applied on 25 May feels. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to diac's allocation of case managers. It is very, very common for someone with an application date several weeks ahead of another to get a case manager first.

The dates on the form actually refer more closely to "batching" for allocation rather than the actual allocation to the case officer. Once an application is batched for allocation to a particular CO/Team, there can be a delay before the case officer actually "picks it up" (so to speak).

Congrats on getting a case officer.

 

I'm starting to worry about my application. I lodged my 175 online on 16-Jun-11 and front-loaded my medicals(23-Jan-12) and PCC but until now I don't hear anything yet from any CO.

 

Is it possible that there is a problem with my application considering they already assigned a CO to 24-Jun-11 applicant?

I dont think you should be worried at this stage. If there's something missing in your application, your CO will generally let you know and ask you to rectify it.

The timelines on the website are indicative; when it says 18 May, it means that apps lodged before 18 may have been allocated or at least batched. Sometimes it may happen that the application gets batched for a CO, but the CO will only take it when he/she has discharged their other commitments.

As an example, for my app (onshore online 885) the timeline says "within 4 weeks of lodgement", whereas I got my CO on Monday,which makes it closer to 6 weeks.

In short: Hang in there mate, your app will be on its way forward soon!

I am a bit confused - do we need form 80 and also form 1221, or just form 80?

 

Form 1221 seems a short version of form 80.

 

Nats

 

Form 80 is compulsory according to the 885 document checklist, whereas 1221 seems to be variable.

Congrats Twisters, Thanks for sharing with us.

 

How you come to know , any mail ,CO requested anything. or just ABPF ?

Followed up on phone.

Are u offshore or onshore?

Onshore, 885

I got a CO on Monday.

I think DIAC should get back into gear after thursday (which is the last public holiday before Easter).

Schools will be reopening as well from early feb, so the holiday season is essentially over in a week.

Thats a relief twister292! Thanks for checking and putting our minds at rest. :rolleyes:

LOL...I was inclined to use some choice words on the phone along the lines of there being a need for them to get off their backsides...but grilling the enquiry line attendants wouldnt be very helpful, and I dont want them to come to my file in a grumpy mood...I dont want the CO to look at my file and read a note saying "told CSR to get off their lazy bums" :biggrin:

I had a word with the GSM enquiry lane earlier today...the lady basically repeated what has been going on in this thread for the last few days i.e. DIAC is still having a slow period due to the christmas holidays

1. The cost - I believe it will be $2,960 TOTAL for myself and my wife. Am I correct?

(Lots of people are telling me I am wrong and that there is a second instalment of $4,110 (making it $7,070). As I understand it we will only have to pay the first instalment, however - the second is for dependents not fluent in English I believe?)

Thats correct I think...AU$2960.

2. What (and I realise I am talking ballpark figures here) is the rough total per person of all the other costs involved (police, health checks etc).

Australian police checks cost AU$45 each from memory (plus postage, fees for issuing money order/bank draft etc), Medicals for PR cost AU$317 per person in Australia.

4. As I will be applying onshore (so will have to leave and come back when it is granted), can you tell me how to go about exiting and returning to Oz for the visa grant?:

- Is it as simple as the authorities telling me I must not be here on a certain date?

- How much warning are you given?

- Could it be as simple as a run to Bali over the weekend?

 

5. In the meantime we may have to go on a 457 visa (in my wife's name). Will this affect the 175 application (in my name) in any way?

If your 417 runs out, and the 175 hasnt been decided by then, you will need to depart from Aus.

Bear in mind that based on current timeframes, there seems to be a 7-month trail between applying for a 175 and getting a CO (roughly).

If you get the 457 before the 417 lapses, you will be able to stay in aus and will need to leave only when the CO tells you to.

I applied 03/12 for an 885, so in the same boat as you. Everything was front loaded - so hopefully we can look for a direct grant in the next couple of weeks! fingers crossed, let us know how you get on!

Fingers crossed, lets hope for a productive week!

Maybe they have stopped allocating cat 4 offshore as they don't want to start processing cat 5 offshore and might be planning to cap and cease them as they have done before. I hope I am wrong but with these guys you never know.

Or they simply may be waiting on some COs to free up...

When did you apply?

14 dec.

DIAC's website says "within 4 weeks of lodgement" for onshore 885s to get a CO.

Considering that a lot of applicants got COs recently, there might be a lull in this...COs will start taking on more apps when they discharge some of the work already on their desks.

(I was told this by DIAC on the phone...apparently I'm supposed to get a CO soon, and my app has been batched for allocation, but they're waiting for COs to free up from their existing work)

My status now shows "application being processed further"...DIAC lady on the phone told me my application is allocated to a CO team already, and it will narrow down to a single CO once the current bunch already with that team is cleared out. She won't tell me which team the CO is going to be from though.

Why is the immi allocation dates not yet updated :err:? Can't wait to see how far they have gone....It is really hard to wait without seeing any updates :no:....

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/estimated-allocation-times.htm#a

I suppose they might do it on monday, as prev monday was a public holiday...

Our online status shows as " Applicant Approved "....so hoping that it is Visa Grant...

 

Im so excited & nervous...

Indeed, that indicates that your visa has been approved, and a grant letter is in the pipeline. Pop the champagne!

Really twister292? What do you mean by batched? Where did you hear that from?

On the phone. I called the GSM contact number using the phones at the Melbourne city office of DIAC.