paisleylass

Hubby's medical cleared within 2 working days of the medical, mine took another 2 days. No biggie. I got my chest X ray on a CD in the post, with some information about latent TB infections just in case I ever do show symptoms of active TB.

Hmm.. well as we have completed the form 80 linked to from the email our Case Officer sent, I'm not doing the version asking for 30 years travel/address history unless specifically asked! I have googled and can't actually find this form though - the one asking for 30 years history whether asylum seeker or not... So our current timeline looks like: 22 March 2014 186 visa application lodged (nomination had been lodged a couple of days before) 2 June 2014 CO requests documentation 13 June attended medicals - both finalised by 19 June 17 June nomination approved Now just awaiting both UK police checks, and hubby's AFP check is in the post to us, mine was uploaded weeks ago cos I got in before the backlog kicked in We have til Monday 30 June to get all documents uploaded.

I don't think KLM flies to Australia any more? I would have thought you'd get a codeshare with Etihad or another depending where you stopover.

Oh bugger! Chance nothing - get 3 sets of photos done at different machines and/or by a human passport photographer (which is what I did last time my photos were rejected cos my fringe slightly touched an eyebrow ffs), send the lot over by courier and you should be ok. Hubby's passport arrived with dhl just over a week after I couriered his old passport to Liverpool. Make sure you get the fastest service - the $54 one we used - it's very good, if a bit of a waste when it's for up to 500g!!!

Hey baguette, isn't it the opposite for form 80, now 10 years of travel instead of 30 previously? The form we just completed asks for 10 years unless applying for refugee/humanitarian visa! Please don't tell me we downloaded an old form (..

Ah, thanks! Hopefully we can sort it with the tax going up next year, we'll just have to suck it up (again) for this year's return but honestly, as 457s we'd have been worse off taking out the extortionate insurance for visitors. Hopefully we'll be accepted for reasonable insurance as applicants too, I think our chances of being granted PR in the next 10 days are slim! Close, but... not that close!

Interesting! And if we get our full medicare and private health insurance in place by 30 June, do we avoid the surcharge for the full year or a tiny proportion?

As far as I know, the 12 months starts when you register for full medicare - blue or green card - which you can only have as PR or citizen. We are hoping this us true as we are hopefully soon going from 457 to PR, and haven't had any private cover, when I got quotes it was way more expensive for temp residents so we stuck with medicare only. We are both a good bit over 30 and the new tax year means a higher medicare tax of 2%, so assuming we get good use of the extras (both have glasses & contacts) it should be well worth us getting insurance as PR!

Great stuff, thanks! And with that, the monster is finished! Best of luck to you too, it's an anxious time hey? Have you had the medicals yet? I did a very detailed account of how ours went in Brisbane if it's any help!

I'm in the same situation! I have put my hubby's employer info in, but I haven't submitted the form yet - planning to do it tonight - so don't know whether it's correct for the dependant!

Little update - had our medicals last Friday (13 June) and nomination approved yesterday (17 June) - it's moving forward!

No problem, and you got another recommendation there too

Hey @foo, it was the Lord Byron resort, right in town few minutes walk to the beach. I do recommend, but ask for a room away from the road for peace & quiet as the front side can be noisy. Lovely pool area too!

We have just been in an identical situation! Hubby applied for new passport just a couple of days ahead of lodging the ENS visa application figuring he'd have his new passport before we got a CO and send through the 929 form to update passport details. Long story short it was 8 weeks before UKPA even looked at his application, and requested his old passport (he'd wanted to keep hold under 'exceptional circumstances' and sent a full scan instead but they were having none of it), se we couriered the old passport -another $54 cry cry -and he got the new one DHL'd over about 2 weeks later. UKPA has a massive backlog of applications and has drafted in help to clear it, but I'd still allow min 8 weeks! I read somewhere about free emergency 12 month extensions because of the backlog, but for some reason think that may be for child passports? Worth checking out. I wouldn't bother ringing, it truly is hopeless, and the online system is a joke.

That was at Tipplers Tap in Newstead. Nearby Newstead Brewing does lovely food at not bad prices too. Lots of pubs do very cheap meals cos they make plenty on alcohol!!

We're in Brisbane. Our rent is $440/week for a 2 bed detatched house on a big plot in Chermside. We spend about $200/week on groceries (2 adults, 1 hungry cat), usually about $150 at Coles and another $50 Aldi (usually including a few non-food Weekly Specials like cat stuff, knives, radio bla bla). Electricity and gas around $300/qtr combined, no solar. We have TPG internet unlimited with land line and 100 mins free international calls at $69/month. Eating out tends to be cheap, but we are into casual places, pubs etc. recently stuffed ourselves with beautiful food at a craft beer place for $24 between us. We find travel, hotels to be very reasonable, last weekend stayed in Byron Bay at a very decent hotel 2nights $245 all up, and that was a holiday weekend.

Hi all we had the medical yesterday and I thought I'd give a detailed account so others know what to expect! I had booked us in together and the booking system threw out hubby's appointment at 1.15pm and mine at 1.30pm - first thing in the morning would have been less painful time-wise as family of five suggests but hubs was unavailable then. We went in at 1.10, arrived at reception and took a ticket and waited maybe half an hour to go to the first desk. This is where we handed over our referral letters, passports and had a photo taken. We were given wristbands with an ID number and information to read about the HIV test. Then onto the main waiting room. Everything else happened at about 15-20 minute intervals. Next we were taken for chest X rays. We each went into one of two booths where we had to strip to the waist - ladies get a thin gown to cover up. Then we were individually taken through a door straight from the booth to the x ray room. As I waited I could hear the radiologist chatting to hubby about where he's from, world cup etc. Then I went through and radiologist barely spoke a word to me, maybe he doesn't like women?! Or just me, ha. Anyway, got positioned for the x ray, which was a bit uncomfortable the way he placed my arms, big breath in for the lung mug shot, then back to the booth to get dressed and away we went to wait again. Next up HIV test, easy peasy. Both went into the room, sat on the big chair one at a time and got the tourniquet, needle, small vial of blood taken, cotton ball and tape. No probs. Then a few things - I was taken to a toilet with a plastic cup (relief, I'd been drinking plenty of water to avoid stage fright and hadn't dared pee in over 3 hours) which, when half full, I was to open a little hatch behind the loo and leave the cup. Then I went to do the rest for this session which hubby had done while I peed - height and weight measured, blood pressure and pulse taken (low and slow, not bad under the circumstances) and a quick sight test - read second to last line with one eye at a time, struggled with the right whereas I could see the entire chart perfectly with both eyes. No bother though. then after the final 15 minute wait, the biggie - doctor exam. Once again we both went in together. Hubs had all his stuff done first, then me. Doctor was nice - professional but friendly. For each he confirmed our passport info against what we'd uploaded to immi, noted hubs had changed passport but no bother as he found the uploaded scan of new passport. Then went through the health declarations we'd already done online. Only I had said yes to something - surgery due to thyroid cancer. I'd been dreading this, thought I'd have to give details of the surgeon from nearly 20 years ago and it'd all be followed up and cause delay but nope! His only concern was he thought I was taking too much thyroxine and suggested I see my GP for review, but absolutely no impact on the medical exam. But then came the kicker - my chest X ray. He asked if I'd ever had TB. I felt sick as something was clearly wrong. No, I never had. Pneumonia? Not to my knowledge. There was old scarring to one of my lungs. News to me!! Then had my physical exam while I panicked that I'd fail the medical. Just had to strip to undies and put a gown on. Reflexes tested, he did some stuff where you press your arms together and he pushes and pulls them and you resist, checked eyes, ears and mouth with a light and felt neck and belly. Listened to chest while breathing in and out slowly and deeply. For me this took what felt like aaages, as I panicked further. He kept going back to the same spot, argh! While dressing I recalled a previous bad flu and an awful chest infection (bronchitis? GP never said, just sent me home with amoxicillin), and mentioned this to the doctor as we had a final chat. He said yes, the scarring on the X ray could be down to one of these. Further, my breathing sounded normal from the area where the scarring showed - that was why he kept going back. Further still, he wouldn't expect to see scarring from TB in that spot - possible but rare. Finally, whatever it was, it certainly wasn't active now. I didn't do a sputum sample. Regardless, the X ray has been referred to a TB expert and could delay my medical for an extra week. Doctor showed us out, we left at about 3.45 so in all took over 2.5 hours. We are quite worried, not about the delay but whether we'll get a grant! All along I'd worried about my old thyroid cancer but the lung scarring was a big surprise. Fingers crossed the TB expert will clear me!! Oh, and against my expectations it was all very modest, not a boob or a genital sighted I will of course report back

I would fast track it before you go, after the experience we just had. It's no fun being without a passport, and we ended up paying 2x$54 courier fee to send the form plus old passport when requested (don't try keeping hold of your old passport due to 'exceptional circumstances', they WILL insist you send it!)

Our annual travel insurance was fine to cover us til we got reciprocal Medicare cover sorted. I think it was good for the first week of a one-way trip, which was long enough. Post office does one-way insurance to cover for the first however-long - at least it did a couple of years ago.

they have solar as per the note on the spreadsheet, that'll be why! Mind you we rarely get a bill over $200/qtr, and have aircon on all night in summer!

Goody, I need to buy a few $k US for holidays, rate is slightly better than it was last year and we'd expected it to have been heaps worse by now!

We have settled for having the best curries at home! Either made from scratch (with the help of pastes), or with a good jar sauce like the fab Aldi ones with the pot of spices at the top - Dopiaza and Jalfrezi are our faves, with either cubed lamb rump or chicken tenderloin. Found Spice Avenue so-so, bit far to go and not as good as home-cooked. Better than any other curry house we've tried in Aus though!

Awww there will be lots of cuddles and purrs when you get your kitty back!

Hey baguette Yep we got a CO on Monday! Been crazy since then getting organised, just posted UK police check forms today - it was a palaver even paying for that!! Our application was lodged 22 March. What's left: Hubby Aus police check Both Form 80s Both medicals

Thanks! I was just on phone to hubby saying it might not be an hour-out-of-the-office type thing. Think we'll just book half a day to sick leave (well, it IS a medical!) I'll take a book