silencio

How long have you been living in Australia? That's the point to answer your 2 questions. In case you're here for 2 (+) years you'll get a RRV for 5 years and it's very easy to get one online (costs you around 330 bucks or so). But if you're living here less than 2 years it's hard to answer as immigration will take that matter to a 'case to case' basis, where you have to prove substantial ties towards Australia. In the end they can issue a RRV for 3 months, 1 year...but the rules are changing constantly and if you want to be on the safe side stay at least for 2 years to secure another 5 years RRV. That's my advise for you mate.

Visa stickers are not mandatory, will cost you a fortune 80 bucks+ per person though we've also the stickers attached in our passports but in early 2012 it was still available as a fee-free service from 'DIAC'

Thanks, ScotQuine, no hubby not taking any medicine besides occasionally vitamins, same pharmacy Chemist Warehouse + Chemist King but always other staff. We'll get there and will pop into our either GP's, dermatologists or oral surgen's office or ask the nice Post Manger in our council by the end of January 2016

Thanks for your advise Suzukiscotti, unfortunately, nobody at work is on the list of occupations and professions allowed to do so. Just our GP, dermatologist or oral surgeon as dentist and former GP no longer working.... Maybe we are going to ask our Australian Post Manager (on the list) as he should know us for the entirely period we are living here. Hopefully he is Australian! Speaks perfectly Aussie slang but that can be awkward as well hearing the person we'd like to ask replying "Sorry, I've never done my naturalization though I'm eligible for 30 years!" When did you do your photo identity verification? 7 to 10 days prior to your application? Good luck with the application to silent77 + Suzukiscottie. Please keep us updated how long the process will take.

Thanks for that info, very helpful. Though we've got 4 1/2 months time until eligibility for our application(s) now it's a requirement to upload all supporting documents? As hubby will apply early February next year during the long summer break when his GP and any attended specialists who know him for more than 12 months are on annual leave for the identity declaration is it possible to let an appropriate person sign the photo verification by the end of November or beginning of December this year?

Could also be possible they just grant the RRV for 3 months depending on the evidence the OP provides in regards to 'substantial ties'. I can assure you Australian authorities not only ask for RRV holders to provide the same documents again it's for everyone regardless what's the matter. We're soon eligible to apply for citizenship and 'surprise' the whole process of providing exactly the same papers is going to start again, okay more as a variation you've been asked for but still that's the way it is. In my opinion getting a RRV or citizenship is a privilege not a right and therefore Australia has my full support to not only ask for documentation twice moreover it's in our interest as migrants to provide everything we're asked for even it's seems to make no sense to us because we want something from them - in your case a precious RRV - and not vice versa. After all it's just repetition/uploading the same papers again as another member mentioned probably to make the process easier for the authorities as they don't need to follow-up on 'old' files provided years ago within all these millions of visa applications.

Hi Stan, hopefully your soon-to-be employer in Sydney will sponsor you for a Permanent Resident Visa. With 3 kids in tow and a stay-at-home mum not coming as a PR would be adventurous + pretty risky to phrase my opinion diplomatically. Worst case scenario coming on a 457 you would not only be paying the medicare levy surcharge with 100+k moreover not having access to the public health system in Australia and on top you have to take out private health insurance for 5 family members including yourself. You'll fork out a couple of hundreds of dollars for private health insurance every month as well as school fees for public schools. For 457 visa holders with children even simple things like vaccinations are not included and this visa is not a good one to bring over a family. Imagine after you guys settling in well and than suddenly losing your job for let say a reason out of your control (staff reduction) would mean you and your family have to leave Australia or finding another employer willing to sponsor you within 90 days other wise the visa is null and void. If you may intend to come on a 457 please read the threads regarding this risky visa and you probably will find out why it's called a 'slave visa'. Of course, I hope that's not the case and your employer is a genuine one willing to sponsor at least for your PR (most applicants pay for the rest of the family by themselves and the employer just put the application in which would create a win-win outcome for everyone).

What I don't understand if you emigrate to a foreign country there is a price to pay and that means as a general rule to 'lose'/leave behind family in the home country. Not only for pregnant women for example, when I have my little surgery also my family will be far away though I'm scared to death (hospitals are alien environments, I'm 'allergic' to any hospitalistion) and only my partner accompanies me yeah that's the price all migrants have to pay. AJ said 'some women like to have the family around while delivering the child' in my opinion is a little bit wishful thinking when you are a migrant as millions of people all over the world in the US/Canada etc will deliver their children without family support. Worse things to happen than that...

Who's the main applicant? We had a condition attached to my PR visa that I as the second applicant was only allowed to enter Australia as a PR (in my own right) after my spouse as the main applicant has done his initial entry first. It's important to read the fine print just in case you've got the same condition

That's the funniest comment I've ever came across :-) Resulted in an outburst of laughter!!! Though the outlook for Australia is dim with politicians with the charisma of laxatives

You can only claim rebates at the time you're becoming a PR. Or do you mean the 'transition period', the time applying for PR and waiting for the grant? For the bridging time I would say maybe yes but others in the same situation like you might know better.

With that prospect to come I'm happy to stay PR and give that 'choose between the devil and the deep blue sea' to hubby who isn't inspired by both parties as well and only the greens remaining as a third 'power' (wannabe I should say) Australia is missing a political culture as well a culture of political variety and diversity. Not being able to vote when actually you only have Abbott (pest) and Shorten (cholera) is becoming an alternative for me as I strongly believe with both of them Australia will be worse off. When Shorten speaks I always sleep in and when Abbot talks I leastwise been able to laugh sarcastically.

Going back for that reason would be stupid as it would delay your return as the baby would need a visa which could easily take more than 6 months like descripted above with all these kinds of complications. The newborn would also automatically become Australian citizen and I'm not sure if it could be Indian as well through descent as I know India doesn't allow double citizenship like my home country. It'll be wonderful for your child to have both and after little one is born visit your family back in India! By the way Australia has very good hospitals/delivery wards so don't be afraid and maybe your Mum & Dad could come. Instead of you as a pregnant woman travelling around let family come closer to the due date would be my advise.

Be careful with that and I strongly advise to give the citizenship hotline a call. Did your husband ever held a bridging visa in between tourist and spouse visas? That's the make or break in your scenario here. You mentioned your hubby has been off-shore in order to get his medicals sorted out. If he hadn't received a bridging visa then he can't apply before 2016. So there was a gap and there may be no visa/bridging visa in between and a gap sets the clock back to 0 in regards to the citizenship calculator.

Yes, you can use that all or council rate notices or car registration papers

You're absolutely right with the friendship issue, we've got the same one in Adelaide/South Australia though we've got an after work culture with pubs, dining, Xmas in July etc. but I find it superficial, it's more networking and team bonding activities So far after more than 3 years we haven't found real 'friends' just acquaintances though some call us 'friends' but hardly hear or see much from them! It's hard to get into the 'Australian circles' as you mentioned they've their mates from school, uni etc. My advise would be try to find other friends from the UK, Europe or other countries. Many migrants/people feed the same like you and thanks for sharing this honest and open minded posting.

I've never heard of any 'firm ties' from a PR holder who has never lived in Australia. You can call yourself lucky to get a 3 months RRV after the 5 years travel facility expires. Nobody can assume what the law will be when you decide to come over here as there might not even be the option for an extension as RRV regulations underwent a lot of (negative) changes in the past few years. Could be that DIBP will abolish all these 1 year or 3 months renewals anyway (besides for spouses of Australian citizens who will always get one) who knows as RRV was tightened in 2012 and new changes can happen any time. So don't be too confident regarding a RRV.

Have you received your visa grant onshore or offshore? Within Australia you definitely need to tell them any change of address. Outside of Australia I would rather say yes as well, as I remember it's a visa requirement to tell them any change in personal circumstances, like change of names, addresses, new passport etc. It's called form 929 and yes you have to tell them everything.

Do you know that you have to apply for a new police clearance from the UK? I suppose immigration will ask for a 'fresh' one as you've been absent for the first year.

There is another requirement: in the last year as a PR/your 12 months on a PR you can't be absent more than 3 months outside of Australia as otherwise you can't apply for citizenship.

Every council is different how often they hold a citizenship ceremony per year. I would rather say it's unpredictable when you are invited depending on the waiting list. You could also end up with a date after Australia Day as not every council will organize one that day due to the costs. Citizenship ceremonies can vary from 1 per month (best scenario) to 1 per year (worst case scenario). In Adelaide DIBP sometimes holds extra ceremonies due to the fact of overwhelmed unprofessional councils, clogged up and not able to clear the waiting lists. The council I'm moving in very soon hosts only 1 officially announced mass-ceremony per year in September on 'citizenship day' every 17th of September I found out recently on their website. Whereas the council I'm still living in hosts 3 ceremonies per year. Anyway, sh.....t happens!

I'm a holder of a PR visa for 4 years the following August but due to the initial entry occurred nearly 6 months after the grant I still have to wait 6 more month before being eligible of applying for citizenship. Why are wife and children on another visa??? Should be PR's as well as a family unit.

Depending on the council in charge you can easily add up between 3-6 months waiting time for the citizenship pledge.

Your stepson changed his name without permission from his biological father so why on earth does he need permission for applying for a passport? Sounds contradictory for me. Or is it just your wording and you meant to say that the stepson is underage? You can't erase the biological father unless you adopt the stepson which makes it of course necessary to have the father's permission first. And there is still the Den Hague Convention to consider. 'The best interest' of the child has to be protected at all times. How old is your stepson? Children often say things influenced by the other parent so he may change his mind and one day he wants to see his father again, you never know. I haven't seen my father for 11 years and suddenly I had a need to reconnect and since then built a bond. Never underestimate blood-relationships.

Quote 16000 km: "As for children born to migrants in Germany, I think you will find that they have to decide whether they want german or their parents citizenship when they turn 18." Sorry that's wrong again, as the relevant Citizenship act changed last year! No need to decide' anymore. Please don't state false advise here, as it's very misleading. I thought you have German ties?