littlefoot

7 hours ago, Zeehayder said:

Isn't this my right?

No, it’s not. That’s the beginning and the end of it.

Emergico in Brisbane (with offices in the UK) are  very well regarded: https://www.emergico.com.au/

On 27/06/2021 at 20:53, louwilkins said:

Hi,

I have an EOI submitted for the 491 family but am considering putting in EOI for 189 in mid Sept once I can get more points for experience. I'm a registered nurse in UK. In Sept I will have 65 points for 189 without doing English exam again (have already done it twice but failed to get full marks as find exam situations extremely stressful). Am I likely to be invited for 189 with 65 points? Or am I going to have to do English exam to get points to 75. 

Hope this makes sense

TIA

In a nutshell, forget about the 189. The 2020/21 budget decreased Skilled Independent Visa quotas to 6,500. That basically means they’re not interested in granting them. 

5 minutes ago, pearplumpie said:

Congratulations! When did you apply?

Thanks! Oh, ages ago. I missed two test dates so I didn’t include the application date because it’s so long ago it’s irrelevant now. 

Citizenship Approved: 14th January 
Ceremony invite received: 17th March
Ceremony date: 6th April

City of Port Philip council, Melbourne. 

Interestingly, my approval letter says that once my citizenship is confirmed via my attendance at the ceremony, and my visa ceases to exist, I will need to travel on an Australian passport whenever I leave Australia. 

That’s news to me. What would happen if I flew out and re-entered on my UK passport? Surely they’d be able to see I’m a citizen. Or do they need an Australian passport to do that?  

6 minutes ago, pearplumpie said:

Fanstastic news - congratulations! When did you apply? 

We applied back in April 2020 in Melbourne. Not expecting to hear too soon, but be good to know what your timeline is.

I actually applied in March 2019 so my timeline isn’t very helpful as a reference point. I had to postpone a couple of test dates then COVID happened. It’s been a long wait. 

Went for the test on 21st December in Melbourne, and citizenship was approved today!

Now waiting on ceremony details. 

21 hours ago, galisuman said:

Guys any news on brisbane ceremonies I called the council and also home affairs both said I have to wait for 6 months

There’s your answer, then. 

https://www.pomsinoz.com/topic/210293-australian-citizenship-timelines-2020-2021/

14 hours ago, tharru said:

Ok thanks mate,  i did my test on 15th and waiting for approval. 

Glad I'm not the only one waiting for approval. I did my test in Melbourne on 21st December. Still showing as 'received'.

Finally took the test in Melbourne today. Application date is irrelevant really, it's been postponed more than once.

Application still showing as 'received'. Where I live the council are resuming in-person ceremonies from January, smaller in number, and every 6-8 weeks. So I'm not expecting an 'Australia Day' ceremony which is fine by me. I don't think that particular day is worthy of celebration.

On 15/05/2020 at 10:27, Marisawright said:

The thing is, even if you could get the visa, you probably couldn't have the lifestyle you're dreaming of in Australia.   Most Australians can't afford to live by the beach.

This isn't strictly true. Most Australians live in places reasonably considered coastal. The issue isn't proximity to the beach, but proximity to cities where most of the work is found. The further out you live, the more affordable your expenses will be, but the less likely you may be to find work. There are many affordable places near much nicer, wilder beaches than you find close to the city, but your commute will be horrific or your work will pay less. It's a fine balance, but don't be discouraged. Many do make it work.

A storm in a teacup. These lunatic religious types pop up every now and then. They don’t represent the wider community. 

It's possible to apply yourself - many people do and are successful, but at some point you're probably going to want some help, at the very least to calm your nerves about getting it right. The issue then becomes - where do you get your advice from? Somebody else in this thread thought it was a good idea to share a video made in 2016 to help you decide. Therein lies the problem; migration policy and law changes with such regularity, especially within the last year or two, that relying on 'armchair agents' on forums online is a deeply flawed strategy and could easily lead to a failed application and the loss of all the time and money put into it.

Getting professional help from a MARA registered agent is definitely the safest way to proceed, and I doubt anybody would argue with that. So it's about whether you want to spend the extra money to secure that safety. I'd recommend contacting a few agents and getting a feel for them. Try Emergico - a family we know who secured their visas through them swears by them. They're popular on the PIO Facebook group.

Make sure the agent is clear about what they will and won't do for you, and offers you a contract to sign before you pay anything - one that obligates them as well as you.

On 28/09/2018 at 11:28, Glenelg said:

State sponsored   Pr holders can live wherever they want.  it is only a moral obligation.

That is dangerous advice I hope nobody takes.

So does anyone know if you can submit police checks after you apply? The system flashes a warning that all docs should be attached before submission, but if this isn't strictly necessary, we'd like to get our applications in today. Police checks are probably about a week away.

7 minutes ago, kirsty160990 said:

Hi littlefoot, does your application tell you that you need to submit UK police check?

I'm due to submit my application soon and didn't know i would need to have a police check from the uk. I have been on PR since March 2017 and have only been out of Australia twice for 5 weeks each trip.

Yes, there's a specific request for UK police checks in the document request screen. That's only because I've spent over 90 days in the UK. If you haven't done that, I believe you'll only need AFP checks, which Immigration will sort out directly.

Hi all - quick question. I've recently become eligible to apply for citizenship and noticed I needed police checks from the UK. Do I have to attach them before I submit the application? Or can I attach them at a later date?