oppyddrum

@shsingh: i think you will want to be around the 100k mark to be upper middle class, but that is my opinion.

erm... they don't sound the same to me... my opinion.

your question/concern is not really clear. you might have to clarify to get any useful advice

ok, the processing time is typically under 4 weeks, and once it is approved, you are a citizen... there is no ceremony.

thanks @amdaloia. I do hope you are right.

I will come back with some feedback as soon as i hear back from them. sent in the application yesterday.

Yes, i think you answered the question.

Just to clarify, my son qualifies as a citizen by descent as i am an Australian citizen and he was born in the US. we are now back in Australia, he is on the electronic visitors visa for 3 months.

I just posted his application for citizenship by descent today, and i wanted to know if he gets a certificate of citizenship back in the mail or just an extract and then we have to apply separately for evidence of citizenship.

If you are right snifter, that will be fantastic. at the bottom of page 5 of the application form 118 though, they said that we only get an extract and that is not a legal proof of citizenship.

I wonder why they would want to make one repeat an application (form 119) which is mostly a repeat of form 118... having to bother our friends again with the endorsement is my biggest problem with that really.

I hope you are right snifter. that would be awesome.

I had my skills assessment successful from Engineers Australia as an Electronic Engineer just based on my overseas (american) bachelors and Australian Masters. Truth is they really didn't use my masters qualifications. as long as you are not claiming points for work experience, i reckon your skills assessment should go fine. again, my experience is from an engineering standpoint but i believe an Australian qualification should QUALIFY you as being able to work in that occupation.

I do suggest you include all your work experiences as part of the package you send to the assessing body.

Good luck!

Hi Everyone,

I just have a quick question about a citizenship by descent application;

I am applying for my 6 week old son who was born in the states. Does he get a certificate of citizenship once the application is approved? or do we have to do a separate application for evidence of citizenship?

Thanks in advance

congrats Doug. Goodluck with the process.

My understanding is the child has to be a PR or citizen (i could be wrong).

I am an Australian citizen and My son (born in the US), has to wait till his citizenship is approved before we can add him to our medicare. in the meantime, his bills are charged to his mom's medicare number.

Congrats Dday!!!

i just realized i haven't seen anyone talk about getting a grant on here for at least 2 weeks now! that is rather depressing.

Hi guys, sent in my updated defacto info to the MA today (joint flight tickets and photos, joint bank account statements, bills and info on our upcoming wedding.) The MA says he will send to the case officer today - once that happens, does anyone have experience of how long it might take the CO to review and make a decision?

its impossible to say, but i would go as far as to say you are close. Good luck, and congrats in advance on the wedding.

thanks, I am presuming that the form 80 has to be done then as part of the ENS Application, the online application doesn't make it that clear, is there anything else that you would recommend getting on the front foot with?

yea, the form 80 is required in most cases but that is not explicitly stated. the CO ends up sending the form to you and you get in a panic trying to get it done and sent back properly and quickly. so i would say yea, do that.

Doing the medicasl depends on you really. there is merit to doing it upfront, but if for some reason, your application is not looked at in time, after a year (and it shouldn't take that long to get processed but there are no guarantees) you might be required to re-do the medicals, which will hurt your pocket.

besides that, just load all your other supporting document. its better to have more than to not have enough IMO.

I would say do the form 80 now. It prevents unnecessary delays when you do get a CO. It is a long winded form to fill so the earlier you start, the better... IMO.

I dont know what exactly the condition you have described is called. it does sound like Glaucoma though and my dad was diagnosed with Glaucoma a while back. his medicals did get referred along with a report from his ophthalmologist and his prescription. He got his PR approved.

I hope that helps.

Hi everyone

I'm hoping someone here may have some knowledge and advice....My husband and I are looking to emigrate under skilled migration, we pass points test, very positive meeting today with our proposed migration agent...

 

However we realise that the medical assessment needed involves an eye test, and this also includes fundoscopy (which looks at the back of the eye)

 

My husband has an eye condition which is progressive. He was diagnosed with it 14 or so years ago during a routine eye test for his glasses. No cause for concern before this point, it was a huge surprise as he had not noticed any change in his vision. It is where pigment appears on the retina which worsens over time There is no known treatment, and no cure. There are certain things you can take which have been proven to slow its progression (which he does take). In severe cases, people can have seriously impaired vision. My husband however is one of the 'lucky' ones, and hasn't been seriously affected by this so far. Since he was diagnosed:

 

- the progression of his disease has been very VERY slow (compared to some with this condition who have it from childhood)- minimal changes each year, it is not going to get better however

- He needs no visual aids or assistance to live his life independently and actively

- It does not impair his capacity to do his job

- In the forseeable future, based on his medical history thus far and opticians monitoring - he has yearly eye examinations to monitor it - he won't need any assistance to live an independent life

 

We are concerned as you can imagine that this condition will mean we are refused a visa on health grounds. He does not have a condition which poses a threat to the people of Oz, he is not going to be a financial cost for Oz (there is no treatment), he can still do his job....

 

At the moment we are very very early in this process but we don't want to spend the £10k going through this visa process is there is a chance of us being refused at the final hurdle. I'm conscious that this retinal pigment will be picked up his eye test, the panel doc here in the UK will state it's 'abnormal' and 'further testing' is needed....

 

Our migration agent has recommended that we have a private consultation with a former panel doc in Manchester which he recommended (who doesn't do Oz medicals anymore but still does NZ ones), to see what he says, before we progress any further. He is not an ophthalmologist however, and probably won't know much about this condition. So should we try to find an ophthalmologist who can help? We can always ask the one who does my husband's current testing, we would need to anyway I'm sure in order to take a full report to a panel doctor if we had submitted our visa application. He would confirm my points above: Very slow progression, doesn't impact daily life, can still do his job etc - which I assume is what the MOC/DIAC want to know. Would we be able to go to him for the 'further testing' if needs be when the time comes, or does it have to be someone of the DIAC choosing?

 

I've searched for cases of others who have eye conditions in terms of visa approvals but have had no joy. Can anyone give us some advice please? I know we can't get an idea of what the MOC/DIAC would say (we can't even apply for an early medical to see if we're wasting our time) as they take into account your personal diagnosis....

 

Does anyone know of an ophthalmologist in the UK who has given them advice? And when considering implications financial and community services wise, when looking at an applicant's health condition, does anyone know how far in advance does the MOC/DIAC look?? Based on my hubby's history so far (14 plus years since diagnosis), we can safely say the slow progression will continue...but we cannot assume or predict anything with this condition....it affects everyone so very differently!

 

Am I right in understanding that when looking at health issues, the MOC/DIAC can only consider the next 5 years or so, and only provable facts (ie. Mr xx WILL need hospital treatment/community care/ etc) - not assumptions? As we can't say (and any ophthalmologist will say the same) exactly how this is going to progress....we don't have a crystal ball!!!

 

I'm so so sorry for the long post. Anyone who has got this far...I thank you for bearing with me. As you can imagine this has been whirling around our heads today since our meeting this morning.

Hi Oppyddrum,

Congratulations!!! Did you lodge visa application same time with nomination?

 

Thanks!

No, we actually lodged the visa application a week after the nomination came through. the sponsor advised us to wait till the nomination was approved. Nom approval came in july 3rd week, we applied july 29.

ok guys, so we got the email today, PR granted. that was intense, the CO actually sent us a form 80 to fill last night, we did and this morning got the grant. Phew!!

92 days from the visa application. those days felt like eternity but all done now. Goodluck to those of us still waiting.

Our CO resumes today, back from vacay... hope to hear some good news this week, would prefer to hear it today or tomorrow but i guess friday is fair enough as well :daydreaming:

I hate when COs go on vacation in the middle of processing one's visa. Sent an email in reply to the CO's request for more info, got an auto-response, she is out of the office for the week! now we gotta wait a whole week, and that feels like a year's wait!!!!!!

got a CO on the 16th of October, that has been a week short of 3 months wait, she has asked for additional info and we have supplied that so expecting a happy conclusion by week's end. Perth Office, GP, Labor Agreement.

july 30, still waiting, haven't heard a word... super frustrating!

PR GRANTED TODAY...

 

A lot of dramas....in November 2012, My 485 visa been deemed as invalid and I must left Australia within 28 days, unless I apply for another eligible visa, fortunately, my employer didn't want me to go home. So They decided to sponsor me ( They never did it before, because it is a Internal Government agency). After applied 187 and acknowledge as valid visa, I went home just 10 days after i apply this visa, and another big Drama when I was in Darwin Airport, The airport immigration said that I didn't have any valid visa, nor the bridging visa and I even have been stay unlawful for 5 days in Australia. And I must depart Australia straight away.

 

How frustrated I was. My employer was so shock as well. How come be like that. Before, i went home, I went to immigration office and ask the officer about it, and the officer said that i have bridging B Visa so, I can go to my country. After 5 weeks, my lawyer tried to short it off and I came back to Australia with TOURIST VISA ( just to bring me back). and then the department granted me bridging C once i am in Australia, Waiting for about 8 months, And Today my visa is Granted.

sounds like a lot of drama but all is well that ends well yea?

Congrats Rania!

very nice Jais. that is good. that puts my theory that they havent started on the current year applications in the trash! lmao. very good.

I am rubbing my palms waiting for the stampede of people getting allocated and approved. my optimism level just rose a bit.

anyways, keep us updated Jais (and anybody else with progress). the good news helps.

right, i guess that would be the case when you have a MA. A holiday sounds about right