wonder

If you are taking your dog (I'd never consider leaving mine behind), the best thing you can do is get the dog used to a crate if they are not are already crate trained. This would make the whole experience a much more pleasurable one. My dogs see their crates as their safe den, and will take themselves there if they're unwell or have a sore paw. They are quite content in being locked away in the crate, and as such, I don't believe a long journey in one would be stressful for them. They are calm in their crates. You also need to make sure they are on top form from a health perspective to get through the journey as well as possible - if they are overweight, put them on diet! If they have health issues, research and make a decision on what is best for the dog. If you're not prepared to put that sort of effort in to your dog, then in my mind, the dog is probably better off re-homed to a loving home. Flying with dogs internally is common place in Australia - we take ours on holiday with us. $75/dog/each way and we find dog friendly holiday accommodation (some of which is absolutely gorgeous) makes for a fabulous holiday. And there are plenty of rentals who allow dogs - as one agent said to me "dogs tend to do far less damage than children" - people are much more geared to it here than in the UK.

Would you both mind confirming which Parent Visa subclass and process you have followed and indicative costs? I am looking at kicking off the process for my mother. She meets all the requirements, just looking into best option to go...

I need to choose a fund too - surely others on the forums know something about Super and how to go about choosing one? Everything I've read doesn't really give you help and advice in how to go about choosing the right one - or are they all just the same? Where do I start? I will be contracting and would like to nominate my own.

We wondered about buying a second TV to take, and on comparing prices, it is one of the few things that are very similar prices (I was looking at Samsung LED, SMART tv's) in the UK and Oz, so would recommend just buying when you get there - that way as well you know your warrenty will be valid.

I don't think 1 month is an unreasonable time to be looking for a job. Your kids are young, they will adapt....if you let them. If your state is passing on to them, they won't be able to settle down and enjoy. May seem pretty dire, but as soon as jobs are sorted it will turn around for you. In the mean time, think about giving your kids the best chance (which I am sure is one of the reasons you decided to move in the first place!), put on a brave and happy face for them, and believe that your hubby will find a job. Some good tips have been posted, and wish you all the best.

I wanted to send in vacuum bags to reduce the chance of mould. +1 for wanting to hear peoples views on this as I need to get organised! And also, any recommondations on vacuum pack bags and machines (I'm UK based)?

Um, what reason is there to stay in the UK?? Anyone? It's benefit system has bred a generation where doing nothing pays more than a bit of hard work. Yes the olympics made everyone feel a bit patriotic, but that will be short lived, and we'll be back to the hard working paying for a lot of people who can't be bothered. Oh, and the weather is not very nice. Think maybe you need to ask - why would you bother staying. I think that article says it all.

Hi There, Would very much like to know how you got on as I am in a similar situation - 175 been granted on my maiden name (even though we were already married, passport etc had not been changed) and would like to start my life in Oz on my married name unless it's going to be an issue to get it changed against the visa. I haven't yet applied for new British passport on Married name, that would be first step. How did you get on, and were you already in Oz? We are only validating the visa in October, so question is whether to do it before or after that! Thanks

No, you have to pay and it's at private hospitals. I went to Spire in Manchester who had appointments for the next day, I chose to wait a whole 3 days so that I could go on a Saturday. As the saying goes...you get what you pay for. For your £260, you buy a lot of time! For info, as think this thread goes for those applying for 175's as well - I got my 175 through in 8 months, from time of skills assessment. That included 3.5 months of no activity because I was travelling too much for work to be booking IELTs etc, and then a long waiting time for the IELTs test. Introduction of EOI means that DIAC have substantially speeded up the processing of visas via the old method, so whilst EOI isn't the big scary system everyone thought it may be, I'm pleased to bits that I didn't wait. Especially as now, DIAC have full control over how many people they invite to apply in a month.

I don't agree with posting CO's names, I don't see why you would even ask or what it matters to be honest. They have a right to not having their names posted on these websites, just like most of us choose to use nicknames on these forums instead of our full names. But pleased you intend to say thank you!

I was fortunate enough to get my visa approved yesterday, and I replied to the CO to say a big thank you for answering all my questions (there were many, all responded to within 24 hours!), and for progressing everything so efficiently and swiftly (175 visa, 3.5 months from application being lodged to being approved - last month of that was waiting on HOC). I wasn't expecting any response as I know they are busy, but I did get one, sent after 5.30pm when CO's should already be gone for the day, which included a smiley face, and wishing me all the best for the future. It just made me wonder how many thank you's these people actually get. They deliver SUCH important news to us, which in almost all cases means a huge and substantial change to our lives. So I would like to think they get a lot of thank you's.... Anyway, just a thought, hope you all do, as clearly, my CO seemed to appreciate it.

Got our 175 grant this morning after just 3.5 months. So thrilled. What a ride.

I managed to get through to HOC this morning. They told me that they were up to processing meds from 9 July. My step daughters meds were received 12 July (paper based, not via eHealth), and they aren't even registered on the system. Worrying thing is that last week Monday they were processing meds up to 5 July - so they've only moved 4 days in 7 :-(. Anyone else have any other information or anything different?

Get it sent to you, and you upload the scanned copy to your documents (assuming you are online application). Even if it was paper application, would suggest sending to yourself so that you can have a copy for your records.

Can't remember if it was this thread or another, but someone somewhere posted that HOC seem to pick up the phone between 2 and 2.30 local time. And hey ho, would you know, was trying before 2pm, just got voice mail as I have for the past week. 2.34pm, someone answered the phone! I'm chasing paper medicals, and they seem to be in the same bucket as any that have been referred - the only answer I got was that they were processing meds from 5/6 July. She did a check and couldn't find any record of my step daughters meds, but said that they wouldn't even have been put into the system if received on 12 July. Guess another week of no sleep :-(.

I've been trying to get an email response since 10 July, and been trying to call daily for the past week. No success on getting through. Tired from the 5am wake up call to start trying to phone HOC. It concerns me that I have seen more than one report of people finally getting through and turns out that their meds were stuck due to a "technical" error - how many of us still waiting are stuck in this big black technical error hole? Would rather have just been left with thinking that they were backlogged.

We went to Spire, Manchester. Found them to be extremely efficient. We went on a Saturday which meant that the hospital was generally dead quiet. It took an hour for my husband and I from start to finish. Would recommend them. I have heard good things about Bridgewater as well, but it suited us that Manchester had evening and Saturday appointments. No extended waiting list either - think we booked on a Tuesday for the following Saturday.

When I logged my application in April, I was expecting 10-18 months just to get a case officer because that is what was being reported as allocation time, now we're all complaining and impatient after just 2 months. Guys, do you realise that the current processing times are more than 12 months faster than what they were a year ago? We are fortunate. I know that doesn't make the waiting easier, but lets just stop, collect, and be a little patient. We are very lucky this year with the processing times. Lets not forget that. Oh, and by the way, I was allocated CO after just 8 weeks. Make sure you are ready! I have seen other people who counted on the process taking up to 2 years, now complaining that they have to move so quickly! Geez, I bet these CO's feel like they just can't please :confused:

No matter what time I call (their time of the day, so yes, in working hours), I just get a recorded message saying they can't answer the call and telling me the opening hours. Have sent them 3 emails over the past 10 days and not had a single response. I know they're busy, but in every other part of this visa process, all the other departments and organisations (VETASSESS, ACS, DIAC General Information, CO etc), I've always been able to speak to someone - maybe HOC is an English Department

Hi All, Just wanted to hear from the folk who had paper based medicals done. Finding it a bit frustrating as it's not mine or my husbands medicals, but my step-daughter, who is a non-migrating dependent. This means that she is not on our application, and also not on the checklist when I log in to see the status of our applcation. Meds were done on 27/06/2012 Dr took a week to post them :arghh: They took 1 week to be delivered to HOC as per tracking number It's been a further week, and CO is saying they still don't have anything from HOC. Would love to hear from others of their experience with paper based medicals - I've become a paranoid, shivering wreck as I can't even see that HOC have managed to match up her medicals to our application. And it's the only thing outstanding.

1) We had to get medicals done for my step-daughter (non-migrating dependent) and they were paper based. Annoyingly, the panel doctor took a week to post them off, and they then took a week to be received! As she is non-migrating dependent, she is not listed on our application and therefore we can't see if Medicals are in process at all. Our CO said that paper based ones tend to take a couple of weeks to be finalised once received by HOC. (about to post a thread to hear of people's experience with this and actual time lines) 2) Sydney is correct. We are also 175, being processed in Adelaide, but medical results are posted directly to HOC in Sydney.

Unless they have a particularly complex case (criminal history, health issues etc), using an agent seems to often be a hinderence to some people and a lot regret having used them. If you use an agent, they control it all - you cannot speak with DIAC or your Case Officer on your own - everything has to be through the agent. And some agents are good, some aren't. I havent used an agent, and whilst it has been a lot of hard work, its very manageable. The hard work doesn't get done by an agent if you use one - they just give you the idiots guide. But, everything you need to know is on the net, just do the research. And in fact, I only found the forums after I had put the application in. It really is possible, you just have to be prepared to do some work and be a bit organised. I believe there are options for using an agent for just part of the process, but would really think hard about doing it! Also, make sure the qualification is definitely required - in some skill sets, 15 years of experience would mean no applicable qualification required. If you have the points of course.

Hate to break it to ya all who are at the start or only midway through the process - you get all excited when you get a CO, submit everything, and then some of us have to wait again....at this point , it's even more agonising as you know it's truly crunch time :eek:

You shouldn't be posting CO's names on the forums, ask that you respectfully remove it.