jasonorange

My 457 was granted in 5 days once the CO had everthing, so on that basis you could hear something early next week. I think it depends on the office dealing with your application; mine was processed in Sydney which are fairly quick.

I have an account with them, worth the effort and security checks IMO to transfer funds between UK and Oz commision free.

It depends on your circumstances and what sort of cover you want. Personally I took out the cheapest travel insurance I could find (£48 a year) which fulfilled the requirement for my 457 and I'll sign up to medicare when I get to Sydney.

Yeah the guessing and waiting is a killer, but in the end I just stopped thinking about it. After all, theres nothing you can do, so dont stress it. I didn't have a medical but I had to sign the declaration to say I'm fit and well, so your husband will have done the same. Thats not to say they wont ask for a medical because some people have had to visit their gp; but again, as he's already over there I dont think it'll be an issue. Keep calm and carry on

I can wholeheartedly recommend Adrian Carlson at Autopersonnel.com.au who is based in Sydney and was recommended by my employer. I used him for my 457 and the process was simple, professional and reasonably priced at $2935 all in, and carried out everything via email from here in London. I will use him again when my 2 years work is up and I'm eligible to apply for PR.

Yeah that is shocking. Theres another post on here about short term rentals in Sydney and they suggested Gumtree; I've possibly found something on there to suit my needs for $280 a week. Worth a look.

I'm not in the same boat as such, because I am travelling to Sydney by myself so I dont know what the implications are of having multiple people on a 457. I think (just a guess here) that the primary applicant is all the department is focussing on and that you and your son are secondary to the application which is why it only mentions Person 1, notwithdstanding the fact he must already be over there to be granted a bridging visa. What I can tell you, is that I was offered a sponsored job under a 457 in November 2012 but due to the company secretary only working 2 days a week and the managers being on holiday over Christmas, my visa application wasn't lodged until 14/02/2013, some 3 months after accepting the job. So I'm not at all surprised your husbands visa process being a bit slow. I used a Migration Agent to lodge my application for me and because he had all the info the department needed, my visa was granted 5 days later. I wouldn't worry too much, as far as I can work out they dont like people wandering around on bridging visas for longer than is absolutely neccessary, so you'll probably get a decision any day now.

In that case...relax. I know its frustrating waiting but if they haven't cancelled your contract and you've been told its not a problem for now, then you've not got much to worry about. I presume this post is connected to your other one about medical referrals in which case there's nothing you can do until that gets sorted out. Maybe give them a poke at the end of March if you haven't heard anything by then.

As far as I can work out from the Immi website you can travel on a Tourist Visa because (assuming) its still valid and has not been superseded by any other/different type of visa. Once you have email confirmation of the 457 it is linked to your passport number, so you'd have to leave the country on your TV and return using your passport to activate the 457, at which point your TV is cancelled. Thats my understanding of it but you'd probably get the definitive answer by talking to a MI.

Just a suggestion, but why not ask your employer what the deal is regarding your contract and the delays to your visa? The only reason I ask that, is because I signed a contract with my employer in Sydney and he assured me my job placement would remain open no matter how long it took to sort out the paperwork. So even though I signed it last November, I know I have a job to go to. It might be worth a quick email to your company PA just so you know where you stand.

I'm going to open an account with NAB; you can apply online and they have everything ready for you at your destination on OZ. I chose them because they offer free banking and have a dedicated service for migrants and a branch in London if you want to arrange your banking face-to-face. Personally I don't use the banks to transfer funds because their exchange rate isn't all that good compared to companies such as xe.com.

I thought the same thing, that electronics would be cheaper, especially in the duty free shop in the airport. I had a few hours stop-over there a while ago so i looked into buying a new mobile, but they weren't any cheaper than I could buy in the UK. Not only that, the model I had in mind was actually cheaper in the shop in Oz. I haven't done any definitive research but I get the impression that electronic goods in general are cheaper in Australia.

Im curious to know how you get on with this issue too..I have been recommended 'Hide my Ass' ... yes, really...Google it.

I'm moving to Sydney by myself, but I do have the advantage of already having a job placement and a 457 sponsored visa. I think most people do a 'reccie' first to get an idea of the places they'd like to live/work and then come back to UK to figure out the logistics of moving over there. In my case my job was advertised in a trade magazine over here, so I replied to that and now I'm waiting for my visa application to be processed. House/flatshare is my preferred choice for housing to begin with until I get settled and then I'll see what options are available for getting my own place. I guess the only advice I can give is to take as much money as you can. Think of a number and treble it; Australia is a hideously expensive place to be if you don't have a job. Good luck!

Whatever skill you decide to train for (and assuming you'd want to go down the 457 sponsored route because thats the quickest for visa processing times) bear in mind you need to have 3 years relevant work experience in your trade. So yeah, pick something you enjoy doing so you can carry on enjoying it when you emigrate.