nikopol

Yeah I've checked the dates - I could even prove I was paying tax over 4 years before hand and had a contract of work from that time (I came well equipped!). I had a 457 initially which was a 4 year one then got PR within 2 years of being on that. It could be the fact this has been flagged that is causing this to lag for such a long time (but by this point, even with the computer's miscalculations of when I arrived, I'd be within even their version of the 4 years). Should I be doing a FIO or trying to contact them directly?

A question re: those who had the test - I sat the test in April 2018. There was an odd issue where they claimed the dates didn't add up to the full 4 years (which was incorrect) so they let me sit the test and "don't worry. You'll hear back from us". So it's now almost 6 months later and I've heard absolutely nothing. No email, no change on immi website. I'm not even sure if I should contact them to avoid making things worse. Anyone else heard anything this far down the line. Worth poking the hornet's nest? ? addit: I did pass the test in case anyone is wondering that's the reason why.

So in applied in October 2017, got an email late month and passed the test. However during the interview the assessor asked if I was applying for an exemption for the time spent in Australia (I wasn't) since the computer was telling her that I hadn't spent enough time in the country to apply (Incorrect). Anyway, luckily I had evidence for having been employed and having a tax number in Australia in the month I arrived (I'm on the paranoid side so I took loads of random documents with me) but even that may not have cleared me. They let me sit the test but the entire process is still awaiting official approval because of the computer system suddenly incorrectly deciding I didn't have enough time in Oz. I thought you couldn't even apply without the right amount of time on the clock? I'm still waiting for an answer for the outcome over the last month but nothing so far ?

Mine was also stuck at received since October but just got the email today for a may test and interview. Not sure why some are getting confirmations and others aren't though...

Likewise - applied end of Oct 17 and got a call today as they were looking through my form (I've moved state in between so they were wondering if I wanted a NSW test and ceremony instead of a VIC one which I was glad they offered - I didn't want to ask myself in case it meant I went to the back of the queue!). I asked if they knew how soon and they seemed to think that it should be in May.

you have to understand the personality disorders are a recent invention and by and large have come about due to the us insurance system. Basically if it's not an "illness" then you get no cover for it for the insurance and can't get financial help to pay for the bills that this incurs. To a certain extent psychiatrists obliged by creating these groups - they do have some element of truth to them: ie some people do have anancastic traits or borderline traits and the Cluster B personalities do exhibit a lot of somatisation (ie they will be more likely to present to hospital with non-organic issues - unable to swallow, upper airway sounds - that are not physical issues but are created by their personality. Same for parasuicidal behaviour.) it's slightly scary to see some of these people proudly declare they have a personailty disorder - and this brings us back to the issue of these "illnesses": there is no agreed treatment of theses PDs - there have been attempts at them but ask any psychiatrist and they'll tend to agree with this. One thing there tried in the UK with borderline PDs was having them live in a centre together and anyone joining the centre had to be approved by all; whenever anyone tried a parasucide attempt, everyone in the centre would be woken up and would have to stay up whilst the issue was being resolved. This attempt at flipping the tables on them (so they can realise how their behaviour impacts on others and how tiring it is to live with people behaving like this) had some effect and was by far the most promising treatment attempted so far but hugely expensive to the tax payer.

Congratulations guys. Hope you enjoy the new episode in your lives

I'm not sure they often call you in person (let alone your office - esp. with the time difference meaning that you'll probably never coincide with the australian office hours). I'd get everything submitted and make sure the immigration office has your mobile phone number which they can use if required. I submitted proof of employment with my qualifications and my contract from the current job I'm working at. That was all they seemed to require.

Thanks for all the kind congratulations. Hopefully it won't be to long until we can all stop waiting for this and start wiring about getting citizenship:)

Got mine this am - Woke at 0900 am and no change on the system, but fell asleep, dreamt it was done (even saw the date of 24/02/15 on the dream website) then woke at 10am and checked and it was. Weird!

Nice to see things are happening. Congrats Maria. Seems to have been a lot of action on the 189 front up until the 28th of December! I'm still waiting for contact from them so it seems quite random Wait patiently and see is the mantra for the time being

Nothing for me anyway - looks like they are getting through the obvious spike of the 19th (day of offers) before moving onto the 20th. Hopefully some time next week I hope. (not that it changes anything for me since I'm already here but I'd rather have the residency out of the way).

It's a bit hard for me to make an accurate calculation since with seniority my wage as a hospital doctor would have gone up in the UK by now but when I left the UK in 2013, I was getting around £28000 a year after taxes as a year 3 trainee that's including the variation in salary for working antisocial hours, xmas etc etc. doing at least 48 hour weeks (paid 48 often easily worked another 10 hours on top a week unpaid to ensure continuity of care). In Australia, I do around 40 hours a week and get paid $81000 a year (I salary package so that reduces tax paid which I could not do in UK. I also get around $3000 a year at the end of the tax year). I assumed I'd be around £32000 if I'd stayed in the UK so that'll be a grand total of £32000 versus $84000. To be honest, I'm not here for the money and I'd happily work for a lot less in Australia - it's the famous life/work balance that means I'd struggle to go back to the UK.

Checked with my RAMA - no news on my front though apparently papers were filed by them on the 20th not the 19th as I initially thought. Looks like no one after the 20th has been picked up so far it would seem. Anyway, not to worry, the agent felt a lot of the picking up of the files can be slightly varied across the dates and not first come first served within each 2 week section.

Yeah 189s are supposed to be lower priority for processing compared to state/employer visas but then again they're processing 189s at a decent enough speed it would seem.