steely

Emmayer, it was a simple email asking whether they received the additional information I sent them a couple of weeks ago. Good luck.

@Indianinoz, no doubt it is the email I sent that did it. I sent it soon after your post, but by which time it was after 5pm in Adelaide (?). I think it was picked up this morning and boom .. grant! Thanks for the tip, mate

Folks, got our visas! We are so happy! Thanks to everyone on this great forum for all the information. Good luck to all those waiting.

It is Adelaide.

Thanks to you too. You have been very helpful to me. I still havent heard anything since I sent the additional information on 29/08/15. I applied 3/07/15. I am tempted to phone them, or perhaps like you did, forward the email I sent 'gsm allocated' last week to the address you indicate above.

Congratulations Indianinoz! Enjoy!

Congratulations Alanlisa!

I applied 3rd July, CO requested form 80 and evidence of employment on 24th August, which I uploaded on 29th August. Not heard anything since then! It seems to me that when they request additonal information, the application gets pushed to the back of the queue (July queue, in my case). If that is the case, I will be lucky to hear from them before end of September. Sob, sob!

Great! Best wishes! It seems to me that onshore applicants are more likely to get a quicker grant than offshore applicants.

Congratulations Tom!

Congratulations angelaine! Are you applying from within Australia?

Perhaps someone more qualified will come along and offer you advice, but I would do exactly as you indicate. I would make clear that it is not part of the period being claimed for skilled employment/the visa application. It was 'unskilled' employment, pre-qualification, it shouldn't be an issue.

Great news! Congratulations Hodgies2Oz!

They may be from high risk countries, but if 'onshore,' I suppose they are easier to assess as they are known to DIBP?

Just had a look at the spreadsheet and it seems a majority of the grants over the last few weeks have been to 'onshore' applicants. Of course the spreadsheet is not always updated but it certainly shows less grants recently compared to any other period in the recent past? It is worries me to see that in the last two weeks, according to the spreadsheet, there has been only one grant to an 'offshore' applicant (on 2nd Sept). He/she applied on 19th June !!! :-( https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FbZvlgMTC54aMv2LVhtcQuBXMfUkIpydWuZAAFHf8-Y/edit#gid=277

Hi all. Any grants for the July group? Well, I submitted on 3rd Jul, and was contacted by a CO on Monday 24th August. She requested Form 80 and Evidence of Employment. Yes, CaptainC and IndianinOz, you were absolutely right, the AASW assessment of my skilled employment claims was not enough as you pointed out a couple of weeks ago. Well, after running around all week and phoning every one of my past employers, I managed to upload everything last night 28/08/15 - that is form 80 (what a pain it was to fill!), and all sorts of evidence re employment. I am now not sure it was a great idea to make this application on my own. It may have been less stressful with a Migration Agent! Good luck to everyone!

Just seen on the google spreadsheet that someone who lodged on 6th July got a direct grant today. Could that mean that next week we will see a few more grants for the July group? https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...=sharing#gid=0

Nothing yet for me. Lodged on 3rd July.

Thanks Captain C. I'll stay the current course and hope for the best. If DIBP requests the information I'll gather it and send it to them as quickly as I can. I suppose either way my experience may benefit future applicants.

I am in a similar position -I have a 15 year old and we are looking to move around October. After a bit of research, I am persuaded that the GCSE's will be useless to him in Oz. I also gather that it is in Year 11 & 12 in Oz that children get to select subjects, which of course may determine their future careers. Thus it will assist him to start Year 11 in Oz rather than get their mid-way. The sooner he moves the better. October is also a good time to move as he may get an opportunity to try out a new school in Oz and make a few friends before the long summer holiday and start of Year 11 in Feb 2016 . Good luck whatever decision you make.

Thanks Indianinoz and Captain C. Just to clarify, AASW indicates that in addition to skills assessments, they are an "the authorised relevant assessing authority for the assessment of skilled employment claims of social workers applying to migrate to Australia." They charged me extra for the employment claims assessment - $150! So all the employment references, contracts, pay slips etc you refer to, I submitted to AASW and many months later got the letter/certificate from them confirming length of employment. This, of course, in addition to the letter confirming a positive skills assessment. The letter/certificte confirming length of employment is quite detailed and lists all the items of evidence I provided for each period of employment. I was sincerely hoping this would be sufficient. It will be really annoying that AASW has taken $150 to provide an assessment that DIBP completely disregards! In the circs, I may have to contact AASW to complain/request all the material I provided in relation to length of employment, and forward it on to DIBP.

Hi Indianoz .. you are referring to skilled employment claims assessed by CPA Australia rather than DIPB, right? If so, it is what I did, albeit for a different profession. I had my employment claims assessed by AASW, the relevant authority for my profession. At the time, I thought it was a good idea, but I am now in a bit of a panic. Panic because when I submitted my visa application, I only provided the letter from AASW confirming length of employment as evidence (rather than references etc from each of my employers). I am hoping DIBP will accept the letter! If they dont I am in a lot of trouble! I will then have to go back to all my employers to request references, and that could take me many many weeks!

I didn't hire a tutor, but I am not sure it would have helped. I practiced quite a lot though, iincluding from books bought online. I took the test twice but didnt score the 8 (in every component) that I needed. I then took the PTE Academic, which I passed first time. Have you considered the PTE Academic, or is it not an option for you?

Corbyn cant win a general election? Surely, it is is still far too early to reach such a conclusion. The lesson from the Labour and LibDem wipeout in Scotland at the last election was that it is best not to prejudge an election.

4000kms? Amazing. What a huge country Australia is. It seems maps dont always do it justice. Driving 4000kms from Manchester would place me in Moscow - almost the entire length of Europe!