Warrat

I’ve recently googled about ATAR and discovered it’s apparently recognised by UK universities. Can your school here advise on international pathways?

Hi. Just wondering if anyone can advise on my citizenship experience? I applied in July 2019 and sat my test about a week before Christmas 2019. I have myself and daughter on my application and we are UK citizens. I passed 100%. My husband sat his test a month later and also passed. He has already received a letter saying he’s approved awaiting ceremony. I’ve still not even had a letter confirming I passed the test and it’s now around 6 months since my test. I did call before Covid restrictions kicked in but the operative was quite short and said I’m well within processing times and shouldn’t chase it. I’m assuming things are now frozen due to Covid and I’m unlikely to see any further progress for the foreseeable future. Looking at other timelines the 6 months to letter post test seems long? Any advice appreciated.

Hi Sharon, Good luck with your move. We came back from QLD earlier this year as my husband was head-hunted, but we were out in QLD for just over a year. I should just point out that we totally regret coming back and don't expect to last the year before heading back to where we now consider home! I take earlier points about finding work first - obviously this is really important. There are some nice suburbs close to Brisbane but with plenty of stuff for the kids to do and some great schools and new train links. Have you considered North Lakes/Mango Hill? The property market there is booming and further development is going on. Mango Hill State School is reportedly brilliant and there is a very good and well priced private school in North Lakes. The shopping facilities have recently had an upgrade and addition of a cinema and Ikea. On top of that it is an incredibly friendly place - we settled incredibly quickly. I think this is probably due to the very diverse population and everyone being far away from family and friends - I would now say this area houses many life-long friends. Obviously there are loads of other great suburbs, but this is worth a look at! I also would recommend the Scarborough Beach Resort who have been known to do a good deal for a stay of several months while you're waiting for shipping to arrive. Good luck

Hoping someone can help! I'm moving back to the UK after just 12 months in Australia on a PR visa - my DH left 3 months ago due to a job offer in the UK. He is on a 3 year contract in the UK, after which we may return to Australia. I've cancelled his private medical, but still have mine and am wondering if I should cancel or suspend it - I don't really want to keep paying as it's so expensive! If we cancel and return I'm concerned about the age loading as we are both over 31. While I've been trying to investigate I've also seen information online, which is not too clear, about permanent residents overseas who do not have private medical insurance in Oz being liable for the Medicare levy, so assume we will still need to complete tax returns as PR never technically expires....so even if we decide not to return - does anyone know or have experience of dealing with private medical and medicare once they've returned to the UK?

Applications usually go in early in the calendar year, however you can do mid year applications. The best thing is to contact the schools that you are interested in and enquire about availability of year 1 places. With regard to delaying entry for your July born - it is not impossible and worth enquiring. There have been reports about a UK mother winning a court case recently because her council rejected her application to delay. There has also been this recent article in the Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3059609/Parents-summer-born-babies-right-delay-entry-school-new-Tory-plans.html I am the mother of an August born, who started school a week after turning 4, saying that she coped very well, but the first year for me was very stressful!!!! Personally I think if you can get back for the start of the school year - end of Aug, beginning of Sept (dependant on your county) then the children will get a full UK school year in. I wish you luck - schools for me are probably the most stressful thing when I am moving - we put ourselves under so much pressure to get it right first time, but you will get a better picture of things when you are there.

Oh dear, I'm not looking forward to dealing with these insurers then - we used the same removal company and our stuff arrived looking like a sledge hammer has been taken to it - the claim is way in excess of the 7k gbp we paid to ship it - I'm expecting a long process.

Hi guys, Just an update from me to close off this journey!!! Got the grant letter this morning - yippee......what a journey it has been since our first lodgement back in 2008! This 190 has gone from start to finish in less than 3 months - so surreal!

Well, that's how I find out if my medical's been referred!!!!! E-mail from CO this morning. However they are not told why - so I'm referred with no reason which is a nightmare. Also the Medical Referral Team are only working on 30th July right now, so looks like a wait of at least 6 weeks.

Hi, How do you know if your meds have been referred? I've checked the e visa this morning to find that husband's and daughter's have cleared but mine is still down as requested! I've heard nothing about referral so am wondering why mine's not changed and if I've been referred but don't know about it!?

Hi, Could anyone help? I took my medical for PR along with my husband and daughter a few weeks ago. Upon logging onto e visa this morning I notice that the 'organise health exam' for my husband and daughter have been removed to state that no medical check is required - I assume this to mean that their medicals have been successfully processed. However, mine is the same with the 'organise health exam' flag still present. If I click the system knows that I've done them as my submission form with photo taken at the medical centre is there rather than the questionnaire. Does anyone know why they would have not been updated at the same time since the medicals were done and sent to DIAC together? I hope that I'm just worrying over nothing, but one of my biggest fears was that the medicals would throw up that one of us had some terrible illness that we were unaware of!?!:confused:

Hi, I've read somewhere that the CO doesn't update the status when the medical is received via the electronic system from the clinics so you can't tell if they've got it! Our clinic said it would take about 2 weeks to get to the CO - one week for the doctor in the UK to upload it, then it goes to another panel doctor in Sydney for review before being sent to the CO via whatever means they get it! I guess we just have to hope they've arrived - ours were on 24th Aug and ours also still states 'requested'.

Hi all, Just an update from me as I've been off for a while on hols! We got a CO on 30th July, the first day of our hol! Asked for medicals and PCC and also further work referencing and tax info (apparently we needed 8 years worth!). Medicals were this morning and PCC is 'in the post' I hope! Just working on the references - but no rush as the CO is on holiday for a month!!! It will all be submitted by the time he returns so fingers crossed for a quick decision in mid September! Congrats to Nic and anyone else that's got that Golden Ticket since I was last here.

Hi Jamshi, We are 27th June lodgement - also waiting for CO.

I've seen loads of people asked for passport sized photos! It doesn't request or recommend them on our portal but I might just upload some anyway! I seem to be uploading something new every day! Also need to try and work out how to make a signature - we lodged on 27 June 2013 and waiting for CO.

Hi all, Just found this thread as I tear my hair out waiting for a CO to be allocated and search for hope! We are UK based, lodged on 27 June 2013 with SA sponsorship. It's 4 weeks tomorrow and no sign of a CO. I know I should be waiting 5 weeks as per the DIAC website but I've also seen that some get their CO allocated within days - especially those who lodged in May 2013! I'm wondering if there is a hump at DIAC with the 1st July changes and that has led to a longer waiting period for those who lodged in June 2013 and I'm trying to hold onto that thought rather than the possibility that the rules might have changed since I lodged! We originally lodged a FS 176 in 2009 and were told to expect a 12 month to grant wait by DIAC - then they changed the SOL and OH job was removed and now we find that application in priority 5 with no hope of ever being processed! For this reason I dare not complete medicals and PCC prior to being allocated that all illusive CO!