Bob and Maggy

It is very frustrating as it is difficult to make any definite plans. To be fair to the agents it was 10 months after we lodged our application that they were advised that it was time to get the Police checks, the expected processing time from first application was 12 to 18 months with the upper end of the time scale being most unlikely. So not unreasonable really. Just the difference between theory and practice. Bob

On checking dates our application arrived in Perth on 27 August 2013, our form 80 was lodged in Jan 2014 and the 1st part of the VAC $3090 was paid. We were asked for police reports early July 2014 and lodged them in 22 July ((£45 each and 10 processing time by Police). Medicals were requested October 2014 (£300 each plus 3 hour drive each way to Edinburgh). Assurance of Support bond paid $14000 also requested and paid October. Just been speaking to our agent who confirmed that there are a few people in our position and these delays are very unusual. They have emailed our case officer but have received no reply as yet. They are going to send some more emails as our Police checks have now run out these were requested by Perth at that time and Perth have not been able to process within the time limit on the Police checks - not a very satisfactory situation! Bob

I just checked 10 minutes ago and for offshore 143/173 it's 11 Sept 2013 that is being assessed. Be that as it may we applied on 30 Aug 2013 and we haven't been asked for the final fee or given a yea or nay yet. Bob

They may say they are assessing 3 September however our application was lodged on 30 August 2013 and they haven't told us what the outcome is yet, maybe we're not flavour of the month! Bob

Perth now dealing with 30th August 143 applications.

Breaking news! PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS AUTO RESPONSE DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION PARENT CHILD AND OTHER FAMILY BRANCH Thank you for your email to the Parent Visa Processing Centre in Perth. This email is your confirmation that we have received your email enquiry and/or emailed documents. Due to the large number of enquiries that we receive we are unable to personally respond to all emails. Please note: there is currently no intention to repeal the non-contributory parent visa subclass again. GENERAL INFORMATION Please read the information below and on our website at www.border.gov.au. If you still have a query after reading the following information and the website, you will find instructions below on how to ensure that your email is read by a person and receive a response. Otherwise, you will not receive a response from us. PRE LODGEMENT ENQUIRIES All our information including answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) is contained on our website at www.border.gov.au, on our forms (which you may download from our website) or through contacting the Department of Immigration and Border Protection call centre on 131881. To find a visa please see: http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1 If you have difficulty understanding our requirements, you may wish to consider engaging a Migration Agent. If after reading our information, your question remains unanswered, please see COMMUNICATING WITH THE DEPARTMENT below and send an email with your details and a code in the subject line. POST LODGEMENT ENQUIRIES DELAYS to acknowledgements We are currently experiencing delays with receipting, registering and commencing new cases due to the large number of applications received at the end of June 2015. We regret the delay, however, if your credit card has had the fee deducted or your cheque or money order has been presented by the\ Department you can be assured that the application has been received. If you have sent your documents by registered post, courier or express mail and you have a tracking number you can check the delivery date online with your provider. If you have not received any email from us, please first check your junk folders as our email may have been treated as spam. Then, if you have not received any response from us and there is no evidence of your fee being deducted one month after you lodged the papers, your should contact us again through the Global Feedback Unit at http://www.immi.gov.au/Help/Pages/feedback.aspx Due to the large influx of applications in the last week of June we are currently registering applications lodged 29 June 2015. All applications have been receipted and receipts will be sent with the acknowledgment letters. PROCESSING ONSHORE APPLICANTS (Subclass 804) Once your application is allocated to a case officer (which may take up to 12 months) you or your authorised contact will be contacted and asked to provide more documents including police certificates and health clearances to complete your application. As soon as you are assessed as meeting all requirements your application will be placed in a queue and assigned a queue date to wait for a visa place. We are currently assessing for a queue date applications lodged in October 2014 We are currently assessing for finalization applications with a queue date up to April 2009 OFFSHORE APPLICANTS (Subclass 103) Once your application is allocated to a case officer (which may take up to 24 months) your eligibility for a visa will be assessed and if you are found to meet eligibility requirements your application will be placed in a queue and assigned a queue date to wait for a visa place. We are currently assessing for a queue date applications lodged 17 January 2014 We are currently assessing for finalization applications with a queue date in November 2008 OFFSHORE APPLICANTS (subclass 143/173) Once your application is allocated to a case officer you or your authorised contact will be contacted and asked to provide more documents including police certificates and health clearances to complete your application. Please do not send documents until you are requested to do so. For those who were originally requested to undertake medical examinations 12 months after lodgement date, please consider waiting an extra 2 - 3 months to undertake them due to the current processing time being 18 - 22 months. We are currently assessing for finalization applications lodged on 30 August 2013. The 2nd visa application charge increased in September 2013 so we had a LOT of applications lodged in August 2013. Be assured we are working very hard and do appreciate your patience. TEMPORARY TO PERMANENT (subclass 173 - 143 and 884 - 864) We are currently assessing for finalization applications lodged on 21 January 2015. ONSHORE APPLICANTS (subclass 864) We are currently assessing for finalization applications lodged on 15 January 2015. QUEUE As visa places are very restricted (currently 1500 per year) your application may spend as much as 30 years in the queue. This waiting time is expected to become longer. The time spent depends on the Government releasing visa places. Partners, children and skilled migrants are given priority. If you require more explanation of the Government’s capping and queueing process please see our website at http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/family/capping-and-queuing.htm You may find that you are eligible for an alternative parent visa, the Contributory Parent visa. This has significantly higher application charges, but no queue and is therefore a much quicker pathway to permanent residence. Please see our website at: http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/143- We are currently assessing for a queue date applications lodged on 13 January 2014. ORDER OF PROCESS All applications are initially assessed in order of date of lodgement until they are queued or refused. The order of queuing may be influenced if you respond to requests for documents or other actions quickly. Once queued, the queue dates cannot be changed even if compelling or compassionate circumstances exist as all cases are considered equally deserving. Applications are released from the queue in queue date order. Currently we are processing overseas applications that were queued in 2008 and onshore applications that were queued in 2009. Changes in numbers in the queue depend on how many visas may be granted each year, fluctuations due to grants, refusals, withdrawals and successful review cases. The queue calculator for non-contributory parent visas can be found at https://www.ecom.immi.gov.au/qcalc/QDateAnswer.do COMMUNICATING WITH THE DEPARTMENT 1. Please note we can only communicate with the applicant or the applicant’s authorised recipient. If you want another person to deal with us on your behalf, you should complete a Form 956. 2. When communicating with your case officer please always include your reference number, name and date of birth and a code (see below) in the subject line so that we can identify the email as one that is meant as part of your processing. a. E.G. PAYVAC JOHN CITIZEN 4/4/1950 CID 12345678912 (OR CLF2015/123456) 3. The following codes alert the case officer to the nature of your email: a. WDLRFD = withdrawal or refund request b. HAPLTR = HAP letter (health clearance) c. PAYVAC = payments d. BRDGVS = bridging visas e. CGS956 = change of circumstances Form 1022 or Form 956 (Please note you must advise the department of changes to your circumstances). f. CGA929 = change of address or passport details. g. OTHELP = other complex information or enquiry 4. ALL Parent applications must be sent or couriered to the PERTH Parent Visa Centre: a. Our mail address is: Parent Visa Centre, Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Locked Bag 7 NORTHBRIDGE WA 6865. b. Our courier or physical address is: 836 Wellington Street WEST PERTH WA 6005 UPLOADING SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS Multiple documents should be saved in one PDF file and attached to your email. Links to web PDF files will not be accepted. VISA FEES Visa fees are available on the internet at: http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/Pricing-Estimator.aspx Please note the 1st visa application charges will increase on 1 July 2015 please refer to http://www.immi.gov.au/pub-res/Documents/budget/VAC-increases-fact-sheet.pdf for further information. There will be no increase in the 2nd visa application charges. You will be requested to pay the 2nd visa charge when your application is ready for grant of the visa. For applications lodged now the 2nd visa application charges are [TABLE=class: yiv5923762834MsoTableGrid] [TR] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] SECOND VAC [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] Principal applicant [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] Spouse/Dependent 18 years plus [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] Dependent under 18 years [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] Subclasses 143 and 864 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $43600 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $43600 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $2095 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] Subclasses 173/884 T- P [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $29130 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $29130 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $2095 [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] Subclasses 143/864 T-P holds a 173/884 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $19420 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $19420 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] NIL [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] Subclasses 103/804 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $2065 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $2065 [/TD] [TD=width: 154, bgcolor: transparent, colspan: 1] $2065 [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] ASSURANCE OF SUPPORT Please see Centrelink which is the agency responsible. MEDICARE Please contact Medicare for health assistance. Immigration does not advise on eligibility for Medicare benefits. BRIDGING VISAS Bridging visas are only granted to onshore applicants and can only be issued to people who are in Australia at the time of requesting the bridging visa. Usually a Bridging Visa A (BVA) will be granted automatically when your temporary visa expires provided you are still onshore. If you wish to travel out of Australia once you are the holder of a BVA, you must apply for a BVB before you depart. The BVB requires Form 1006 and a fee (currently $140). You must send the BVB application by mail and allow enough time (about two weeks) for the application to be processed. HEALTH EXAMINATIONS ONSHORE: Arrange your medical examination with BUPA. Telephone 1300 794 919 for an appointment or visit their website at http://bupamvs.com.au OFFSHORE: You must arrange your examination with a registered panel physician (these are doctors appointed by the Australian Government to carry out health checks on visa applicants outside Australia). Please see http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/panel-doctors to find a doctor near you. Kind regards PERTH PARENT VISA CENTRE