AlanSteel

13 hours ago, Geoffandgill said:

Hi Alan, presumably you have bought and insured a car since you moved out to Oz. Was your 'no claims bonus' from UK recognised?

Regards Geoff & Gill

Yes, no issues at all experienced when we insured our cars.

Not been into the site for a while, so some will remember me, some wont.  I was surprised at the little progress made since we moved here last June!  I was going stir crazy waiting for our 143 to be granted, and thought 26 months from start to arrival here was frustrating enough!

Hang in there, it really is worth the wait, our first year has flown by, and looking back the wait to get our visas seems so long ago already!

HI Bev, no but if your ever in Connolly let us know!

Are you out of the waiting room Julie?

Thought we would log in and see if any of those who were in the waiting room when we left UK 6 months ago almost had been moved on, and shocked to see so many still sat waiting...all we can say is the wait, as frustrating as it seems now, is soon forgotten once out here!

Brilliant stuff!! Good luck with your new lives! Hard to believe we have been her almost 6 months, loving every minute too!

One last post from us as our journey from 26 months in the waiting room, to moving to Perth in June, will have been completed when our container contents (which cleared customs Thursday) is delivered on Monday 3rd October. Thanks to everyone who helped us with our questions, those who kept our spirits up as the days dragged on as we sat around waiting for the final decision, and good luck to all those still waiting now.

I have tried to pop in now and again, but as live in Oz, gains momentum, I am in here less and less. Thanks all!

Just popped in, and looks like things are moving for lots of people, great news, and good luck to all!

Hi Alan, you were lucky to get that rate! :-) My son finally got Centrelink to accept that they do deal with the AOS lodgement - after another hour on the phone with no luck, then the visit to the local branch, paperwork in hand, and even then they took some convincing (what is the problem there with it). He now has to wait to get an appointment, then I'll let our CO know that date. I think (but may be wrong) that your agent had the AOS info for you before you had a CO? I had previously been advised by immi that they would let me have the details end of June then when I asked at that time, they said it was no longer possible due to the volumes they were already dealing with - would've been double processing which is understandable. I do think there was a big difference in the ease of the applications between those filed before and after 1 June 2014. Hopefully they will catch up again at some point to the old targets.

Seems like all is going great for you there, hope you're enjoying your new job too!

Amanda

We liked to think it was well planned that we got that rate, and tbh, we actually went with advice from the forums to get everything lined up, something that caused a bit of friction with our agent, it must be said, but only because they had our best interests in mind.

We must have been lucky with centrelink as they could not have ben more helpful, and despite some others experience, we have found all government depts very helpful since we arrived.

Absolutely loving the new job, thanks!

Hi alan any chance u can tell us what steps you did when you got told to do AOS in Australia if you dont mind

When we sold our home, we sent the money out to my son, who held it within their mortgage, so we got $2.14 to the £, plus easy access to cash when we needed it. Once we were asked for AOS, my son took care of it all, he visited centrelink (I think thats who he visited lol) and did it all. As I said, if you can get everything that is likely to be required, completed up front, all these things for us (other than the 26 months it took!) went smoothly and easily.

My advice for what its worth, is get everything lined up. including form 80, in our experience if everything is lined up, the last few bits move very quickly! Oh and by the way, we are 3 months in and loving every minute! Keep the faith it really is worth the wait!

We have officially left the waiting room! Vis a granted today!!

http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/check-your-visa-and-work-entitlements

 

Hi Alan.

 

See the visa grant notice in due course, and the VEVO facility.

 

Best regards.

This is why I'm delighted to recommend you and Go Matilda @Alan Collett, superb service :-)

Before we slip away, can anyone who has had the 143 granted tell us, do you get something tangible placed in your passport to show to employers that we actually do have full working rights please?

Spare chair in the waiting room folks, we are gone!!

$87200 for myself and Karen. Quickest payment request we have ever sent, no waiting for the red letter with this one! Ha ha

Not forgetting the $10 charge for the bank cheque!!

Hi Alan

Can you tell me the amount of the 2nd Vac please. I have lost track of the final payments and ours should be the same as yours. I think it is somewhere around 42,000 per person. Thanks.

Julie

$87200 for myself and Karen. Quickest payment request we have ever sent, no waiting for the red letter with this one! Ha ha

How perfectly this has worked out for you both Alan, what superb timing!! :-)

I think they stopped giving out the AOS info to any who lodged June 2014 onwards, and so that'll hold us next lot up somewhat. I realise some (like me) have been lucky enough to be able to do the medicals already but only because we asked. What a difference that few weeks made in getting it all up front or having to wait! I was thinking, it would be great if PVC just sent the requirement e-mails to everyone who lodged during June 2014 as there seem to be so many and then all of us applicants can start working on everything and lodge/be granted once everything is in place - just my wish, sigh.... (but an excellent idea nonetheless, lol).

 

Enjoy Bali, what a great way to ease yourself into the next stage. When you leave the waiting room, please leave the door a tiny bit open.... Thanks! :wink:

Thanks Amanda, it might look perfect now, but the stress worrying about dates last week and this was not great. Mind you I updated my new employers this morning, and they said, oh needn't have worried, we would have waited! Alls well that ends well, we hope!

Great news that things are moving so swiftly, enjoy Bali and then you can relax and get on with your new life in OZ. Hope you have some bubbly on ice for when you return from Bali.

 

Dumb question coming up. I saw from previous posts that you have rented what looks like an unfurnished property and you have yet to ship your furniture. What happens in the interim period before it arrives? Have you bought some basics to tied you over, rented furniture etc? Given we plan to rent for 6 months when we arrive to get our bearings, this has been exercising my brain somewhat.

Hi and good luck with the move. We really sifted through what we actually wanted to bring, knowing that we were going to rent quickly on arrival. So we have purchased stuff in addition to what we have being shipped over. TBH if it were down to me, if it didn't fit in a suitcase, it wasn't coming, but Karen thought otherwise lol, hence the small container.

Alan

Wow wow wow, fantastic and so quick as you had all your ducks in a row. Enjoy Bali and your new life.

Julie

Thanks Julie, yes getting everything lined up was probably the best advice we gained from others in the forum. One day fretting, next day it all falls into place. Bali booked for Monday to Friday next week! Then reality kicks in, it's back to work for me :-)

Our shipping arrived this morning so will be spending the next week unpacking and wondering what possessed us to bring all this rubbish. But at least it will keep Linda happy going through the 8 crates of shoes and handbags, but I can guarantee she will still make a beeline for shoe and bag sections next time she's in Myer.

No idea what we're going to do if this visa isn't granted, one massive garage sale I guess.

Nice reminder! Best we inform the shipping agent in UK and get ours sent out now. Interesting to see you got it our here without a visa, we were told be a number of companies this was an absolute NO until we get the visa.

Headless chicken time folks!!!!! Request for 2nd VAC this morning, massive thanks to @Alan Collett and his team at Go Matilda!!! Off to the bank, never been so excited about spending so much cash, without anything tangible like a car/caravan etc to show for it at the end!

Bali next week, Sydney the following week start work! BOOM!!!!!!

Thanks to all who have helped and advised over the past couple of years!!

Hi Amanda

soooooo excited this morning to see that the date has changed to June, don't know what I'll be like when you hear from IMMI!

Julie

Hi @juliew1499, if anything like us, a couple of dithering over excited people!!! :-)

we are both so excited for you, I take it you mean the 30th for the xmas in july ? the august meet up on a sunday is still ok ?

get those air plane tickets booked...

Thanks, yes the Xmas one, pity as I was going to get Roy a really natty outfit too!! August is all good, well lets hope this doesn't drag on now!

Hi Linda

 

We will be fine for that date, looking forward to it.

 

Joe

Given today's events, we may now not be at the meet up!