baguette

Hi!

anyone here from the Sydney City Council? I sat the test mid September and was approved end of September, but I haven't had any news with regards to the citizenship ceremony. I was hoping for Australia Day, but given it's mid Jan already, I think it's unlikely... Has anyone from the Sydney city council got their invites? Next ceremony's on feb 19th.

cheers!

Congratulations!! Did it still say processing until finalised? Appears it's just me waiting from April now boo hoo

It says finalised with status updated today August 1st. Then there's a letter createdhyperlink and there's no "in progress"

On the line where I've got my 1st and last name, it says granted

MA has sent us the grant letter we're PR now YEAH!!!!!!!!

@sikofbrit, you'll get there soon!

Wooohoooo I'm waiting for the grant letter, but our status is finalised on immi account and it says "print the grant letter" (hyperlink does not work yet). Cannot add more docs and says Granted for hubby and me, so I think this is it (called our MA and they will send said letter in 1 hour) so timeline is in my signature but it seems that PR: granted Aug 1st 2014 is in order YOUHOU!!!

Thanks

@sikofbrit I lodged through NSW Parramatta, but the CO seems to be in VIC Melbourne as the footer of the documents our MA has forwarded us suggests! Where's your CO?

@sikofbrit… I know what it feels like. we're a couple from a low risk country and we're just wondering what's going on!

Lodged on April 10th,

had a CO approved our nomination on July 24th and a request for the medicals…

we cleared medicals on the 28th… I know that DIBP has our medicals with them… but no news!

ARGH!

Updating my timeline!!

TRT with MA, low risk country

Visa nomination + application submitted: 10/04/2014

Visa Nomination granted: 24/07/2014

Medicals: 28/07/2014

lodged in Parramatta but CO seems to be in Melbourne!

Congratulations to Chelsea, Team Crouch and smb243!

Bit depressed... we lodged nomination and application back in April 10th and haven't heard a thing from immigration. Status is still "in progress"... Has anyone lodged around the same time and received no news?

Rockpool's a fantastic restaurant, though the prices might be a bit dear ($$$) as said! If you want a restaurant with a view and prices aren't an issue, I suggest Quay ($$$$) or Café Sydney (5th floor of Customs House - $$$$). Saké is a Japanese restaurant in the Rocks, but bookings are recommended ($$$).

If you're looking to indulge without splashing, Le Pub ($$) Corner of York and King st is a fantastic French themed restaurant (my review: http://www.mademoiselleinsydney.com/2013/08/15/where-to-get-great-confit-duck-review-of-le-pub-sydney-cbd/). If you want upper range Chinese, then there's Mister Wong near Bridge Street (my review: http://www.mademoiselleinsydney.com/2012/12/09/merivales-mister-wong-on-bridge-lane-sydney-cbd-o/)

I guess it's pretty random... and "end of April applications being processed for ENS" might be an indication at the national level rather than at a state level... It looks like QLD offices are quicker/have less to deal with. My MA lodged everything in Parramatta too and it seems slower?

Anyway, this is pure speculation. The wait is annoying, but at least, we're nearly there... It's the 97th day so it helps to think that the worst is behind

No still on progress. But my fren applied same ens from same company 20 days after me get approved. Why is that .

I applied on April 10th and still haven't got any news. Wrote to NSW.pse and was given the same automated response as to late April 2014 applications for ENS being processed...

Congratulations Cethen! Do you know which office granted you the PR? And from which state are you applying? thanks!

The days of waiting are over! It finally came! I am a day late in posting about it, as I was in the international terminal at LAX waiting for a flight back to Oz. I can't believe how good it felt to get the message that I was through. Thank you to everyone on this board, reading your messages and timelines helped keep me sane and kept me from worrying over my own! Congrats as well to Karen79, as it looks like we applied and received news on the same days!

 

To those still waiting, stay patient, your day will come and it is very worth it!

 

My timeline

Visa and Nomination lodged Submitted decision ready: 16 April, 2014

Type: Transition Scheme

Visa and Nomination Approved: 14 July, 2014

Nationality: American

Migration Assistant Used

Wah!!! Congrats Menuk, that was pretty fast!!!

We used a MA because my husband's firm paid for it but had we had to pay for our own, we would have done it without the MA. It's not complicated at all but it is time consuming. Some questions from form 80 might appear as nonsensical, but if you use this forum, you should be able to answer them. The use of a MA makes sense when your case is complicated or you do not fill the requirements (they would know of some loopholes). It used to be faster to use an MA before as applications lodged through an MA that filled some conditions were supposedly placed in a fast tracked queue, but this advantage has been removed couple of months ago.

Hi All!

I've applied for ENS 186 in April, at a time when my 457 was still valid. My bridging visa took over in May and I've only realized that I could be entitled to Medicare. I have my acknowledgment letter for a valid application, but haven't been to Medicare yet.

Would anyone know whether for taxation purpose, I have to pay for the medicare levy as of:

1/ april as this is when acknowledgment letter was sent

2/ may as this is when bridging visa 010 was "activated"

3/ the day I visit Medicare to have a medicare card?

I've kept on paying private insurance which is very expensive, and though I'm happy to potentially be eligible for Medicare, I'd be a bit annoyed to have to pay for both private health insurance and Medicare levy at the same time. Also if I get to choose when Medicare is activated, I'd go on July 1st as it would be much easier to fill my tax return for the fiscal year.

Many thanks for your answers!

Hey baguette, isn't it the opposite for form 80, now 10 years of travel instead of 30 previously? The form we just completed asks for 10 years unless applying for refugee/humanitarian visa! Please don't tell me we downloaded an old form (..

Hi paisleylass, I filled the 10 year form you mentioned first but am afraid this has changed as I had to redo that part subsquently on the new form (see below, copy pasted from my form 80). I'm afraid you might be using an old form...

18 Your address history for the last 30 yearsInclude:

• addresses inside and outside Australia

• places you resided for study/work

• refugee camps

• any other place you have resided such as share houses, university residences and temporary accommodation.

19 Have you travelled to any country other than Australia in the last 30 years?Include:

• work or study outside your usual country of residence

• holiday/leisure trips

• business

• military deployment

• visits back to your own country.

@familyoffive

We filled our form 80 back in mid March, but by the time we lodged (April 10th) the layout of form 80s had changed (they now ask for 30 years of travelling history as opposed to 10 years before) so this might be the reason why? Anyway I also come from a low risk country (France) and my MA reckoned that filing form 80 was necessary...!

Hi all,

 

Well finnally got an email from our case officer, it came through at 7.00pm but has the time on it 8.30am so not sure what happens there? I have been having trouble logging in since firefox updated the other day and now have to do it on daughters windows computer.

 

The email requested form 80 for daughter, police checks for me and her??? Not sure if computer issues but the form 80 had already been done and seems to have disappeared and the police checks were both already upload and showing on there. So uploaded them all again, see what happens now.

 

So for all you guys wondering about the form 80 the answer is yes, we are from a low risk country (UK) and have had to do it.

 

The time line is

16th March application

19th june case officer

 

Tina x

@MaggieMay24... Here's an excerpt from the link you provided that recommends you get your medicals after the CO asks if you've lodged your application...

Also you technically can, it says that doing so would delay your application... See below

[h=3]I have already lodged my Australian visa application[/h]You will be advised by email or by your case officer what health examinations you need to do (if any). You will then be requested to complete these examinations within a certain time period. Please wait until your visa case officer contacts you, do not use the My Health Declarations service if you have already lodged a visa application. It will delay processing of your visa application.

Note: To minimise processing delays, you should complete your required health examinations as soon as possible after your case officer has advised you to do so.

Even if you've already lodged your application, you can still get your medical check done without waiting for a CO. I have a coworker who lodged his application in May and arranged his medicals after that and he hasn't heard from his CO yet.

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/health-requirements/arranging-health-exam.htm

There's no need to wait for a CO to have your medicals done. If you lodge the application complete with the medicals and police checks, it helps ensure there's no delay in the processing of the visa.

If you've lodged nomination and application altogether without the medicals, then you have to wait for a CO to request the medicals.

Hi millers!

I've lodged on April 10th, so 2 days after you. Everything went in aside from the medicals and we did this through a MA (nomination + application together). For the medicals, you have to wait until you get a case officer first. I haven't done it yet as we haven't had a CO yet but this is what I read on immi website... So sit tight and wait yup!

woohoo, that's cool paisleylass!! glad to see that application from March are processed :-) Australia police check come pretty quickly!!! We did our form 80s early March but the format was subsequently changed along with the requirements (30years of travelling history and addresses!!)

paisleylass, I see you've lodged your application and you're getting your medicals done? Have you had a CO assigned?

I've lodged everything (form 80 and police checks from France, UK and Australia - and yes, police clearance in the UK is a bloody rip off!!!) on April 10th apart from medicals and I'm seeing on immi website that once youve lodged your application, you have to wait to have a CO assigned before booking your medicals. Here's from immi website:

source: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/health-requirements/arranging-health-exam.htm (when to arrange your health examination)

[h=3]I have already lodged my Australian visa application[/h]

hi guys , well i have lodged an application for ens186 on 13th of may through agent and i did my medicals on 19th . I was just wondering how could i check my visa progress online . i know i can create an immi account and bring my application into the same but my agent said you coudnt do that . is there any possible way to check progress ? thanks very much .

Oz2be, I'm going through an agent and providing you have your application number/reference, you should be able to import your application after you create your own immi account...

May I ask you how you how you got your medicals done so early? I lodged on April 10th, and weren't given any HapID to attend the medicals yet... Was under the impression that one had to wait around 10 weeks before being asked medicals by the CO?

I sat IELTS once, and English is the third language I learned (German was the second language). Am French, and scored all topics above 8... Though I did study and used 2 books to prepare for the exam, I did not find the exam to be tricky in any way... That being said, I'm not the main applicant on the visa and didn't feel any pressure when I sat the test as requirements are lower anyway. My tips: Go through the books, learn to reply the way they're expecting you to (rephrasing the topic as an introduction for the reading session, using 1 paragraph for 1 idea, writing a conclusion), and do not stress as you can always re-sit the exam should you need to... If I've done it and am not a native, anyone can do it! Good luck!

Update - PR Granted today! SO HAPPY!

 

My timelines are:

 

ENS 186 direct entry - Application/nomination submitted 10th February with Police checks - no medical

Nomination approved and medicals requested 31st March

Medicals 14th April

Medicals uploaded to DIBP 22nd APril

PR Granted same day - 22nd April

 

so in total exactly 10 weeks.

 

Thrilled, and good luck to those waiting

Congratulations Laura! :-)

Congrats. Seems now process time is about 10 weeks to low risk country applicants, but not so quick as to high risk country applicants. Thanks for sharing. I thought there would be no update this week, fortunately your great news is encouraging.

I thought coming from a high or low risk country made no difference for 186 visas (as indicated here: https://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/8.0.htm)..? (Am French, so if it's quicker, then great!)

Would anyone know whether the queue's longer for TRT or Direct Entry (if they're treated separately?)

Thanks!