AmandaJB

1 hour ago, rammygirl said:

Do they. Have a license/registration number? I used a physiotherapist mate to sign mine and she included her official registration number in the document. I think they have to have some way of verifying the person. 

Thanks Rammygirl, that’s good to know. I’ve realised we also know a registered nurse so will go that route instead to be on the safe side. 

Hi everyone, I hope all’s well and (belated) happy new year! I am not sure this is the correct thread, please let me know if it should be elsewhere. We can now apply for citizenship (yay). The list of professionals who can countersign Form 1195 and the photo includes ‘nurse, licensed or registered.’ Does anyone know if this includes veterinary nurse too please? I phoned immi yesterday but the staff member was unsure. If there are any agents on here who would be happy to answer this question I’d be extremely grateful! 
Take care, and best of luck to everyone! Amanda 

On 01/10/2019 at 18:23, Kathss56 said:

Let me know if it speeds it up my emailing them please. I’m travelling just before Xmas. Thanks 

Hi Kathss56

I have just received a confirmation email that my new passport details have now been updated against my visa. It was a reply against my original email and Form 929 sent on 16 July. I can’t say whether my follow up email helped, perhaps they just deal with them in date order. 
Hopefully yours will be updated very soon. 
Amanda 

16 minutes ago, Peter2 said:

Just to clarify, are you using new passport details for the vevo check? Last time I used it, if you use old passport details, it will show old passport number, and vice versa.

If you use new passport details and it says no visa found, etc, then most likely it haven't been updated.

I entered my new passport number first and it couldn’t locate it. I tried my old passport number and that worked so they’ve not updated it yet. Fortunately I’m not travelling out of Australia for some time yet. 

25 minutes ago, Peter2 said:

Hi @Kathss56,

I assumed you already have a visa? You can verify your visa with new passport details using vevo check:

https://online.immi.gov.au/evo/firstParty?actionType=query

You should also bring both passports when you travel.

Hi @Peter2

Thanks for this information with the link, very helpful  

@Kathss56 I also wondered about this, as I emailed my new details, on the required Form, to the address advised, and having just checked Peter’s link, it still shows my old passport number. 

 I sent my updated information on 16th July and also had a response advising of the 40 days for them to update. I’m going to email it again.

Cheers

Amanda  

25 minutes ago, Judy said:

Hi so we have been here for just over 3 months and I think we have everything sorted apart from private medical insurance. We registered with medicare straight away and have managed to find a bulk billed doctor in our area so now have to decide whether to take out insurance. Does anyone have any thoughts on this please. 

Hi Judy, congrats on your move, hope you’re enjoying settling in I added a post on 11 Oct 2017 regarding private medical insurance, it’s on page 575. Its increased by only a couple of dollars a fortnight since then. Hopefully it will offer some insight into our own experience which we are still happy with. Everyone is different though and you may want/need more cover. 

Enjoy your new life in Australia, we absolutely love it here! 

49 minutes ago, Tulip1 said:

I'm assuming they are British parents who moved to Oz and subsequently took citizenship.  

I see, and I note that one parent has to have citizenship when the child is born. That would make sense, thanks. 

Just thinking out loud here, as I’m no expert - aren’t your children able to gain Australian Citizenship by Descent? I see you have Australian citizenship. 

2 hours ago, Fisher1 said:

Hi Amanda 

I signed up this morning and the final quote was just over twenty four dollars a fortnight for both of us. I had misunderstood the first quote and thought it was that much each. This morning I started again! I'm relieved to have something in place because it was starting to really worry me . I filled in the survey online and suggested that it might be good business for them to contact the poms in Oz website and  offer an information link.

We are beginning to feel a bit more at home in our house after almost four weeks. Although still waiting for our stuff from the UK we've got the basics and the Internet is on now. Getting a car was the big step forward for us - we like walking but we don't like having to walk:-) 

 

Hi Fisher1,

Good to see you got it sorted now, one less thing to do, and a great idea on the survey suggestion too ? 

So pleased you're settling in well. Once your goods arrive you'll really feel at home, we were about 6 weeks without ours and it was nice to unpack it all. We are out of the rental now and moved into our own place in June and are very settled! My husband has just got out of the pool and we've been admiring the beautiful blue sky, hot sun and fab bird songs, pretty blissful ! ?

Congrats on the car, it must be a lot easier now! Enjoy your continuing adventures ? 

8 hours ago, Fisher1 said:

Thank you so much for this info Amanda - we've been trying to work out what to do about insurance since we got here six weeks ago and have had many conflicting bits of advice. I had been doing some online research this week and had just come to the conclusion that we should go with an offer of just under sixty dollars a month each for eyes, teeth and ambulance cover - your post has made me feel much happier about the whole business which I have found very confusing. Thank you!

Hi Fisher, glad it helped. I note your quote is $60 a month each. Ours is about that in total for the two of us. It can depend if you want low, med, or high cover for max returns (we are medium) and ours also takes into account the government rebate which is applied as long as you take it within 12 months of arrival. Perhaps check that has been applied to your quote too. Something else HBF advised me was that the year starts from 1 Jan. So although we joined only a short time ago we have a whole years allowance for those months. There was also a 'no wait' offer as some have waiting periods before benefits kick in. All in, I think we were lucky with ours. Good luck with yours ? Hope you're settling in well ?

2 minutes ago, AMP said:

That is really helpful info, thanks ever so much for this advice Amanda.  Could you tell me which company you used please?  I think I will go down the same route as you.

Hi, happy to help. We are with HBF. No issues with them at all and very friendly. There are pricier extras only options too, with up to 10 choices including physio, natural therapies, chiropractors etc but we felt we wouldn't use it all so went with the 4 option extras cover.  

Good luck ?

10 hours ago, AMP said:

 

Thanks Kathy and Nemesis for your advice here.  Will check it all out and report back .....

Hi, I thought I'd let you know our experience. We looked at health insurance when we arrived and felt it too pricey to be honest at about $170 per fortnight if I recall correctly (we are 50 and 55 years old and both work). We have recently had a rethink about it all as we wanted at least ambulance cover and found 'not for profit' health insurance companies are very good and I believe more affordable. We took out an 'extras only' policy with ambulance, minor and major dental and optical, which costs $30 per fortnight.

My husband had to have a minor op earlier this year on the public system and everything was provided and he was well taken care of without private insurance. Also, I had to have an ultrasound, referred by my GP,  which I had the following day, covered by Medicare  (no waiting list!).  We feel we've taken the right option with the extras cover only. We both had our dental check ups, X-rays and clean this week, which would have cost $574 but it was all covered with the insurance which we were extremely pleased about!  Also, I think if you need an ambulance due to a car accident, the CTP insurance (legally essential) covers ambulance costs (in NSW anyway, not sure if it's the same everywhere). 

Hope some of the above will help. 

1 hour ago, suelear said:

Quick question: Once a 143 visa is granted, is there a time frame within which you have to make the permanent move to Australia?

Your medicals and police checks are valid for 12 months each and you will need to enter Australia to validate your visa before their validity expires, this doesn't have to be for the permanent move. I believe you have five years to move permanently. 

Good luck to all those now hearing from immi! 

On 28/09/2017 at 18:34, Catlady2014 said:

Cheque delivered to Perth Visa Centre 1.56 am UK time,  9.00 am Perth time - visa granted just now!  

Many many congratulations to you! So pleased for you, it's been some wait!! Wishing you all the very best in Aus. We are very happy here, absolutely the best decision. I'm sure you will settle quickly and happily. 

Good luck to all those who continue to wait! 

Amanda 

34 minutes ago, Lynn Moore said:

Hi All

I need some advice if possible.  Myself and my husband will be in this waiting room until next year.  Not that I am complaining much as you are all a lovely bunch and it makes me so happy when I read someone has reached the end of the waiting room and is off to new adventures.  Anyway,  I am doing a dog grooming course in October in preparation for our move but my husband is a HGV driver for 31 years.  He will be 57 when we move over and we are worried his age will go against him as we will have to work until we receive our pensions.  For people who are already over there or may know something do you foresee this as a problem.  Because if he cannot get a job we will have been in the longest waiting room for nothing and will not be able to move.  Any advice is very much appreciated.

 

Hi Lynn

 I'm not sure I can help a huge amount, we are in NSW. My husband and I are 55 and 50 respectively and like you, need to work to retirement. We both found employment here relatively easily (hubby started within 12 days of arrival in December 2016!). He has a British HGV licence, however in NSW a test needs to be taken here to gain the Australian equivalent (he's not in a driving job here). Where we are in the Hawkesbury area there are so many truck driving jobs advertised but I'm not sure if that is a reflection of other states/cities. I don't know if this info helps at all but wish you good luck in your new adventures and hope the wait passes quickly! 

Amanda

On 20/08/2017 at 07:57, Fisher1 said:

Thanks Amanda. Lovely to hear from you, I'm glad you are happily settled. We're looking at Kiama at the mo., will keep you posted.

On 20/08/2017 at 07:57, Fisher1 said:

Thanks Amanda. Lovely to hear from you, I'm glad you are happily settled. We're looking at Kiama at the mo., will keep you posted.

Kiama looks lovely! Best of luck in all your plans and wishing your daughter a very speedy recovery! That must be so painful, and so close to her due date. Lucky you're on your way!  

Safe travels

9 hours ago, juliew1499 said:

Hi Amanda

Had the most fab day, went with daughter and family to see the 20week scan of our grand daughter to be! 

So glad we went through the visa process when we did or we wouldn't have been here for this very exciting time in our lives.

hope you are well and settled.

Julie

That's brilliant news Julie, really pleased for you ? You must all be very excited and very happy to be able to share these family times.  Hope you've settled well too. We rented for six months but are now in our own place, which is so much better, especially that we can do what we like with the house. Both working full time and see the family most weekends or meet up some evenings. All great!!  How's your home building going? I hope everything is on track. 

Amanda

Hiya Julie, 

Good to hear from you too. I've been watching these posts and remembering what we went through back in the day! I cannot believe the delays now.  Thank goodness it's all in the past for us now but Ifeel very bad for all now waiting because we remember the frustrations. I'm happy to answer anyone's questions about settling, working, insurances, shopping, banking  and the big move etc. Hope you're all doing brilliantly Julie  ? And the family's all well. 

Have a fab weekend 

Amanda 

On 12/08/2017 at 00:16, Fisher1 said:

And so welcome to the new madhouse ... I've been madly ticking things off my 'to do ' list all week ... Or not. If I have to listen to one more robotic voice telling me that my call is important to them and they will try to connect me soon, I'll scream. Ditto those mad web sites that take you round in circles but never to the actual page with the actual address so that you can actually write a letter to these people because nothing else is working. Worst culprits? HM tax, swiftly followed by teachers pensions. We are slowly getting rid of all the stuff we aren't taking. I'll be so glad when it's all done and I really can relax. D day is a week today. 

Hi Fisher1 ! How exciting that you're finally almost on your way! I can just imagine how you feel, there are so many emotions. We are settled in Sydney's Hawkesbury District and very happy with our decision (it's more affordable than the rest of Sydney but still close enough to everything we need). I'll be interested to see where you settle, and wish you all the happiness you so deserve! 

Good luck, enjoy and wish you all the best

Amanda

Shufffle up everyone - there's room for one more in the waiting room! Received Notification of Grant of Visa this morning:jiggy:

Fabulous news, congratulations! Such a relief when the waiting is over isn't it! Enjoy :-)

Hi all

 

Oh well, here it is

woooohoooooo!!!

 

Visa granted today 15 December!

 

Good luck to all those still waiting and hang on in there!

Huge congratulations to you! Brilliant news! It's great when its finalised and there's no more waiting isn't it!! What a long journey....

All the best

Amanda

Did someone just slam the waiting room door????? Oh yes it was me on my way out. VISA GRANTED!!!!!!! Whoopee!

can,t believe it after all this time, Thinking of you Sadge, Tien, Steve 1 and Geordie Joe it will soon be your turn.

Julie

Hi Julie, FANTASTIC news! Congrats to you both, feels a relief doesn't it! Enjoy your new life here :-) it's been some journey hasn't it!!

All the best, Amanda

Well, move on up everyone......My parents have got their visa confirmation today!!!!

Thanks so much for all the support that everyone has for each other on this forum - its been a valuable source of information, and glad to have been able to share it with your all.

Good luck to everyone, and especially the other 23rd Juners - Tien and Julie. I hope you are both celebrating soon too.

:arghh:WOW!

Fantastic news! Congrats to the family :-) Your parents must be so relieved! Good luck with the house sale.

Good news!!! At last the request for the 2nd VAC payment - we're almost there!! So excited and now working on getting funds across to get payment completed. Fingers crossed you hear soon Tien and Julie - you're not far behind I'm sure :wink:

Excellent news!! Hopefully will be granted by the end of the week! How exciting..

Good luck with the next stage of your adventure. We have a way to go yet but can't wait to get back out there

Thanks so much :-) and good luck to you too with it all - hopefully now the rush of May/June 2014 is coming to a close the waiting time will get back to the previous years of 18-24 months, From experience, much of it will go fast - it's when you get closer that things seem to go in slow mo :-)

In the meantime, enjoy everything in life!

Amanda