supercow

If it makes you feel any better, you are not alone (it doesn't make me feel any less impatient knowing others are also waiting haha) This year flew up to this point, but now the calendar is standing still entirely... perhaps I shouldn't be staring at dates in it every other day

Someone more knowledgeable than me might chime in, but surely a permanent resident is exactly that - permanent? So you can come and go as you please?

Drats, thanks for confirming @CaptainC How do you mean it shouldn't take that long (3 months) - have you seen them go quicker than that of late. I odn;t think my application is particularly complicated (though I did go via the RPL route for my skills assessment, and I'm a South African living in the UK for more than 10 years... not sure if that makes it any more complicated)

Can anyone here tell me, when I can expect a verdict on my application? I've submitted (well, my agent has), my 190 application on the 16th June. I have been requested my medicals / form 80 and police clearance a while later, which in turn then was submitted to them on the 6th August. From when should I start to count the "3 month" wait? Should it be from June, or August?

I have a Westpac account, including online banking which took me all of15 minutes to set up. I can transfer money to it, but won't be able to withdraw from it until I go and provide proof of ID. I can do that either by visiting the London branch, or when I land in Aus. Got them to price match money transfer fees from transferwise too, simples

Port Elizabeth, now in Buckinghamshire...on my way to QLD

It's not a requirement in the strictest sense of the term, but it's certainly good practise for any essay introduce the topic, introduce your idea(s), flesh out your idea(s), and then end with a conclusion / punchy summary

"We"... thought you were single ? Ja boet, it's the reason I've not gone back, but I guess our priorities are different. I'm earning fistfuls of money for not an awful lot of effort (not showing off, it's just the way it is) ... but I'm just not a European / Northern Hemisphere boy at heart, ultimately the reason I'm on these very forums

Just fly it with you, no need for special shipping boxes. Just go to your LBS and ask them for a box to put it in. I don't know about Singapore airlines, but all the airlines I've flown with my bikes, have had a set price for adding an item like a bike...it's probably best to call them.

Carshalton is one of the most horrible places I've ever lived. It's the reason I literally fled London, into the countryside! @melbourne , start contracting, plenty of work in the digital agencies in London (I work/have worked with a lot of them). If life's all about money for you, then that's where it's at.

They reserve the right to call, whether they do or not is luck of the draw.

Hi @Dani4 I'm afraid I'm no tutor, so can only give you general guidance. For specifics you will need to seek advice from someone more qualified than I am. To answer you questions directly, however: * https://ptepractice.com | The $9.99 package I felt was sufficient for my needs. I suggest starting with that and self-assess whether you think you need more. * I have not attempted the Academic IELTS, so I'm unable to comment on that. The PTE subject matter is more academic in nature than that of the General IELTS, and you do have graphs and images you'll need to interpret for the PTE exam. If the mere sight of them puts you off, then perhaps PTE is not for you. The key you need to remember is not to panic when you see them and just put into words, what the graph is illustrating. They look much more intimidating than they really are.

OK, sorry I could not add any value, just thought maybe you were in a similar boat as me. As @Alan Collett says above, it does sound awfully sketchy to me. Maybe confirm with a MARA agent?

You misunderstood my intention, I did not bring your integrity into question. I'm merely asking, how you do business, because I considered myself self-employed, even though I actually trade under my own limited company. Therefore, I'm employed by the company I'm the sole shareholder of (i.e: Not actually classified as self-emplyed)

Sorry for asking what you may have already covered with your agent, but do you work within a limited company as a vessel for your business?

The key with the PTE speaking, is to convey the meaning behind what you see or hear. So for example, if you see a graph, the title or axis usually alludes to what you can expect ,and reading them out gives your speech introduction.... but to score higher you must interpret and paraphrase what you see, for examplea declines in sales over a period of time, peak rainfall over a certain period and so forth. Same applies to what you hear in a played conversation, when you're asked to sumamrise make sure you capture the essence of the conversation, and support your core understanding with facts expressed in the conversation. Hope you nail it soon @mgreaves

Congrats Makybe!

Is the PTE exam an option for you?

I'm sorry to thread hijack - don't mean to be rude. I've been wanting to know, whether your UK credit scoring helps for when we move to Aus. I'm assuming I'll start with a blank slate, and will need to build one up there?

That's fantastic to hear, congratulations on your achievement!

I did my rotator cuff and dislocated my clavicular a couple years back, and it took ages to heal (much more than a month if I recall) Very little blood feeds the muscle, hence the reason for it taking so long to heal. As mentioned above, keep it mobile once the first few weeks in a sling has passed. I had to majorly scale down any work I'd been doing in the gym, so was still lifting weights, but significantly less. Resistance band workouts do wonders for the rotor muscles.

I'm a recovering needle-phobe, so the whole blood sample thing was a big thing for me. I went to cognitive therapy sessions, just to be able to cope with the thing, and had my local GP prescribe me with Daizepam (Valium) for good measure ... so don't worry @Lizzie0309 , you're not the only one out there worried about the medicals

I did my PTE in the UK. I don't know the specifics of the law, but I know that over here you need to give specific consent that you would (or would not) like your details shared with third parties.

Are you sure it was them? I never got spam called at all.

I'm really happy that my comparison's been of use to people out there. I knew I couldn't be the only one in the exact position! Just going by your response here, it's clear to you that you're just one of the many who fall between the crack and I have no doubt in my mind you'll smash it to bits Great news indeed! Sorry I can't answer your question though, my agent does all that for me.