SoniaG

Oh wow! Thank you so much for the detailed reply. Very kind of you. I will go through them and shortlist things.

Sorry, missed out to give that info. Arriving in Hobart and departing from Launceston.

Hello Skani, We are planning to be there from 23rd-28th of May. Its our first time there so we are interested to see the historic sites and do a lot of sight seeing and lil bit of adventurous things as well. I also would love to try out some local food and look forward to visiting the Salamanca market when we are there.

Hello, My sister and I are planning a 5 day trip to Tasmania next month. Could you suggest some must do places while we are there. We are planning on renting a car so its easier to go about. Any inputs would be appreciated. Thank you. Sonia

PCC done 11th June 2018 and 9th July 2018 from the second country of residence. I lodged my application on 12 July 2018. Medicals done on 28th July 2018. Grant on 25th Oct 2018.

Hi Degsy, I would suggest you check the below website for mock tests. I also suggest you to check their YouTube channel for the strategies on answering different types of questions. https://www.e2language.com/ Hope this helps. Do stay calm during the exam as every second counts. Good luck and do let us know how you did. :) Regards, Sonia

Hello Brian, I sat IELTS the first time and missed by 0.5 in the writing section. So i thought of giving PTE a shot and i scored 87 which gave me the 20 points. So i would suggest you do a thorough research on this and decide which test to sit. I think the below link can also help you. https://www.pomsinoz.com/topic/171260-ielts-vs-pearson-test-of-english-academic-pte-academic-my-personal-findings/ All the best with your exam and application. Sonia

Yay!! Congrats! All the wait was worth it yeah? The feeling after the grant is amazing. :) By when do you have to make the first entry?

Congrats on your visa grant! Could you please let me know how much did the whole thing cost you? Thank you.

Thank you very much for your response.

Hello, I got my 189 visa granted in Oct 2018. I plan to enter Australia in April 2019 to validate my visa. I intend to be there just for a month and return back to my country of residence. I plan to make the permanent move only by the end of this year or early next year. My question here is, what are the mandatory things i have to get done during my validation trip? My agent advised to open up a bank account but i read an article advising the following (Word of caution: If you are on a visa validation trip, please refrain from applying for Medicare card, TFN number and Centrelink.) Can anyone please advise what has to be done in my case. Thank you. Regards, Sonia George

I front loaded everything and ended up getting my direct grant in under 4 months. I know many ppl say here not to front load everything but i really did not want to wait for the CO to tell me what was already expected from me.

Thank you ! Hang in there.You will get yours soon.

Hey ! I got my direct grant today ! So freaking relieved!! :) Am wishing the same for you !

Yeah.. am getting impatient too. Good luck to you too! Please update on here if you hear something! :)