LAW

Thanks!! We lodged initially back in October 2017. 

Hi All,

Just a quick message to say we got our grant this morning. Good luck to all still waiting....lovely feeling when it happens! 

Absolutely buzzing to get on with the planning! 

Thanks, helpful to know. Are you in Australia now and working?

Thanks for the info CeeJayKav. I have heard they are pretty strict on extensions so felt it better to apply later. How long did the process take for you? 

How did you go with your recce LeeH?

We are waiting on our CO reviewing our visa this Friday (18th May). Have held off with the AHPRA application, as even if I submitted the end of May they are saying 8-10 weeks for processing time. Thats would mean (with the 3 month registration window) visiting Australia to validate with AHPRA between Aug-Oct. We were hoping to time a possible visa validation trip within the AHPRA timescales so looking at submitting in 3 months-ish to allow us to go on holiday over christmas/new year. 

Meanwhile there are loads of good jobs passing me by.....

Tis very exciting though!!!

Hi, as the previous poster said, I thought you can only claim for your highest degree. 

I have recently had my qualifications assessed as equivalent to 6 years of Australian study by the APS. That included BSc Psychology, MSc Forensic Psychology and Doctorate in Clin Psych. You may need to complete some of the transitional programme in Aus to become fully registered. For more info look up AHPRA registration. 

Hi all,

We have had our medicals this week and am wondering how likely it is that the case officer will request more information re. my hubby's type 1 diabetes?

So many hoops....

Ah okay, that a bit more promising! 

Does anyone know whether this figure of 5-8 months includes time from first lodgement of visa to completion...or...is this the time from final lodgement to completion?

Hope that makes sense...

LAW x

On 15/01/2018 at 10:40, bigpoppadolph said:

Hi Liam, are you waiting too? We put the EOI in the day after the skills assessment came back. It was almost a year's wait for AHPRA and anmac which added a massive chunk of time to our plans. Agreed we were lucky for a quick invite, I can't imagine what the 60 pointers are going through now.

Many are changing subclasses to get round it, as we decided to do in April when the 489 limit was reached my partner did another Pearson's to get an extra 10 points so we could go for the 189. Now 489's are getting processed faster than 189's but it will be better in the long run.

I know there's a lot of people waiting, just haven't heard of many waiting as long as we have.

Thanks

Hopefully processing times start to reduce after the Christmas break for everyone. Are also a family of 5 hoping to head out to Melbourne. 

Cannot believe AHPRA took almost a year...this gives me the fear! I've chosen to postpone AHPRA application until we have at least lodged the final part of the visa. Case officer has been in contact and we are in the process of medicals, police checks and form 80's. So, should be within the next month that we are at final lodgement...but a year for AHPRA!!! That sucks! 

Fingers crossed for good news for you soon. 

Whoohooo....case officer assigned from the Adelaide office. Requested form 80, police checks and medicals! Glad to be moving on to the next stage. 

Following this thread! Nice to hear there is some progress being made.

Our 189 visa was lodged 25/10/17 and we have yet to have a case officer assigned. I think I read somewhere that there should normally be a case officer assigned within 8 weeks...is this right? I can't remember where I saw this.  Feeling inpatient and would like to get medicals organised but want to leave ourselves as much time as possible to make the move if we are granted! 

Thanks for all the replies folks. Hadn't really realised that the beaches were all so far away from the city to be honest so thats helpful for us. We really would love to live a short drive away from a local beach. Melbourne is really our front runner at the moment and we are looking at Altona, Point Cook area. Just wanted to check out this area due to the frequency of job adverts that would suit us. 

Hi All,

Just after any info. about how rural West Moreton/Ipswich is or feels? Does a trip to the coast take a while? Have had a look at maps and it would seem a trip to the coast/beach would take well over an hour? I guess an option is top live nearer coast and commute out there. 

Keep seeing great jobs and salaries advertised with Queensland Health out there but wonder if the salaries are reflective of how much they need to pay to attract applicants...?

Hi Hucath, 

A fellow newbie! Hi and welcome to PIO!

No experiential information from me about surviving on that salary in Sydney as we are still in the UK. But, from what I have read you may struggle on this salary. It all depends on other factors like will your partner work? Where will you live? Close to CBD, suburbs? etc. Sydney is the most expensive city to live in with regard to house prices I believe.

I  would also be a bit concerned about going on a 457 with young children. It is, as you'll know, a temporary visa with certain conditions if you lose your employment for any reason. I think the last I knew you had 90 days to gain new employment or leave Australia. You note it is their policy and won't change to PR...are you happy with that...i.e. you are going for the experience with no view to making it a permanent move? What type of employment are you in, as the move may be more secure, depending on the industry? 

I'm sure some more experienced folks will be along in a minute to say a bit more...

Hi all,

We have recently lodged our 189 skilled visa and I have been trying to work out when to start the AHPRA process. Colleagues in Australia have advised to begin this process sooner rather than later as it often takes a long time. I have also been encouraged by prospective employers to do so. 

The issue is that once I (hopefully) gain a positive outcome for provisional registration, I am then in the position (as far as I understand) to register at an AHPRA office within 3 months of the outcome. Frustratingly, you used to get a year. Given our visa is likely to take between 7-8 months itself and then we will have things to tie up here before we go, I had been holding off thinking this is better done later down the line. 

Has anyone any experience of this? I am now wondering if it would be worth the extra expense and time etc. to apply and then fly out for a recce and to register? Really had not banked on this extra expense however and what a pain it all is!! 

Thanks for all the suggestions folks. I bet the time will fly by Pom Queen! We have three kids too and time just zooms past when you have littlies. 

We have started looking at properties in and around the Altona, Point Cook, Sanctuary Lakes, Werribee areas west of Melbourne, as thought it looked like you got more for your $'s there. Any thoughts on these places Pom Queen? Also seemed a good option for train route into CBD. Have no firm plans but liked the look of these areas. I guess it depends what happens job wise for us and what salary we can command between us. It definitely is addictive when you start looking at houses on realestate.com calNgary! 

Have no idea what to do with shipping at this stage! Though, we don't have loads of furniture to take as much of it is needing replaced. Just a new sofa, coffee table, computer table and storage chest. We thought it would be better to buy new beds/matresses for kids and ourselves on arrival rather than waiting for them to arrive via shipping and were thinking move cube might be an option given positive reviews I have seen on here.

Any suggestions re. banks? Have had a number of e-mails from various companies looking for our business having now lodged. Commonwealth bank and John Mason international movers among them. 

Thanks Cerebus...this is great! 

Anyone else recently lodged their 189? We are hoping to go to Melbourne some time towards the end of next year hopefully. 

Hi all,

We lodged our 189 skilled visa last week and have been on a bit of a high knowing that we have finally got to this point! Needless to say the reality of the 7-8 month wait that the DIBP are currently advising for processing feels like a long time! 

So, I was thinking about how to spend that time wisely and was considering some of the organising that can be done now...any suggestions or experience welcome!

My list so far goes like this...

1) Open an Australian bank account and potentially start making some deposits (savings permitting). Have been reading about what bank to go for but is a bit of a minefield. 

2) Don't renew mobile phone contracts and use a pay and you go service when they are due for renewal. Need to actually check when renewal dates are but the intention is there!

3) Start putting together a larger box-file of all documentation we will require out there (this is semi-started given all the stuff we needed to submit for visa anyway).

4) Start making a list of DIY jobs to get the house sale (likely) or rent ready. Oh, and actually start doing some of them! 

Any more ideas from those who have been there? Would be good to have something to focus on other than the waiting! 

My hubby is a tradie too and we had heard similar news for Perth picking back up again. Our plan is for Melbourne however. Good luck with the move!

Encouraging to hear 5 months for visa grant! 

Congratulations, thats great news! When do you plan to make the move and what occupation are you looking for work in? 

jagzz...we submitted our EOI with 65 points and waited 6 weeks (3 invitation rounds) for our invite, but I think it is very much dependent on your occupation. 

Hi Pom Queen! I will update details when we are confirmed as lodged. Nice to see this and a bit easier to read than other trackers I've come across. 

Hoping to lodge our 189 65 point skilled visa at some point this week. Feeling nervous and excited in equal measures! 

Anyone else at a similar stage? Thought we could start an October lodge group to keep a track of timelines etc. and people hopefully getting grants quickly....