freedy50

Just to add, my wife and I are moving to Oz on temporary parent visas and have just bought a house in NSW.  Just for us to live in and not even an investment.

We've just been done for an extra $45,600 (approx £25,000) for what they call "surcharge duty" We're paying it as we didn't want to lose our house. I tried to discuss it with the FIRB and their tax people, but they won't budge about it and is a blanket tax that covers everyone whatever their circumstances. It was originally brought in as the Chinese kept buying up property as investments.

2 minutes ago, Rosiejaq said:

Thanks for the info, but I don’t think Cuba and Vietnam are considered unusual places for English people to holiday, in fact they’ve become THE places to visit in recent years! 

I'm just going by the way the immigration people might be thinking. I've possibly seen too many programmes of Nothing to Declare on tv? They question a lot of people at Customs if they've come from places possibly associated with drugs.

For people getting concerned about the form 80. Before you applied for a visa the Australian immigration people would have never heard of you. All they need is a brief background of who you are, where you're from and what you've been doing for at least the last 10 years. (I've always had my CV online so could go back to when I left school)

From what I've gathered over past visits to Oz and discussions online, I think if you're from the UK they wouldn't study the forms so much if youve had a steady working life without big gaps in it. Or been on holiday to "normal" places like Europe or USA and obviously Australia for a couple of weeks or more at a time. They look a bit more, and would ask more questions, if holidays were to places like Bolivia, Cuba or Vietnam etc. Places more out of the ordinary for what they would assume English people would go to.

If you can't remember exact dates for holidays or work, just put the best you can and if there is a query they'll be back to you to fill in any gaps.

2 hours ago, SuzanneW said:

Visa 173 applied Sept 15. Asked for medicals etc Feb 19. 

Just looking at form 80, most of it straightforward but do they really want to know EVERY holiday we've had in the last 10 years!! I really can't remember where we've been let alone dates etc. Can someone advise please. Thank you in anticipation.

They just want to know if you've been to any dodgy countries. All mine were Spain when I done mine. The form covers all different nationalities so they have to check up on them as well.

On 15/02/2019 at 16:44, LindaH27 said:

@Marilynapparently someone (freedy?) on here applied for 143 as soon as grant of 173 came through - before even validating the 173 and apparently it’s been accepted. So if that’s right you could do the same? Always  thought you had to validate first but apparently not! 

@LindaH27 It was certainly me

Got my 173 on 30th November. The application for the 143 went through on the 19th December and was acknowledged on the 28th December. No queries raised by my agent or Immigration. Won't get the 173 validated until the 20th March. Probably after that date they get my 143 out of their system and put me in a long queue?

12 hours ago, JesseyJ said:

If your Assurance of Support has not been finalised before 1 April 2019 then the bond increase will apply. The new fees from this date are as follows: 

• Main Applicant $15,000 AUD (previously $10,000 AUD)
• Secondary Applicant $6,000 AUD (previously $4,000 AUD)

Keep the pennies coming in to pay for our dream. 

That's not going ahead. They've changed their mind like they do with a lot of things

14 minutes ago, Quoll said:

Dollars.

At the moment the total of £53,084 for BOTH visas converts to $97,100. Which is nearly $50k each but like I say it's for both visas.

11 hours ago, vicky bajwa said:

First you have to pay almost 50 grand per person to govt. and then wait for almost 4 to 5 years for visa grant and then reach there without any benefit. Wow that's amazing!!!!

Do you mean 50 grand as in dollars or pounds? 

At the moment for me and my wife, we've paid for the 173, £31,850 then we'll be paying £21,234 for the 143 making a total of £53,084 for both of us. Making £26,542 each for both visas. So it's not 50 grand per person!!

1 minute ago, Bear2015 said:

Hi Freedy50,

I’m assuming you also applied for a 173? If so, after your wife’s operation, how long did it take up to visa grant? 

Yes it was the 173. Her actual operation was in September and after we sent all the various reports they wanted, we got our visa granted on 30th November. We're going to validate it in March before our deadline of the 26th. And have already started on the 143 route.

2 hours ago, Bear2015 said:

Hi everyone,

Good news- My parents have been invited to provide further documents. (medicals, police report and form 80) within 70 days. They applied for 173 on 2nd October 2015. 

My wife and I were asked for documents last March and got our visa about the middle of November, but that was with my wife needing to have an operation after the medical. So that was 8 months. If everythings ok with your parents it could be quicker?

20 hours ago, CEJ said:

Put anything in subject except "Test" and you will get one. 

I used to write Test as I read to do that ages ago and worked all the time. 

Now it appears that they've changed their system so I sent one with Visa as the subject and it worked

40 minutes ago, LindaH27 said:

Just had a reply. No change so it only changes once it changes the month - less info than before, then we could see if the actual date changed now it’s just the month   

 

	103	804	143	173	864	884	Temporary to Permanent
Acknowledge New Applications	JANUARY 2019
Queue Assessment	Mar 2017	Jul 2016	Jul 2015	Jul 2015	Nov 2016	Nov 2016	May 2018
Visa Assessment	Aug 2010	Jun 2010	Jul 2015	Jul 2015	Nov 2016	Nov 2016	May 2018

I can't even get that sent to me!!

I had my Temporary to Permanent application acknowledged on 19th December, so I could be in their queue by about September, if they don't change the goalposts again?

3 hours ago, Ryanlee said:

Deadly silence from IMMI

I've been trying the automated email addresses to get dates for ages but don't even get an answer now.

1 hour ago, AmyLondon said:

Hello

I am looking to speak to someone about the 143/173 visas, who did you use and would you recommend?

I'm currently using Emergico who are in Brisabne. They've worked fine for me all this time. They also have a branch in Essex, UK.

1 hour ago, LindaH27 said:

Scott Morrison  is actually the guy who stopped the boats and set up off shore processing on Nauru I think - so doubt he will be more sympathetic!! 

From what I can gather they are assessing 173 - 143 applications with a queue date of March 2018 but I don’t know how long the process is and AOS is taking over 4 months now for people who have already applied for it. I think there are more rigorous checks on the sponsor. 

 

So if it's currently 10 months behind with the processing, it could mean that I might know something by about October/November and I'll already be living in Australia much before then anyway. ☺

My son will be ok doing the AOS even with more rigerous checks

It's annoying that the dates have stopped like that. I want to know processing times and dates for a 173 to 143. I'm sure it can't be  3 to 4 years like the other visas?

I'm waiting to try the automatic emails on the 31st to see if the end of the month makes any difference in getting a reply?

19 minutes ago, LindaH27 said:

Same with the new reply to the test email. Just shows the month rather than the date. Seems like immi realises we are all aware of lengthening wait times and perhaps is trying to hide the real situation?  Or it may be something to do with the govt trying to reduce 99 visas to 10 - and we don’t know which ones will go yet! If I had to guess I would say they would get rid of the non contributory ones - we cost them too much even with the contributions we do make ! I also read that most migrants over there are on bridging visas which again they are looking at. From other posts it also seems they can stop an existing visa when they want  - as they did for a while with the 804 back in 2014-15 and some other visas  

Immigration is really a hot topic for the Australian govt at present and my gut feeling is that it’s all going to get harder and longer to get a visa  - whether this would change with a different government I’m not sure  

Whatever,  it’s very disheartening !! 

The current Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, was Minister for Immigration for a year between 2013 and 2014. I don't know if he would be anymore sympathetic about this because of that?

Also he's only been Prime Minister since August and they've got to have another election by May! Don't know if that would make things worse?

On 27/01/2019 at 13:09, CEJ said:

Hi congrats, so are you not ready to move permanentlyin March? Did you get the police check before they requested it ? Or did you just decide yourselfs ? 

What date did you put your first application in ?. 

 

Thanks 

 

Sorry, just seen this.  We just waited until we were told what to do by our agent who get told by the Immi people. About the beginning of March last year we were told to do medicals and police checks so these were done at that time.

With the 173 my wife and I have got we were given a date of 26th March to be in Australia by to validate our visas. That works out as being the 1 year anniversary of when we got our UK police checks. We're going over for a couple of weeks in March for a validation trip and will go back again permanently in May. 

 We're also in the process of applying for our 143 and haven't been told yet to supply any other paperwork. 

6 minutes ago, CEJ said:

Hi, 

Can anyone give me info on switching from 173 visa to 143. My 173 application has  now been in 38 month and just wondered if switching over without loosing my waiting time is a option ? 

Thanks in advance CJ 

I don't think it's a good idea at this stage. My 173 came through last November  in 41 months.

I was going to wait the 2 years to start the 143, but because of the rules about house buying I started it as soon as I got the other one.

28 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

The obstacle is that you have to apply to the Foreign Investment Board (FIRB) for permission to buy.  I think the application fee is around $5,000 (but don't quote me!) and obviously there's a wait to get approval, but once you've got that, you're good to go.

Yep. that's why I'm trying to get a 143 quicker which probably wont be. Looks like we'll be renting for some time.

6 hours ago, LindaH27 said:

Then I hope all goes well for you! I know there are members of this forum waiting  for 173 and subsequent 143 visa so Im sure they would be interested too. Thank you for letting me know. I like to learn as much as I can about the visas, it helps pass the time whilst waiting! 

Just to add. My original idea was to wait the 2 years, get some interest on our money, then apply for the 143. However, it seems it's better to be a Permanent Resident to buy a house and get the grants they do so have started the procedure quicker. At the moment as we want to buy a house when we're there, we're classed as a "foreign buyer" and, I believe, have some obstacles in buying one. Unless I've read the details about it completely wrong?

30 minutes ago, LindaH27 said:

So I’m not sure how immi will deal with  @freedy50 143 application in December last year when they won’t validate 173 till March this year? It may be best to get clarification from an agent as you would not want to run the risk of the application being thrown out or it’s application date being  changed to a March date after you’ve entered. I hope you can sort this out, I wish you well. 

I'm doing it through an agent, who I've been dealing with for over 4 years now, and they haven't said it can't be done.

The 173 was granted on the 30th November and after I received that I told my agent to continue with the 143 visa. I've now got a letter dated the 28th December stating  "Acknowledgement of a valid application for a Contributory Parent (Migrant) (class CA) Contributory Parent (subclass 143) visa."  The Date of Visa Application on it is 19th December. I'm sure they're well aware through their computer systems that my 173 hasn't been validated yet and haven't rejected this application.

Good bit of information Kath. 

I'm currently on the temporary to permanent route with my application only acknowledged in December. I assume they'd write to me about my visa being assessed which looks like it could be some time?

So anyway.  To change from that heated debate.

My wife and I got our 173 visas at the end of Novemeber (and will be coming over to validate them in March before our deadline) and as soon as they were granted we started wuith the 143 application.

Does anybody know how quick it would be to get the 143 seeing how we already have the 173? I believe it could be quicker then applying directly for a 143? I've tried the blank email to Home Affairs but never get a reply.