Anyone complained about Immigration - has it done anything?

[egrek]

We keep being told things (through our agent) and then they do a U-turn and say they're not doing them anymore. Which is costing us time and money. And now we may not be getting a Visa due to these constant changes in decision.

 

Is there anything we can do?

 

 

All to do with our application: (as you'd imagine)

We were given as long as we needed. Great.

Then we were then told 2 months and no chance of extention. What?

Then we were told we had another 2 weeks and this would be extended as long as we could prove we were working towards getting it sorted. Okay.

Now we're told we have 2 more weeks and no further extentions possible. Back to What?

 

The thing is we are (and have been for a long time) waiting for various other governmental agencies to recognise qualifications.

 

We weren't told we needed them when we applied.

We were then told (3 months after our application was received) that we did need them.

We told them it was an 8 week process and we didn't want to pay money for the prcoess if we weren't going to get extentions to cover the length of time.

We were told we would get extentions.

Now 2 weeks after sending all the docs off to the agency we've been told we have 2 weeks?

 

And this is from our case workers manager - as our case worker was off on holiday, again, for the second time, without any notice or notification (or cover?)

 

They believe we should have handed in these qualifcation recognition as part of our visa application. But they were never required for the role, or requested until 3 months after we applied?

 

 

Oh and one more diamond: we were also told the only reason the qualifications needed to be transfered over, was as there 'may' be a change of law in 2014 (the qualifications held now, work now - my partner working in the role she's being sponsored for)

 

 

Anyone made complaints and have they made any difference?

We are in Oz, on a WHV - bridging visa. Applied for a 457 about 7-8 months ago.

 

Any advice?

 

Anyone?

 

Anything?

[blossom]

Wow, well no. They can pretty much ask for what they want. If it has taken that long then it sounds like they are not totally convinced you should be getting the visa.

 

Your agent is the one who should have been picking up on. These issues and making sure you had everything you needed before applying. If you complain to anyone I would make it them.

 

Immigration can change the rules whenever they like, and there is stuff all you can do about it I'm afraid.

[egrek]

Thanks for the reply.

 

"Stuff all you can do" - well we know all about that - in the same situation with where we live - owner wants to sell - suddenly all your rights disappear, no notice, no say, no choice.

 

I would have thought it was easier for an accountant with an international qualification and a Victorian registered Teacher (being, you know, Victoria Australia). But no.

 

Most of the wait has been for the qualifications to be assessed. First to Canberra and now to the Education department. And they have even said when the assessments come through they will give us a visa, but now won't give us the time, and... as you said... they can change their rules whenever they like.

[egrek]

I should also add more confusion:

 

We're qualified to work in the role now.

But aren't qualifed to work in the same role with a visa?

 

Does that make sense to anyone?

[egrek]

Somehow, with a day to go before our final final - no extention deadline (which was going to be extended 2 days to allow us to get the papers which can take up to 3 weeks to get in the post) we've managed to finally get everything in and have a visa.

 

Shocked is the word.

 

Thanks go out to ASCEQA - who were the only organisation to actually go above and beyond themselves to help us.

[Guest GeorgeD]

Somehow, with a day to go before our final final - no extention deadline (which was going to be extended 2 days to allow us to get the papers which can take up to 3 weeks to get in the post) we've managed to finally get everything in and have a visa.

 

Shocked is the word.

 

Thanks go out to ASCEQA - who were the only organisation to actually go above and beyond themselves to help us.

 

Congratulations!

[Guest littlesarah]

Somehow, with a day to go before our final final - no extention deadline (which was going to be extended 2 days to allow us to get the papers which can take up to 3 weeks to get in the post) we've managed to finally get everything in and have a visa.

 

Shocked is the word.

 

Thanks go out to ASCEQA - who were the only organisation to actually go above and beyond themselves to help us.

 

To be fair, the role of DIAC is not to help prospective migrants. Their job is to figure out who gets the 'golden ticket' and who doesn't.

 

I would expect my agent to know what I definitely need, what I might need, and to be on top of helping me to get the required paperwork together. Isn't that what a migration agent is for?

 

Glad it all was sorted in the end.

[egrek]

To be fair, the role of DIAC is not to help prospective migrants. Their job is to figure out who gets the 'golden ticket' and who doesn't.

 

I would expect my agent to know what I definitely need, what I might need, and to be on top of helping me to get the required paperwork together. Isn't that what a migration agent is for?

 

Glad it all was sorted in the end.

 

Ahhh sounds so simple when you say it. And seems to be the case with most people. For us our migration agent and DIAC and many other agencies were all arguing over what we needed for different roles. It took 3 months before we were told what qualifications were required from DIAC! A bit of a mess! So I can understand the agent didn't know what we needed when DIAC didn't!

 

But yes, as we started planning our next holiday to head home, we get it with a days grace! Now we need another apartment...(it never ends!)