First entry date

[Peter Maroti]

Hey everyone!

 

This is a somewhat confusing subject for me at the moment, that i can´t find an answer to it in any forum.

 

The question is; can a first entry date be extended. The answer, wherever i look, is always a very clear and firm NO!

You HAVE to enter Oz and validate your visas before that date, period.

 

We received our 175 visas yesterday and right after, i wrote to our case officer, referring to an earlier exchange we´ve had earlier when she informed me: "I can extend health 6 months as long as there are no conditions applicable and police clearances 3 months." Sounded nice enough for me then.

So, i reminded her of this and asked if this indeed would be possible now, as we got our visas granted May 16-th and our first entry date is set for Sept.13-th, which obviously is not a lot of time, especially with a toddler included. The reply i got this morning was the following: "To extend your IED you need only email: GSM.business.support@immi.gov.au. You need to wait til your IED date has passed then email the above address requesting an extension of time."

Now, as you can see, this is the exact opposite of what everyone everywhere says. In fact, it´s almost too simple and good to be true. "Don´t worry about it, just enter whenever it suits you, just let us know beforehand"

I´d like to believe this is true, after all, this reply came straight from DIAC.

 

Any thoughts on this, anyone?

Thank you and cheers,

-Peter

[Guest littlesarah]

I asked my CO about this just before my visa was granted, and the answer was that he could not extend my initial entry date (so I had to get my medicals done again). But I think individual COs seem to do their own thing, to some degree (plus my meds were for me to enter as a health professional which I think altered things a bit).

 

If you have all that in writing, surely they'd have to honour it? Might be worth speaking to a MARA registered migration agent, they should know.

[Guest]

"To extend your IED you need only email: GSM.business.support@immi.gov.au.You need to wait til your IED date has passed then email the above address requesting an extension of time."

 

I would say if something sounds too good to be true..... Even when it was the volcano disrupting flights, people had hassle persuading DIAC to extend their initial entry date by a few days. Waiting until after your IED to do something i.e. until the visa has expired seems like a very high risk strategy to me..

[Rupert]

Well I wouldn't be risking it myself..

[Peter Maroti]

Thank you for your input, and I agree, naturally i won´t just calmly wait until i pass the first entry date to ask for an extension.

It kind of beats the whole point with the extension, to just wait until the time runs out before you ask for more. I´d like to know NOW that i have have at least 6-8 months, rather than the less then 4 months that we were given now, to arrange everything that a move includes from scratch.

The frustrating part still is, how do you ask a higher or more informed authority than DIAC itself, which i have?

I guess i´ll do as "littlesarah" suggested above; ask a migration agent, or just be a pain in the butt and write DIAC again or try to contact them by phone, to make it all crystal clear to myself.

Thanks again!

[Davo1]

Hi,

 

I am not meaning to be rude, just wondering if you have read your grant letter correctly and it is September this year and not next? It does not seem as though you have got a lot of time for your IED if you only got your 175 visa in May 2013. I got my 175 visa issued last September and I have until this September to go, so maybe worth checking this out. Also my CO previously stated in an email there was no way to extend the IED. Good luck!

[lebourvellec]

You should enter before the date stated on grant letter. You may lose visa if not, you would have to show mitigating circumstances why you have not entered by the date stated. I have never seen anyone get date changed after visa has been granted.

[Peter Maroti]

Hello!

 

Just to follow up and close the subject:

I did write to DIAC about the issue, and eventually got this response:

 

"Dear Mr Maroti

I refer to your enquiry about your Skilled - (VE 175) Independent visa and your request for an extension of the Initial Entry Date (IED) of 13 September 2013 which is attached to that visa for your entry into Australia.

I have noted the comments you have provided in relation to why you and your family may not be able to comply with the IED attached to your visas.

Please note that the IED cannot be changed or extended now that the visa has been granted. The following information is provided regarding each person granted a visa as part of your application."

 

Also, confirming a bit clearer what my CO mentioned shortly in her letter:

 

"...If you will not be able to travel to Australia before the IED specified on your visa, please send a further email once the IED has passed and include documentation which supports your exceptional and compelling reasons for breaching visa condition 8504 (initial entry) and an indication of when you believe you will be able to travel to Australia if the department were to agree to your request."

 

So basically yes, the initial date is carved in stone, no excuses, with a slight exception to if there might be some more serious, i guess perhaps unexpected medical issues to why one can´t make the entry in time, and then of course supported by strong documentation in the request sent after the IED date.

Like most of you mentioned above, but at least now i have it explained in writing from the Department itself. (not that it makes anything any easier, of course....)

 

Thanks for your input, and hope this short thread can clear this issue for anyone in the same position in the future.

Now, i gotta go packing... ;-)

Cheers!

[Rupert]

Thank you for coming back and confirming the situation you found. It might be really useful for somebody else, but also really useful for those, like me, who just try to accumulate knowledge in the hope of helping someone.