The Brand New PIO Parents Visa thread

[Guest]

Hi linday

You got me thinking. Went on the Emirates web site and the only reference I can find is:-

To facilitate screening and avoid a cluttered X-ray image, such plastic bags should be presented apart from other cabin baggage, coats, jackets and laptops for separate X-ray screening.

This was buried in the regs about hand luggage and LAG's (Liquids, Aerosols and Gels (LAGs) in cabin baggage) so................. It is in the FAQ if you want to check

Have a good flight.

[Linday]

Thanks for that. Just wondering then, does this mean the laptop is included in the 7 kg weight limit or can it be extra? It's not clear on the website.

[Linday]

I have just worked out paying the second VAC in London with an exchange rate of 1.538 versus paying it in Perth at today's exchange rate on HiFx of 1.5389. We save about £4 by paying to Perth. Not much in it really.

[Guest]

Thanks for that. Just wondering then, does this mean the laptop is included in the 7 kg weight limit or can it be extra? It's not clear on the website.

 

Hi Linday

It would be in addition to the 7 Kg. The wifes handbag weighs more than that:laugh: and she still takes her dolly trolley.

On the £4 saving, every little helps. I am just hoping to pay the second VAC before July 1st when they will probably drop the rate again:skeptical:

[PhoebeW]

We are doing a trial packing run and want to take our laptop with us when we fly in June. We are flying with Emirates and I am sure I saw something about whether it had to be packed in the suitcase or hand luggage but can't find it now. Does anyone know what the rules are and does this have to be put in your one piece hand luggage or is it extra?

 

Hi Linday

 

We have just arrived in Oz for 8 weeks. I brought my laptop and rang Emirates prior to packing to check out what was what. :goofy:

 

Yes it does have to go through the scanner out of its bag only problem is the weight counts as part of the weight of your 7kg hand luggage allowance :swoon:

 

My laptop and bag weighed 4.5kg and hand luggage case 2.5kg which was my full allowance so I couldnt take anything else in my hand luggage we had to squeeze everything into hubbys. I opted to put it in my hand luggage case to pull it rather than hump it about the airports because it can get very heavy :yes:

 

Hope this helps :wink:

 

Phoebe

[fiz]

Hi Linday

 

We have just arrived in Oz for 8 weeks. I brought my laptop and rang Emirates prior to packing to check out what was what. :goofy:

 

Yes it does have to go through the scanner out of its bag only problem is the weight counts as part of the weight of your 7kg hand luggage allowance :swoon:

 

My laptop and bag weighed 4.5kg and hand luggage case 2.5kg which was my full allowance so I couldnt take anything else in my hand luggage we had to squeeze everything into hubbys. I opted to put it in my hand luggage case to pull it rather than hump it about the airports because it can get very heavy :yes:

 

Hope this helps :wink:

 

Phoebe

I'm out in Sydney now having flown with Emirates.At Birmingham airport on the way out, I carried my laptop, which has a very slim bag,over my shoulder. When they asked to weigh my hand luggage I just passed over my cabin bag-they didn't ask for my laptop so it didn't get weighed. Not sure if I was just lucky....

 

I'm flying back tonight but weight isn't a problem going back...I've left loads of stuff here for the next time-which hopefully will be the one way trip!

[PhoebeW]

I'm out in Sydney now having flown with Emirates.At Birmingham airport on the way out, I carried my laptop, which has a very slim bag,over my shoulder. When they asked to weigh my hand luggage I just passed over my cabin bag-they didn't ask for my laptop so it didn't get weighed. Not sure if I was just lucky....

 

I'm flying back tonight but weight isn't a problem going back...I've left loads of stuff here for the next time-which hopefully will be the one way trip!

 

Sounds as if you were lucky :laugh:

 

Maybe I just shouldn't have rang Emirates :shocked: then again with my luck I would have been stopped :twitcy:

 

Glad you got sorted :wink:

 

Phoebe

[Guest Restellou 44]

I flew to Perth last November and took my laptop as hand luggage.it had to be scannes seperately and out of its carrying case.. Hope this helps.. Wish you all the best for your future in Oz.

[jtct]

I don't have a laptop (yet) but all the people in front of me in the queue had to take their's out of bags/cases/handluggage and have them scanned separately.

[Guest OldiesRUs]

Hi - most of you are probably reasonably new on this site, so won't remember me, but a while back, I was constantly on this site getting help and support from the members. This is the first post I have made in two years.

 

My husband and I moved out to Australia two years ago, after 18 months of panic/worry/hair tearing/ tears and trantrums waiting for the CP visa to come through.

 

Our timing was all wrong, six months earlier and we would have been laughing as the exchange rate was $2.60, our house worth 32500 GPB and houses selling faster than you could blink. By the time the visa came through house prices had totally slumped and no-one was buying and the dollar was $2.20.

 

However, we were finally going to realise our dream. We rented our house - very easily as it happened, and still have the same tenants who are looking after it beautifully (I know this because I have been back twice and checked - although that was not the reason for going back). Sent our home off packed in a container on the back of a lorry to go on the ship, crossed our fingers it would arrive in Sydney and off we went.

 

Since we have been here the pound has dropped alarmingly, which really affects us as all our money comes from the UK, and to be honest, it is a bit of a struggle. You have to pay for everything here - except parking. Yes we get medicare, but to be honest unless you get a doctor to bulk bill (which means you don't physically pay) it costs you around $40 everytime you go to the surgery. We also have to pay for prescriptions, currently $120 a month. To get a scan will cost around $250. Can't give any more on that as fortunately, we haven't had to use any other medical services.

 

Do we regret coming here knowing what we do now? No bloody way Jose!!!! We love it. We live in the most beautiful place on the south coast about 1.5 hrs from Sydney. The countryside is a bit like Devon, very green and lots of cows. We have made good friends and life is very, very good.

 

Yes it is frustrating waiting for the visa, but believe me it is SO worth it.

 

Good luck everyone and don't give up.

 

Jean:wubclub:

[Linday]

Hi Linday

 

We have just arrived in Oz for 8 weeks. I brought my laptop and rang Emirates prior to packing to check out what was what. :goofy:

 

Yes it does have to go through the scanner out of its bag only problem is the weight counts as part of the weight of your 7kg hand luggage allowance :swoon:

 

My laptop and bag weighed 4.5kg and hand luggage case 2.5kg which was my full allowance so I couldnt take anything else in my hand luggage we had to squeeze everything into hubbys. I opted to put it in my hand luggage case to pull it rather than hump it about the airports because it can get very heavy :yes:

 

Hope this helps :wink:

 

Phoebe

 

Thanks for clarifying Phoebe. That's what we suspected. It's going to be a tight squeeze I think. We are staying overnight at the Dubai Airport Hotel and won't have access to our luggage so we also need to carry everything for our overnight stay. Plus blow up footrests and blow up padded seat hubby insists he needs on the plane! Plus my jewellry (such as it is) and important docs we don't want to risk in the cases.

8 weeks sounds fantastic. Have a super time. The weather there must be lovely now. We will be visiting my brother over there in October.

[Linday]

Hi - most of you are probably reasonably new on this site, so won't remember me, but a while back, I was constantly on this site getting help and support from the members. This is the first post I have made in two years.

 

My husband and I moved out to Australia two years ago, after 18 months of panic/worry/hair tearing/ tears and trantrums waiting for the CP visa to come through.

 

Our timing was all wrong, six months earlier and we would have been laughing as the exchange rate was $2.60, our house worth 32500 GPB and houses selling faster than you could blink. By the time the visa came through house prices had totally slumped and no-one was buying and the dollar was $2.20.

 

However, we were finally going to realise our dream. We rented our house - very easily as it happened, and still have the same tenants who are looking after it beautifully (I know this because I have been back twice and checked - although that was not the reason for going back). Sent our home off packed in a container on the back of a lorry to go on the ship, crossed our fingers it would arrive in Sydney and off we went.

 

Since we have been here the pound has dropped alarmingly, which really affects us as all our money comes from the UK, and to be honest, it is a bit of a struggle. You have to pay for everything here - except parking. Yes we get medicare, but to be honest unless you get a doctor to bulk bill (which means you don't physically pay) it costs you around $40 everytime you go to the surgery. We also have to pay for prescriptions, currently $120 a month. To get a scan will cost around $250. Can't give any more on that as fortunately, we haven't had to use any other medical services.

 

Do we regret coming here knowing what we do now? No bloody way Jose!!!! We love it. We live in the most beautiful place on the south coast about 1.5 hrs from Sydney. The countryside is a bit like Devon, very green and lots of cows. We have made good friends and life is very, very good.

 

Yes it is frustrating waiting for the visa, but believe me it is SO worth it.

 

Good luck everyone and don't give up.

 

Jean:wubclub:

 

Thank you Jean for taking the trouble to post. It's nice to know that it's all worth it in the end. We are looking at moving hubby's pension across to Oz to try to soften the blow but of course there is nothing you can do about the state pension. We are watching the exchange rate every day now as we are expecting the 2nd VAC request any day soon. It's a killer isn't it? When we first thought about going for the CPV the exchange rate was actually 2.5 and we were visiting my brother and looking at houses and thinking how cheap they were!

[sandch]

Hello Jean, it is good to hear from you again, and wonderful to get news of the post-visa years. There are many like you, us included, who budgeted at $2.3+ to the pound and then the goalposts moved after the commitment was made. It's reassuring to hear that you are pleased with your move, despite all that. We're nearly six months in to our residence here and holding it together, but we'd prefer to live somewhere nicer (like your description would be just fine) than the city suburb where we are; however it's five minutes walk to our daughter's family house, so that outweighs everything for now.

 

We're off back to England in a couple of weeks to catch up with family and try to decide what to do with our property and other stuff. Not looking forward to the travelling!

 

All the best

 

Steve

[Guest OldiesRUs]

Hi Steve - whereabouts are you?

 

I have been back twice, once for the birth of a new grandson and then for his first birthday.

 

Apart from the family, I have to say I didn't feel much when I went back. Even when I looked at the house I had lived in for 40 years, I didn't feel anything. So I know we have definitely made the right decision.

 

Enjoy the trip back, I always like the flight (but then I have been doing it at least once a year for the last 16 years since my eldest son moved over here). As i don't normally drink alcohol, I have a glass of wine with my meal. As soon as the tray has gone, it's seat back, earplugs in, eye mask on and I am unconscious within minutes!!!!!

 

Jean

[sandch]

Hi Jean

 

We're in the northwest of Melbourne. I wish I could sleep through the flights like you, that would remove a lot of the stress! We'll see how this one goes.

 

All the best

 

Steve

[Les Avalook]

 

...... I wish I could sleep through the flights like you, that would remove a lot of the stress! We'll see how this one goes.

 

All the best

 

Steve

 

Agreed, when we validate in the half term week we have 4 days flying out of 9 and then back to work so to be able to sleep would be a big plus, but it never seems to work for us either. :wacko:

 

P.S. Our son and d-i-l are back home for 3 weeks :jiggy:, they used Air Asia from Gold Coast to Stansted. Our son found the seats a tight squeeze and could not pre-order or hire in flight entertainment so found the flight very boring, they did not think the saving for them was worth the loss of comfort and service over normal airlines.

[PhoebeW]

 

......they did not think the saving for them was worth the loss of comfort and service over normal airlines.

 

I have to agree there too sleep on planes dosent happen for us either :twitcy: the in-flight entertainment is the only thing that keeps me sane :eek:

 

Phoebe

[charlie5]

I have to agree there too sleep on planes dosent happen for us either :twitcy: the in-flight entertainment is the only thing that keeps me sane :eek:

 

Phoebe

I can't even deal with the inflight - I just indulge in staring at the screen map.

 

Charlie

:goofy:

[PhoebeW]

I can't even deal with the inflight - I just indulge in staring at the screen map.

 

Charlie

:goofy:

 

 

I just watch mindless crap...my brain can't deal with anything heavy after trudging through airports :wacko:

 

Phoebe

[PhoebeW]

Hi

 

We have applied for the 143 and are 7 months down the line on the waiting list however due to the CO's coming quicker now and the state of the £ against the $ we have decided to bite the bullet cancel this visa and reapply for the 173 :yes:

 

We have gone into depth with the kids about it and decided reluctantly that this is what we would have to do if we don't want to take a huge chunk of money out of the house. which we don't want to do as like most of you here we would need every penny once we (hopefully) get to Oz :cute:

 

I know some of you have changed from the 173 to 143 but I need some advice from anyone who knows or who has changed from the 143 to 173 please :biggrin:

 

I know you have 5 years to validate the 143 and have to spend at least 2 years of that 5 years in Oz. Does anyone know how long you have to validate the 173 and the time frame you would have to validate it in i.e. 1 month, 3 months etc.

 

It's going to be a real pain starting again but unfortunatly needs must :err:

 

Thats all for now but I'm sure I'll think of lots more questions :laugh:

 

Thanks folks :wink:

 

Phoebe

[Linday]

Hi

 

We have applied for the 143 and are 7 months down the line on the waiting list however due to the CO's coming quicker now and the state of the £ against the $ we have decided to bite the bullet cancel this visa and reapply for the 173 :yes:

 

We have gone into depth with the kids about it and decided reluctantly that this is what we would have to do if we don't want to take a huge chunk of money out of the house. which we don't want to do as like most of you here we would need every penny once we (hopefully) get to Oz :cute:

 

I know some of you have changed from the 173 to 143 but I need some advice from anyone who knows or who has changed from the 143 to 173 please :biggrin:

 

I know you have 5 years to validate the 143 and have to spend at least 2 years of that 5 years in Oz. Does anyone know how long you have to validate the 173 and the time frame you would have to validate it in i.e. 1 month, 3 months etc.

 

It's going to be a real pain starting again but unfortunatly needs must :err:

 

Thats all for now but I'm sure I'll think of lots more questions :laugh:

 

Thanks folks :wink:

 

Phoebe

 

Hi Phoebe

 

We have this morning after much ado received a request for the 2nd VAC for the 173. The letter states that we need to make our first entry into Australia by 24th March 2012. This means we have to validate our visa, i e set foot on Australian soil by this date. This is one year from the date of our police checks.

 

Are you getting confused with validating and moving permanently to Australia? You usually get a year from the date of your medicals or police checks whichever is earlier to validate your visa, which means you have to travel to Australia and set foot on Australian soil. With the 143 you can come and go for five years before you need to move to Australia permanently and need to spend 2 of those in Australia to avoid problems with a RRV after the 5 years. With the 173 your visa is only valid for 2 years, so you need to apply for the 143 before the 2 years is up. You can spend this time either in the UK(you still need to validate though) or Australia and can be either offshore or onshore when you apply and when the visa is granted. Hope this helps.

[Linday]

Hi everyone

 

As you can see from my above post we have finally received the 2nd VAC this morning. Steve, can you update the tracker please (DaveandLinda)?

 

Just our luck of course that the exchange rate has plunged so we have decided to pay the 2nd VAC to London. Does anyone know how long this process takes? We are conscious of Bank Holidays etc and so hope to get everything off in the post today. Thank god for this website so I was able to investigate the process.

 

Our 2nd June deadline is getting nearer!

[DavidandGill]

Hi everyone

 

As you can see from my above post we have finally received the 2nd VAC this morning. Steve, can you update the tracker please (DaveandLinda)?

 

Just our luck of course that the exchange rate has plunged so we have decided to pay the 2nd VAC to London. Does anyone know how long this process takes? We are conscious of Bank Holidays etc and so hope to get everything off in the post today. Thank god for this website so I was able to investigate the process.

 

Our 2nd June deadline is getting nearer!

 

Well done on getting the request - we e mailed our CO over the weekend and got an out of office message back, he is away until next week! Hope we are not too far behind you.

Gill

[Linday]

Well done on getting the request - we e mailed our CO over the weekend and got an out of office message back, he is away until next week! Hope we are not too far behind you.

Gill

 

Yes, fingers crossed for you. I don't know which is more nerve wracking, waiting for the 2nd VAC or actually having to pay it! Spoke to the bank this morning and hubby is picking up the bankdraft this afternoon and hopefully we can get it off to London today as well. I am conscious of the long Bank Holiday weekend

 

I understand that yesterday was a bank holiday in WA as well, something to do with Monday being Anzac day so they got an extra day. Maybe you will hear something this week.

[sandch]

Hello Phoebe - I don't blame you, and I think at these exchange rates, we would have backed away from it altogether, perhaps applying for the 103 even. Good luck with it all.

 

Cheers

 

Steve