The Brand New PIO Parents Visa thread

[PhoebeW]

Hi Phoebe

 

It's great to get that piece of paper isn't it? Although you know the money for the first VAC has been taken it still doesn't seem official, and also a bit scary, till you get it. You can now file it away and wait, wait, wait......

 

Are you going to ask Steve on BEP to add you to the tracker? Purely selfish from my point of view as then we won't be at the bottom any more! :biggrin:

cheers Linda

 

Thanks Linda

 

It's already done consider yourself elevated :wink: Good luck with it all.

 

Phoebe

[Linday]

Thanks, Phoeb

 

Purely psychological, I know, but we feel we have moved up a bit now nearer our goal! Nice to know that other people are still applying for the CPV despite all the financial doom and gloom and we are not as crazy as some of friends keep telling us.

 

Linda

[wow]

Hi June, we applied in June 2009 and are also off to the Gold Coast, its a small world!

 

Got our medicals done in July, just away to do the police checks,oh and we sold out house last week,its all go, not sure where were are going mean time, have to be out of the house by the end of October so have to find somewhere to rent soon.

 

Hope we get out CO soon.

Good Luck to you too.

Wilma

Hi Wilma,

 

I had a dream that there was an email waiting for me this morning from my CO! Sadly, not yet but I'm sure it won't be long.

 

Where abouts on the Gold Coast are you heading?

 

I am off to Bonogin which is a lovely area in the Hinterland, just a few minutes from Mudgeeraba and close to Robina. There is everything you could ever want close by and the beautiful beaches are to die for. If anyone needs any info on the area please ask as I have spent quite a while there on various visits.

 

Is anyone else heading close by?

 

June (junejuno)

[yomvard]

IT'S ARRIVED....... our letter from the Australian Government confirming our acknowledgement date as 3rd September 2010.

 

It also states that they are currently processing applications from May 2009 so ATM it is looking like February/March before (hopefully) visa is granted.

 

First step done...........now where's Steven......... lol

Hi Phoebe,

Ok, now your off and time will fly by what with all the sorting out. !!!

Sandy xx

[PhoebeW]

Thanks, Phoeb

 

Purely psychological, I know, but we feel we have moved up a bit now nearer our goal! Nice to know that other people are still applying for the CPV despite all the financial doom and gloom and we are not as crazy as some of friends keep telling us.

 

Linda

 

Hi Linda

 

If it's given you a psycological boost that's good enough for me. We just need to wait for the next one's to go on the list then we move up :swoon:

 

Crazy or just jealousy............that is the question :biggrin:

 

Phoebe

[clubby67]

Hi there June

Not to sure where we are headed yet my husband has 2 sons one in Benowa and one at Runaway Bay so maybe somewhere in between.

Getting really excited and scared at the same time, we are trying to pack up the house but coz we are not going to oz yet its trying to keep the stuff separate, whats going to oz and what do we need now!!.

What about you guys do you have a house to sell, is it just you and your partner thats going or do you have a family?, we have 2 Girls aged 16 and 13 oh and a dog!

Wilma

[PhoebeW]

Hi Wilma,

 

I had a dream that there was an email waiting for me this morning from my CO! Sadly, not yet but I'm sure it won't be long.

 

Where abouts on the Gold Coast are you heading?

 

I am off to Bonogin which is a lovely area in the Hinterland, just a few minutes from Mudgeeraba and close to Robina. There is everything you could ever want close by and the beautiful beaches are to die for. If anyone needs any info on the area please ask as I have spent quite a while there on various visits.

 

Is anyone else heading close by?

 

June (junejuno)

 

Hi June

 

We have just gone on 'The List' but will be heading to the same area. My daughter lives on the Gold Coast in Varsity Lakes. Robina is their closest shopping centre:cute:

 

Not entirely sure exactly where we will be eventually go but it won't be far away from them. We're doing a 2 month rekke next year. We had planned to go in August/September for our 30th wedding anniversary and my daughters birthday but our third grand child (which was a surprise) is due in April so scuppered our plans but in a nice way, so we are now going in April/May :biggrin:

 

Phoebe

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Thank's Gill, do you think the new Government is likley to change their tune next year and up the quota again, it's very frustrating all the same.

 

Rgds

 

Dave

 

Hi Dave

 

I don't think that Parent and Aged Parent visa quotas will remain as low as they are indefinitely.

 

I think that expecting upward movement in 2011 is probably too soon (much as I would like to see it happen.)

 

At the moment, I think we need to see who replaces Chris Evans as Minister for Immi and the strength of the calls from Industry to increase immigration to Oz. Once they take the brakes off with skilled immigration there would be every reason to increase the quota of Parents and Aged Parents as well.

 

I suspect that it will be a case of "one day and one step at a time" for at least the next 6 months and maybe 12 months.

 

So I don't expect a Kwik-Fix to the current quota but I do expect a fix within the next 3 years. We'll see how long it takes, I suspect.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[wow]

Hi there June

Not to sure where we are headed yet my husband has 2 sons one in Benowa and one at Runaway Bay so maybe somewhere in between.

Getting really excited and scared at the same time, we are trying to pack up the house but coz we are not going to oz yet its trying to keep the stuff separate, whats going to oz and what do we need now!!.

What about you guys do you have a house to sell, is it just you and your partner thats going or do you have a family?, we have 2 Girls aged 16 and 13 oh and a dog!

Wilma

 

It's just me on my own here although i leave behind a large family of brothers and sisters and all there families.. My only daughter, her husband and two grandchildren 11 and 6 are out in Bonogin, so it's a no brainer for me. i am so excited too at the thought of it all. Not at all scared, just trying to get everything sorted.

 

I was just going to rent out my property until the housing market picked up (could be some time), but i decided this week to give the market a go. It goes up for sale next week. If it sells, it sells, if not I will rent it out. I will be staying with my daughter and her family initially anyway so doesn't matter too much although I will need the cash at some point.

 

I know what you mean about packing up. I have been trying to eat my way through the freezer trying to get rid of the food, LOL and really being ruthless throwing out, selling or whatever.

Exciting times indeed. All the best to you and keep us informed of when and where you finish up.

[wow]

Hi June

 

We have just gone on 'The List' but will be heading to the same area. My daughter lives on the Gold Coast in Varsity Lakes. Robina is their closest shopping centre:cute:

 

Not entirely sure exactly where we will be eventually go but it won't be far away from them. We're doing a 2 month rekke next year. We had planned to go in August/September for our 30th wedding anniversary and my daughters birthday but our third grand child (which was a surprise) is due in April so scuppered our plans but in a nice way, so we are now going in April/May :biggrin:

 

Phoebe

 

Hi Phoebe,

yes, i see that you are at the beginning of your journey. The best advice I could give is forget about it for a while but steadily but surely start sorting out what you need to get shot of and what to take. Decide whether to sell up sooner rather than later and perhaps rent until you go, etc. If you do that over a long period it makes life much easier.

 

Try not to dwell on it everyday and the time will just fly by. Suddenly you will be a few months away from a CO!!

Enjoy your visit next year. Varsity Lakes is very close to the sea and Robina is a great shopping centre with a brand new, all sparkling, mall

June (junejuno)

[phyllis71]

Hi Dave

 

I don't think that Parent and Aged Parent visa quotas will remain as low as they are indefinitely.

 

I think that expecting upward movement in 2011 is probably too soon (much as I would like to see it happen.)

 

At the moment, I think we need to see who replaces Chris Evans as Minister for Immi and the strength of the calls from Industry to increase immigration to Oz. Once they take the brakes off with skilled immigration there would be every reason to increase the quota of Parents and Aged Parents as well.

 

I suspect that it will be a case of "one day and one step at a time" for at least the next 6 months and maybe 12 months.

 

So I don't expect a Kwik-Fix to the current quota but I do expect a fix within the next 3 years. We'll see how long it takes, I suspect.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

Hi Gill, We have managed to sell our house for a fair price, Another step closer to our dream. We migrate 10th March, We are so happy that the long journey is coming to an end. Thankyou Gill and everyone on PIO.:hug:Phyllis

[PhoebeW]

Hi Gill, We have managed to sell our house for a fair price, Another step closer to our dream. We migrate 10th March, We are so happy that the long journey is coming to an end. Thankyou Gill and everyone on PIO.:hug:Phyllis

 

Good Luck enjoy living the dream :wink:

 

Phoebe

[PhoebeW]

Hi Phoebe,

yes, i see that you are at the beginning of your journey. The best advice I could give is forget about it for a while but steadily but surely start sorting out what you need to get shot of and what to take. Decide whether to sell up sooner rather than later and perhaps rent until you go, etc. If you do that over a long period it makes life much easier.

 

Try not to dwell on it everyday and the time will just fly by. Suddenly you will be a few months away from a CO!!

Enjoy your visit next year. Varsity Lakes is very close to the sea and Robina is a great shopping centre with a brand new, all sparkling, mall

June (junejuno)

 

Hi June

 

I've just noticed you are in Cumbria we are in Sunderland :biggrin: I've never heard of Bonogin but have been to Mudgereeba its gorgeous, What is the land/property market like there do you know :cute:

 

Phoebe

[wow]

Hi June

 

I've just noticed you are in Cumbria we are in Sunderland :biggrin: I've never heard of Bonogin but have been to Mudgeeraba its gorgeous, What is the land/property market like there do you know :cute:

 

Phoebe

 

Hi Phoebe,

 

We aren't too far away from each other then.

 

Bonogin is a lovely quiet area with mostly acreage properties, that is, houses with large gardens and loads of space. It's quiet but close to Mudgeeraba which has a lovely village feel about it and is popular. I would say that property prices in Bonogin and Mudgeeraba, (affectionately known as Mudge), are about the same, a little cheaper than Robina. Varsity Lakes and other area closer to the beach are more expensive. Yet, Mudge and Bonogin are only 20 minutes from the coast so it's not a problem.

 

Most areas are along the Highway (motorway) so access to all areas and to Brisbane is easy.

 

The thing that was noticeable to me when I first went to Oz was that you can get all sorts of properties next to each other. Price wise you can have a $900,000 house next to a $450,000 house, they seem all mixed up. There are a lot of self build and people tend to build BIG when they do that. As for land prices, i don't know, but there is PLENTY of land around to build on.

 

I hope that helps.

 

June

[PhoebeW]

Hi Phoebe,

 

We aren't too far away from each other then.

 

Bonogin is a lovely quiet area with mostly acreage properties, that is, houses with large gardens and loads of space. It's quiet but close to Mudgeeraba which has a lovely village feel about it and is popular. I would say that property prices in Bonogin and Mudgeeraba, (affectionately known as Mudge), are about the same, a little cheaper than Robina. Varsity Lakes and other area closer to the beach are more expensive. Yet, Mudge and Bonogin are only 20 minutes from the coast so it's not a problem.

 

Most areas are along the Highway (motorway) so access to all areas and to Brisbane is easy.

 

The thing that was noticeable to me when I first went to Oz was that you can get all sorts of properties next to each other. Price wise you can have a $900,000 house next to a $450,000 house, they seem all mixed up. There are a lot of self build and people tend to build BIG when they do that. As for land prices, i don't know, but there is PLENTY of land around to build on.

 

I hope that helps.

 

June

 

Hi June

 

That definatly sounds like one to put on our list :biggrin: That's why we are going for 2 months next year to have a look at different places. We have been to Mudge a few times and it's lovely but we also have to think of work. OH is only 55 ATM, so would proberbly only be 57 by the time visa is (hopefully) granted, I am 57 and pension isn't due now until I'm 63 :cry: so we have to do some sort of work to live :swoon:

 

Phoebe

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi June

 

That definatly sounds like one to put on our list :biggrin: That's why we are going for 2 months next year to have a look at different places. We have been to Mudge a few times and it's lovely but we also have to think of work. OH is only 55 ATM, so would proberbly only be 57 by the time visa is (hopefully) granted, I am 57 and pension isn't due now until I'm 63 :cry: so we have to do some sort of work to live :swoon:

 

Phoebe

 

Hi Phoebe

 

I am sitting in the office trying my hardest to resist nipping to the local supermarket (tantalisingly nearby) to buy something with chocolate in it. Cupcakes, brownies, even a Kit Kat would be very nice.... And completely unnecessary, I know. But very nice....

 

To take my mind off the chocolate torture, what sort of work are you and your OH hoping to find, please?

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[PhoebeW]

Hi Phoebe

 

I am sitting in the office trying my hardest to resist nipping to the local supermarket (tantalisingly nearby) to buy something with chocolate in it. Cupcakes, brownies, even a Kit Kat would be very nice.... And completely unnecessary, I know. But very nice....

 

To take my mind off the chocolate torture, what sort of work are you and your OH hoping to find, please?

 

Cheers

 

Gill

 

Hi Gill

 

Ha ha. We don't really know that's the problem :goofy: but given that we want to move to Oz for a more 'outdoors' lifestyle :cool: and we grow our own veg etc at home in the allotment, and we want to work together maybe something along the lines of growing and selling veg at farmers markets etc, or Ken is very handy and I like crafts, knitting, crochet, aromatherapy, I am a qualified Reiki practitioner, we can both turn our hands to anything really and just want to make enough to survive and pay the bills really :biggrin:.

 

But what we would like and what we can afford is very different, our funds are very very limited especially after paying the 2nd VAC :swoon:, Any suggestions???

 

Phoebe

[Guest Moire]

We have our parent contributory visa but are not having much success selling our house and we must validate our visa in 5 months. Does anyone know if we must take another medical if we come back to the UK after validating the visa?

[Guest guest36187]

We have our parent contributory visa but are not having much success selling our house and we must validate our visa in 5 months. Does anyone know if we must take another medical if we come back to the UK after validating the visa?

 

once you have validated thats it! You`re done. Then you have a certain amount of time to move over............Think its 5 years. Dont quote me!

[Guest guest43653]

Hi i am new to this forum and just wanted to introduce my husband and me. We have applied for a 173 visa which we have done through an agency and sent it to them 3 weeks ago but they have come up with a couple of more things they want from us and our sponsor my daughter so as of now we are still awaiting our acknowledgement.

We hope to eventually go to the Sunshine Coast where my daughter, husband and our three grandchildren are and we have visited it twice this year and i fell in love with Australia but my husband is unsure so we have gone for the 173 visa to see how things go.

I am hoping that watching this forum and the British Expats forum i can pick up tips from those of you in the know and help our journey through the red tape. I have enjoyed reading over the last few weeks and wish you all the best on your waiting to go to the promised land.

[Guest Gollywobbler]

We have our parent contributory visa but are not having much success selling our house and we must validate our visa in 5 months. Does anyone know if we must take another medical if we come back to the UK after validating the visa?

 

Hi Moire

 

Since you have your CPVs there will be no further medicals, no matter where you go or what you do.

 

In the worst case, you will just need to make a short visit to Oz in order to validate your visas.

 

You could try contacting the CO who granted your visa, explaining the problems with selling your house and asking whether the Initial Entry Date could be deferred for an extra six months.

 

DIAC don't normally agree to do this unless a member of the close family who will be staying in the home country suddenly contracts a serious illness, so don't hold your breath in the hope that the CO might agree to accede to your request. On the other hand Parents are not subjected to the conveyor belt approach that is typical of the units processing visas for skilled migrants, so if any unit is likely to allow you some leeway it would be the Parents Visa Centre.

 

It would help if you could back up your request with a letter from your estate agent confirming that the property market is very sluggish in the UK at the moment with no real signs of any improvement so your house could take a long time to sell.

 

If you have instructed a solicitor to handle the sale for you, get a letter from the conveyancing Partner in charge as well, explaining the workings of the dreaded "chain" in E&W. The house belonging to the CPV holders is nearly always at the top of the chain. Depending on the value of that house, there could easily be five other buyers and five other properties in the chain below you and the chances are high that every single person in in the chain will need a mortage offer. Getting those is very difficult at the moment, especially for the first time buyers at the bottom of the chain of transactions.

 

If you have a willing buyer, a willing seller, the buyer genuinely has cash, there will be no mortage and no chain is involved, it is perfectly possible to do all the title searches and to exchange contracts and complete the transaction in one working day. I know that it is possible because I have done it occasionally, when the house has been very expensive, my firm (solicitors) were charging a fortune for handling the transaction and I was told to get on and look after the deal for whichever party we happened to be acting for. A large City of London law firm with, say, 70 property law specialist solicitors can easily put 2 or 3 solicitors onto the same transaction, meaning that there is time to get everything done quickly between the two or three of you.

 

However it is much more usual to have a typical chain with several parties, properties and mortage offers to worry about. Such a chain can only move at the speed of the slowest snail in the chain and this is why it can take a long time to conclude a conveyancing transaction in England & Wales.

 

Most (if not all) of the States in Australia use the Torrens system of land law. That is much more similar to the Scottish system of land law and it is very unusual to come across a lengthy chain of transactions. Bear in mind that all the staff of the PVC live in Perth Metro, where the Torrens system is used. If they are Aussies who have lived in Oz all their lives, the only conveyancing system that they know anything about is the one that they used when they bought their own houses. Your solicitor could stress to them that they (the PVC staff) are lucky that they do not have to put up with the cumbersome conveyancing system in E&W.

 

Pile on the agony with an industrial shovel and get your solicitor and your estate agent to back you up about how dreadful the whole thing is in E&W. It might help to swing the PVC towards acceding to your request.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest Gollywobbler]

Hi i am new to this forum and just wanted to introduce my husband and me. We have applied for a 173 visa which we have done through an agency and sent it to them 3 weeks ago but they have come up with a couple of more things they want from us and our sponsor my daughter so as of now we are still awaiting our acknowledgement.

We hope to eventually go to the Sunshine Coast where my daughter, husband and our three grandchildren are and we have visited it twice this year and i fell in love with Australia but my husband is unsure so we have gone for the 173 visa to see how things go.

I am hoping that watching this forum and the British Expats forum i can pick up tips from those of you in the know and help our journey through the red tape. I have enjoyed reading over the last few weeks and wish you all the best on your waiting to go to the promised land.

 

Hi Suescliff2

 

Welcome to Poms in Oz.

 

Have you found Sandch's Gainwave website which has an amazingly useful chart, showing when CPV applications were lodged and then marking off all the subsequent milestone events in the application?

 

The tracker is only a tiny sample of the thousands of CPV applications that are processed each year but at the same time it is a large enough sample to be reliable in terms of how long the processing is typically taking at any given time and so on. Once you have your acknowledgement date from the Parents Visa Centre, it is well worth contacting Sandch and asking him to add your details to the tracker.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

[Guest Moire]

Hi Moire

 

Since you have your CPVs there will be no further medicals, no matter where you go or what you do.

 

In the worst case, you will just need to make a short visit to Oz in order to validate your visas.

 

You could try contacting the CO who granted your visa, explaining the problems with selling your house and asking whether the Initial Entry Date could be deferred for an extra six months.

 

DIAC don't normally agree to do this unless a member of the close family who will be staying in the home country suddenly contracts a serious illness, so don't hold your breath in the hope that the CO might agree to accede to your request. On the other hand Parents are not subjected to the conveyor belt approach that is typical of the units processing visas for skilled migrants, so if any unit is likely to allow you some leeway it would be the Parents Visa Centre.

 

It would help if you could back up your request with a letter from your estate agent confirming that the property market is very sluggish in the UK at the moment with no real signs of any improvement so your house could take a long time to sell.

 

If you have instructed a solicitor to handle the sale for you, get a letter from the conveyancing Partner in charge as well, explaining the workings of the dreaded "chain" in E&W. The house belonging to the CPV holders is nearly always at the top of the chain. Depending on the value of that house, there could easily be five other buyers and five other properties in the chain below you and the chances are high that every single person in in the chain will need a mortage offer. Getting those is very difficult at the moment, especially for the first time buyers at the bottom of the chain of transactions.

 

If you have a willing buyer, a willing seller, the buyer genuinely has cash, there will be no mortage and no chain is involved, it is perfectly possible to do all the title searches and to exchange contracts and complete the transaction in one working day. I know that it is possible because I have done it occasionally, when the house has been very expensive, my firm (solicitors) were charging a fortune for handling the transaction and I was told to get on and look after the deal for whichever party we happened to be acting for. A large City of London law firm with, say, 70 property law specialist solicitors can easily put 2 or 3 solicitors onto the same transaction, meaning that there is time to get everything done quickly between the two or three of you.

 

However it is much more usual to have a typical chain with several parties, properties and mortage offers to worry about. Such a chain can only move at the speed of the slowest snail in the chain and this is why it can take a long time to conclude a conveyancing transaction in England & Wales.

 

Most (if not all) of the States in Australia use the Torrens system of land law. That is much more similar to the Scottish system of land law and it is very unusual to come across a lengthy chain of transactions. Bear in mind that all the staff of the PVC live in Perth Metro, where the Torrens system is used. If they are Aussies who have lived in Oz all their lives, the only conveyancing system that they know anything about is the one that they used when they bought their own houses. Your solicitor could stress to them that they (the PVC staff) are lucky that they do not have to put up with the cumbersome conveyancing system in E&W.

 

Pile on the agony with an industrial shovel and get your solicitor and your estate agent to back you up about how dreadful the whole thing is in E&W. It might help to swing the PVC towards acceding to your request.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

 

Thank you for your advice. It is much appreciated.

[Guest]

:biggrin:My wife and I have commenced the proceedure to immigrate to Australia on a Sub Class 173 Visa, with progression to a 143 visa.

I would like to communicate with anyone who has gone this route.

Many thanks

Ernest

[Guest guest43653]

Hi Suescliff2

 

Welcome to Poms in Oz.

 

Have you found Sandch's Gainwave website which has an amazingly useful chart, showing when CPV applications were lodged and then marking off all the subsequent milestone events in the application?

 

The tracker is only a tiny sample of the thousands of CPV applications that are processed each year but at the same time it is a large enough sample to be reliable in terms of how long the processing is typically taking at any given time and so on. Once you have your acknowledgement date from the Parents Visa Centre, it is well worth contacting Sandch and asking him to add your details to the tracker.

 

Cheers

 

Gill

 

Hi thanks for the information i will do this as soon as i hear.