The Brand New PIO Parents Visa thread

[Mann91]

Hi all,

Be nice, I am new here.

I have seen most of you are in last stages of the process and good to see balls are rolling for people who applied in OCT 2015.

I applied in June 2019 and acknowledgement received in July 2019.

Hoping to wait for at least 5 years with current processing times and ceilings.

[ramot]

20 hours ago, Linda Brown said:

Re Alan Colletts post about timelines, he has to understand after waiting so long for visa information this forum is the only way to get to the truth. You're a good agent Alan but out of line on this topic.

If you have been a member of PIO as long as Alan and several of us long term members you would be aware of the thousands of times The same question  about the parent time line has been asked. If posters added their time line this would solve the repeated, repeated  requests.

Alan along with several other MA’s give of their time free to help with many immigration questions, and have saved many posters making mistakes and for  which I have been very grateful for in the past.

It would be a big loss to lose their good will, which has happened in the past.

 

[ramot]

17 hours ago, AMP said:

Ok, let’s get off the track of timelines for a change.

 I’ve often felt unsure about how the Australia/UK reciprocal agreement really works for healthcare and have also often been unsure about how the public hospital system works.  I’m still here as a visitor at present but have been debating whether, once my parent visa comes through, I should pay out for private medical care.  I understand that there is a twelve month period once the visa is granted, where we can opt into private medical care without penalties for joining the system so late in life.  There seems to be such an expectation here that people will have private insurance for hospital care (and tax disincentives for those who don’t) that it has lead me to think that it must mean that the public hospital care isn’t really up to scratch.  Well, my questions have now been answered because I recently had a health issue with inflammation around my eye which made me look as though I had come off very badly in a boxing match.  I initially went to a bulk billing GP who prescribed me antibiotics.  I presented my visitor Medicare card and all I had to pay out for was the prescription.  I was advised to go straight to hospital if it got worse, which it did, so I ended up in the casualty section of a public hospital.  There was literally only one other person waiting (I think I just fell lucky with the timing!) and I was seen in no time.  What a very different experience this was from waiting in casualty in a UK hospital.  I’m not knocking the NHS though as I believe they do fantastically well.

Anyway, the  upshot of my trip to casualty was  that I ended up being admitted to hospital, put on Intravenous antibiotics and was given a CAT scan, all within hours of arriving.  I was in an early assessment ward and even had my own room, with en-suite.  The care and attention was fantastic  and it didn’t cost me anything at all. It is probably the case that as so many people here do have private insurance and go to the private hospitals then it frees up the public hospitals to cater for everyone else.  It’s probably also the case that other hospitals, particularly those in the inner city, are much busier than the one which I used.  I should add that other folks tell me that one of  the big attractions of private insurance is that it means you can see a specialist more quickly and have operations (such as replacement hips or cataracts) done both more quickly and at a time which suits you.  This however seems little different from the UK system where each individual can choose the NHS or the private path. 

So, my questions have been answered and all for the positive.   Hope my story helps others from the UK  who may be considering taking out private medical insurance either for times when they are here visiting or ultimately for when their parent visas come through.  I would certainly advocate anyone who is here for several months to go to Centrelink to apply for a Visitor Medicare card.  It’s a very simple process and means that everything is totally straightforward if you do end up needing any medical care while you are here.

 

As some posters know I have been in QLd for 16 years on a temporary retirement visa, which was self funded so had to have health insurance, which we will continue, as we have been ahead some years.. We finally got PR recently so now have Medicare, but am new to the system, and can only mention a few things that I have experienced.

My Dr doesn’t bulk bill, so the charge for a visit is about $70, Medicare covers part of this, it is instantly deducted and you pay the extra about $30’sh. Prescriptions are mostly on the PBS, but some are more expensive. There is a safety net if you pay over a certain amount annually, then your scripts only cost $6? till the end of the year.

 If you visit a specialist it is the same system, Medicare covers a certain amount and you pay the difference up front.

Had to call an ambulance twice recently, before we had Medicare, it  happens when you get older! Once for my husband who went to the new public Sunshine Coast hospital. I must praise the ambulance medics here they have been outstanding. Hardly any waiting time to be seen.We can’t fault his care and treatment and the equipment there is fantastic. He now sees the same specialist as a private patient. Costs covered by private cover, sorry I don’t know if anything would be charged under Medicare.

My turn next!! Again can’t fault the medics, in my case advised that the S C hospital very very busy, 9 ambulances stacked up to be seen, likewise Nambour hospital, decided to go to Buderim private, seen instantly no complaints, however a warning if you go to a private A&U, you incur a non refundable cost, $350. So make sure you are aware of this.

I haven’t used a public hospital so far, but can’t fault any private treatment I’ve had. We have access to fantastic health needs here, you don’t go to hospital for much here. X-rays, MRI scans and so much more all run privately, the equipment has to be seen to be believed, but again either covered by Medicare or again you pay the difference. All results are sent instantly through to your GP.  Again I don’t know if anyone does go to hospital for these, Obviously an emergency is different. 

In Qld if you are a resident you don’t need ambulance cover, please check all the other states.

Mammograms are free under 75, think my bone density check will now be free. We all have the usual jabs free now for us I think, flu, pneumonia, shingles. Free Health check up for over 75’s

Dentists are very expensive here, some costs are covered by using the dentist recommended by your health cover.

Cant think of anything else at the moment.

 

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by ramot

[LindaH27]

3 hours ago, Mann91 said:

Hi all,

Be nice, I am new here.

I have seen most of you are in last stages of the process and good to see balls are rolling for people who applied in OCT 2015.

I applied in June 2019 and acknowledgement received in July 2019.

Hoping to wait for at least 5 years with current processing times and ceilings.

Welcome to the forum. I do have to say however that you’re probably looking at nearly  double  what you’re expecting  in terms of wait time! 

I’m June 2017 applicant snd expecting a wait of 5-6 years from that date. There were over 50,000 In the queue at end June 2018 and the government have reduced the amount of visa grants from 7175 per year to just 6000 - that’s a ceiling figure and most years immi do not grant as many.so your expectations will need to be adjusted. Many 2015 applicants were expecting to wait only up to 2 years! So best to buckle down and get on with your life whilst waiting. 

You can get a lot of information here 

https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/report-migration-program-2017-18.pdf

[JesseyJ]

@michaleasmum we didn’t have to wait long for a medical appointment luckily. When seeing the doctor he told us there and then all was clear and asked us if we wanted a report emailed to us. We were sent the document with a zip code and password and I printed the the document for my file. We paid £295 each for medicals.

 

I believe eve the cost of a single AOS is $10,000. 

 

 

[Ammy143]

On 24/07/2019 at 15:36, CEJ said:

I'm so excited for you 

did u recieve email

for further documentation 

[Ammy143]

recieved request for further documentation on 25th july . dependency documentation & evidances

[suelear]

6 hours ago, ramot said:

If you have been a member of PIO as long as Alan and several of us long term members you would be aware of the thousands of times The same question  about the parent time line has been asked. If posters added their time line this would solve the repeated, repeated  requests.

Alan along with several other MA’s give of their time free to help with many immigration questions, and have saved many posters making mistakes and for  which I have been very grateful for in the past.

It would be a big loss to lose their good will, which has happened in the past.

 

I couldn't agree more Ramot.

 

[suelear]

5 hours ago, ramot said:

As some posters know I have been in QLd for 16 years on a temporary retirement visa, which was self funded so had to have health insurance, which we will continue, as we have been ahead some years.. We finally got PR recently so now have Medicare, but am new to the system, and can only mention a few things that I have experienced.

My Dr doesn’t bulk bill, so the charge for a visit is about $70, Medicare covers part of this, it is instantly deducted and you pay the extra about $30’sh. Prescriptions are mostly on the PBS, but some are more expensive. There is a safety net if you pay over a certain amount annually, then your scripts only cost $6? till the end of the year.

 If you visit a specialist it is the same system, Medicare covers a certain amount and you pay the difference up front.

Had to call an ambulance twice recently, before we had Medicare, it  happens when you get older! Once for my husband who went to the new public Sunshine Coast hospital. I must praise the ambulance medics here they have been outstanding. Hardly any waiting time to be seen.We can’t fault his care and treatment and the equipment there is fantastic. He now sees the same specialist as a private patient. Costs covered by private cover, sorry I don’t know if anything would be charged under Medicare.

My turn next!! Again can’t fault the medics, in my case advised that the S C hospital very very busy, 9 ambulances stacked up to be seen, likewise Nambour hospital, decided to go to Buderim private, seen instantly no complaints, however a warning if you go to a private A&U, you incur a non refundable cost, $350. So make sure you are aware of this.

I haven’t used a public hospital so far, but can’t fault any private treatment I’ve had. We have access to fantastic health needs here, you don’t go to hospital for much here. X-rays, MRI scans and so much more all run privately, the equipment has to be seen to be believed, but again either covered by Medicare or again you pay the difference. All results are sent instantly through to your GP.  Again I don’t know if anyone does go to hospital for these, Obviously an emergency is different. 

In Qld if you are a resident you don’t need ambulance cover, please check all the other states.

Mammograms are free under 75, think my bone density check will now be free. We all have the usual jabs free now for us I think, flu, pneumonia, shingles. Free Health check up for over 75’s

Dentists are very expensive here, some costs are covered by using the dentist recommended by your health cover.

Cant think of anything else at the moment.

 

 

Thanks Ramot, that's really helpful info to me personally.

[Linda Brown]

Thanks Ramot and everyone else for the health insurance information,  it's good to learn how things work like that in Australia. Good information that's useful and interesting. 

Thanks again.

[CEJ]

9 hours ago, Ammy143 said:

did u recieve email

for further documentation 

I received my email back in feb a day after marilyn. 

 

 

Edited July 28, 2019 by CEJ

[karu1]

16 hours ago, Ammy143 said:

recieved request for further documentation on 25th july . dependency documentation & evidances

What's your application date pl.

[Lucy Adelaide]

11 minutes ago, karu1 said:

What's your application date pl.

Please refer her signature.

[Ammy143]

16 minutes ago, karu1 said:

What's your application date pl.

22nov 2015 -173

medicals req in feb2019

[ramot]

I suggest no one replies to requests for time line. Especially when it’s there to see. 

[JayInAustralia]

Hi there I am new here.

I started following this thread a few days ago. 

We applied for the 143 on 1 September 2015. The AoS lodged for us has just been accepted today.

I understand its the last point now and just waiting for the next payment and visa decision. Can anyone suggest an average wait time after this stage to visa decision?

Thanks in advance  

 

[VLong]

We have requested for 2nd Vac for our 173 visa . So anyone know how to pay for it?

[Lucy Adelaide]

1 hour ago, VLong said:

We have requested for 2nd Vac for our 173 visa . So anyone know how to pay for it?

Bpay I guess

[emma2104]

Hi all,

Am new to this forum but from a quick read I am already looking forward to hearing your ideas and advice :)

I am a PR here and can apply for citizenship from Feb 2020. Myself and my husband are looking to move my parents over from the UK.  We are leaning towards the Contributory Aged Parent visa and my dad turns 66 next July (in line with the increase in retirement age here).  My mum will be 60 however we have been informed that she will have access to the same visa as she is his spouse.

Just wondering about anyones current experiences with this visa?  My parents will need to sell-up and move to Oz to apply onshore (the money from the house sell will be needed to pay for the visa) It is a huge move and obviously comes with risks.

My main concern is my parents falling ill inbetween applying for the visa and the medical being requested, ultimately leading to the visa being denied.  I have looked into the health waiver however if major treatment was needed it would exceed the $49,000 'limit'.  If my parents had private health care would this waive this condition? Or because the cost of this visa is so high, would they be covered for ALL treatment? 

Also, if my dad was to pass away before the visa was granted, would my mum still be able to access it? 

These options terrify me/us but they are all possibilities so we need to cover all bases - I have nightmares of having a parent sent back to England with nothing.  

We have looked at other options however this visa seems (although v expensive) like the best option to get them here to stay permanently asap.  

Does anyone have an update on current wait times?

I hope this message does not sound overly dramatic but it is good to hear experiences.  We will probably go through a lawyer to have their added support too.

Thanks so much!

Emma

[LindaH27]

1 hour ago, emma2104 said:

Hi all,

Am new to this forum but from a quick read I am already looking forward to hearing your ideas and advice

I am a PR here and can apply for citizenship from Feb 2020. Myself and my husband are looking to move my parents over from the UK.  We are leaning towards the Contributory Aged Parent visa and my dad turns 66 next July (in line with the increase in retirement age here).  My mum will be 60 however we have been informed that she will have access to the same visa as she is his spouse.

Just wondering about anyones current experiences with this visa?  My parents will need to sell-up and move to Oz to apply onshore (the money from the house sell will be needed to pay for the visa) It is a huge move and obviously comes with risks.

My main concern is my parents falling ill inbetween applying for the visa and the medical being requested, ultimately leading to the visa being denied.  I have looked into the health waiver however if major treatment was needed it would exceed the $49,000 'limit'.  If my parents had private health care would this waive this condition? Or because the cost of this visa is so high, would they be covered for ALL treatment? 

Also, if my dad was to pass away before the visa was granted, would my mum still be able to access it? 

These options terrify me/us but they are all possibilities so we need to cover all bases - I have nightmares of having a parent sent back to England with nothing.  

We have looked at other options however this visa seems (although v expensive) like the best option to get them here to stay permanently asap.  

Does anyone have an update on current wait times?

I hope this message does not sound overly dramatic but it is good to hear experiences.  We will probably go through a lawyer to have their added support too.

Thanks so much!

Emma

Hi Emma as you are aware there are a lot of difficulties with this visa. Immi could query whether they used a “visitor visa” in order  to apply for the onshore 864 - and your parents selling up everything would be a Red flag!! 

Also a lot of visitor visas come with conditions which do not allow them to apply for a further visa during that period. Australia and immigration are becoming very  aware of the fact the people are using 864 as a loophole to “jump the queue” as it were and they are also looking at the fact that there are too many people with bridging visas and have been looking at changing from 99 different visas to just 10 - and a lot of people think bridging visas will also be in their sights!  The following mentions student but could apply to all temporary visas  

They will have to have private health insurance without a doubt!!  The cover under reciprocal agreement is only for essential care. The wait time is allegedly  being  aligned to 143 so a potential wait time of 8-10 year if applying now. Health could be an issue by then. .  They will have to pass the medical when they reach top of queue and if one fails both fail. 

I don’t know how to link to a particular post but hopefully @Marisawright Won’t mind if I quote here her very informative post. 

“

There are two ways to apply for a visa. Note that the visa number may vary, depending whether you want to apply "offshore" (in the UK) or "onshore" (in Australia), so make sure you know which is which.  It's wise to consult an agent like Westly Russell (above), but bear in mind their job is to advise how to get into Australia, not to advise on the practical implications of the various visas on your lives.

Method 1.  Apply from the UK and wait in the UK for the application to be approved.  If you take this route, you can still get holiday visas to visit your daughter while you're waiting. 

Method 2.  Arrive in Australia on a tourist visa and then apply for a parent visa once you're settled. If you take this route, you'll get a bridging visa which allows you to stay in Australia while you're waiting.

Since the waiting time for a Contributory Parent Visa is something like 8 years, it would seem like a no-brainer to choose option 2.  However there are a few snags, so you need to be well aware of them before you make the decision.

While you're on a bridging visa, you are not legally resident in Australia - you are just a visitor, even if you're on that bridging visa for ten years.  That limits your rights and benefits, including things like your right to buy a house or travel, and your access to medical care. At the same time, you will cease to be a legal resident of the UK and lose access to some rights and benefits there (including access to the NHS).  In other words, you're in limbo. 

Personally, I'd say apply while you're still in the UK and wait in the comfort of your own home, with no complications and restrictions.  You can visit your daughter each year on a tourist visa, knowing that by the time you're getting too old for all the travelling, you'll have your permanent visa and can relocate.  Even with the air fares, that's likely to be the cheapest solution.

To provide a bit more detail about restrictions on a bridging visa:

If you want to buy a house, you'll be treated as a "foreign investor". You'll have to apply for special permission to buy a place (for a fee of course), and then you'll have to pay extra stamp duty as well - double, in some states.  We had someone post recently who had to pay an extra $45,000 in stamp duty   

You can't leave Australia.  If you want to leave the country, you have to apply for a separate visa (a BVB). You'll get the BVB for a specific period of weeks or months, and the next time you want to travel, you'll have to apply again.

If you're receiving the British aged pension, it will be frozen forever at whatever rate you're getting when you leave the UK - so the earlier you leave the UK, the lower your pension will be.   While you're on the bridging visa, you won't be entitled to any Australian pension, seniors' benefits or aged care.

 I don't know your ages but it's worth considering that when your application finally reaches the head of the queue, you'll have to pass medicals.  What will your health be like by then?   If you fail the medical, you'll have to pack up and move back to the UK. If there's a risk you might fail the medical, then you have to weigh up the pro's and con's  - on the one hand, you could say that at least you managed to get a few years living in Oz with your daughter, but on the other hand, you might regret having disposed of your home and possessions for a temporary move. 

Finally, medical costs.  This is a grey area, and may or may not be a problem on the bridging visa.  If you read the Immigration website, it says that as a British resident, you will have access to Medicare but only for "essential services", not elective surgery.  That may not sound too bad - but consider,  what if you need a hip replacement?  That's elective surgery.  You can't hop back to the UK to get it done either, because if you're no longer resident in the UK, you'll lose access to the NHS.  So if you're sensible, you'll get private health insurance - but it's not like private cover in the UK, because it only covers part of the cost.  To give you an idea, I had an op on my neck which cost $35,000.  The insurance only paid for $25,000. “

Best place to look yourself is probably https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/contributory-aged-parent-864#Overview

it has a pull down menu

its a gamble and a mine field really!! 

 

Have you considered  the 820 temporary parent visas? 

Edited July 29, 2019 by LindaH27

[Rainny065]

3 hours ago, JayInAustralia said:

Hi there I am new here.

I started following this thread a few days ago. 

We applied for the 143 on 1 September 2015. The AoS lodged for us has just been accepted today.

I understand its the last point now and just waiting for the next payment and visa decision. Can anyone suggest an average wait time after this stage to visa decision?

Thanks in advance  

 

I applied on December 4, 2015, and I want to prepare Aos documents before they request . Can you tell me How can i download the Aos documents? Many thanks 

[Marilyn]

@VLong There are the required options at the bottom of the Invoice

Edited July 29, 2019 by Marilyn

[Rosiejaq]

 

JayInAustralia

Posted 6 hours ago

We applied for the 143 on 1 September 2015. The AoS lodged for us has just been accepted today.

 

Hi congrats on Aos...we’re still waiting Aos confirmation as they mucked up our first application inputting $1 for our duaghter’s first year’s earnings!  Hope you don’t have to wait too long.   Jacqui

[Kathss56]

6 hours ago, emma2104 said:

Hi all,

Am new to this forum but from a quick read I am already looking forward to hearing your ideas and advice

I am a PR here and can apply for citizenship from Feb 2020. Myself and my husband are looking to move my parents over from the UK.  We are leaning towards the Contributory Aged Parent visa and my dad turns 66 next July (in line with the increase in retirement age here).  My mum will be 60 however we have been informed that she will have access to the same visa as she is his spouse.

Just wondering about anyones current experiences with this visa?  My parents will need to sell-up and move to Oz to apply onshore (the money from the house sell will be needed to pay for the visa) It is a huge move and obviously comes with risks.

My main concern is my parents falling ill inbetween applying for the visa and the medical being requested, ultimately leading to the visa being denied.  I have looked into the health waiver however if major treatment was needed it would exceed the $49,000 'limit'.  If my parents had private health care would this waive this condition? Or because the cost of this visa is so high, would they be covered for ALL treatment? 

Also, if my dad was to pass away before the visa was granted, would my mum still be able to access it? 

These options terrify me/us but they are all possibilities so we need to cover all bases - I have nightmares of having a parent sent back to England with nothing.  

We have looked at other options however this visa seems (although v expensive) like the best option to get them here to stay permanently asap.  

Does anyone have an update on current wait times?

I hope this message does not sound overly dramatic but it is good to hear experiences.  We will probably go through a lawyer to have their added support too.

Thanks so much!

Emma

You can usually get a free assessment from a registered agent. Suggest you seek advice that way to be honest

@Alan Collett from Go  Matilda on here, is highly recommended for parent visas 

 

[Marisawright]

6 hours ago, Kathss56 said:

You can usually get a free assessment from a registered agent. Suggest you seek advice that way to be honest

@Alan Collett from Go  Matilda on here, is highly recommended for parent visas 

 

Just be aware, I always thought agents would be aware of all the restrictions and snags of trying to live in Australia on a bridging visa, but I've since learned that's not part of their job.  Their job is to find you the quickest way to get you into Australia, not to advise on the possible risks.  My post, which Linda quoted above, is an attempt to fill in those blanks.