The Brand New PIO Parents Visa thread

[kevkim]

Fantastic news Kim, sooo exciting! Very happy for you - not long now to the end prize!

 

As its on topic at the moment, (and if you don't mind me asking) :confused:what's your intended method of payment?

 

Val x

Hi Val,

 

Thanks for that, it is such a relief.

 

Kevin spent yesterday evening dealing with Moneycorp and tracking HIFX etc. We've transferred the 2nd VAC via Moneycorp to our agent who has agreed to deal with the payment on our behalf as a 'one off'. Our other option would have been to transfer it to our daughter to pay by bankers order but she isn't in a good position to do this (not too well unfortunately right now). By paying it this way we've saved approx £1000+ on what it would have cost us to do it through London! That almost pays for the flights for us :biggrin:. Here's hoping that this time next week we will have a visa to shout about.

 

Good luck with the wait.

 

Kim

[valandmatt]

Hi Val,

 

Thanks for that, it is such a relief.

 

Kevin spent yesterday evening dealing with Moneycorp and tracking HIFX etc. We've transferred the 2nd VAC via Moneycorp to our agent who has agreed to deal with the payment on our behalf as a 'one off'. Our other option would have been to transfer it to our daughter to pay by bankers order but she isn't in a good position to do this (not too well unfortunately right now). By paying it this way we've saved approx £1000+ on what it would have cost us to do it through London! That almost pays for the flights for us :biggrin:. Here's hoping that this time next week we will have a visa to shout about.

 

Good luck with the wait.

 

Kim

Hi Kim, sorry to hear your daughter is unwell - hope she's better soon. These are the times you really feel the distance, and are unable to help when they're poorly :-(

When you have your Visa do you plan on going asap?

 

So, just by transferring the money to Oz as opposed to paying the VAC in London (which is what we thought we would do) saves over £1000+????? Blimey, we better have a re-think - that is a lorra lorra money to save!

Val x

[kevkim]

Hi Kim, sorry to hear your daughter is unwell - hope she's better soon. These are the times you really feel the distance, and are unable to help when they're poorly :-(

When you have your Visa do you plan on going asap?

 

So, just by transferring the money to Oz as opposed to paying the VAC in London (which is what we thought we would do) saves over £1000+????? Blimey, we better have a re-think - that is a lorra lorra money to save!

Val x

Hi Val,

 

Thanks for the message. All will hopefully be ok with my daughter in the next few weeks.

 

We've just booked our flights this morning for 2nd September - flying with Singapore Airlines and 40kg luggage allowance each. Pre-empting the visa I know, but we needed to get booked to secure the seats and the fare and we have a flexi fare if things don't go quite to plan.

 

Here's hoping that it is all plain sailing from here :biggrin:

.

Kim

[vava]

Hi all,

 

Congrats to all of you who have come to (or almost come to) the end of this very stressful process. We are waiting for the final VAC request - should be any day now (she said hopefully).

Just the small matter of selling the house, winding up the business and packing all our belongings. Stand by for lots of advice and info on shipping!

 

Best of luck, Val xx

[ariomart]

Hi Kim

Great news should be plain (or is that plane) sailing from now on.

I have a query. This is to all the people who have had there meds done before getting a CO. Did you apply for your visa by email? Only I cant get my meds done until I have a CO to give me a HAP number or has anyone else who submitted a paper application been able to get there meds done before getting a CO. Just out of interest. (feeling paranoid)!!!

Best wishes Moira

[kevkim]

Hi Kim

Great news should be plain (or is that plane) sailing from now on.

I have a query. This is to all the people who have had there meds done before getting a CO. Did you apply for your visa by email? Only I cant get my meds done until I have a CO to give me a HAP number or has anyone else who submitted a paper application been able to get there meds done before getting a CO. Just out of interest. (feeling paranoid)!!!

Best wishes Moira

Moira,

 

From what I can gather, the system has changed somewhat. I am by no means an expert on this but it seems that now, prior to getting a CO an 'admin bod' sends the email stating you need to get medicals etc sorted and will have a CO within 4 months. With this email are attachments with the HAP ID etc. We managed to get an appt (£260 ish each) in Manchester (Bridgewater) within days of getting this email and they could not have been more helpful as I booked the appointments. We saw Dr Smith and he was extremely efficient in uploading our results etc. The police checks were roughly 3 weeks in processing including a bank holiday or two. The worst thing by far was the AOS and this is what I would suggest you get ahead on if you can. Have everything in place for this. Centrelink were not quick with the processing to say the least. My understanding is that once the visa centre has everything on their desk including the receipt from CL, the CO then picks up your file and requests the 2nd VAC.

 

This is what seems to have happened in our case but it has been a bit of a walk in the dark.

 

Hopefully the payment will clear soon and we can fully relax. :SLEEP:

 

Kim

[vava]

Kim - I agree wholeheartedly about Centrelink - they are proper heel draggers! Add to that the fact that I didn't realise that my account at ANZ would only allow me to withdraw/transfer $1000 per day! Not much help when you need to shift £14000 into the daughter's bank account without delay! I know we moan about banking in general in the UK, but at least they let you spend your own money!

We too saw Dr Smith in Manchester and he was really lovely as were all the staff at the Bridgewater.

Nearly there..................... Val x

[liverpoolloo]

Moira,

 

From what I can gather, the system has changed somewhat. I am by no means an expert on this but it seems that now, prior to getting a CO an 'admin bod' sends the email stating you need to get medicals etc sorted and will have a CO within 4 months. With this email are attachments with the HAP ID etc. We managed to get an appt (£260 ish each) in Manchester (Bridgewater) within days of getting this email and they could not have been more helpful as I booked the appointments. We saw Dr Smith and he was extremely efficient in uploading our results etc. The police checks were roughly 3 weeks in processing including a bank holiday or two. The worst thing by far was the AOS and this is what I would suggest you get ahead on if you can. Have everything in place for this. Centrelink were not quick with the processing to say the least. My understanding is that once the visa centre has everything on their desk including the receipt from CL, the CO then picks up your file and requests the 2nd VAC.

 

This is what seems to have happened in our case but it has been a bit of a walk in the dark.

 

Hopefully the payment will clear soon and we can fully relax. :SLEEP:

 

This is what happend with me also and i went to Bridgewater and found them very helpful, infact it was all rather enjoyable chatting and having a laugh with the staff, quick and professional too. Unfortunately i will be delayed with the AOS as my son is waiting on his tax info coming back from the tax office and he needs this for centrelink, the tax office are slow and don't rush for anyone either. All so frustrating relying and waiting on outside agencies other than DIAC. Ann

 

:arghh:

[JohnandEirian]

Hi Kim

Great news should be plain (or is that plane) sailing from now on.

I have a query. This is to all the people who have had there meds done before getting a CO. Did you apply for your visa by email? Only I cant get my meds done until I have a CO to give me a HAP number or has anyone else who submitted a paper application been able to get there meds done before getting a CO. Just out of interest. (feeling paranoid)!!!

Best wishes Moira

We had our medicals done 7-8 months before getting a CO, Moira. No, we posted off our visa applications to Perth.

You only need a HAP number if the medicals are done electronically. We had ours done in Cardiff and these were then posted by the hospital to DIAC Sydney.

Many others have done the same.

John & Eirian

[kevkim]

Stay strong Ann. It's enough to drive us all collectively to drink! I'd have your son stationed outside of the CL office - ready to dash through the doors with tax info in hand. If he could then sweet talk them into sending off the info then and there - so much the better. I have seen posts on here where people have literally completed the AOS process within days. I suppose it is very much dependent on the office used and which side of the bed the counter clerk has got out of that morning!

Kim

[liverpoolloo]

Stay strong Ann. It's enough to drive us all collectively to drink! I'd have your son stationed outside of the CL office - ready to dash through the doors with tax info in hand. If he could then sweet talk them into sending off the info then and there - so much the better. I have seen posts on here where people have literally completed the AOS process within days. I suppose it is very much dependent on the office used and which side of the bed the counter clerk has got out of that morning!

Kim

 

Your advice is taken on board Kim, i shall get him to take along his heavily pregnant wife for a sympathy vote with a plea of ' but we need mum to help with the baby' even the girls in work are getting frustrated with my wait or maybe they are fed up with me. So great we have this support though, i would have cracked if it wasn't for everone's support on here and have the added bonus of meeting fran on here ( summerdaisy) we shall be visiting each other across Australia for our hols. PIO is great for bringing folk together and to give advice and support along the way:smile: Ann

[summerdaisy]

Your advice is taken on board Kim, i shall get him to take along his heavily pregnant wife for a sympathy vote with a plea of ' but we need mum to help with the baby' even the girls in work are getting frustrated with my wait or maybe they are fed up with me. So great we have this support though, i would have cracked if it wasn't for everone's support on here and have the added bonus of meeting fran on here ( summerdaisy) we shall be visiting each other across Australia for our hols. PIO is great for bringing folk together and to give advice and support along the way:smile: Ann

 

Thanks for that Ann, still looking forward to the day we will meet in either Perth or Brisbane and open a bottle or two of vino and laugh about all our frustrations of this waiting.

[gokichan]

thanks heaps Kim.

 

can you share with us the 'worst thing' on AOS ? it seems a bit daunting to me. how can we get ahead on this one?

 

thanks again. it's really useful to read your posts.

 

You are now heading straight home to Australia! I believe.

[kevkim]

thanks heaps Kim.

 

can you share with us the 'worst thing' on AOS ? it seems a bit daunting to me. how can we get ahead on this one?

 

thanks again. it's really useful to read your posts.

 

You are now heading straight home to Australia! I believe.

Hi Gokichan

 

Good to hear from you. Home for me historically is Newcastle, UK and we are heading by sheer coincidence to Newcastle NSW. Both are great places but one has the distinct advantage of having my beautiful daughter, son-in-law and gorgeous grandsons. Oh, and it is a tad warmer too!

 

The AOS just appeared to be such a drawn out process at the end of a long haul. My daughter called in to the office with every piece of documentation needed, was 'processed' and given a telephone interview date for 2 weeks hence to allow for the info to reach the right desk. The interview date arrived and she was told she needed to go back into the office as the person who she saw originally had not completed the process properly. So 2 weeks + down and no progress. Once the revisit was completed, we were told we'd have a letter within a few days. It transpired, after enquiries, that this should not have been said. They have 28 days to process the AOS and they took their 28 days from the seond visit which I think was unfair. So I suppose the inefficiency was the worst thing coupled with the fact that it takes days to get through by phone for any info.

 

I'm not sure how you can get ahead on this one other than to have the funds ready, your AOS bod primed, and in a place to get the counter cheques etc which are required (or were in our case). I would check if you can front load this or not once you are near to your expected end date. Opening hours of Centrelink clash with normal working hours too - which was an issue in our case. My poor daughter had to do Olympic sprints between CL, her bank and The Commonwealth Bank in a few precious hours grabbed from a cancelled training. Don't underestimate the queues in all 3 places!

 

Hope this helps a little.

 

Kim

[brummiebabies]

In a roundabout way we heard today that we have been allocated a Case Officer. We sent an email yesterday attaching scanned copies of our Police Certs and got a reply this morning advising scanned copies were not accepted. They have asked us to post them for the attention of our CO and gave us his name - first we knew about it!! Our Son in Law has set up the AOS bank account and is just waiting for the paperwork to send to Centrelink - dreading this bit reading recent comments. At least things seem to be progressing. Angie

[kevkim]

In a roundabout way we heard today that we have been allocated a Case Officer. We sent an email yesterday attaching scanned copies of our Police Certs and got a reply this morning advising scanned copies were not accepted. They have asked us to post them for the attention of our CO and gave us his name - first we knew about it!! Our Son in Law has set up the AOS bank account and is just waiting for the paperwork to send to Centrelink - dreading this bit reading recent comments. At least things seem to be progressing. Angie

 

As I said Angie, it's a bit of a walk in the dark! Still, it is progress and we take what we can get. So have you had the email from DIAC telling you to get the medicals/checks/AOS? What is the paperwork your son is waiting for? We didn't have anything other than what came with the email. I'm sure your Centrelink experience will go much more smoothly than ours, it'll be plain sailing. Here's hoping!

 

Kim

[brummiebabies]

As I said Angie, it's a bit of a walk in the dark! Still, it is progress and we take what we can get. So have you had the email from DIAC telling you to get the medicals/checks/AOS? What is the paperwork your son is waiting for? We didn't have anything other than what came with the email. I'm sure your Centrelink experience will go much more smoothly than ours, it'll be plain sailing. Here's hoping!

 

Kim

 

Thanks Kim. Yes we had an email from Perth early part of June asking us to get our Medicals and Police checks done and they also attached the form which our Son in Law needed to complete for the AOS. I don't know what paperwork our SIL is now waiting for from the Bank - something he needs to forward to Centrelink. Proof the account has been set up I guess! Angie

[vava]

Back in May we got a letter through the post asking us to give our assurer the enclosed letter to give to Centrelink. Its taken all this time with one thing or another. Centrelink seem to have no concept of time or urgency. You have to be very patient with them. Our daughter only received her letter the other day confirming that she has been accepted. I'm assuming they have told DIAC because every email I send to the parents@immi.gov address, all I get is an automated response telling me where to look for advice on their website!

They haven't asked for the final VAC yet so at least we're getting some interest on it while we wait.

Is it wine o' clock yet? Surely it must be somewhere in the world....................

Val x

[kevkim]

Thanks Kim. Yes we had an email from Perth early part of June asking us to get our Medicals and Police checks done and they also attached the form which our Son in Law needed to complete for the AOS. I don't know what paperwork our SIL is now waiting for from the Bank - something he needs to forward to Centrelink. Proof the account has been set up I guess! Angie

 

Hi Angie,

there seems no consistency with this AOS process. Our daughter got the receipt in her hand from the bank and dashed to the CL office with it at the time the account was set up. CL then took 8+ working days to send DIAC a copy of this proof of the process being completed.

 

Nothing good in this world comes easily apparently. It is going to be so good when we all get to Australia and look back and wonder what all this stress was about!

 

Keep us all posted and good luck.

 

Kim

[kevkim]

Back in May we got a letter through the post asking us to give our assurer the enclosed letter to give to Centrelink. Its taken all this time with one thing or another. Centrelink seem to have no concept of time or urgency. You have to be very patient with them. Our daughter only received her letter the other day confirming that she has been accepted. I'm assuming they have told DIAC because every email I send to the parents@immi.gov address, all I get is an automated response telling me where to look for advice on their website!

They haven't asked for the final VAC yet so at least we're getting some interest on it while we wait.

Is it wine o' clock yet? Surely it must be somewhere in the world....................

Val x

 

Hi Val,

 

Can you call them? Once our daughter got that letter saying that all had been completed etc, we got the 2nd VAC request within days. The letter also stated that they were sending off proof to the visa centre that all was approved. Did the letter your daughter receive say that?

 

Fingers crossed that well hear more this week. Don't step on the cracks in the pavement Val!!!!

 

Kim

[vava]

Hi Val,

 

Can you call them? Once our daughter got that letter saying that all had been completed etc, we got the 2nd VAC request within days. The letter also stated that they were sending off proof to the visa centre that all was approved. Did the letter your daughter receive say that?

 

Fingers crossed that well hear more this week. Don't step on the cracks in the pavement Val!!!!

 

Kim

 

Hi Kim,

Yes the letter says that they have informed DIAC but when we got our 173 visa last year, all the communication was via email. This time for the 143 they seem to send everything by normal post. This is the reason for the initial hold up. They sent me a letter which I then had to send back to Oz to my daughter. If it had been emailed I could have forwarded it in seconds! I have told them to contact me via email but it hasn't sunk in. Not really in too much of a rush to hand over the $32010. Now the Centrelink stuff is sorted, DIAC can wait for their money, I'm certainly not ringing them to ask if they want it! We should surely have the visa by November in time for our next visit, if not, we'll validate it some other time. It'll be a good excuse for another visit!

 

Val x

[Grammie]

Hi,

Just been granted 2 year CPV and will be applying for permanent visa. Does anyone have any idea how long that might take ?

Can't sell house etc. until I have permanent visa but want to be with son and family....

[Grammie]

I transferred money to my son in Brisbane and he paid by credit card - no problem

[Guest]

Hey

Has anyone else had this dilemma? I have recently applied for a Commonwealth Seniors Health card as we have been here nearly 3 years. The card application has been successful and I am just waiting for it to be delivered. But I have also received a payment into my bank account for Clean energy of $180 which I did not request. Does any one know if this counts as a Centrelink benefit against the Assurance of Support? If so I shall be sending it back!

Marian

[MikenSueNW3]

Hi,

Just been granted 2 year CPV and will be applying for permanent visa. Does anyone have any idea how long that might take ?

Can't sell house etc. until I have permanent visa but want to be with son and family....

 

G'Day

 

Look at our timeline below, and you will have some idea.

 

The frustrating bit for us now is that, having paid the second (final) VAC, we are still waiting for acknowledgement that they received it and confirmation of the visa being issued.

 

Reading recent posts, we wonder if they have reverted to using snailmail (our instruction is to communicate by email), but we are currently (and for another month) in our motorhome in the middle of France. And they are not responding to our emails. Now we have to work out a way of someone checking our post...

 

Good luck, Mike