I hope I can be as helpful on here as you all are....obviously when I have everything straight in my head .

I am very suprised that the number of places to get a med is so limited.

I've got so much info. from the post it is nice to be able to give back too!

I was surprised at the limited number of approved doctors too, but thankfully I'm not far from central London so not too much of a trek for me, but some people must have to travel miles to see someone.

Med/Xray + HIV booked in for Wednesday lady asked if I needed Hepatitis tests I said I have no idea.

Page 43 of this document says if you will need it, and the doctor will no doubt confirm it on the day. Good luck with the medical.

http://www.immi.gov.au/gateways/pane...structions.pdf

Thanks Ravvers after reading it none of it applies to me, so thats a few pennies saved.

There used to be a lot more but the system became a bit haphazard - some people were having far more thorough medicals than others for example, so the list was drastically cut a couple of years back.

Just a quick update-I received confirmation from australia house on friday that they had received my application, assigned me a CO and that current processing times are 5-6 months.

Hi. Have been lurker for ages, think I posted here a couple of years back!
I'm the Aussie and OH got PR granted June 2007. New Year's Eve 2010 we finally booked our one way tickets! It's not just us going now but also our 18 month old son, who I'm currently trying to sort out his Aussie citizenship and then get him his passport.

So excited but so much to do as tickets booked for 8th June.

I don't know how much help we can be but please feel free to ask me any questions and I'll try to help. Also if anyone's interested in a meet up, we're in Chippenham area but willing to travel a bit for a good chinwag! (I'll also have to put a post in meet ups)

x Nic

In peoples opinions, how long should you work on your visa application. I have read that some people have taken six months to get it all together, is this the norm?

I have to get my visa application in on 27th Jan and I have got things together like photos and evidence of us living together (luckily I found a box of crap when I was clearing the attic but still nothing that substantive for last year), the only thing that I'm really waiting in is the stat decs from his parents, sister and brother in law in Australia. My husband is on the way there now and is due to land in Brisbane in 10 minutes and he has said that he's going to get them to do them as soon as he gets there and send them on straight away, so I should have them the beginning of next week (well thats if they can find someone to certify them as his parents live in Toowoomba).

I having my medicals, blood test and x ray done on Wednesday and I sent off for my police clearance on Saturday, so that will be back with me by Friday. It would seem that I'm almost done but that would mean that I have done my application in lest than a month. Am I missing something or is it just because we have been together for eleven years that we have more to draw on?

I just want to get there ASAP now because he's there and the sooner this is in, the sooner I can get a tourist visa to join him while I wait but I dont want to mess it all up.

Hi guys

I'm a dual citizen and my girlfriend (Brazilian) has been living with me for 11 months here in Oz (12 months exactly on 20 Feb 2011). We met in 2008 and have been collating evidence, stat decs for our de facto visa application.

Unfortunately she has to leave Oz on 20 Feb because her flight expires, and more importantly she has to keep her law degree going back in Brazil otherwise she loses the two years she's already completed. Plus after a year away from home she's missing her family and friends. We plan on transferring her degree to an Australian university once we get the visa.

She is however committed to me and returning to Australia. DIAC advised me that because her University semester is five months she will have to make an off shore de facto application with me remaining here to work and save for our future.

I'm getting worried about the perceived idea that the time apart is concern that we are in a de facto relationship. I'm going over to Brazil for 3 weeks in April/May to lessen the time we spend apart but can't go for any longer than that due to work reasons. I imagined the whole process would take about six months by which time her semester would have finished and she could return with a visa.

I'd really appreciate any advice anyone can give as to whether we're simply going to be refused, in which case I'd probably go down the route of an intention to marry visa.

Thanks in advance guys and good luck to all of you!

If people with questions of great advice want to message me that would be great.

Hi all,

I havent been on this site in quite a while, well since my Prospective Marriage Visa was granted last May!

I am now married and living in Melbourne with my hubby, we have just submitted our Spouse Visa application and i am on a Bridging Visa A while we wait for an answer, which the lady in the office in Melbourne said could take a few months?!

My question is, i am trying to change my name on my documents to my new married name and have been advised that my passport is the most important one to change, but can i change it now while my application is in the process or should i wait till i get my visa approved? Or does it matter?! I am Irish by the way

Thanks

Hi Voyager - thanks for the update! Good to know that processing times have not increased as this is what I was quoted in September. Good luck

You can change it while the application is in progress, just make sure when you get the new one you let the CO have a copy, and make sure that they know which name you want the visa granted in - it has to match the passport that the label goes in.
Otherwise get the visa granted in the old passport, then get the passport changed. You can then go to a DIAC office with both passports and they will give you a sticker in the new passport in the new name. (I did it that way as I didn't have time to get the passport first)

For Kamie 26. I wouldn't worry about how long it takes to get the info together for the visa. Except for stat decs from other people we got our stuff together over a weekend! It helped that I'm a packrat and had every scrap of paper since we started dating.

My folks are also in Toowoomba - were yours all ok with the floods?

Hi All

I'm a newbie here, have picked up some great pointers. We only decided to apply for visa's last month and have everything ready to go just waiting on hubby & kids getting meds done next Mon, (its me that has citizenship). Due to the bad weather here in Scotland last month that was the first date available. I don't have masses of evidence, hoping that joint bank accounts and mortgage as well as being married for 16years with 2 kids is enough evidence (as well as stat decs from my gran sis & aunt in oz). Please tell me this is enough... I just want to get it away now. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed.
Nicola