downunderpom

When Mrs DUP and I decided to go for SIR(P) Tassie, I got in touch with DIMIA on their hotline, to see if we would get a BVA (Bridging Visa A) for the interim, which would allow us to work while waiting for the paperwork to go through. "Yes, of course." was the answer, so we duly filled in all the forms, including the application for a BVA, and sent them off, about a fortnight later, on 1 September. Our present (457 - Temporary) visas were due to expire on 16 September.

Two days before the expiry date of our 457 visas, we got a letter from Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre (from our case officer) stating that as the SIR(P) was an OFFSHORE visa, we were not entitled to a BVA.

Instant panic!!!

So, we went into DIMIA in Parramatta, straight away, and had a chat with them. Four different people gave four different opinions.

Eventually we were advised to pop over to New Zealand, get an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) and come back, live here as visitors (unable to work) while the paperwork went through. "Okay, we'll do that." says Us.

$507 worth of one-way Sydney - Auckland tickets in our hands, we show up at Sydney Airport the next morning (at 05:30A.M. - UGH!) and hand over our tickets. (We only got one-way in case we weren't able to get ETAs straight away, and had to go into the Oz embassy to sort it out. Took enough cash along to buy the return tickets.)

"Ahhhhh." says the check-in person. "Bit of a problem here...."

"Huh?" says I. "What problem? This is what we've been advised to do by the Department of Immigration."

"Well, they're wrong," says she. "New Zealand Immigration will NOT allow anyone to land without either a visa to visit NZ, OR an onbound ticket to a country which HAS to accept them. In your case, that's the UK, as your Aussie visa expires today." Apparently, if the airline DO uplift you without the correct documentation, they get a whopping great fine, per head, and the passenger is sent straight back to where they came from. Do not pass GO, do not collect $200!

NOTE!!!! All those thinking they can 'Pop over to NZ' to get their visas - this practice was stopped (by NZ) over six months ago. DIMIA haven't caught on yet.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, our two years plus of living in Oz has just been negated. We have to sell off car, fridge / freezer, washing machine and all that sort of household stuff, and put all of our goods into safe storage. We have been told that the SIR(P) is presently taking 6-7 months to process, and as there's no guarantees with this sort of thing, we have to face the fact that we may not be allowed to come back, so have to have our stuff ready to go to either Tassie (if all goes well) or back to the UK if it doesn't.

I'm going to write a book....

We got a letter from DIMIA's Complaint Investigation Team, replying to my strongly worded complaint, apologising no less than four separate times for the catalogue of stuff-ups, cock-ups and misinformation which we'd been given during this saga. (This above is just the tip of the iceberg.) I don't have the time or the inclination to rehash it all. Just now.....

We fly out next Thursday, and the computer will be packed up a couple of days before that, so no more online.

On the positive side (coz we always like to look at that first), Mrs DUP is looking forward to NEXT and M&S, for some decent underwear and boots!

So, the message to all of you Oz Wannabees is: If you heard it from DIMIA, and it doesn't sound right or sensible, QUERY IT, and GET CONFIRMATION. As to who you query and get confirmation from..... can't help there!

We'll catch up with you all, with an update, when we know more.

Hang in there.

DUP & Mrs DUP.

bondipom

OH dear DUP hope Your SIR comes through soon enough.

Don

Sorry to hear that.

I knew NZ insists visitors have an onward flight but didn't know that it had to be back to a country they had Citizenship/ PR status for. Is this what you meant?

Not sure you were given correct advice at airport as all the round-the-worlders don't have an onward flight back to UK from NZ, they tend to go on to USA or Australia/ Singapore/ Thailand etc.

But if you're right, could you not have got a fully refundable ticket Aus-UK and shown that along with your return ticket Aus-NZ-Aus, then you could have just got your money back later?

Pollyana

OMG you poor things. Talk about right hand and left hand doing different things. And loads of people on here are planning to 'pop to NZ' to get visas evidenced
Hope it sorts itself out for you soon.

downunderpom

It has to be an onbound ticket from NZ, to a country which will accept you. This can be Australia if you have enough time on a current visa to get back in. Our visas ran out that day (we'd had next to no warning of this), so we couldn't buy return tickets to Oz.

If you have a round the world ticket, then you're booked out on another flight, so not a problem. Our problem was that we were going one-way into Auckland, then buying a ticket there to come back once the ETA was issued.

As far as buying tickets to the UK there and then was concerned, I don't use credit cards, and didn't have enough cash / money available on my bank card (which has a limit to how much can be drawn on it each day, no matter how much money you have in your account) so we couldn't buy them then and there, and the flight was due to leave two hours later.

tiredwithtwins

Bloody 'ell mate.......dunno what to say!!!

Its seems stuff ups like this are getting more and more common...have dimia just recruited a whole new bunch of staff and not given them any training or something!?!?!?!?!??

Hope it all works out for you....enjoy the UK (and tell your missus that the boots in NEXT this year are fab!)

sue

Phoenixuk2oz

Blimey....if ever there was a sorry situation then this is it DUP

Here's hoping all goes well and you get some good news soon

lucyb

Sheesh...that sucks. And here was I feeling sorry for myself. I sincerely hope you get a positive outcome...keep us posted.

Lucy
x

downunderpom

G'day, Sue!
That's the excuse that they're using - new untrained staff. But it's a load of ol' bollox, because these same staff were there when I was trying to get an RRV based on my previous seven years as a permanent resident, and that was in April.

And Mrs DUP has already been drooling over the NEXT website! I think the flights are going to be the CHEAP part of this trip! :scared:

downunderpom

Hi Lucy

I DID notice the 'LARGE BRICK WALL' on your signature. What was all that about, or should I stop being so bloody nosey!

And I WILL keep you all posted. That's what the forum's all about, IMO, telling each other about the pitfalls to avoid, and cheering each other on.

Yay, team (now where's that cheer-leader smilie gone....?

lucyb

HI again

Well I hardly want to put the thread up as Im trying to think positive and forget about the bad news and work round it another way but here you go.....
Dammit I WILL get to Adelaide if it kills me!!!!
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=259446

Lucy
x

bondipom

If they are new and untrained they should not be offering advice. Sadly you are not the first person to have been given misleading advice by DIMIA buffoons. A letter to the new Parramatta MP and the immigration minister might be another angle of attack.

downunderpom

Hi BP

I have written several letters to the Immigration Minister - Senator the Hon Amanda Vanstone. Unfortunately she 'slopes shoulders' to one of the buffoons I complained about! TWICE she has done that, despite this bloke being mentioned in the complaint!

I got two letters responding to the complaint I filed. I sent copies to the Complaints Handling Unit (who were very good) and to Amanda Vanstone. The Complaints Handling Unit fronted up, admitted that the staff at DIMIA had given me a lot of bad information and advice, so fair enough. Amanda Vanstone got this pratt to respond, and he told me that DIMIA had done nothing wrong - that it was all MY fault for giving misleading information, and that I had no-one to blame but myself, because (wait for it) I should have taken out Aussie citizenship when I was living here as a permanent resident. This despite him having the documents in from of him which prove that I was a MINOR when I was living here before, and therefore not eleigible to take out Oz citizenship.

This bloke obviously has his head up his rear end and likes the view from there! Unfortunately there's a lot like him - convinced of their own infallability.

downunderpom

Just read this, Lucy. Like you say, DIMIA get ready for a fight! Don't just give up - as you can see fom this post they screw up on a regular basis, and are reversed by their own colleagues.

We're on 'Plan G' by now - just keep trying, and you WILL find a way around it.

Good luck.

tiredwithtwins

Iagree with bp's course of action, and throw in a threat to go to the media with it too!!!

sue