PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

Hi all,

I was phoned at work today from a very pleasant chap at the Australian High Commission informing me he had approved my application for a PR Visa and I would have to validate it by March 12th 2003. I was stunned because I only sent in the application on April 2nd, 2002 and wasn't expecting to hear anything for months ! So the system does work. I hope this gives a glimmer of hope to those who have been waiting for months - especially those like me, who are non-IT people. I must admit I'm still waiting for confirmation in writing, as I keep thinking they are going to phone me back and tell me there has been a terrible mistake - I've become cynical I as I get older. Just for some background on the application. I applied through my husband, who is an Australian citizen by grant. I included the whole kit and caboodle with my application - full medical, chest X-ray results (not the actual X-ray), HIV test, police check, passport-sized photographs etc, and went through the form three times to make sure I had answered every relevant question. It took me a month to get all the information together. It would have taken less but my husband lost his decree absolute from his previous marriage and we had to apply for a copy from the county court. I even checked my husband's sponsor form - and discovered he had forgotten to include a statement explaining how he would support me if I was unemployed.

Good luck to all those still waiting. I do feel for you, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

Hi Kiran.

Your experience confirms that if you front-end load a spouse visa application to the High Commission in London they WILL assess the paperwork as soon as it comes in with a view to an immediate visa decision if possible.

Apparently it is part of a client focussed initiative in London, as directed by Canberra.

Best regards.



Alan Collett
alan-at-gomatilda-dot-com
Registered Migration Agent Number 0102534
and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
http://www.gomatilda.com, and
http://www.collettandco.com

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

Hi Alan,

The whole business of processing spouse visas quickly arises because of the very real
concerns raised by genuine spouses about the delays in seeing their partners again,
(and this has implications for government, as we find that the Australian citizen
partner is often very vocal about the delay and has no doubt who to blame). Anyway,
at first the initiative was to offer rapid ("same day") processing in Sydney and
other offices onshore, and now the same approach is being used worldwide, but
apparently in developed countries only. Spouses from India still face the uncertainty
of a 6-12 months wait, and African spouse cases can and do take up to two years.

We were included in a pilot program for "same day" spouse visas last year, but events
overtook the pilot as the demand for accelerated processing was universal and
Canberra, too, was very positive about the idea for the reason above. You will note
that this is why sponsored skills cases are treated more favourably than
independents, when it comes to processing times and points requirements.

Cheers

George Lombard

www.austimmigration.com.au Alan Collett wrote in message
<[email protected]>...
    >kiran rowe wrote:
    > > Hi all, I was phoned at work today from a very pleasant chap at the Australian
    > > High Commission informing me he had approved my application for a PR Visa and I
    > > would have to validate it by March 12th 2003. I was stunned because I only sent
    > > in the application on April 2nd, 2002 and wasn't expecting to hear anything for
    > > months ! So the system does work. I hope this gives a glimmer of hope to those
    > > who have been waiting for
months -
    > > especially those like me, who are non-IT people. I must admit I'm still waiting
    > > for confirmation in writing, as I keep thinking they are going to phone me back
    > > and tell me there has been a terrible mistake - I've become cynical I as I get
    > > older. Just for some background on the application. I applied through my
    > > husband, who is an Australian citizen by descent. I included the whole kit and
    > > caboodle with my application - full medical, chest X-ray results (not the actual
    > > X-ray), HIV test, police check, passport-sized photographs etc, and went through
    > > the form three times to make sure I had answered every relevant question. It
took
    > > me a month to get all the information together. It would have taken
less
    > > but my husband lost his decree absolute from his previous marriage and we had to
    > > apply for a copy from the county court. I even checked my husband's sponsor form
    > > - and discovered he had forgotten to include a statement explaining how he would
    > > support me if I was unemployed. Good luck to all those still waiting. I do feel
    > > for you, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
    >
    >Hi Kiran.
    >
    >Your experience confirms that if you front-end load a spouse visa application to the
    >High Commission in London they WILL assess the paperwork as soon as it comes in with
    >a view to an immediate visa decision if possible.
    >
    >Apparently it is part of a client focussed initiative in London, as directed by
    >Canberra.
    >
    >Best regards.
    >
    >
    >
    >Alan Collett alan-at-gomatilda-dot-com Registered Migration Agent Number 0102534 and
    >a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
    >http://www.gomatilda.com, and http://www.collettandco.com
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >
    >--
    >Alan Collett
    >
    >Posted via http://britishexpats.com

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

hi it was good to read your exciting news, as it would seem we are in an almost identical situation. even down to the fact we have had to send of for a replacement decree absolute from my wifes first marriage.
my citizenship by decent is being processed at the moment, and as soon as we recieve that we will send for my wifes p.r visa, we are going to make appointments for her x ray and medicals on monday, and send the lot off together.
who did you get to certifiy your documents, did you use a solicitor.
and anything else you think may easily be forgotten by us would be a help seeing as you have done so well with yours.
cheers and well done shaun and lor

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

George,

Doesn't seem to apply to skilled sponsored. It's taking just as long as skilled independant.

Nigel db

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

Sorry George,

Forgot to add that on the plus side sponsored skilled doesn't need to meet the points requirement.

Nigel db

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

Hi George

Does this quick processing apply to Employer nomination scheme too? Any idea how long
we should have to wait? Thanks Ian

--
Posted via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

    >On 24 May 2002 22:20:10 GMT, kiran rowe <[email protected]> wrote: So the
    >system does work. I hope this gives a glimmer of hope to those who have been waiting
    >for months - especially those like me, who are non-IT people. I must admit I'm still
    >waiting for confirmation in writing,

The IT/non-IT drama only applies to skilled independent/sponsored migrants, not
family sponsored ones.

Jeremy

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

I can vouch for the fact that it is better to get the all the documentation in up front. I submitted my application in January 02 without the medicals & police checks and now still waiting
for the visa. A friend of mine submitted his recently with all the documentation, and got the visa within 2 weeks.

Very frustrating as you can imagine...

x
 

x

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

Hi guys

I agree with @boy..I don't think it makes much difference. We didn't front end load my husbands application (didn't know you could, just followed instructions in DIMIA booklet) and it still only took 6 weeks (and we applied Jan '02, check out http://www.austimeline.com/ for further info)...and most of that 6 weeks was waiting for the police to get their act together and send us hubby's police clearance certificate.

I think it's probably more to do with individual circumstances than anything else...could be wrong, but that's my 2 cents worth :))

love sophia x

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

Sophia and @boy,

Just a quick note to point out that the thread was started in the context of spouse visa applications to London (where front-end loading makes a lot of sense), and not skilled applications to Adelaide (where it doesn't).

Best regards.



Alan Collett
alan-at-gomatilda-dot-com
Registered Migration Agent Number 0102534
and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
http://www.gomatilda.com, and
http://www.collettandco.com

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

Alan

I realise what the thread is about, I was talking about my husbands spousal visa ;) I was merely making an observation about front end loading.

love sophia (an Aussie!!) x

x
 

x

Re: PR Visa approved in double-quick time
 

OK guys, I stand corrected, save only to say that I think it does make a difference (although perhaps not significantly in the overall scheme of things) to the time taken to get a spouse visa if you submit the medicals and police reports up front rather than waiting to be asked for them.

So you might be looking at 2 weeks with front-end loading and (in Sophia's case) 6 weeks.