Wol

I know it's been on here before, but I can't find it.

Mrs Rog had to have a new passport a few months ago: we've subsequently been out of Oz on the new one with the old one (including her PR visa) in hand.

We're going to Canberra next week for the day and it would be a good opportunity to have her visa put into the new passport. Any information on where it can be done and how long it takes? Can it be done "over the counter"?

TIA

moneypenny20

Try this one, looked about the most useful:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=325477

Pollyana

Got my new passport a couple of months ago - then I just turned up at the Brisbane DIMIA office with both passports, and they stuck a fresh sticker in the new passport. Mine involved a name change (maiden name to married) but they still did it on the spot with no appointment and no charge.

Wol

Thanks both. I checked out the link but it did appear to be mainly about new passports. I have gone onto the DIMIA site and am about to *try* and phone them!

Pollyana

Be warned! When I phoned the helpline they said I needed an appointment, 6 week wait, and $120 to pay......JAJ advised just to turn up at the local DIMIA office, so I did - result, no fee, visa stuck in on the spot!

Wol

Well, the proof of the pudding will be next Tuesday: A nice DIMIA lady said it's OK just to turn up with both passports and it will be done OTC. We'll see..

lesleys

Did it last week - took about 20 mins including waiting.

Wol

Great - thanks!

Wol

Update! Update!

(For anyone trying to do the same thing)

Well, yes - it *was* over the counter...............

There was no-one in front of us at the DIMIA counter in Canberra, but it took the combined efforts of three people half an hour to tell us that no, we couldn't get it done straight away.

The *big* problem was that the "visa had been issued outside Australia" and there was no way they could access a different computer system!

Eventually the manager said that they "could re-issue the visa in the new passport manually" if we really wanted it. (Since we'd driven 170km to do just that........)

So we waited around for the best part of an hour and eventually out she comes with a new visa - hand written.

Will find out if it works next week - if it doesn't, the old one being cancelled, yo'all might just be able to hear the row ensuing at Mascot!

Grayling

Surprised to hear this Rog.

We have just got back from 3 weeks holiday in Australia.

A couple of days ago we went to the DIMIA office in Adelaide and had our visa transferred into our new passports on the spot...About 5 minutes wait to see an officer and it was all done in a few minutes...even had a chance to talk football as he was wearing a Tottenham Hotspur wristband (I am a Forest supporter ).

On another note ...when we turned up at Manchester airport carrying two passports (our new ones and the old ones with the visa in) we were checked in straight away with no difficulty. I had been led to believe (on this site) that this may cause delays. The Check-in clerk did not bat an eyelid.

Good luck

G

JAJ

Was your visa granted by the Perth parents centre?



It's *may* cause hassle, not necessarily *will* cause hassle.




Jeremy

Grayling

Yes.

As for 'hassle'...I accept it can happen. I was just relating my personal experience.

G

Wol

If that was for me then, yes it was!

I asked why the problem since they seemed to be saying that the trouble was that the visa was issued "overseas" (it was put in the old passport in London).

Since probably the majority of visas are put in outside Oz I can't see their point.........

JAJ

I was asking Grayling, but the reason for the question is that most people with 136 visas granted by Adelaide have little difficulty getting new visas stamped in DIMIA offices. There have been problems like yours where visas were processed offshore. If Perth granted the visa then it's inexplicable why there was a problem.

Handwritten visa labels look very unprofessional. You now have to hope that these won't cause confusion at check-in either. And when you arrive in Australia, the immigration officer will need to enter your details manually into the system - he won't be able to 'swipe' your visa details automatically.

DIMIA do have plans to move away from paper labels entirely (other than for exceptional cases) over the next few years. Hopefully then the process will be no more complex than having their system updated to link your new passport to the visa details. Although we'll have to wait and see if it's that simple, especially where visas were granted offshore.


Jeremy

jackie

Hi Jeremy,
I see other folk send you threads as you seem to be the guy with a lot of advise and info which is great and thanks.
Would you happen to know if you had been summoned to go to magistrates court and the case was thrown out by the magistrate or there was nothing to answer, would this show up on your police checks ?. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Jackie