Sending medicals before Visa
Dec 17th 2004, 6:58 pm
#1
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Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Perthshire, Scotland
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Sending medicals before Visa
Due to incorrect advice (again!!) from our Agent we have a bit of a problem. Our Visa Application for Skilled Independent will be lodged in the first week of January. We have had our medicals done today which we had planned to hold until Visa was lodged and file number obtained and then forward. However, the Doctor has told us that she cannot forward the medicals to our Agent - she must send them directly to DIMIA. Has anyone out there sent their medicals prior to Visa being lodged? Are DIMIA likely to lose the whole lot or will they keep them safely until our Visa App arrives 3 weeks later? 
Hope someone has some words of comfort 
Will of course be on the phone to our Agent on Monday!!
Carolyn
Hope someone has some words of comfort Will of course be on the phone to our Agent on Monday!!Carolyn
Dec 17th 2004, 9:07 pm
#2
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Re: Sending medicals before Visa
I'm afraid our Immigration Application was with DIMIA in March this year. We didn't send Medicals/X-Rays/Police Checks until August, and ,actually we haven't even got the approval yet. 
Dec 17th 2004, 9:33 pm
#3
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Joined: Mar 2004
Location: Cleveland QLD
Posts: 165
Re: Sending medicals before Visa
This same thing happened to us, our agent told us it would speed things up if we had everything done and ready to lodge before we even got the skills test back, incl. meds (given to us to send to the agent), pcs.
Our police checks were dated 19th of Nov 03 and we lodged on the 6th of Feb 04, when it was granted in June it meant we only had something like 16 weeks to get them validated and we still had the house to sell :scared:
In hindsight this first advice was wrong, we should have lodged the application and then done meds. ect. unrequested as the extra few months would have given us more time at the end to validate the visas,
In the end though it did make us get our finger out and get over here quickly and not let us drag our feet.
Our police checks were dated 19th of Nov 03 and we lodged on the 6th of Feb 04, when it was granted in June it meant we only had something like 16 weeks to get them validated and we still had the house to sell :scared:
In hindsight this first advice was wrong, we should have lodged the application and then done meds. ect. unrequested as the extra few months would have given us more time at the end to validate the visas,
In the end though it did make us get our finger out and get over here quickly and not let us drag our feet.
Dec 17th 2004, 10:40 pm
#4
ah-beng
Joined: Aug 2004
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Posts: 3,113
Re: Sending medicals before Visa
You can let the doc send the meds without a case nmber, they match them on passport nbr or dob + name. There is a chance they'll get lost or so people say , but nobody on this forum actually had theirs lost - so maybe its an urban myth.
We sent our meds off with our 47sk application 'front loaded' and DIMIA told us that was ok (that was in november this year).
You have some options:
- The doctor can hang on to them until you tell him to send them (more chance of him losing them methinks!)
- The doctor can give them to you , and you send them (this is what we did)
- You just let him send them now.
If he refuses to give them to you, ask him on what grounds - they belong to you not him, and not dimia, they're YOUR medical reports. Then you can hold them / send them when you want.
The single most important thing is - Do NOT open them, they're sealed and stamped / signed as sealed, if you break that seal you've invalidated them. So no peeking.
You have 12mths from the date the medical was done to validate your visa - this means worst case scenario you dont get a visa in < 12mths and have to have them done again, or almost as bad, you get it with 1 mth left before they expire and have to get your bum on a flight quickly to validate the visa in Aus (yo have to set foot on shore).
Realistically - the way visas are at the moment (6mths circa seems to be normal at moment ) you should be ok if yo'r eplanning to go out in the next 12mths.
And .. Ask your agent wtf they're playing at whilst youre at it. We're not using one so me getting our meds done early was calculated risk , I can afford another £500 in worst case, but he should have briefed you on all the stuff Ive put above.
(this is free advice - accuracy is equal to the amount paid for it ! )
We sent our meds off with our 47sk application 'front loaded' and DIMIA told us that was ok (that was in november this year).
You have some options:
- The doctor can hang on to them until you tell him to send them (more chance of him losing them methinks!)
- The doctor can give them to you , and you send them (this is what we did)
- You just let him send them now.
If he refuses to give them to you, ask him on what grounds - they belong to you not him, and not dimia, they're YOUR medical reports. Then you can hold them / send them when you want.
The single most important thing is - Do NOT open them, they're sealed and stamped / signed as sealed, if you break that seal you've invalidated them. So no peeking.
You have 12mths from the date the medical was done to validate your visa - this means worst case scenario you dont get a visa in < 12mths and have to have them done again, or almost as bad, you get it with 1 mth left before they expire and have to get your bum on a flight quickly to validate the visa in Aus (yo have to set foot on shore).
Realistically - the way visas are at the moment (6mths circa seems to be normal at moment ) you should be ok if yo'r eplanning to go out in the next 12mths.
And .. Ask your agent wtf they're playing at whilst youre at it. We're not using one so me getting our meds done early was calculated risk , I can afford another £500 in worst case, but he should have briefed you on all the stuff Ive put above.
(this is free advice - accuracy is equal to the amount paid for it ! )
Dec 20th 2004, 10:01 am
#5
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Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Perthshire, Scotland
Posts: 42
Re: Sending medicals before Visa
Thanks to everyone for advice. We are going to get the doc to just send them and hope for the best. Our main application should only be a few weeks behind, if that. We are in the fortunate position of having sold our house so if we are left with a short time to validate then it should still be ok. I am a nurse and am hoping visa will come through quickly. Spoke to someone recently who had it in six weeks but I think this would be the exception!! 
Dec 20th 2004, 11:31 am
#6
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,129
Re: Sending medicals before Visa
Originally Posted by The Hastie Family
Thanks to everyone for advice. We are going to get the doc to just send them and hope for the best. Our main application should only be a few weeks behind, if that. We are in the fortunate position of having sold our house so if we are left with a short time to validate then it should still be ok. I am a nurse and am hoping visa will come through quickly. Spoke to someone recently who had it in six weeks but I think this would be the exception!!
My ANMC modified assessment is getting DHL'ed today and I already have registration in queensland. Hoping to send completed skilled independent 136 visa by end of January 2005 - thats if I can get medicals booked in the new year and get all my references gathered together!!!!
Good luck karma sent!
Lynn
Dec 20th 2004, 12:15 pm
#7
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 78
Re: Sending medicals before Visa
Originally Posted by spalen
You can let the doc send the meds without a case nmber, they match them on passport nbr or dob + name. There is a chance they'll get lost or so people say , but nobody on this forum actually had theirs lost - so maybe its an urban myth.
We sent our meds off with our 47sk application 'front loaded' and DIMIA told us that was ok (that was in november this year).
You have some options:
- The doctor can hang on to them until you tell him to send them (more chance of him losing them methinks!)
- The doctor can give them to you , and you send them (this is what we did)
- You just let him send them now.
If he refuses to give them to you, ask him on what grounds - they belong to you not him, and not dimia, they're YOUR medical reports. Then you can hold them / send them when you want.
The single most important thing is - Do NOT open them, they're sealed and stamped / signed as sealed, if you break that seal you've invalidated them. So no peeking.
You have 12mths from the date the medical was done to validate your visa - this means worst case scenario you dont get a visa in < 12mths and have to have them done again, or almost as bad, you get it with 1 mth left before they expire and have to get your bum on a flight quickly to validate the visa in Aus (yo have to set foot on shore).
Realistically - the way visas are at the moment (6mths circa seems to be normal at moment ) you should be ok if yo'r eplanning to go out in the next 12mths.
And .. Ask your agent wtf they're playing at whilst youre at it. We're not using one so me getting our meds done early was calculated risk , I can afford another £500 in worst case, but he should have briefed you on all the stuff Ive put above.
(this is free advice - accuracy is equal to the amount paid for it ! )
We sent our meds off with our 47sk application 'front loaded' and DIMIA told us that was ok (that was in november this year).
You have some options:
- The doctor can hang on to them until you tell him to send them (more chance of him losing them methinks!)
- The doctor can give them to you , and you send them (this is what we did)
- You just let him send them now.
If he refuses to give them to you, ask him on what grounds - they belong to you not him, and not dimia, they're YOUR medical reports. Then you can hold them / send them when you want.
The single most important thing is - Do NOT open them, they're sealed and stamped / signed as sealed, if you break that seal you've invalidated them. So no peeking.
You have 12mths from the date the medical was done to validate your visa - this means worst case scenario you dont get a visa in < 12mths and have to have them done again, or almost as bad, you get it with 1 mth left before they expire and have to get your bum on a flight quickly to validate the visa in Aus (yo have to set foot on shore).
Realistically - the way visas are at the moment (6mths circa seems to be normal at moment ) you should be ok if yo'r eplanning to go out in the next 12mths.
And .. Ask your agent wtf they're playing at whilst youre at it. We're not using one so me getting our meds done early was calculated risk , I can afford another £500 in worst case, but he should have briefed you on all the stuff Ive put above.
(this is free advice - accuracy is equal to the amount paid for it ! )
Hi there, dont know if this helps, only did my medical two weeks ago and was told that they no longer forward these documents to your home address but go straight to the embassy so did not have much choice in the matter anyway.
We are attempting to front load my defacto spouse visa so I got a bit befuddled (which is easily done) when they first mentioned it, but as stands we just have to forward on police checks/statements/stat decs and other bits of blurb along and apparently they match it all up. So just sitting tight with fingers crossed.
Dec 20th 2004, 4:14 pm
#8
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Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Perthshire, Scotland
Posts: 42
Re: Sending medicals before Visa
Originally Posted by Fuggle
Hi there, dont know if this helps, only did my medical two weeks ago and was told that they no longer forward these documents to your home address but go straight to the embassy so did not have much choice in the matter anyway.
We are attempting to front load my defacto spouse visa so I got a bit befuddled (which is easily done) when they first mentioned it, but as stands we just have to forward on police checks/statements/stat decs and other bits of blurb along and apparently they match it all up. So just sitting tight with fingers crossed.
We are attempting to front load my defacto spouse visa so I got a bit befuddled (which is easily done) when they first mentioned it, but as stands we just have to forward on police checks/statements/stat decs and other bits of blurb along and apparently they match it all up. So just sitting tight with fingers crossed.
I have asked the doctor to phone the Agent so they can argue it out between themselves but I feel like I don't know who to believe! Have paid both of these people loads of money and I sometimes wonder if anyone really knows what they are doing!! Anyone out there with a definite answer - Can Doctors forward medicals to Agent or must they be sent directly to DIMIA??Carolyn
