Spikey

Hi I posted a similar msg on the Barbie forum but just wanted more opinions!

We are hoping to go to Melbourne in mid-Nov. We have sold our house (hoping to complete on 10th Nov), my SIL has had her centrelink interview and will now have lodged our deposit. Our agent at Global Visas said we should hear about 6 weeks after our medicals and thought we were ok to book flights for mid-Nov. We've booked to fly out via Hong Kong on 16th Nov. Wanted to book them now because of the fares going up nearer Christmas and lack of availability.

It all seemed to be coming together nicely until we had our medicals on Friday, very thorough and all well for me, my husband and our 6 year old. But my daughter aged 3.5 had a urine infection in August and has been referred to the paediatrician as they automatically do this for under-3s to check for any underlying problems. The dr said he'd send the medicals off pending the results of my daughters appt and scan which she will most likely have but will need the report of that to send to Oz. I've managed to bring her paed appt forward from 16th Oct to next Friday and will beg and plead for a scan on Friday if needed or a.s.a.p even if we have to go private. The dr also took a urine sample from her (not normally required for under 5s) at the medicals which was fine.

Is this one report likely to really delay things? We need to confirm whether we want the flights tomorrow at the latest - my husband is going to speak to our agent tomorrow and ask her advice but what would you do? I'm suggesting going ahead with the flights and our current timescale but making sure we've got insurance to cover if we have to cancel. Or would you cancel and not book flights until you've safely received the visa? We were intending staying with my parents after completing on the house for a week or 2, they live in the North East and we're in the Northwest - it will be impossible for us to find short term accomodation here as a family just for a few weeks if we're delayed (I know because I've looked for 3 month rentals before). Not to mention my H will need to give a months notice at work.

I'm so frustrated by this, we put our visa application in last December and having just looked at timelines it seems our process has been exceptionally slow - if we'd had medicals requested within 6 months of the application going in it would have been before she had the uti, she has never been ill before this.

Any words of wisdom? Sorry this is long, thank you if you read this far!

Mrs JFW

Hello Spikey.

I don't think that these are words of wisdom but just my humble opinion.

Firstly can I say what a nightmare it must be with the timescales that you have only to find out there is a little blip along the way.

I don't think your daughters urine infection will be too much to worry about. Quite often little girls get urine infections because bacteria can easily spread from their bottoms to their urinary tracts.

Regarding booking the flights, its a nightmare when you can see the prices going up all the time making it so tempting to book when you see a good price. Personally I wouldn't book any flights until I had the visa. The cost of cancelling the flights would be disasterous. I don't think your insurance would cover you cancelling the flights unless it was for an extremely serious reason ie. matter of life or death. The flights are priced according to the flexibility they permit. The cheaper the flight, the more they are restricted.

I hope everything comes together for you soon. Not sure who you have reserved flights with but I have very recently booked return flights to Brisbane and I found the cheapest deals were from Trailfinders, travelmood and singapore airlines (direct website).

best wishes,

jackie x

Spikey

Thanks ever so much for replying

I've been thinking and I think we're going to stick to our timescale - I 'think' it will be ok as long as I can really press for my daughter to be scanned quite quickly - apparently the medicals won't be sent off for a week or 2 anyway as they wait for our blood test results and by then they might even have the report. I think you're right about the uti too.

My H is going to phone the agency tomorrow and chat to them before he confirms or cancels the flight - but agency worker knew we were booking flights and has emailed Oz to let them know we've sold the house and are booking flights for mid-Nov - she told us it would be a maximum of a 6 week wait after meds/AOS bond were in so we were workign to that timescale.

The problem is we want to do a stopover in Hong Kong, we have found a very good deal on a flight so I think we'll just have to face losing money. If we get delayed we're going to lose money anyway I guess even if we do cancel the flight. If there's a good chance we can do it to our original timescale I think we need to go with it.

Mrs JFW

I hope everything comes together for you and that your daughters scan is ok (i'm sure it will be). I will keep my fingers crossed for you and be looking out for your "got it" thread!

all the best,

jackie x

alkristensen

weigh up the excess on the policy for cancelling versus the price change a few weeks later and if its not too much id wait

good luck

p.s. the missus had the same and all was fine, said she needed ultra sound maybe but had no contact from dimia and all went well

SenoraJo

Hiya!

If you're prepared to pay privately then don't worry too much. My medical panel doctor discovered I had a heart murmur and I had to have an Echo. It was at least a 6 month wait on the NHS or I could go private. I got an appointment at my local BUPA hospital and had the echo only a couple of days after my medical . A copy of the report was faxed to my GP and I collected a copy (the next day) to drop off at the medical panel doctor. It did cost £250, but was out of the way and did not hold up anything. I suspect the doc had my scan before our blood results got back!

So, if your little girl needs a scan, you should be able to get it done quickly if you go privately and should stay on track. Hope this helps a little and also that your daughter is feeling better.

Stay positive and all the very best,

Jo x

Spikey

Thank you! My h is going to talk to the agency today and ask them what they think (after all, surely we've paid them to help with this sort of thing!).

I'm sure it will be fine! Feel more cheerful this morning

Spikey

Thank you - that's reassuring, yes if they decide she needs a scan after Friday and can't offer one for ages then I'll go private - same thing as you - we'd probably get the results back to the panel before the blood tests come back, we've been told that's 8-10 days.

However the hospital have been very accomodating so far in bringing the appt forward when I explained our reasons so fingers crossed that they might be able to scan her on Friday or next week if I plead a bit/burst into tears

seasprite

Regarding short term rental; how about static holiday caravan parks? That's what we have planned if the timings dont quite work out.

Spikey

Ohh that's a good idea, though I think if it came to that my H could stay with a work friend and I'll just take the kids to my parents and stay there.

Really hoping it won't come to that!

Mrs JFW

Let is know how you go on Spikey. Good luck.