My lovely husband is an engineer so he is the main applicant for our visa application and yes it is true that without him we would not be able to apply. However all he has had to do is sign his name a few times. It has been me that has done all the chasing round, collecting references, certifying of docs, filling in forms, arranging medicals etc. i doubt he even knows the name of our agent!!

I just wondered if it is always the poor put upon wives that do all the admin or if it more evenly shared in other houses?

If and when we get a big fat "yes" i am going to make sure he knows that we wouldnt be going anywhere if it wasnt for all my hard work. Ha ha.

Pay an agent...and make him sign the cheque!

Or seriously write out the bill for yourself and make him pay for what you would like best!

Dont worry i will make him pay when we get there. he can work and i'll put my feet up!!

My OH doesnt even know how he got the visa!!! Only kidding, but the contribution he did was:

1. being a well qualified and experienced trades person
2. wrote out the bare bones of his job descriptions and tool list
3. review the padded out english version of his descriptions and proof read all letters to previous employers (all of who I located and contacted).
4. take lots of photos
5. sign joint statements in front of solicitor
6. sign TRA form
7. sign main visa app form
8. attend medicals
9. attend specialist medical appointments (which I begged for and arranged)

but the most important of all:

10. PAID

Completely not stressed - doesnt understand what all the fuss is all about. It was the same when he (I) bought our first flat - he went to one viewing, one solicitors appointment to sign docs then moved in to flat a week after me as he was working away in London.

Mind you, its not such a bad thing cause then they cant interfere or screw things up.

Paula

I'm even looking for jobs for my OH as he's so busy at work he hasn't got time!! Hope he doesn't ask me to update his CV otherwise we really will be stuffed :scared:
His latest amusing little suggestion was that we go for role reversal and I get a job and he sets up home in Oz!!

OK OK serious reply.....after his bright idea to go to Aus, we worked out together getting in with a partialy deaf daughter might be an issue. So we got the forms and his skills went first place, but I got my work to sponsor us (me) on a 457 in the meantime. Then through BE found out about George Lombard and helped get our visa difficulties sorted.

Then I made him stay at home and settled the kids for five months.......after getting in with the local mums and ladies who lunch he was well pleased to get back to work!

But even more deadly serious....do not make it too easy, I have some serious homesick twangs now and he thinks it would be easy for us to move back!!!

Funny you should say that. i have had that suggested to me too. Bloody cheek!

Sorry to hear you are a bit homesick. how long have you been there? Is it family that you miss?

Oh my homesickness should be well known on this site by now! I have been here four years, we have a lovely house, good friends aussie and brit etc etc and I miss my sister and I miss the smell of the UK and the familiarity and M&S and ASDA and cars and traffic jams and rain and the weather.

But I also am a sensible soul down deep and know it can be great here and it must be each to our own. I get great support on Expats and like the general banter on here and if once in a while when I can give some advice I will.

Cheers Sand

Strangely enough....EXACTLY the opposite in our house! My Mrs. had the qualification for Office Manager (even though that is what I am without the qual.) and now runs her own Computer Consultancy business. She also had the sponsor in Melbourne.

Being FAR too busy to put it together it was left to me to do everything. To be honest I didn't mind...enjoyed the challenge. Didn't bother with an agent and spent 3 months getting everything done, which wasn't easy as we lived in Italy at the time :scared:

When we got the yes - she bought the Dom Perignon with the proceeds of the work that had kept her FAR too busy to do the app.

All the best - fingers crossed.

so what do you want a pat on the "Head" or what, if he is is the main applicant, just think if you applied under your skills would you be in a position brag then, i think not so i would suggest to shut the whinging woman.????

Not whinging, just inquiring if anyone else had a husband as lucky as mine!

You bet! I did all the running around and still bloody am if I hear "but I'm at work all day" once more I'll be going nowhere as I'll end up with a criminal record for 'Battering' him By the way I don't sit at home all day I am a fourth year student currently in the middle of my Dissertation :scared: with 2 children and a house to run he thinks I sit at this pc on BE and do nothing all day Unfortunately after this year, I would have to work at least 18 months before applying under my own esteem.
Andrea
xx