Originally Posted by jjoy

Hi Naufil

Can you please tell me why do you have to fill the health undertaking form. Is it because of a past ailment (Koch Infection) which is healed now. If so can you brief me as to what was your experience during the medicals as I am curious as we shall be facing the similar situation.

Further, can you tell me whether this form is filled before the visa is granted or to be filled on arrival at Australia.

Please reply. Thanking you in advance.

Regards

JJoy

Originally Posted by m3appy

hi, just curious, what is "pre-granted" ?

Originally Posted by shafanm

Historically Canadian immigration policies has been very consistent and humane, and fair if and when their were changes they make sure applicants on the pipeline are exempted. Despite taking a much severe beating than Australia from the global financial crisis, Canada made no reduction or major changes to their immigration policies, On the contrary Australia claim they escaped the recession unscathed, but yet, there were three major migration policy changes which were not migration friendly.

Originally Posted by Dennis74

Sorry for being off-topic - but this statement should be corrected.
I am quite sure that Canada actually did change their rules due to the crisis.
One, CIC (Canada's equivalent to DIAC) produced a list of professions that are (at all!) eligible to apply for a non-sponsored, independent PR and this list is pretty small:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigra...tions.asp#list

Point two is, specific applications in the pipeline were canceled (by CIC) and a refund was paid to the applicants.

However, I'm no expert for the Canadian immigration rules and the knowledge I have is a bit outdated ...

Regards
Dennis

Originally Posted by jjoy

Hi Naufil

Can you please tell me why do you have to fill the health undertaking form. Is it because of a past ailment (Koch Infection) which is healed now. If so can you brief me as to what was your experience during the medicals as I am curious as we shall be facing the similar situation.

Further, can you tell me whether this form is filled before the visa is granted or to be filled on arrival at Australia.

Please reply. Thanking you in advance.

Regards

JJoy

Originally Posted by Gillyboots

You are right Dennis, and herein lies the crux of the matter. The Canadian Government only applied the changes to the applications received AFTER the changes were made, not to active applications, as DIAC have done. To quote from the link you kindly posted:

"These criteria affect you only if you applied on or after February 27, 2008. If you applied before February 27, 2008, your application will be processed according to the rules that were in effect at that time".

Since I applied for the GSM 175 some 13 months ago, there have been so many changes to the processing priorities that it makes my head spin. Firstly the introduction of the CSL, then changes made to the CSL in March, and now the latest set of guidelines introduced on the 23rd. Then we are going to have the phasing out of the CSL, and the introduction of some other list I can't even remember the name of at this point!

To put it in a nutshell, I understand why a Government would want to protect it's citizens and the economy, of course I do. But I cannot and never will understand why they are allowed to continually change the rules for EXISTING APPLICANTS. By all means apply any changes to new applications received on or after a given date, then people can decide whether or not its a road they want to go down before they have parted with their cash

Originally Posted by Gillyboots

How dare you!? "cheer up"?? Listen, I don't think you appreciate how this constant changing of timescales has affected some people's lives, and to what severity in many cases. And i'm not just talking about money or time wasted, i'm talking missed opportunities or possible other options missed. Not only houses or jobs, although that would be bad enough, i'm talking about sick or elderly relatives here, nothing trivial. Its not as simple as "wait it out or go somewhere else" in every case.

I can't speak for everyone else who is going through this upheaval, but for me personally - it was never about running away from my home country, but rather running TO Australia, and the people I have there.

Yes DIAC quote that fees are non-refundable, but at the time of application, they also quoted that the processing time would be 12 months. I strongly believe that to move the goalposts to such a degree should result in at least a partial refund. I know I will not get back money for medicals or police checks as I stupidly front loaded them. I know I won't receive a refund for the IELTS I had to sit, or the ACS/VETASSESS skills assessments both myself and my husband had to complete, or the various other fees we've incurred to date, all that I can live with. But DIAC haven't done a thing with my application yet! So why can't the fee be refunded?

Maybe things have worked out for you, maybe not, I do not know, but a word to the wise - please choose your wording more carefully in future.

Originally Posted by INDOAUS

There is no use attacking op as that won't change oz immigration policy. The best thing is to wait patiently and try to work alternative solutions. All in all, think positive.

I do agree the rule changes were unjust to those negatively affected, yet OZ Govt has no obligation to process our visa under certain time period. DIAC only mention estimated time period. The oz govt is trying to protect the jobs of their constituents, which I believe is understandable.

We would also expect our govt to do the same if these issues araised in our home countries.

Originally Posted by Gillyboots

<snip>


To put it in a nutshell, I understand why a Government would want to protect it's citizens and the economy, of course I do. But I cannot and never will understand why they are allowed to continually change the rules for EXISTING APPLICANTS. By all means apply any changes to new applications received on or after a given date, then people can decide whether or not its a road they want to go down before they have parted with their cash

Originally Posted by INDOAUS

There is no use attacking op as that won't change oz immigration policy. The best thing is to wait patiently and try to work alternative solutions. All in all, think positive.

I do agree the rule changes were unjust to those negatively affected, yet OZ Govt has no obligation to process our visa under certain time period. DIAC only mention estimated time period. The oz govt is trying to protect the jobs of their constituents, which I believe is understandable.

We would also expect our govt to do the same if these issues araised in our home countries.

Originally Posted by vandm

i agree with you on this gillyboots. already we are irritated and on top of this some agents on this forum are giving us free philosophy classes like you "sow many seeds....." and quoting aristotle and socrates. its like salting an already sore wound.

Originally Posted by Pollyana

A Health Undertaking, if needed, has to be signed before the visa is granted



If an applicant has to go off-shore for visa grant, they will receive a letter advising that the visa is ready to be granted, and requesting that they inform DIAC as to their travel plans.

Originally Posted by vandm

i agree with you on this gillyboots. already we are irritated and on top of this some agents on this forum are giving us free philosophy classes like you "sow many seeds....." and quoting aristotle and socrates. its like salting an already sore wound.

Originally Posted by m3appy

hi, if all my documents were finalised, including status shown as "met", and medicals finalised too, does that equate to a "pre-grant" too?

Originally Posted by Alan Collett

Because any Government's first priority is - I submit - to look after the interests of its own citizens.

And when circumstances change at relatively short notice - as they have done globally - a Government does what it considers necessary to look after its own first.

Ask a typical Australian or Brit whether they want their own Government to look after their interests as a citizen of Australia/the UK first over those who want to migrate - I reckon 99 times out of a 100 you would get the same answer.

Yes, in the overall context it is unfair, but such are the rules of the game (as Polly indicated above) - politics and economics rolled into one.

Clearly from a business perspective - and with an empathy for our clients - I'd rather changes weren't made with retrospective effect. Some of us are lobbying for a more equitable outcome. However, equity is not a trait that prevails too often these days, particularly when there is a Federal election in the offing.

Best regards.

Originally Posted by vandm

the best thing is to wait patiently? hello boss we wont have a choice other than waaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttt. because there are no refunds!!