Hiya.... Some on here have been very quick....just a matter of days. Like you say, I guess it depends on where you are and how straight forward your application is.

Hi Shiels,

How's it going? Everything you expected?

Mark

Yes and no..........homesickness is a killer C x

I can imagine.... what do you miss the most? How long have you been there now?

Shiels,

Yes, it does help, ta. Two weeks, wow! Are you married to your OH though? I'm in a defacto relationship.

Ta,
Veg.

Yes, you should be ok though if you have proof its an honest relationship! C x

18 weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Family and close friends, dont miss UK itself C x

Blimey, didn't realise it had been that long actually.

Are you making new friends OK? (I know they are no replacement for your old friends....)

Don't have many close friends, but there are one or two family members that I'm going to miss, just hope that email, SMS and the phone will ease it.

Yeh no probs some of my BE friends from the UK are still my friends only we are down under now!!!

Ive been homesick from day one so i think its just they way i am TBH. C x

Hope it eases soon for you then x

Hi shiels - great to see you back on here again - I have been wondering where you are for ages!! Have just been reading your replies to Mark - sounds like its tough with the homesickness - do the blue skies make up for it? What I mean is do you feel like you did the right thing? I am so scared of the whole process as my OH is being very pessimistic about the whole thing and wondering if we are doing the right thing, so everyones' experiences are really interesting to me at the moment.

And Vegemite - mine took two days from when I sent the stuff off to getting an email to say it had been granted and passport was back one week to the day that I sent it off - been married 11 years with 3 kids, dont know how much of a difference that made.

2 days, but she did put the application fee in unmarked £20 notes together with the forms

That's the one thing I am still finding very hard - friends. We have made a few friends, but none that I would be bothered if we didn't see again! (sounds harsh!) I am in touch with a few old school friends, but we don't have anything in common apart from school (which I suppose is a lot really!).
I miss the history we have with the friends we left behind, I know that takes time to build up, so over time I will gain that again with my 'new' friends.

So, I put it to you all, if any of you meet the following conditions, drop me a pm, & we'll meet up.......!

Charbs Search For A New Bestie

I know Rach & Fin will laugh at this.... but ideally you must....

1. Have a child, preferably the same age as mine if possible (5 last week!)
2. The child must have tantrums every now & then (just so my brat doesn't look as bad...!).
3. Like a drink... & I don't mean one glass of wine with dinner, you should be able to drink for most of a Saturday night.
4. Age is not a problem, my friends in England ranged from my age (27 now), & my best friend was my dads age (50 next year!)
5. Finally, living in Melbourne would help of course!

So, anyone out there....??? Not that I am desperate or anything....!

MMMMmmmmm, lovely gorgeous fresh VISAS!!!!! I feel like crying every time I look at them, but Mark is right, I don't wanna smudge them!
Just going through all the leaving do's (2 work ones, party for friends, Dinner with the Weightwatchers crew - what else would we do except go out to EAT!, family catch ups)....

Vegemite - my spouse visa took 3 months all up, and it was not a straightforward one (criminal record blip from donkeys ago, medicals had to be referred to Sydney, and yet again on our Stat Dec, the FIL put my hubby down as the applicant instead of me! There is a pattern emerging with this Stat Dec thing!!). So not that long, although it seemed like decades!

Happy dayz!!!

hi shiels,

sorry to hear you are feeling really homesick, hope it eases soon, we have only been here 5-6 weeks, and so far i am fine, oh loving it cause hes back with his mates and family, but 16 year old daughter is a different matter - tears and tantrums of utmost proportions. everyone reacts differently and i think its impossible to prejudge how you will take it,

good to see you back on BE!