Can't speak for others, but I just 'chucked' the whole lot in a plastic wallet & into an envelope! As for a contents page - once again, not sure what everyone else has done, but no, I didn't. I think as long as you include all of the relevant details/paperwork, then they will find what they need. Best of luck.

I read something about pins staples and wallets so didn't bother - just bunged the lot in an envelope and sent it

Hi
It certainly has not taken the shine off but I just feel annoyed that we did not focus more on what was going on before we left.As you know the paperwork stuff is all consuming on its own let alone all the other preparations to move a family. Letting the house is an option,but will you have to pay an agent to manage it?This can be expensive .Or would a freind/rellie manage it for you.I know that is asking a lot.The problem is will you have enough money to set up here without selling the house?
We certainly neede a goodly amount to set up!That is something to consider.Good luck.

Being anally retentive, I put several things into separate envelopes, listing what was in each on the front. On a separate sheet of paper, I catalogued the entire lot, which bit was in which envelope ... which envelope had proof of relationship, another had official documents etc.


They must have loved me.

Hi, I have just found this Forum and have found it really helpful. My wife is an Aussie and we have 2 children who have dual UK and Australian passports. I applied for my partner visa at the beginning of February and was issued a visa last Friday.

Because I didn't really do much research, I assumed that my visa would take quite a long time to be issued so I put my application in early as we plan to move in time for the kids to start school in January 2008, though I may stay on in the UK until April to finish of the financial year and sell our house.

Now my visa has been issued, I have to enter Australia before 4/1/08 to validate it. Having been in Australia in June 2006 and January 2007, I should have either applied earlier to validate my visa on these trips or applied in the summer of this year. I have to travel to Singapore in June for work so now I think I will have to fly on to Australia just for a couple of days to validate my visa to give me flexibility.

We are planning to move to the North Shore in Sydney, probably some where near French's Forest but we won't make a decision until we have got settled. My wife's parents have a large home in Killara where we can stay until we decide where we want to live.

My wife Stephanie is really excited about finally going home and the kids want to go tomorrow! For me, I am a little nervous about the change as we both have reasonable jobs, good friends and a settled life in the UK. When we move, there is a chance that I can move with my work however that is only a small possibility but I am really pushing for it as it will give us some stability when we arrive to already have a job.

I see from this forum that there are a number of people that regularly meet up so we look forward to meeting up with people in similar situations when we arrive

Hi Nick and welcome to the forum and our elite spouse circle!!!
Think all us pommie halves are really nervous about the move, so your not alone on that count!!
Spouse visas always seem to be granted really quickly i know Tracey (thepomandozzy) got hers granted in a week!! But it does catch you out with the validation date doesnt it?
Whereabouts in the UK are you from? C x

Who would'nt iPom? C x

Hi there,

I'm a newbie to this forum, but am in need of some reassurance! I'm an ozzie with an english husband. We've sent off the applications with the medicals, but I'm still waiting for the police check to come through.

If it takes 4 weeks to come through, then it will arrive 3 days after we are booked to fly out of the UK! I've read something about bridging visa's - if everything is ok with the application, and all that's needed is the PCC, am I right in assuming that our CO has the ability to grant my husband a visa that will get him in Oz until his spouse visa completes?

Thanks
Halina

Sorry i dont know the answer to that one!! As regards to police check though it may well come in 2 weeks and not the 40 days that is sometimes quoted, keeping my fingers crossed for you!! C x

Thanks - My husband has been abroad for three out of the past 4 months, and so I've had to do everything, seel the house, organize the shipping quotes, clean, sell and sort everything, do the visa application, so the stress and worry I've had to deal with myself over the past few months has been enormous for my small shoulders.

And now I feel like I've lined up my dominoes - the House sale, Brandon's Visa, packing, shipping flights etc and if one of the things in the chain doesn't happen, then everything that comes next will fall down.

I had a glimpse of this a few weeks ago with my husbands passport. My husband had his passport lodged with the US embassy for a work visa and they sent it back, due to arrive the day of his medical. It arrived 10 minutes after he left. So I posted it special delivery to them that day, it arrived the next day and they sent it back recorded delivery along with a certified copy for our visa application. It didn't turn up till the Friday, 8 days after it was sent.

My husband had had to go for his x ray with the doctors office faxing an uncertified copy of his passport over ( the Doctor he originally saw was on holiday) and a plea for understanding , he was also due to go to the US on the following Tuesday, so his office was on the phone to airlines hotels etc, trying to cancel his trip, as well as possibly cancelling advertising contracts ( he's a photographer) and looking into suing the Doctors office for loss of earnings.

The week of stress, the delay to his visa and policecheck all could have been avoided if it had been sent special delivery.

I don't want to go through that stress again!

Halina

Gosh i bet you dont you poor things!!! I used special next day delivery service from the post office for all the to and froms to Australia House with no problems. Good Luck C x

Hi - another newbie - just come across this website (after looking through many others) and it is great. My husband is just in the process of obtaining (hopefully) his spouse visa. We did not front load (were actually advised not to) so fingers crossed his medical today is the last step. I have dual nationality (was born in Sydney and then my parents came back to the UK about 6 months later) so has been an easy process to date. We have 2 daughters (4yrs and 2yrs) and they have Oz passports and Citizenship.

We spent 8 weeks out in Oz doing a whistle stop tour and were undecided between Southern NSW (me) and Perth (hubby). We have now done an about turn and are going for the Bayside area of Brisbane. Taking a bit of a flyer as we only really spent Christmas in Brisbane, saw the City Centre and not a lot else.

Really impatient to get hubby's Visa - anyone have any ideas how long it generally takes from having the medical - I know it will probably take a day or two for the blood test results to come back?

Who else is heading for the Brisbane area?

Nina

Nina
I had my medicals on 12th February and the results were sent to Australian High Commission from the Doctors on Monday 19th and I received an email issuing the visa on 23rd asking for me to send in my passport for the visa to be inserted

Good luck

Hi Nina

We are heading to brisbane end of may beginning of june. I am the ozzie and oh is british, we front loaded johns visa application and had it granted in a week so yours should be relatively quick after they receive the medicals and police checks.

Hope this helps a bit.

Tracey x

I requested my police check on the 12th Feb and got it back on Friday so it only two weeks to come back. Fingers crossed that your's will come back soon.