Welcome Timbo and Emma! Are you heading for Canberra? Or somewhere different?

Hey Rach,

We will be headed for Canberra initially as I am Canberra born and bred so all my family are there. After a few months there though we are going to head down to Melbourne as Emma's degree is in the arts and given the Melbourne is more European than other cities it will have more opportunities...not to mention the weather will be an easier transition from over here!

Been doing lots of research lately and starting to get a little nervous now! Given our ages I don't think they will take us overly seriously but heres hoping!

Tim.

Oh Heck 20 hours to go till take off....All excited now..Please dont let Heathrow be flooded!

good luck!! hope it all goes alright

Please, did anyone get the document from Parkes (or elsewhere!) about sending the application off (no staples/wallets etc). I'm hoping to post this week and don't want to annoy the CO by stapling and seperating in to wallets if that isn't what they want!
Any help/advice appreciated! I soooooo want to get it in the post, especially as I'm being made redundant at work...not much to stay for now!

hi there, I thought i'd ask on here too as i'm getting confused a little with me and my spouses application, we are applying for de-facto spouse.

Can anyone tell me how they set the stuff out...this is what weve done is this right or wrong?....

We have filled in both forms, got stat decs/birth certs/ etc etc.

the geniun proof bit , we have got a whole section of photos stuck onto each page with a description of what and where we are. is this wrong? stupid? i dunno! I'd say about 12 pages, also flight tickets are attached to some of the pages with photos of that place.

Also for our financial items, we have them all with a cover sheet and each page numbered...like page 1 travel insurance, page 2, joint phone bill... etc etc.

Is this ok, i've hit total paranoia now, as we are not using an agent and are almost ready to send off!

Sounds fine to me, we also sent lots of photos scanned with details on the back of who and where etc, the financial stuff went without any cover sheet or explanation, but what you propose seems more than fine.
If they require further info they are quick to get back to you, we were asked for more info twice, (both times to do with my daughter and parental consent) and our application was still turned round in about 3 weeks.

Good luck to all who are sending soon

Sounds like you have it all sorted
We packaged the forms then personal statements then stat decs and certificates then financial stuff then 2 A4 sheets of scanned photos and various tickets in that order with just an index sheet at the front.

Good luck

Hi John50,

how are you settling, is everything going ok?
Good to see you are back online.

Hi struth

well it was a bit rough at first (homesick) but i am starting to enjoy it now still looking for a job though,about 50 cv,s sent and no bugger replies. :curse:

Things can only get better can`t they ?

i'm sure it will be fine

Good luck with the job hunting

I got my visa today!
Timeline is here.

I found it interesting that even though I had to fill out form 815 for a health undertaking (hepatits B carrier), I still have 12 months to make my initial entry.

Don't put stuff into wallets. everything is scanned, so if you make it easy for them by sending loose sheets they'll be happy. wallet, staples etc just slow down the scanning process

Congratulations

Well I am here ! Finally back after 9 + years of life in England. The last few days were an absolute nightmare - trying to move 7 years of 'ahem' well, crap out of our house !!! Arrange the bits & bobs (more crap to be honest!) to be shipped. Not to mention that EVERY family member wanted to spend time with us - time which we just didn't have to be honest. We didn't even have time for a leaving party as such in the end, everything was so rushed as OH lined up a job whilst on his validation trip, so we had literally 2 weeks from when he got back. We told everyone we would be in this pub at this time, love it if they could be there for farewell drinks - it was a really good day & night (my head the next day wasn't so good!!) though, glad we did it that way. After everything, we were just looking forward to taking our seats on the plane - for a rest ! We landed here after a night in Singapore on May 19, and the verdict is..... ''drumroll'' !!! .........

I am missing... Tesco (where are all BOGOF offers!! lol), Chicken Madras from the local curry house, everything being soooooo close, PG Tips (!!) & of course my nan & friends !!! But apart from that, it's pretty good !

OH started his job the following week after we arrived, & has settled into 'Aussie' life like you wouldn't believe ! You would seriously think he has been here years, not weeks. Although the Premiership hasn't started yet, so watch this space - he may be booking a ticket back - as he is football - sorry I mean 'soccer' mad !!! I lined up a part time job pretty easily.(recommend www.seek.com.au ) Our son absolutely LOVES Kinder, (he hated playschool ! Work that out ??!!) & has adjusted really well, we're currently enrolling him into his new school for Prep next Jan. We got a rental place sorted the 4th day we were here, but can't wait til' we can buy our own place, probably start looking around Xmas time.

I am finding the 'friend' aspect a little tough though, although I have my mum & sister (which I know is a lot more than what some have when the get here), I really miss our circle of friends in the UK. But expect the unexpected as they say, my new best friend could be just around corner ! lol !

So, all in all.... Glad to be back, just wish I could have bought a couple of our friends with us...

Glad to hear everyone elses apps are coming along, I have a lot of reading to do !

BTW, DO NOT recommend the airport goodbye, although it was OH's family, to watch them say goodbye to our DS, was heartbreaking. I did try to warn them all, but they never listened to me before, so why start then ??!! lol !!!

Do recommend Allied Pickfords (our 'crap' arrived last week, kristy if you're reading, cheers for the Dyson - spot on, I actually look forward to hoovering - I'm sure that will wear off though !!! lol) & Singapore Airlines, don't forget the increased luggage allowance - we had 100 kgs - 40 kgs for OH as migrating, 30kgs each for myself & DS - as returning residents.

Best of luck everyone, I remember reading 6 months or so ago, thinking I would never get back here - time goes so quick guys, so make the most of your friends & families in the UK (& tesco & curries ) while you're still there x

P.S jesus, this is like an essay - sorry !!! (told ya I had no friends yet !!)