Pls tell me these aren't 2 unanswerable questions
 

I know all cases are different but can anyone give me an idea of how long from application to decision if I applied for Skilled Worker visa through London.

Secondly, I get intensely paranoid on the points issue. I've got 68 (pass having been recently reduced to 67), I'm educated, skilled, have 4 x the minimum recommended settlement funds required. How much does the whim of the Immigration Officer come into this.

Sorry to sound so desperate, but I'm so keen to go!!!!

Hiya - not much help I know but we applied from the US to the Manitoba Provincial Nomination Program so the timing would be completely different. Hopefully someone will chip in eventually. If you qualify points wise and funds wise then the only thing which could jeopardise your application would be a dodgy police report or medical. I think the rough guestimate of time is a minimum of 6 months. Annoyingly most of the delays can be caused by waiting for police reports to be sent (up to 6 weeks it can take) and spending ages pulling together copious amounts of paperwork to support your application. For instance you'll need to list dates of birth for all your family, mum, dad, brothers and sisters etc., all your work details and accomodation details since you were 18 and so on. Then many a happy hour is spent getting loads of photos taken, fingerprints done, medicals arranged, passports stamped etc. that it seems an age before you reach the final stage. Still, with perserverence you WILL get there I'm sure ;)

Re: Pls tell me these aren't 2 unanswerable questions
 

we applied in jan 03 and reciever our aor in march,have been told by london that the whole process can take 12-16 months,on another discussion group,people are recieving visas within a year,but it might take longer with the points being lowered,hope this helps.mark

Re: Pls tell me these aren't 2 unanswerable questions
 

Process took six months for us through London for skilled Visa.

The immigration officers are not out to get anyone either, we always found them to be quite lenient.....Some times they are made to sound a lot worse than they are. We even had to add to our application twice and they didn't just return the whole thing, they just told us the extra we needed to send and this didn't delay us...They are not monsters just normal people doing their job...Don't worry

Re: Pls tell me these aren't 2 unanswerable questions
 

Couldnt agree with this statement more! Took us 10 months to get the papers. Were called for an interview at CIC london in July of 2000. The visa officers words were that "she was there to help us through the system, try to get us accepted!". She was true to her word, and although at first attempt we didnt have enough points - she relooked at our application with a senior manager and two days later I got a phone call advising me that they had re-assessed and in additon to using using discretion (and changing the main applicant from one partner to the other) we were accepted! Got the landing papers on Sept 1, 2000.

Re: Pls tell me these aren't 2 unanswerable questions
 

You've really cheered me up. Thanks alot for that. It's really encouraging hear some positives

Re: Pls tell me these aren't 2 unanswerable questions
 

Sorry to be the thorn in this discusions side. I finish in the Army in Nov 05, im doing my paperwork now, cos of 9-11 we believe paperwork is taking longer. We have friends out in Alberta, they finished in the Army, Oct 01, they have just recieved ( 27 Aug 03) there final stamp of approval. So plan for the worst, anything better is a bonus AGREED

Re: Pls tell me these aren't 2 unanswerable questions
 

Here's another then.... :) When we applied it took approx 2 years. There was a change in regulations. We had a crappy lawyer. Anything that could go wrong absolutely did. We took charge of our lives after 18 months and decided to go to NZ. Two days later we had an interview notification....you can imagine the expletives (sp?)....we had our interviewwhich really confirmed that there was no way we were going to get through, then just before Christmas...passport requests.

I have no real idea why they let us in. On the strength of the interview we really should have been rejected (v long story!) so all I can say is that as bad as it gets, until you hear something one way or the other ....THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE. Trouble is the waiting in the meantime :p