sooperlids

We applied for a 175 Visa last October. As it certain nothing has happened to it in that time & it seems nothing is likely to happen for a long time. Do people think it's right that you can pay a pretty hefty "non refundable" application fee only for the goal posts to be changed. I realise & appreciate circumstances have changed. But am I the only one that thinks it is not too clever that the Australian government get to keep my hard earned money? and of course we have paid a small fortune to an agent also. At least they have actually done some work for their money though!

Would be a lot fairer imo if they offered at least a partial refund of the app fee to people in our situation.

We just want to get on with our lives & not put it on hold for & indefinite period.

Anyway sorry to waffle. I assume it may well have been discussed before but I am not best with the search function. Just needed to vent.

Jen1977ni

It's very frustrating yes, does ur agent think our visas will be looked at in the 2009/10 fiscal year or?!

Gillyboots

Hi - agreed. If they would just give us a timescale to work towards then we would know whether to hold out for our dream, or make the best of our lives here, but it's the not knowing...... and not being able to organise a thing until we do know. I for one cannot take much more of this indefinite wait and some days feel like scrapping the whole idea

sooperlids

Last communication we had from them said we wouldn't be affected as we applied before the changes! So what they "think" is kinda irrelevant. Perhaps they just don't want to upset people with the truth. Can't really blame them I would guess, may drop them another email as I haven't sent one since Feb.

Bermudashorts

I am in for a longer wait than I had initially expected and am not too bothered about that, but I think you have a good point and it has crossed my mind too. I don't normally pay such sums and have no idea when I can expect to receive what I paid for. Having the use of so many peoples' money for so long is not something one normally encounters.

I think if somebody becomes ineligible because of changes to the rules then they should get a refund, I am not sure if they do though.

sooperlids

I guess there are hundreds of people in the same boat? biggest downer at the moment is that we managed to sell our house last year. We have now been renting since May '08 & I hate it. Not nice not being able to decorate our young lads bedroom or stick up our own mirror. Only upside is prices have dropped since then (only a little in our area mind) so may have saved what I could have lost on the app.

AndyR

Totally agree with you, and yep we were also an October 2008 applicant. When we found out about the rule changes and the "how long is a piece of string" wait system they have for standard 175 applicants now, we were totally gutted. I was on the verge of being made redundant anyway so we took out a working holiday visa and arrived in Oz last week, with the intention of travelling around for 12 months while we wait.

If after the 12 months (which'll be 18 months since we applied for 175) we still haven't heard anything then we look what to do next.

Personally, I think if immigration screw people around too long with no timeline being given then lots of people will be taking action. I'll quite happily seek to reclaim my money through the courts if nesecary as to take peoples money and then change the goalposts like this is just wrong. You wouldn't pay £xxxx for a car to be delivered in 12 months, then after 6 months the maker say "actually we are going to build another car now so we'll get round to doing yours when we can be arsed".

Plus, a bit off topic. So far Australia (well brisbane anyway) isn't what we expected and is being completely outshone by New Zealand which we spent a month traveling just.

Gillyboots

Yeah there must be thousands in this boat. At least our house hasn't sold yet, so we still have our home here. Your situation is even worse, what with being in rented accom. and not knowing for how long? That's tough

It's all the little things too, like my eldest starts school this year, and we'd hoped to be in Oz before then so we weren't starting him in school here then taking him out etc. It's the kids birthdays soon and i'm trying not to buy big things as we're not planning on taking a container, but of course they want big presents! I just wish we knew what we were doing! If we need to stay here then ok, sure we'll all be upset but at least we can get on and spend money here on the jobs that need doing, or make plans to buy something else here, but we need to know one way or another. Come on DIAC, we understand why you are making these changes (CSL) etc, but we all parted with our money in good faith at the time of application, and like the other poster said, never before have I parted with such a large sum of money, when I have absolutely no idea when I am likely to get what I paid for. It's not so much the application fee that frustrates me the most, it's the 'limboland' feeling....

Gillyboots

Exactly. Couldn't agree more.

looky

Did DIAC tell you that? That is definitely no the case as if its true you would have some movement in the processing by now. All 175 without csl/modl has been shelved with no definite timeline for an outcome.

I am in the same situation. I applied last September and is not on any model or csl. The online status haven't changed since the day I applied online, not even my medicals have been updated and I had it done last year.

sooperlids

No it wasn't the DIAC, it was the Agent that we are using.

The Agent does offer a money back if you don't get a Visa, not sure what timeline they put on that though? can't see them standing by that promise if it's not their fault.

Were are on the MODL, don't think that counts for much though?

Jen1977ni

Does anyone think there's much point in us contacting DIAC, either through one of our agents or personally? Just to see if they can shed any light on things? This thread seems interesting....read the first post where the girl refers to: I emailed diac coupld of weeks back now just to see if they would give any further away on when us none csl's 175ers will get a CO the reply was not what i wanted to hear but hey. They said our visa would get looked at next financial year. so we have a long wait a head of us.

Jen1977ni

OOPS the thread is this one:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=611303

Gillyboots

Hey Jen - I've just done it, so i'll post the reply on here when I get it.

And before anybody jumps on me for sending a PLE to the already over-stretched DIAC, it's my first one after 9 months of waiting, and I for one want a timeframe at least, or a refund. *pow*

Rant over

Jen1977ni

Okie dokies...keep us posted! Jen xo