457 - 856 PR visa grant - our timeline
Mar 16th 2009, 9:59 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 29
457 - 856 PR visa grant - our timeline
Hi
Just wanted to share our timeline, in case it may help others along the way, cos Heavan alone knows I have come on this site to look for timelines and advice along the way!!!
We had our visa grant today - 856, permanent visa (feels a bit weird, have to say - thought we would be whooping etc but it is more of a slow warming!)
OH applied for a job online (to tell truth, I applied for him, first he knew he was offered an interview!) May 2007. Interview and job offer as Project Engineer August 2007 and 457 application started. I slowed it up by being pregnant and not able to do the chest X-ray, but this was granted within about 6 weeks of start, once we had got all paperwork together etc.
OH has worked for over a year now (Melbourne). His work has a policy of not doing permanent sponsorship until after 2 years, so, because he will be 45 this year, he did the IELTS exam (hated it, thought he had failed but actually hadn't) so he could get enough points to apply for general skilled migration and did a skills assessment via Engineers Australia (took 6 weeks) to get enough points to apply.
We wrote a leter to his work (big company in CBD) and they agreed to sponsor a year earlier than going by their policy. Got the paperwork together again, did police checks in UK and Australia (around 3 weeks each) and did the medicals (for 5 of us). Results of medicals came through within the week (Melbourne HSA) for 4 of us but OH (overweight/classed as obese/BMI over 35) had to have his referred to higher up medical chappie, so took around 3 weeks to come back (delivered to his given address of his work and not directly to immigration).
856 application went in (paper-based) complete with all required documents Friday 6th March and result (positive!!) came via email to our HR rep today (17 March).
All sounds so simple and relly quite a speedy result, somewhat negating all the stress and angst and hard work we have gone through (we had bought land and had started building a house, to add to starting life anew for our children, before we decided that it may not be brilliantly easy to get PR).
Hope our timeline may impart info to other searching just like i did - it's not to say it will be the same for others, but there is light at the end of all them tunnels!
Just wanted to share our timeline, in case it may help others along the way, cos Heavan alone knows I have come on this site to look for timelines and advice along the way!!!
We had our visa grant today - 856, permanent visa (feels a bit weird, have to say - thought we would be whooping etc but it is more of a slow warming!)
OH applied for a job online (to tell truth, I applied for him, first he knew he was offered an interview!) May 2007. Interview and job offer as Project Engineer August 2007 and 457 application started. I slowed it up by being pregnant and not able to do the chest X-ray, but this was granted within about 6 weeks of start, once we had got all paperwork together etc.
OH has worked for over a year now (Melbourne). His work has a policy of not doing permanent sponsorship until after 2 years, so, because he will be 45 this year, he did the IELTS exam (hated it, thought he had failed but actually hadn't) so he could get enough points to apply for general skilled migration and did a skills assessment via Engineers Australia (took 6 weeks) to get enough points to apply.
We wrote a leter to his work (big company in CBD) and they agreed to sponsor a year earlier than going by their policy. Got the paperwork together again, did police checks in UK and Australia (around 3 weeks each) and did the medicals (for 5 of us). Results of medicals came through within the week (Melbourne HSA) for 4 of us but OH (overweight/classed as obese/BMI over 35) had to have his referred to higher up medical chappie, so took around 3 weeks to come back (delivered to his given address of his work and not directly to immigration).
856 application went in (paper-based) complete with all required documents Friday 6th March and result (positive!!) came via email to our HR rep today (17 March).
All sounds so simple and relly quite a speedy result, somewhat negating all the stress and angst and hard work we have gone through (we had bought land and had started building a house, to add to starting life anew for our children, before we decided that it may not be brilliantly easy to get PR).
Hope our timeline may impart info to other searching just like i did - it's not to say it will be the same for others, but there is light at the end of all them tunnels!
Mar 19th 2009, 1:34 am
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 131
Re: 457 - 856 PR visa grant - our timeline
Really encouraging news, thank you for sharing
I am planning to lodge an 856 in Melbourne (working in Perth but employer's HQ is Melbourne so they have to lodge their nomination there) and should be ready to submit 1st week of April. PCC have just expired and meds expire 22nd May so looks like we may not need more medicals saving a nice $700!
I am planning to lodge an 856 in Melbourne (working in Perth but employer's HQ is Melbourne so they have to lodge their nomination there) and should be ready to submit 1st week of April. PCC have just expired and meds expire 22nd May so looks like we may not need more medicals saving a nice $700!
Mar 19th 2009, 8:26 am
#3
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 29
Re: 457 - 856 PR visa grant - our timeline
Good luck. we are in Melbourne but application was to Paramatta in Sydney. hopefully yours will come through as quick. 
