donovandenese

hi caz - will pm you

Mick-Bev

Hi Jim (and Caz)

Thanks for the info.

Well after a bit of a sleepless night rang our son first thing and he said he would pay it for us and we could send it over to him, but Mick was determined to ask the questions anyway and went into our local Barclays and they said it would be no problem, just fill in this International Bankers Draft and we will send it to you n 3 days!!

How silly did I feel, but its the last piece of this huge puzzle and I think I just 'lost the plot' a bit ! :-)

Anyway will draft the covering letter tonight and fingers crossed, nearly there!! :-)

Mick-Bev

Jimclevs

Hi

When I did ours in 2005, the young bank clerk had absolutely no idea of the form or how to fill it in when he found one - so I did it for him ! They still charged me the £15 though

Jim

swstephenwood

thought you would like to know our son had an e-mail from our case officer

Quote in part: The request for the 2nd Visa Application Charge (VAC) should be issued shortly - we are currently working our way through several hundred applications. We hope to have this exercise completed within the next few weeks. Our Client Service team will be in touch to request this with a view to granting visas after 1st July 2008.

Your VAC is determined by your lodgement date, so no need to take any notice of the current rates

Good news for everyone waiting

charlie5

This does sound better news for those of us further down the waiting list. Several hundred in the backlog is far better than I thought it might be at this stage.

Fingers crossed again.

donovandenese

anyone heard any news (fact or rumour) about when they will announce the 2008/9 CPV visa numbers (and possible changes to procedure)?

woody1cruiser

Your VAC is determined by your lodgement date, so no need to take any notice of the current rates

Does this mean to say that the VAC payment is going up?

Debs

melb2007

Payment of 2nd VAC fee by credit card (Australian cedit card, payment in AUD).

Anyone knows if payment by credit card in australia:-

1) attracts surcharge of 2-3% on top of the VAC fee and
2) is the transaction considered like a credit (like we do at supermarket) and not a cash transaction.

I am trying to pay for my parents over the counter and planning to send receipts to Perth. Prefer credit card than bank cheque if there is no surcharge and transaction is considered like any other normal transaction.

Does any one know?

melb2007

Just read in other form ********** that "Your VAC is determined by your lodgement date, so no need to take any notice of the current rates. "

does that they use old forex rates or simply mean total AUD amount in back on 2007?

If they use old forex rates from 2007, i would rather prefer my parents pay directly from offshore.

Does any one knows how it all works? (why cant they clearly specify? or am I being too finicky? Its a big amount....just want to understand all the options before payment is made..........

Jimclevs

Hi Melb2007

In response to both your posts:

a. sorry - can't help you regarding the Australian CC rules - my earlier post was in respect of UK credit cards. Someone will pick up on this for you, no doubt, but I would suspect the transaction to attract a fee

b. regarding the amount of the VAC - the total relevant amount is that pertaining on the day that the visa application is acknowledged by the Immigration office (POPC in this case). Any annual increases announced thereafter (usually 1 July) do NOT apply. Exchange rates do not enter the equation - that is the "luck of the draw". Was that your question?

I assume you are attempting to make the VAC payment on your parents behalf to gain the benefit of the current exchange rate over here - as opposed to their having to convert it to Au$ before making the payment?

Regards

Jim

Jimclevs

Hi

Almost certainly - but not yet confirmed - that the rates will increase at 1 July (for applications received AFTER that date) . Last July the CPV fee increase was approx 7.5% - I think

Regards

Jim

melb2007

Thanks Jimclevs, yes i am trying to pay for them assuming rates will get better in 6-12 months, sometime in future time so that they can return me a later date.

can someone reply to my queries for payment in AUD using credit card in australia? thanks

woody1cruiser

Sorry but can you clarify more. My mum has just had acknowledgement to say her application has been received. Do you think she will get it at the current rate or have to pay the new one (if/when it goes up)

Thanks

Debs

Jimclevs

Hi Debs

As she applied after 1 July 2007 and her acknowledgement is before 1 July 2008 her fees will be at the current rate ie those relevant from July 2007 irrespective of when the visa will be granted.

Rates from 1 July 2008 will only apply to acknowledgements made by the POPC after that date.

Hope that's clear?

Regards

Jim

woody1cruiser

Thank you very much. It is a relief.

Debs