benlast

Re: status of documents

Our meds were done a while back (24th of April), and the status is showing today as "Health requirements finalised", "Further medical results received" and "HIV blood test received" (all this changed as of yesterday, the 14th of May). The overall status is still "Application received - processing commenced". Doesn't state anywhere that any other documents are required, which would fit because they have everything already.

Cheers
b

PS: It's a gorgeous sunny day in Cheshire and I'm having a teabreak from packing boxes

memewest

2 things hurt in your last post....

1st is the fact that it is sunny where you are.....still pouring here, although everything does look alot greener and the air smells fresher....

2nd is that your packing...... how come your sooo organised??

we're still debating on whether to rent out our house for a couple of years and then benefit when the housing market eventually creeps back up again...hopefully, and then the AUD$ may be better for us as well then....

never hurts to hope...

tiger222

I was debating about renting the house too. Finally made decision: I have it on a rental board, if no decent applicants by July, then off to the sale board

De Mange

After submitting application online in mid April, I spent the next 2 weeks getting info together and the mind was looking at so many permutations and possibilities.

So I just decided that if there is anything missing then a CO will ask for it.

I dont want to spend what might turn out to be my few months in Britain living in the future.

Besides, Ive got 6 months travelling in South America to look forward to before settling down under.

chasmw

We had our medicals booked for May 30th, but following a visit from an estate agent to value our house (and tell us about the sorry state of the housing market), we've decided to delay the medicals to end of July / August for two reasons:

1. If our house doesn't sell, it gives us more time before the 1 year validity is up and we have to get them done again.
2. It gives us the option of staying in the UK until our daughter finishes her GCSEs next year.

Still desperately hoping to go by the end of this year and I'm assuming that not front-loading them won't delay it; after all we may not have a CO by then anyway!

benlast

Yeah, but when you're packing it'd be better if it were cool!

Because (a) I'm that sad sort of person and (b) we decided to rent the house around three weeks ago and (final checks permitting) have a tenant moving in shortly. Thus we need to move out.

Since selling's just not an option right now, and we prefer not to delay the move to Oz, renting is the way forward...

Cheers
b

tiger222

Chris -

I think that is very wise. Allowing your daughter to finish her GCSEs is probably very important to her. Perhaps your strategy will find a better housing market in the Spring of 2009.

Besides getting the meds done in July is still Front loading them - I don't think we'll have a CO by then.

tiger222

Very true that the CO will ask for missing information/forms.

When do you take off for South America? Which countries are you going to see. I traveled to Columbia years ago. I loved it.

memewest

You are ULTRA Organised!!

We've decided that we are going to rent our house out, but won't be doing that until after we have our visa. We'll be staying with the in-laws in between visa and leaving UK, so will hopefully manage to secure a tenant during that time.

Great to hear that you have a tenant already. With the market as it is at the moment, think renting is the best option. Where do you plan to be staying now then?? and have you arranged to put all your things into storage??

vanessandave

Hello fellow April Applicants!!!!

Vanessa and I submitted our 175 PR visa application through an agent online, this was acknowledged on 12th April....although it feels like a lot longer ago with the waiting.

We're waiting for our beloved CO to request the meds and police checks in case Vanessa gets a bun in the oven, in which case we'll wait until after the birth to move. Otherwise we (along with 3 dogs and a cat!!!) hope to be in Queensland around the turn of the year.

We did a reccie to the Brissie/SC/GC area in February and it looks like the Robina/Mudgereeba area is favourite at the moment, although I keep getting a nagging feeling about Melbourne!

We sold our house a while ago so we are ready to go!!!

Good luck everybody!

Dave

nja

Benlast: You are correct my agent told me to fill it out for myself and a second copy for my OH. I never asked in general whether form 175 was for all visa types. I'm also on 175 so I'm a little confused. It wasn't a big deal to fill out, much of it I could pull from form 1276. Personally I'd fill it out, better to do it now than unnecessarily delay the process at the very end.

- n

tiger222

Welcome, Dave and congratulations on being so organized!! You've sold your house and been on a reccie trip - that's great. Please share what you saw on the trip - how were food prices, was gas $7/gallon? I'm not familiar with the neighborhood you mentioned - I'll have to do more research. Did you learn anything about schools? Sorry I've a million questions about Brisbane as that's where we're headed.

kevncarlz

hi tiger
The agent lodged it on the 10th we just waitin a case worker now. thanks and yes its a boy but got to much on my mind at min to think about names

tiger222

I got fingerprinted today. OH went last week. Sent both set in to for PCCs to the FBI via Certified Mail. So we'll see how long that process takes.

vanessandave

I actually posted this before, hope you find it useful........

We recently got back from 3 fabulous weeks in the Brisbane, Sunny Coast and Gold Coast area, here are our random observations/opinions.....

1) The hinterland behind the SC and GC is stunning!!!!
2) Beware of the left hand lane when driving....it might just disappear!
3) I found driving in Oz far more relaxing than the UK, and generally very easy to navigate
4) We got an Oz map for our Tomtom satnav and it was priceless, saving us lots of time and probably a few arguments!!
5) Eating out was generally expensive compared to the UK, but I did find the quality better - especially the steaks! However we were tourists so I imagine some of the places we visited were priced accordingly.
6) Dogs - there seems to be a different attitude to dog ownership in that we walk our dogs off lead pretty much everywhere in the UK, but in Oz you need to find a designated area. Speaking to people these areas are quite common but we didnt see any. This is understandable with the wildlife that is being protected.
7) Crime/Vandalism - didn't see any.
8) Loving the free BBQ's scattered around the coast and parkland
9) The locals seemed genuinely pleasant and interested in who you are
10) Blatant 'adult' shops and lap dancing clubs
11) Public transport was clean and punctual
12) Lots of Thai restaurants
13) Much more of a North American feel to the country in terms of the sense of space, strip malls, wide roads and fast food restaurants everywhere
14) Petrol 60p a litre
15) Cost of grocery shopping in Woolworths and Coles was astronomical!
16) Hotels/B&B's very clean and reasonably priced
17) Smoking banned inside public places
18) Lots of wireless internet hot spots (we took our laptop which also proved to be invaluable)
19) Cheap sim card for our UK mobile from Crazy John's
20) There is SO much more to the Gold Coast than Surfers Paradise
21) We spoke to several estate agents and visited a number of open house viewings - the consensus was that house prices in most areas of the GC have started to come down, and vendors are being forced to accept offers below the asking price if they want to sell.
22) Building your own house appears to be so much easier than the UK. We hadn't really considered building our own until we saw the show homes at Jacobs Ridge. They looked perfect (I know they are show homes!) and a lot less expensive than I anticipated.
23) Never really liked beaches until I saw the ones in Oz, stunning.
24) Wildlife is fabulous, colourful birds, crazy looking furry things, massive bats...unfortunately never saw any snakes though.
25) Wear sunscreen all the time!
26) Jet lag really sucks!!!!