dazfez

Hello Tiger,

Mine was submitted on 29th April...sorry about the delay but been on holiday (Florida) and now busy with work since I got back.
I've uploaded all my documents so now just need to sort out meds and police checks.

Any idea how long this process is taking at the moment?

Cheers,

dazfez

benlast

11%. However, you need to compare what the company does for its share - some appear to offer considerably more than others. Also, watch out for relisting fees at the end of a tenancy, for inventory fees, etc, etc. I knocked up a spreadsheet to compare the costs, assuming a change of tenant every six months including with one month without rent.

I have quotes from Pickfords and Anglo Pacific, and am awaiting one more from a local company. Luckily enough, I have the quotes saved here on this PC so I can tell you that one full 20' container quote is around £3700 and the other is around £4750 (and I'm deliberately not saying which is which). These are both for full door-to-door service, packing and unpacking. However, you (again) have to look carefully at the exclusions, which can include things like GST (10%) on services that are paid for in Oz.

Incidentally, the difference between the two companies' estimates of volume was 3 cu ft, so the difference in price clearly isn't due to that!

that's 'cos all the April applicants are in the Waiting Phase

Cheers
b

tiger222

[QUOTE=CharleneG;6366518] Charlene -

I think you're plan for early 2009 is probably a good one. I was just looking at how slow things are going and beginning to think we won't even have a Visa until Christmas as it is.

Ebay is a good option. I also understand that you have a board called "gumtree" that is equal to our "craigslist" - helps you to sell the bigger items.

memewest

Tiger, Tiger, Tiger........ How can that be!!???

That's awful.......love that word 'awful', gets rid of my country bumpkin accent and makes me sound posh.... try it......don't think anyone can say that word without sounding posh!!

Sorry, got a bit waylaid then......

Right, so we'll have to hatch a plan to keep April and May on the first page......let me know your thoughts......need a brainstorming session....

all help gratefully received.


Congrats on getting that in Daz... Hope you have had a great holiday....

Welcome to the April Thread....


Oh, and how longs a piece of string??!!

dazfez

Thanks meme...holiday was great....seems like an age ago already.

I guess it's back to the waiting game...

Cheers,

dazfez

tiger222

Dazfez -

Welcome to the April thread! It's good to hear from you.

How was Florida? I've heard it's unseasonably warm this spring. Where you on the gulf or on the Atlantic?

The wait is long and seems quite slow.

tiger222

So what's the rumor that there are an extra 6000 visas to be granted in June? Is that because it's the end of the fiscal year? Or because there's vacations coming up? Or is it just another rumor that spreads around?

Anyone hear/read anything about this?

home alone

I don't think the extra numbers are rumours, because, the message was posted by Alan Collett, and he is usually spot on, but how, when, and why, is still to be added; Generally, it is obvious, after all the publicity, ref; lack of experienced workers etc; in Aus; some of the politicians used it for their campaigns, so now they have to action their promises!!!!!!!

dazfez

Florida was very nice...about mid 80's-90F and very little rain. Did a bit of a tour around. Fort Lauderdale, Key West, Naples (very nice) and then a few days at Orlando. Would like to live there but I guess Australia will have to do!!

Cheers,

Dazfez

tiger222

This article is from ABC News:

Skilled migration gets boost

Posted Tue May 13, 2008 9:00pm AEST

The Federal Government will boost Australia's skilled migrant intake 30 per cent to record levels in a bid to overcome a shortage of skilled workers.

As part of tonight's Federal Budget - the first by Kevin Rudd's Labor Government - Immigration Minister Chris Evans announced an extra 31,000 skilled migrants will be allowed into Australia permanently in 2008-2009.

Mr Evans says the extra allocation will take skilled migrant numbers to 133,500 for the year, by far the largest component of the country's total migrant intake of 190,300.

He said former prime minister John Howard's government had not allowed enough skilled migrants into Australia, leaving employers struggling to fill vacancies.

"This record increase in the number of places in the permanent skilled migration program will help ease Australia's skills shortage and help fight inflation," he said.

Mr Evans says research shows that labour market participation by permanent skilled migrants is more than 90 per cent.

In addition, he said more than 100,000 temporary skilled migrants were expected in Australia in 2008-2009.

Mr Evans announced another break with the Howard government's policies with the abolition of the controversial Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) system for asylum seekers.

Under the system, asylum seekers who arrived by boat were eligible only for TPVs, meaning they had no travel rights, reduced access to refugee settlement services and could not be reunited with family members already in Australia.

Mr Evans labelled the system unjust and said about 1,000 refugees holding TPVs would be granted permanent visas, provided they met security and character requirements.

"The Temporary Protection Visa was one of the worst aspects of the Howard government's punitive treatment of refugees, many of whom had suffered enormously before fleeing to Australia," he said.

"There is clear evidence that the TPV arrangements did nothing to prevent unauthorised boat arrivals."

- AFP

geelong

For unjust, have a look at this thread, we have been left hanging high and dry for 6 months now :curse:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...496610&page=76


This is our first post in the April 2008 thread. We have two applications in progress, one from July last year which is held up by the situation in this thread, and also a second from April 2008. We have had to pay for a second application no thanks to that situation.

tiger222

Sorry to hear about the long delays....

Is it because of bond that you put up that things are delayed? Did the fact that they eliminated the bond make the points not work for your first application? I didn't read all the posts in the thread you linked too - but I understand that things are held up due to the bond problem.

Hopefully something will work out sooner rather than later for you. Maybe the extra 31,000 will make a difference in your case.

tiger222

So today I'm considering putting our home on the market. I've gotten quotes for all the sprucing up we'll be doing and we'll have to get a new loan to get that all done. Which makes me think we should just go ahead and sell and recoup the money.

Plus which, a house around the corner from me went on the market for $25,000 (US dollars) more than I thought the market would bear. If that's the case - and our house is more private, has larger yard and 2 car garage - I would be willing sell at that price. Even with all the memories.

geelong

Prior to Sept '07, your could invest in a State Bond to gain 5 points, which is our intention.

However, due to some corrupt activity regarding a bank loans person and unauthorised loans being given out, the participating States withdrew from issuing bonds.

This means that officially we can still get 5 points for investing in the bond, but there is nowhere offering the bond any more.

We are waiting on DIAC/the government to resolve this issue which has been going on for just about six months now.

Some of us had to sell our houses to have the bond money ready for when it was asked for. We had hoped to be in Australia by now.


Now we are stressing over whether we will have to take new medicals and police checks. Our existing ones run out at the end of September.

CharleneG

At last a housing related post that sounds positive (I just wish it was the UK!).
We've made our decision and decided to rent ours out. A letting agent will hold our hand through the whole process for 10% and keep and eye on it for us (He doesn't know we are leaving the country.....yet). So we are going to do that for 6 months now while we can gain confidence that it will be OK while we are only 30 miles away before we make the big move if the sales market has not picked up.

Project Ebay has started, just small things for now + 2 mountain bikes which have hardly seen any use. I'm going to do a really thorough throwing out session tomorrow so we will have less to squeeze in to a rental property.
Meanwhile OH is pressure washing the drive 'til it sparkles so every viewer will fall in love with it

I think I've discovered the secret to getting through the Waiting Phase, just keep yourself busy

Keep Posting
Charlene