Alan Collett

Bobbie,

Often nothing seems to happen for months with a visa application, when in fact you are moving (albeit slowly) to the front of the queue. Consider it as similar to sitting in a traffic jam on the M5 ... you know you'll be moving quickly at some stage, you just don't know when!

Best regards.

Bobbie

I appreciate what you are saying, but how come September applicants are allowed to wizz passed down the hard shoulder!!
Bobbie X

Alan Collett

They aren't ... what makes you think they are? The new e-lodged process facilitates medicals examinations sooner, but so far as I am aware they are not (presently) being processed to a decision.

Best regards.

Bobbie

But they are getting CO's already, i just wish i had waited!

Alan Collett

My understanding is that there is a small team of case officers allocated to the post-01/09/2007 applications, and that some 90% of ASPC resources are being concentrated on the pre-01/09/2007 offshore skilled caseload presently.

There are likely to be inequities whenever a change of such magnitude takes place. I am afraid that even though one can lobby and seek fairness ultimately the Department will decide ... sit tight and all should be well, albeit in the fullness of time.

Best regards.

YvonnePaul

Bobbie - I'm with you. I wish we had waited, our application was sent on 24th August. If our agents had properly informed us of the changes of 1st September we would then have had the correct information to make an informed decision. All we were told was that there was going to be an English language test brought in on 1st and that it was going to cause us more hassle and cost us more money (albeit a very small amount). We had no idea the 175 was an online application and how they would deal with the change at the visa processing place ie instead of foreseeing the bombardment of 136 visas in August and hiring new staff or temps for the 175 visa they move a percentage of the already busy department workforce and leave us 136ers with a hell of a wait whilst cursing the seemingly smug September applicants

Maybe I shouldn't have done but I worked out that going by the most recent numbers and dates we won't even have a CO until the end of Jun 08. This is in spite of our agent informing us that the whole process would take from 6 to 9 months which would be May 08 at the latest for us. Very annoying indeed. I'm therefore assuming that come this time next year chances are we will still be living here waiting for something be it the visa or house sale!

Apologies for the moan!

Here's hoping progress happens sooner rather than later for us Augustees!

Yx

Alan Collett

Yvonne,

Try not to blame the agents! We don't have crystal balls, we are often not consulted by the Department before changes are announced, and issues such as the allocation of resources can (and do) change as DIAC priorities alter.

We can give informed opinions on future prospects based on a good perspective of where caseloads are going and our past experiences with the Department, but we are all experts with the benefit of hindsight.

This said, e-lodgment has been on the agenda for months. How it would be adopted at the ASPC within the overall management of the skilled caseload (pre and post 01/09/2007) has been (and arguably still is) the unknown issue.

Best regards.

ianbrown

Alan, Your a legend!!!!, Thanks for the reassurnaces , we owe you several beers when our visa is granted!

CynOpt

Hi Alan,
Thanks for all the info you've provided. If I could ask for a little bit more to put that into perspective: What is the normal/average amount of visa applications they get in a month?

Alan Collett

I am happy to be corrected by any ASPC people reading this thread (and they probably are!): I believe numbers of skilled visa applications are typically 8,000 to 10,000 a month.

As of the end of September the ASPC had received approximately 1,000 e-skilled visa applications post 01/09/2007, and the same number in paper format.

Best regards.

ianbrown

strewth!!!!!! as many as that!!!

Hello everyone at ASPC!, Hope you like our application

Reedy

Alan,

I misread this earlier and thought oh well - but now have re-read and am happy Not that I was ever unhappy - with up to 120,000 skilled apps I am suprised that they process them as quickly as they do....

Just hope that they don't have a flashing screen like in call centres saying 100,066 applicants waiting

Thanks as always for your useful input - the rest of us sit here summising and it helps to have a reality check now and then

Lau

Gonnago

Just looked on July timeline and it seems alot of them have had money taken so things are definietly shifting there. Shouldnt belong until the August start losing their money.

kjc79

i keep checking the timelines too and i have never wished myself to be skint asap as much i am doing now then at least then we know things are moving along

kath x

kjc79

hello,
is there any way of checking or, when can you start checking the process of your application if you use an agent.(just for future ref when we hear something) do you have to wait for your file number etc?

ta kath x