uk direct

Hi all,

I know that there has been alot of discussions regarding applicants with children being refused visa's when they have gone to medical, but I would like to hear or know if anyone has ACTUALLY been granted a visa for their autistic child. We have 3 boys, the eldest who is 5 has mild autism, we have read lots of posts, done the research and we are aware of Peter Bollard.
We are applying for a state sponsorship in Victoria, but currently thinking are we wasting our time and money.
Would be great to know if anyone has been through the process and has succeeded because at the moment we are feeling very concerned and upset.

Dorothy

If you do a search of the Barbie and Australia forums you will find a few discussions on learning disabilities, autism and Asperger's.

If it were me (and I do have an Asperger's son) and we knew then what we know now about the lack of support for him we would have stayed where we were. You are likely to find much better support for your child in UK than you will here in Australia.

As for medicals, what happened with someone else has no bearing on what might happen with you. Every case is judged on its own merits.

roaringmouse

I would agree with this. Our son (born over here) has recently been diagnosed with mild autism, and we are seriously looking at returning to the UK so when he's old enough for primary school he may get some support. In Victoria, an autistic kid who can talk (and it doesn't necessarily have to make much sense) is likely to get no extra support at primary school.

uk direct

Thats a shame as he would need 1:1 support so this is food for thought, thank you

Dorothy

If he needs 1:1 support it's not likely he would pass the medical in the first place. Has your agent told you this yet?

Weebie

whether he'll get the extra support with the UK cutting heaps of government jobs unlike a few years ago is now debatable.

uk direct

We don`t have an agent we are appyling directly. He was assessed as having moderate autism at 2.5yrs so got early intervention from this age as paid for private diagnosis knowing something was wrong. We have pushed all the way for maximum support he is now verbal due to this fact, ABA has been fantastic and is on his statment.

However, due to new government guess what, the idiots are closing the unit due to 'Lack of need for it', as there were 8 kids 2 years ago now there are only 2 cause they made sure no newbies went every term so numbers declined, go figure!

We would be willing to pay privately for his education does anyone know if this is possible for a child with autism?

We have an aunty in Victoria if we are refused on a PR visa then may be she could sponsor us?

Dorothy

Yes, it is certainly possible to pay for private education here....If you get a visa.

What visa would your aunt be sponsoring you for? Any visa your family want to sponsor for requires a medical for everyone included on the application. Whether you say you're planning to pay for your child's education or not, DIAC will assess him based on how much he will potentially cost the Australian taxpayer in special education and disability services. Not how much you say you are willing to pay, but how much it would cost the taxpaying public.

I'm sorry if it sounds harsh, but I'm sure loads of people say they will pay for all their handicapped or ill relatives' treatment costs, but once they are permanent residents it's impossible to enforce.

uk direct

Well I know, it does sound harsh and we have been taken aback by how strict Australia is on this, however I dont really blame em cos this is why Britain is in the state that its in and one of the reasons why we want to leave as they have let all and anybody in it seems they will get a 4 bedroomed house at that!!

We are currently doing the research for the best route to apply for a visa, we may choose state sponsorship temporary one, not sure my aunty can sponsor us as she has not got many assets

We would like to get an opportunity to live in Australia so our only option may only be the temporary one as the issue of autism may be declined on a PR visa. If we get a 4 year stay then the issue with the medical may be that he is more independent by then, would be a gamble

Shellyj

I think it would be a huge gamble a possibly detrimential to your son given he has sepcific needs due to Autism. To uproot him and his siblings and move across the world only to have to return in a few years after being refused on medical grounds. I can imagine how unsettling this would be for someone with autism.

LOL at the comments re imigrants in the UK from someone wanting to emigrate!

quoll

In all honesty I would say your chances are very limited especially if you believe he needs 1:1 support. You might not even be able to get a temporary visa - the states are beginning to wise up to the costs associated with special ed kids on temporary visas and are beginning to charge a significant amount whereas mainstream education may be free in the state. There is a distinct catch 22 for kids with disabilities. If they are needy enough for disability support in schools then they are too needy for a visa and conversely if they are able to get a visa then they arent generally eligible for disability support because their needs arent high enough.

moneypenny20

Totally incorrect and people should never ever leave their home country, wherever it is because of how they perceive their society. The same crap happens everywhere and any issues you believe you see, you will see just as much in another country.

However good luck with your plans.

Dorothy

What an idiotic statement to make. You obviously know nothing of Britain's immigration policies - only what's written in the tabloids. I think you would find that if you had to apply for a visa to live in UK you (your son) would not qualify to live there either. Nobody; and I mean NOBODY walks off the boat, airplane, etc into a 4 bed house.

Take a read of the Home Office website for what's required for immigration to Great Britain before making such ludicrous statements. It really bugs the crap out of me that people make these outrageous assumptions based on things they know nothing about. :curse:

uk direct

Before that statement ruffles too many feathers on this site let me clarify .. this is one of the many reasons we wish to move. I do know exactly what I am talking about due to my profession and position working for our local authority, there is a duty placed to prioritise and cue jump those with cultural needs for ALL services therapeutic and otherwise. In fact just to give you all a taste of how it really is LAST YEAR OUR AUTHORITY PRIORITISED A LADY FROM UGANDA AND HER CHILDREN GIVING THEM A SIX BEDROOM HOUSE ONLY TO FIND OUT LATER SHE WAS AN ILLEGAL OOPPS (You wont see that in the tabloids!).

I have no issue with different cultures in our society and welcome such diversity. My issue is that the government ensure this is fair and equal for all (no positive discrimination).

Getting back to our son, we would never put our need before his ever its about providing the best opportunities and life for all three of them. We understand that each country has its own issues its just our own experiences here in the UK

Shellyj

Hmmmm what exactly is your profession? Because I can tell you as UK Registered Social Worker that there is no Duty on Local Authorities to do any such thing! There is a Duty to prioritise for various things based on need, for which there is a strict criteria which has to be followed by British Citizens and immigrants alike, cultural needs do not come in to it!