Dorothy

This is not true in the least. Your agent should be checking with ASPC why you have no CO assigned to your file as yet. It will not slow down the processing if your agent sends a post lodgement enquiry. If anything it will speed it up by letting them know you have been waiting this long. It is possible that your file has been misplaced and without someone to remind them there is no way for DIAC to know. Is your agent MARA registered?
Where is your proof that DIAC is delaying high risk country applications? The reason it takes only 6-7 months for lower risk countries is that the checks are easier to do. A lot of time the authorities in high risk countries take much longer to reply to enquiries and there is much more background checking that needs to be done.

You should have had a CO by now. Check the sticky at the top of this page for the updates on CO allocation. If you applied prior to the date stated you should really have your agent contact DIAC. Don't take "no" for an answer from the agent, either. Remember, they work for you, not the other way around.

natsind

What proof you want to see? You can select the proof from the wide range of threads from this forum where many HR applicants are waiting from more than 18 months and still no medicals done means another 4-5-6-7...... months and it means almost 2 years in total. I can understand it may take time to check in HR countries but exactly not like that they are taking. It is not that much tough to verify claims in HR country you can take India as example, where almost all departments have their websites and having contact details into it where DIAC can verify. If you enquire then i agree that it may take days or 1-2 months but not more than, hence it is totally wrong to tell that they cant verify easily and hence taking these much of huge time than LR countries.

The truth is that, DIAC is taking benefit of tolerance power of HR country applicants, they know very well that, HR country applicants can wait for 18-20 months easily in compare to another countries.

barbiedoll

yes my agent is a MARA registered agent i've tried to contact him since 2days ago but no reply from him yet.dunno what to do now....it's very frustrating

Bill_Fish

My application was singed at 23 July 2007,and now I have waiting for over 14 months,the result of my last online inquiry at last week shows that still no co,no contact.The progress of HR country is definitely in a low priority,unfortunately it is the truth.So long waiting it has drove me crazy.The only thing that I can do is keep waiting.

caliburn

By the facts everyone is presenting here, I am getting increasingly convinced that CO allocation is deliberately delayed for HR country applicants. Its a sad revelation. Perhaps DIAC should make its intentions more explicit.

Lion38

Generally it seems to be fact that HR countries are delayed compared to LR. UK applicants seem to be on the fast track.
However no rule without exception: I'm LR applicant and waiting more than 13 months - no CO assigned yet. All my inquiries get the same replies as any other guys most likely get...
I hope the next two months will bring CO assignment.

caliburn

Good luck Lion38, hope it works for you in next two months. Are you paper-based? Used an agent? Did you lodge a complaint with DIAC yet? What visa category are you?

laguna33p

If there was a severe skills shortage in australia then one would think all applicatons would be fast-tracked!

Nix and Mike

Well.......to add my case to the list.......
I applied Aug 07 for a 138 paperbased application (no agent) and called DIAC two nights ago......still no change ......no CO. 13 months and counting.....
So who knows the logic!
SA passport holder too....

Nix

caliburn

Nix and Mike, what did DIAC say when you called them two nights ago? Was there a positive assurance or it was a kind of 'lets see what we can do...' answer?

Nix and Mike

No positive assurances at all. Just the standard response I have been hearing for months......lots of applicants received in Aug 07.....being processed in the order in which they were received (yea right!).......will process yours as soon as we get to it.......
Feeling very frustrated, and a little miserable. There seem to be no other "correct" routes that I can go through to get some answers. I do not want to bug them, but I do feel that they should be able to give me some indication of timing......so that I can plan my life.
Originally the plan was for us to be in Aus by Jan so that our 6 year old could start school (grade one) in Aus. Now that is impossible as we have to sell houses etc., and we will not do that without the go-ahead on our visa. So, we are now hoping to be there by May / June.....which means she misses the first half of grade one (she does not start grade one here until Aug 09). At the end of the day, that is not the end of the world, but I wish it could have been avoided......

Nix

Pollyana

As it looks like you've already submitted your meds and pcc, you may already have a CO and not be aware of it. They don't contact you unless they need to. Even if you don't, once you getone it won't take long to get to the grant stage as the won't have to contact you torequest that paperwork

Nix and Mike

Pollyanna, I wish you were right, but the gentleman I spoke to two nights ago clearly told me that I do not have a CO yet. So I am still in that elusive pile......

Pollyana

Well at least when you get one things should move fast

Nix and Mike

That's what I keep telling myself ! Let's hope that is true.....

Thanks for your support.

Nix