TillyG

Hi,
I think it's the ENS 136 or 856 visa we're going for - the Employer Nominated onshore one anyway.

We currently have a 457 visa which is valid for another couple of years. If we apply for the PR visa, are we allowed to leave Australia while it's being processed or do we have to stay put?

The thing is, we are planning a trip back to the UK next July/August and I'm not sure if our PR visa will have been granted by then (that's another question - how long do the onshore applications tend to take, or is that a "how long is a piece of string?" type affair?) so that plan is to fly there and come back, using our 457 visas.

With regards to police checks - do all police forces insist on having the original ID documents or is it up to the individual police force? It's just I need to send off forms to both Bedfordshire police and the Isle of Man Constabulary as I've lived in both areas since turning 16. I'm just thinking that if I have to send the originals then it might take a while as I'll have to wait for them to come back from Bedford before sending them off to the Island. Plus the worry of the documents getting lost in the post (not helped by the recent kerfuffle with child benefit stuff!)

Apparently, my husband's work have a migration agent but pinning my husband down to ask the right questions is proving tricky, to be honest.

So I thought I would try my luck on here first

Thanks in advance

TillyG x

JAJ

That's 856. The 136 is nothing to do with ENS.

If your 457 is still valid you can travel on it, although it may mean that you would need to make a specific application for a bridging visa if it got close to expiry before your 457 is granted.

Your case officer would also need to know about any trips offshore, as you'd need to be onshore at visa grant time.

A number of months, usually. If you applied now you would have a good chance of a decision by then.
Have you got your skill assessment, if applicable? - or alternatively, clocked up 2 years on the 457?

Up to the police force. You can apply to the Metropolitan Police if you're outside the U.K. and your former local force is awkward about ID.

Isle of Man is not part of the U.K. and won't be covered by a standard U.K. check so you will have to make a separate application to the IOM constabulary.

TillyG

Thanks so much.

457 doesn't expire until Feb 2010 so that side of things is ok. We will have 2yrs on our 457 as at the start of Feb 2008, which is why we're starting the process asap - figured if we start the stuff now, then we will have the 2yrs by the time PR is granted.

I will contact the Beds & IOM police on Monday - the time difference is driving me nuts at the moment as I keep forgetting to phone them.

Thanks again

T x

JAJ

The employer also needs to get the nomination approved by DIAC. This approval is normally valid for 6 months, so maybe investigate if that can be done before you reach the 2 year mark.

Also look at the forms and booklets to be very clear that you have all the documentation that will be requested, long-form birth certificates, marriage certificates etc. You will not want a delay at the last minute because something is missing (people regularly get delayed because they only have short form birth certificates, for example).

TillyG

Oh no, not the long-form one? I think DH & I only have the smaller one for us (have both for DD). B*gger... Will look through the forms again and doublecheck though. Have emailed my mum too to see if she ever had a long-form one as I don't think it was the norm to get one when we were born.

(Can't find the original of my short birth cert at the moment either... dammit :-( )

JAJ

You will need long form birth certificates. It's not a big deal to get new ones:
http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/app...ty/advice/bn16
http://www.gro.gov.uk

TillyG

Thanks so much JAJ - I hadn't realised it was fairly simple to get new ones, that *is* a relief! I'll doublecheck with my parents re the original and then get some copies ordered (think I might apply for 2 copies of them, just in case 1 gets lost in the process)

TillyG

Hi again

Just been re-reading the application form and it says if you can't get/don't have the long birth certificate then a certified photocopy of our passports will suffice (I guess because if we have a legit passport then that's proof that the issuing country has seen the birth certificate, iykwim).

So would it be ok to just stick with a certified copy of the passport?

Also, I got in touch with Bedfordshire police and they only require photocopies of the ID documents, which is a huge relief. They also sent me the forms via email, saves waiting on the post. Plus I realised that I only need to get police stuff for places I've lived in the past 10 years - and it's 10yrs 5mths since I left the Isle of Man so I'm chuffed I don't have to apply to them too

Going to phone up about the medicals in the next few days and find out how long the wait is (and how much they cost).

Thanks again for your help

JAJ

Unless things have changed recently they will normally expect to see birth certificates - you should order them now just to be on the safe side.

TillyG

Fair enough, I just spoke to them and they said that whatever is on the approved list will be fine. But you're right, probably worth ordering copies to be on the safe side.

Just waiting for DH to find out when he has been "nominated" and then I can start getting the medicals & police stuff done. Immi also told me it'll take 6 months or so, so it looks as if we won't get it granted before we go to the UK on holiday but Immi also said that if we wrote to the dept then they can hold off granting the visa until we're back in Australia (we're going for the onshore one as when we're in the UK we're going to be nowhere near the embassy or whatever... unless there's one on the Isle of Man LOL)

Thanks again for your help