The process works this way:
- You will receive a pre grant letter which will ask you to send your travel plan to DIAC as they will inform the country, where you are visiting about your visa.
- You will be given a 28 days notice to leave the country.
- Once you leave the country and reach your destination, you need to send a mail to Imm dept.
- Imm Dept will then issue a grant letter which you need to take to the Aus Embassy for stamping.

I hope this helps.

The same thing you just posted has been said already in this thread. The OP insists that a 176 can be granted onshore, and sometimes it's just not worth arguing.

Thanks for the details ....Before mods close this thread i would also like to know (same as my early post) what is the exact criteria on which DIAC determines to send grant letter or pre grant letter ? I just want to confirm this because what if by mistake (i know it highly impossible but still DIAC is not six sigma certified! ) grant letter is sent directly when we are still in Aus?

My question is in regard with the normal process not in the cases what OP described..

Cheers.....

Cheers......

Essentially you mean that the pre-grant letter will invalidate ur 457 immediately, and unlike other skill applicant who get 5-6 months time to get it stamped, 457 holders will get 28 days time...

Not good man

I think you misunderstood it... 28 days to LEAVE the country does not actually mean you should get back with in those 28 days.. you can get back anytime before your initial entry date , or so i believe

Thats true...not worth arguing...

I am not insisting that this can happen, just stating that I have seen my colleagues passport stamped with 176, and unless he lied to me, which I suppose he didnt, he has not left the country. I am not expecting the same to happen to me, and am prepared to travel to NZ for a few days.

Nobody said that. When your case officer is ready to make a decision on your visa you will be asked for your travel plans. You will then have 28 days to leave the country so your decision can be made. A decision cannot be made on your application while you are in Australia. If your visa is going to be granted you will receive a visa grant letter by email. You then take your grant letter and passports to the Aus High Commission to get the visa labels put in your passports. You can then return to Australia any time before the initial entry date in your grant letter. Once the visa has been granted your 457 is cancelled. Not until then.

Thanks guys. But that complicates the case even more

See I am on 457 and have a job now. Whenever the CO is going to give a decision (say in next 3 months, for instance), I will have to leave the country within 28 days. To fifty_pence, this is my biggest problem mate-to leave the country in short notice. Returning is not at all an issue.

Now once I am out of australia, what if the whole visa grant to stamping process gets delayed? what if it spills over to 2 months or so? I dont think my current employer is going to allow me that much paid leave.

Not sure if I could explain my problem, but i myself understand that I am up for a big big trouble...

It does not take more than a couple of days. You are asked for your travel plans precisely so your case officer can send you your decision. The visa lable from the High Commission only takes a day once the grant letter has been received.

I see.

Now I hope I dont get a CO before november...as I have already planned my trip to india in february...

Wud be the first person who wants delay in the process

Thanks guys.

Hi Wasim,

I did send you a PM regarding QLD SS doubts , Please send me your details as a reply if you dont mind!

Cheers...

Spoke to my colleague friend in Perth who has recently transitioned from 457 to PR. He said he got a pre-grant letter alright. And he was asked to submit itinerary within 28 days..so 28 days is the time limit within which u have to submit ur travel plan, not tht u have to actually go out of the country. For going out, the same rule applies as normal skilled migrants, a 5-6 months time line within which u have to go out and get PR validated and come back. But that date has to be declared within 28 days from pre-grant.

I will be happiest if this is the case. But so many different views, not sure which one is true. Probably wait and see

It may depend on the individual case officer how long they are willing to hold the decision.

May be.

But the 28-days thing is to declare travel plan, and not to leave Oz. I am quite sure about it now, as I hve confirmed it with 3-4 people in perth this morning who have gone down this route. The time given to actually leave Oz may be subjective and may depend on the CO, but in any case it would be in the similar line of time given to other skilled migrants(offshore) to validate their PR in OZ first time...something like 3-6 months etc..