blackdog

... you have to make an initial entry (all members of the family unit included in the application) to validate the visa. This entry is normally made before the medicals and police clearances expire...

Can you explain to me why this is? Several work colleagues have asked me why we need to go before we move permanently next year and I can't explain it. Cheers

George Lombard

Dear BD,

No there are a lot of procedures which can only be described as administrative fossils - the mandatory offshore grant trip for people in Australia is another - and if you were on the department's side then I guess you might say that it minimises the risk of importing people with disease and criminal records, but I don't see that it makes that much of a difference. Particularly with respect to crime, you lot are much more likely to offend after arrival here than before departure (not being aware of local laws etc).

Cheers,

George Lombard

blackdog

Thanks for your reply George.
.. could understand it if just the applicant was required to 'validate' but there's seven of us so it's a bit costly. I'll make sure I'm up to speed with the local laws as much as possible!
Cheers

Mmmm, not sure I agree, that's why you have five years without needing a RRV. My view is that after it's taken them eleven months to issue the visa and then they give you seven months to sell your house, pull the kids out of school mid-term, find jobs etc etc etc, it's pushing it a bit... and once the visa is issued, your 'off the quota'.. but thanks for your view.

blackdog

Sorry, your ‘personal view’ led me to believe that you do agree with the policy. I agree that they do need skilled workers in Australia sooner rather than later but I doubt anyone would wait 4 years and 11 months to move over?
Maybe they could work on improving the turnaround time for issuing visas - rather than insisting people are then tied to deadlines with the added pressure and expense that could ultimately be detrimental to the success of the move.
I can sympathise with people who are “ready to move now” but as you know personal circumstances differ enormously and there are a myriad of decisions to make to ensure the move is given every chance of success. Having to spend £6000 on airfares to ‘validate’ seems pointless when we are going permanently next summer.

Wendy

You'd be suprised!

There are a lot of people that do exactly that

blackdog

yeah, maybe Wendy ... though I hear a lot about requirements to be in Aus for at least 2 years out of the 5 before you ask for a RRV?
I don't know anyone who's left it getting on for five years... I know a few who've rushed out and then been back in a few months... and then gone back..

marvinc

We'd planned to wait until the last possible date as we have a couple of endowments etc to mature roundabout then, but house is worth more than we thought, plus knowing we CAN go has made a lot of difference to 'plans' we had before the visa.

JAJ

That is correct. It may sound strange to some, but they do actually expect people to want to move more or less immediately after getting their visas.

The "validation with holiday" facility is there for now. In the past, visas were more restricted. If they really wanted to clamp down on it they would, but at the very least no-one should expect much sympathy from Immigration if they stay overseas for close to 5 years and then suddenly find another reason to put off the permanent move.