sniffydog

A silly question - we have the visa labels in our passports (woo hoo!) just wondering what happens when we touch down in Aus to validate.....

Do they just stamp the passports as they normally do saying "arrived australia"? do they juststamp it like this but with the stamp on our visa label? Or is there a special "welocme to Australia - you permanent resident!!!"??

As you can tell we're getting excited about our validate trip to MEL (three days only in October!)

Thanks!

cherni

Well, I think they should stamp it like a normal "Entry" to the country and not over the VISA sticker. What's worring you?

goldchoccycoin

I think you may be a little disappointed with the welcome - if you're lucky you'll get a 'Welcome to Australia' from the immigration agent - otherwise nothing!

You will get the 'normal' entry stamp on a blank part of your passport - the visa sticker remains unstamped. It will only ever be marked/stamped if it is cancelled (like when you change visa class for example) so unlikely to happen to you.

Have fun!

moneypenny20

You have to wait for citizenship to get the bells and whistles (or even a basic 'congrats').

benlast

Ah, and they're such a friendly nation most of the time

A followup question; really minor, but I thought of it this morning on the way to work (the M56 can be such a boring drive). When we arrive, PR visa stamps all ready for validation, are there separate queues for Australian Citizens/Permanent Residents and Others, and if so, are we Permanent Residents before we actually enter Oz? In other words... which queue?

Like I said, a really minor point

Cheers
b

NickyC

Same as most countries, there are seperate queues for Australian Passport holders and Others.

As you won't have an Australian passport, you'll be with the Others.

benlast

Others we are, then I know in the US they have lines for permanent resident (or "resident aliens" as they amusingly call them), so just wondered how they did it in Oz. Of course, if I'd thought about this last time I was there, I'd have made a note...

Cheers
b

sniffydog

nothing worrying - just excited....!

AVW

Good Luck with your validation trip. Been here 18mths now and having a great time. Nothing different to arriving in any other country same queues, a stamp, a welcome to Australia if you are lucky and off you go to Start your new life. A bit scary especially with two young kids, no home, no car,no jobs. But hey , well worth it. Stay positive and remind yourself why you are doing this.................... Very good luck and no question is a silly one when you are embarking on such a massive change in your life.

anne

sniffydog

Thanks! ours is more simple - no kids!!! BUt still no job, no car, no home..and four cats (who will all be coming)...

Not a single bit scared even though I'll be giving up beautiful home great highly paid job which I won't be able to get in AUs (will have to go back to the "shopfloor"....

Just excited!

mary1967

A very good point, hadn't thought of it myself, but you can guarantee if you'd not mentioned it i'd have queued up in the wrong one

I'm getting that way to

peaceboy

indeed it is silly question. what is the brob if it is on the VISA sticker....

just get your self there

Pollyana

In the maze that is migration there are no silly questions.

Rainydaze

Like the other posters have said, you just go through the channel for non-Australian passport holders. and the agent stamps the entry date in your passport.

I was actually very nervous about what would happen because when I came on holiday a few months before I immigrated, the immigration agent on the desk gave me the 3rd degree about where I was staying, for how long, who I was staying with etc (obviously I look suspicious!).

So on the big arrival day itself, I didn't know what to expect and when they guy just stamped the passport, returned it to me and smiled 'okay', I actually pointed out to him that I was immigrating as a permanent resident, did I need to do anything else etc. He said everything was fine, so I sheepishly explained that I just didn't want to be pulled by another official in another queue about not following correct procedure. God it's embarrasing now when I think about it!

Bernieboy

You lot must be commoners cause i got a big 'welcome to oz Bernie,what the **** kept ya mate'and that was from Mr Rudd himself