sandch

So that's where we'll all be in 10 years' time. Little groups who stumbled in via the discredited CPV route, huddled over our cold cafe lattes, whinging about the cost of living, annoying the young shoppers, frightening the children, waiting for the sun to go down.

Mind you, if like me you think shopping malls are an instrument of torture now, they're not going to get any better.

gotnoidea

What a disastrous evening. Mum-in-law went to the embassy in Paris with a bank cheque armed with a stream of papers printed off. Only to be told they would not take the cheque, despite what it says on the immi website. Could not get an explanation out of this scenario as to why it says that on the website that they take personal cheques, bank cheques or postal orders.

So i figured i would call up the embassy to find out. Except they only work from 1pm. So I set the alarm for midnight and blurry-eyed rang the german embassy. I got through to a lovely German lady and she looked in to the whole thing for me. She could not work out why the Paris embassy would not take the cheque, but sent me a credit card authorisation form and they would take the Euro amount according to their published exchange rates.

One phone call back to mum-in-law and she is panicking now that the bank will not give her the money back on the bank cheque. I know most banks are bastards, but they've already creamed her for the bank cheque fee - can't imagine they'd refuse to give return the money!!

Not sure the money we're saving is worth all the hassle now.

Anyway top-tip for anyone in the Euro-zone - ring the german embassy, they know what they are doing!

sirmatt101

I don't like shopping at the best of times but I do think that the shopping malls in Oz have something to teach us brits! FREE undercover parking and every shop that one needs under the one roof including supermarkets, doctors etc etc, and off course NO charity shops!!

Cheers

Matt

sirmatt101

Sorry to hear of the hassles, but this seems to be the order of the day if not paying direct to Perth to save some money. Being such a little used route, they are not sure what they are supposed to do.

Make sure that when your Mum does finally get her payment in that she gets the receipt in her hand, as we are having problems having paid in London, had no receipt and now case officer wants one to progress the visas, and we are on holiday in Oz!

Don't let them get you down, just attack from another angle!!

Good luck

Matt

gotnoidea

Thanks for the advice Matt. We did say to mum in no uncertain terms she was to get a pink, or other receipt (apparently they are changing their receipting system) and not to leave the embassy until she had it in her hands!!

Have made a complaint on the immi website. if they had said they take credit card payments from the start, this would have been a lot easier!

home alone

Hi! gotnoidea, so sorry for all the extra stress, it appears to come with the visa application, it is like the joke - The computer says no! They probably would only need to pick the phone up and ask, you are then left to do all the checking etc; why? I can't understand, if it were free? but, we are paying them, they're not paying us, and it's a lot of money

Where are our RED STARS? I thought December, was going to be a good month, several 'Fridays' have passed by!

sandch

Sorry to hear of your difficulties. We thought the various embassies / high commissions were starting to get the hang of it, but they are clearly still struggling. It is a process of attrition this visa, the large sums of money being charged and the exchange rate tend to add another complexity to the process. For cheaper visas the exchange rate is hardly an issue. If one was going out to employment or business it would also matter less because, for the moment at least, the AU$ is worth earning in world terms. Expect that to continue until 2011 unless weak exports start to drag the economy down.

For any retirees on incomes fixed in other currencies, the initial cost is a key factor.

I hope your mum is successful on the retry.

Cheers

Steve

goindownunder

RED STAR PLEASE!!

We have just received the long awaited letter saying that our visas have been granted.

We were so busy with packing and selling off our unwanted goods that the time (10days) it took for the pink receipt to reach Perth seemed insignificant.

Good luck to everybody who are still waiting for that final piece of paper and best wishes for a wonderful life in Australia

Regards

Fanie and Mienie

sandch

Way to GO!


Now that's a good start to the week!
Best wishes
Steve

home alone

CONGRATULATIONS FANIE AND MIENIE

I logged on 2 hours ago, and nothing! So just before leaving for work I tried again, wow! just the boost I needed to get me through the day! Good Luck!

sue32

congratulations both of you, exciting times ahead for you - sue

sirmatt101

[QUOTE=goindownunder;8170462][SIZE="5"]
[COLOR="Red"]RED STAR PLEASE!!

[COLOR="red"][COLOR="Black"]We have just received the long awaited letter saying that our visas have been granted.

We were so busy with packing and selling off our unwanted goods that the time (10days) it took for the pink receipt to reach Perth seemed insignificant.

Good luck to everybody who are still waiting for that final piece of paper and best wishes for a wonderful life in Australia

Regards

Fanie and Mienie :

Congratulations, wonderful news!

Obviously the embassy you paid knew what they were doing.

Oh well, just sitting here waiting for that little pink receipt!

All the best

Matt

goindownunder

Thanks for the good wishes everyone....I'ts a great feeling to finally have the go ahead to start a new life.

All of you who have paid 2nd VAC at an Australian High Commision office, please make sure that they noted your reference number and full names on the receipt. I had to mail my Case Officer a copy of the receipt with the reference number before she could match the receipt to our application.


Regards
Fanie

sue32

Steve, update for the timeline, our meds are booked for thursday this week (17/12/09) PCC in post - sue

hwilson

It must be something in the air! Like Sue32, we are also going for our meds and X-rays on Thursday 17th December. We have also requested Police Reports. Steve, could you please also update the Timeline for us?
Hugh