welshtony

Hi Steve

The new fixed exchange rates are out effective 01 January 2010.

e.g. If paying a 2nd VAC of A$32,725 - paying through London office from 01 January wil lcost £19,240 - so you are only getting about 1.70 for your pound - so from 01 January, pay 2nd VAC in Oz unless exchange rate drops below 1.70.

Regards

Alan Collett

I spoke with the head man at the PVC yesterday about verifying the payment of the main VAC.

We have had visas granted on the basis of the scanned AHC London issued tax receipt, and even a screen print from the person in London who processes the payments in that post - so I go into bat for a client when a different case officer says no visa grant without sight of an original receipt.

I mean ... what is to stop the case officer communicating with London if they have a concern? What is the PVC's problem accepting scanned documents?

Best wishes to all for an enjoyable Xmas break.

sandch

Thanks Tony

You have been duly warned fellow CPV applicants!

sandch

Now that would involve a dangerous precedent - Initiative!

However it's unfair to generalise; some are better than others.

Have a good one yourself too Alan.

sirmatt101

Well done Alan, give it to them By the time we get our visa grant our CO will have had 2 screen prints, 1 scanned receipt and of course an actual paper one! Its a good thing that they don't want to see actual money as well, instead of an electronic transaction!

Have a good Xmas & New Year, & hopefully 2010 will bring more results for those still waiting. ::

All the best

Matt

joanne3

I have been reading your on going saga ! Sorry to hear about you wife not being so well ! I have had a fleeting thought ! Can you cruise to some nearby country. And get your vise there ?

We have just done a short cruise out of durban and we had to go threough customs to visit Mozambique.

On my side, my brother was approved as AOS and the bond has been paid and DIAC notified. I post my police clearances today ! So I hope to hear about the second VAC early Jan !

Hang in there !

Joanna

sirmatt101

Hi Joanna

You are on the home straight now and 2010 should bring you all that you are waiting for!

We would have thought that the "Express Mail" from London to Perth would have arrived yesterday and we would have heard something today, but they obviously missed out the word "Pony" in the service description!!

We had thought of a cruise but most leave from Sydney so you have to get there! We are thinking of going to NZ at the end of Jan to validate, if OH is cleared to fly then. Its only a 3 hour flight compared to 26! She can then stay in Oz whilst I "Nip" back to the UK for a couple of months. Unfortunately our return tickets for 5th Jan are non changeable as they were cheap, so hoping the travel insurance will cover later flight etc, still waiting on their decision. They look at everyway they can get out of paying out!

Geseende Kersfees

Matt

ARIOMART

Hi there
I have just been catching up on my reading of the posts and find myself eagerly awaiting the next episode of sirmatts saga, it could be the new soap opera.
I was wondering if anybody has opened a bank account in Oz while still in UK, I am visiting for a month in Febr and would like to have on over there by then if poss.
And also Sirmatt said about having medicare while on holiday, where would I start looking for that information?
My form is with my daughter-in-law, she is going to be my AoS although I have just read that she needs to have earned a certain amount in the past year, but she is at home looking after the children and my son has only been working since Sept, I am hoping that the fact that she is an Australian citizen and they have a house etc in Oz will count for something, but I wait and see.
Anyway I enjoy following peoples stories
Best wishes Moira

hwilson

Hi Ariomart,
It's really easy to open up a bank account in Australia from the UK. We went to Westpac:

https://forms.westpac.com.au/Forms/T...nk-accounts%2F

and opened up a Westpac Choice account ( Like our current accounts), and an Westpac esaver account. Once you open these, you can access both these from the internet.

We were able to transfer the funds for our second VAC payment using HiFx. The only problem is though you can pay in, you can't withdraw until you visit a branch in Australia, and take documents to prove your identity, but itwas a painless process. We went in to a branch early on our last visit, and had the bank cards delivered to our daughter's Australian address while we were there. As a bonus, interest rates are a good bit higher than the UK, though I am having Australian tax deducted at source, which I haven't gotten to the bottom of yet.
Hugh

sirmatt101

Hi Moira and welcome to "Consternation Street"

We opened an account with the Commonwealth Bank at their London Branch and Debit cards etc were ready for us when we went into the nominated branch. I even opened internet banking from the UK by telephone on an 0800 number! Try here http://www.commbankuk.co.uk/

Australia and the UK have an agreement that visitors to both countries have access to medical services, the NHS in UK and medicare in Oz. Its just a matter of going to one of their offices here, found in shopping centres, and enrolling as a temporary member, just need ID, address you are staying and dates of stay. You will find if you read the small print on some travel insurance, its mandatory that you enrol!

You may find that you son will be better suited as an assurer and that he needs at least one tax return to be eligible, but someone else will answer this better than me!

Please keep logging in for the next episode of "Matt Down Under" an everyday story of Old Folk trying to get a CPV!! We will be having an hour long episode on Christmas Day replacing the Queens Speech, OH NO, I hear you moan.

Happy Christmas

Matt

sandch

Hi Moira

We found it much easier to simply open accounts when we were out there; very personal service (Westpac) and no silly hoops to jump through. I could see no benefit to opening them here at all. Medicare on holiday? You're covered if you're a UK resident I think, but only as a tourist. Others will have better info I'm sure.
Cheers
Steve

Vindy

Hi Moira

Its easy to get a your medicare card sorted , you need to go to the nearest medicare center as soon as you can, with your flight details and passport and they will issue you with a medicare card straight away.
Its also very easy to open a bank account when you are there, we opened an acount with ANZ it took about 30 mins, they do need identification and they won't accept UK credit cards but they do accept your medicare card , I opened a Current account and a savings account and I can do all my transactions online,

Good Luck

Les

ARIOMART

You do make me smile
Moira

ARIOMART

Thank you all so much for your help
Moira

sirmatt101

I think it all depends on whether you want to shift funds out before you get there or not! We found it a very simple process to do over here, actually combined it with a day out in London! The way we did it has made it easier especially for my daughter who had funds transferred over once she was already here, the London Transfer account is just another UK account you can pay money into!

Cheers

Matt