Hey

Just wondered if someone could offer some advice. I posted off my visa application over the bank holiday weekend by Royal mail international signed for (yes I know now I should have sent it by courier!:curse. Is there a way of finding out if it has been received....I do remember vaguely reading something about a new 7 day acknowledgement rule but can't remember if this relates to the same thing.

Also, do they tend to debit monies fairly soon after receiving application?

Any advice would be great.

Hi, we had to wait just under two months for our money to be taken from the account, but yes their is a new system i believe where they send you a pre-acknowledgemet now after 7 days. Hopefully someone will give you more help on here. I wouldn't have thought you would have anything to worry about yet, things move very slow....
Where abouts from Berkshire are you from? We are in Sandhurst and my wife is originally from Newcastle.

Hi
If you send an email to the address below
[email protected]
it will update you with the latest processing and acknowlegdement times.
Its updated every tuesday.
The reply is an automated one and you will recieve it within 10 minutes
hope this helps

Thanks for the advice...I will sit it out and wait. I am living in Reading but actually work in Bracknell so not so far away from you. Where are you hoping to go in OZ?

that changes on a daily basis....It's between Adelaide and Perth, with Perth at the moment slightly in front. What about yourself? We visited the two and liked them both for different reasons.
Hopefully you will hear someting next week.

Hi, the auto-reply from the ASPC last Tues stated (as above) that they now aim for 7 days but they were currently only receipting from 25 Apr, so about a month behind. We will be sending our's off in a couple of weeks, via Int Signed For, and am sure we will be as worried as you...

we sent ours off on 13th april and havnt had any pre ack or anything getting on for seven weeks now. A bit confused to how this new pre ack works surly we should have had that around 20th april if that is the case!

Hi Everyone,

FWIW ASPC is now running two queues for the acknowledgements - there's a current application queue which is working to a seven day turnaround (but only just taking the money and issuing an interim receipt) and then there's the backlogged 6-8 week receipt queue. They will need to have these in synch and blindingly fast for two key events, the expansion of electronic lodgment in July (ie a third queue) and the 1 September changes - nine new queues :-)

Cheers,

George Lombard

Our application was received on 17th April (136 MODL). In the mean time my credit card was stolen and so the number on the application will no longer be valid. You cannot believe how hard it is to get any info out of them. We have not yet had an email from them saying they have even tried to take the money so I guess it’s a waiting game. Has anyone else had this problem? Every time I try and use their email service I get the same standard email returned, it’s as if its being sent automatically and not read by a human. I have also telephoned them and they are just as unhelpful. Is there any easy way of trying to communicate with them?

So i take i wont get a pre ack now just a normal ack and file number is that correct or am i in the 7 day ack queue very confused

I have just checked the updated email. The email kinda implies that only onshore applications have the 7 day rule, is this correct or am I misreading it?

Receipting and Acknowledgment of Applications

Applicants and representatives who have authorised e-mail communication
will receive confirmation that the ASPC has received an application and
receipted the relevant visa application charge.

As of 5 June 2007 the ASPC admin section is processing as follows:

Onshore Applications: receipting applications received on 28 May 2007
and
acknowledging applications received on 28 May 2007.

Offshore Applications: receipting applications received on 12 April
2007
and acknowledging applications received on 21 March 2007.

Mine was sent and signed for 22nd May.

I received an interim acknowledgement about 8 days after.

Alan.

Ours was sent and signed for on 21 May, the money was taken on 1 June but no acknowledgment has been received yet.

Anyone managed to get hold of the ASPC timescale update today...I have sent a couple of emails but not getting the usual automated response