paulb

Oh no. Just telephoned ASPC. When I eventually spoke to someone (after 1 hour), I asked if I had been assigned a CO? She asked me my visa type. When I told her a 136 visa, she said the current processing time for these applications is 12 MONTHS.

Total disaster, all our plans are in tatters.

Paul

JAJ

This is the kind of question where you normally get a different answer depending on who picks up the phone. Even 136 visas can vary in processing time, eg if you are on the MODL.

In any case, if it does work out at 12 months, it's less that the 2-3 years that some unfortunate people in the UK had to wait for 136 visas a few years ago (old timers on this forum will remember the nightmare queue at the AHC London in 2001). And Canadian applicants on average worldwide are facing a 3 year processing time (longer in some posts).

It's worth keeping things in perspective. If you want to speed up the process, one way is find an Australian employer keen to hire you and sponsor for a permanent employer nominated migration visa like ENS or RSMS.


Jeremy

Mark Webster

Paul,

Processing times improved a lot for applications lodged after 1 July 2004 because ASPC put in a new computer system. We had some grants within a week or so for 136 applications.

However, things have been getting slower and slower, and these days it can easily take 2-3 months to be assigned a case officer. Still not taking 12 months for processing (unless there is a health or character issue) - 6-9 months is probably a more realistic timeframe these days...

Scossie

Hi Jeremy.

You're not wrong about the queue fiasco in 2001..!

We had to wait 18 months. The ASPC opened in Adelaide, and then the London applications were just left on the shelf for months until somebody decided to ship them all over to the new processing centre.

You were the first to congratulate us when I finally posted my, "Got it" on this forum. There's not many of us left on here from that time..

Here's my original, "Got it" post. (With my old username):

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126614

Cheers.... John......

purple rain

Oh Paul, what a nightmare. I thought the processing times for these visa was 5-7 months?

Carruss

You've go to laugh really!

They show on the TV that they are desparate for skilled workers etc and then you hear this. The first place they should look at replacing people is in the DIMIA offices and kick some @rse. Get some Brits in there and the process would be so much quicker eh!

R.

Robbo2

Oh Paul,
That's a nightmare! But how does this explain Rich and Ang's 17 weeks? Do you think they might just have said it to stop you ringing them back again in a months time if you haven't heard?
This could also mean disaster for us soon. I'm gutted for you
Claire.

bridiej

Paul

are you MODL?

paulb

Yes Bridie, Im a psychiatric nurse. Me and the wife are going to need some stress counselling at this rate!

Paul

happymum

[QUOTE=JAJ]This is the kind of question where you normally get a different answer depending on who picks up the phone. Even 136 visas can vary in processing time, eg if you are on the MODL.



I support what Jeremy has written. I also called them a while back and on one occasion was told 3-6 months, and another occasion was told 12-18 months. After the first phonecall I was elated, and after the second I was gutted. That's when I realized how tricky this whole thing is cos you can't even get the correct info from DIMIA themselves.

So I prefer to watch austimeline and see how long things are taking in actuality. After all, I think they are told to give out official waiting times.

bex 66

Paul this doesnt make any sense, I have been allocated a case officer and I am a week behind you, because she asked for extra information about 3 weeks ago now, so surely it doesn't take 7 months for the case officer to go through the application form. ( seeing as I applied 5 months ago).
Dont stress... that visa grant will come when you least expect it !!

Keep it up .... your chin that is

P.S Just read that another April applicant has just received med /pcc requests

Bex

tibidabo

Hi,

When I called DIMIA last time I was told the same. In fact I saw it on their websitethat it is 12 months for low-risk and 15 months for high-risk countries.
However when I went to the embassy to have some certified copies done the woman said to me that it took less then 6 months and I am in a "high-risk country".
But looking at the timeline it take less then 6 months for people from Hungary.

If the CO is allocated and you have straightforward application, frontloaded PCCs and Medicals, you are fine. Unless they wanna check your employment references.
I talked to an agent and I was told that they usually check employment references if you work for an unknown company with small head count.

In addition, those people at the helpdesk are juniors and sometimes they have no idea about many things. I asked them how long an IELTS test is valid and I got 3 different answers every time. Once the guy told me that it must be not more then 12 months old when the visa was GRANTED. That is nonsense. I think he confused it with the PCCs and Medicals



Cheers Tibor

paulb

I was simply told that a CO had not been allocated as the processing times for these visas was 12 months.

Thanks for all of your replies folks.

Paul

GinaUK

Paul,

as you know we've been allocated a CO and we lodged the visa on 7 April (5 months tomorrow).

The other thing to bear in mind: last July they put a new system in place to be able to proccess visas faster than 12 months. It would hardly make sense then to now put in another system to make the processing times slower again.

So, for the moment, I'm taking what that person at DIMIA tols you with a pinch of salt.

Gina

Alan Collett

Paul,

We have spoken with the ASPC today. In summary:

- it appears that there is an office move in progress

- staff are being diverted to the processing of onshore skilled student applications

- a number of new staff are being trained to handle skilled applications

- it is acknowledged that the timelines for the issuing of skilled visa file references and visa processing times have slipped; we understand that efforts are being made to allocate file references to new applications over the next few weeks

I'd therefore conclude that 12 months is probably an unduly pessimistic processing timeframe, and that the reality will probably be closer to between 5 and 8 months.

Keep the faith!

Best regards.