Mrs JFW

Its not an update thread in that I am out in Oz .... well not just yet anyway.

I just thought I would do a brief update of my past 12 months in the UK to give some hope for everyone at the beginning of the visa journey.

This time last year, I had a mountain of paper work sat on my dining room table, copies of certified documents and copies of copies, visa forms here, there and everywhere. Going to Australia seemed like a distant dream back then.

Somehow I managed to put all the bits of paper together in some kind of logical order and then spend 48 hours checking and rechecking them. The visa application was finally sent off on 27th April 2006.

I remember the excitement 2 weeks later when our visa application was acknowledged!

Then began the wait......

To keep ourselves busy during May and June, we had organised having our police checks and medicals done, and we sent these on unrequested. Everyday I tuned in to BE to see who was getting their visas and how quickly they were getting them. When we got to July I started (sadly) checking my email, just incase we got a (very early) visa grant. It became a daily ritual. As soon as I got home from my night shift, it was straight on the email and then with a disappointed sigh...take the kids to school.

On the 4th September, that ritual was interupted by the sad news of Steve Irwins tragic death. We were all glued to the TV watching the news. I took the kids to school and came back watching more TV footage. About 10.30 I reluctantly got up to check the email, expecting to see the usual barrage of spam in my inbox.....and there it was! the visa grant!
We could not bloody believe it! No case officer, just straight to grant in 4 months and 6 days to be exact!

It was then all systems go as we were booking a 4 week reccie to check out Brisbane and validate our wonderful visas.

In October we went off to Brisbane and had the best time! We really didn't want to come back, but we had a house to sell, but before that it needed some serious tarting up.

We got Christmas and New year out of the way and then started the decluttering.... and more decluttering....and painting, everything magnolia (mmm nice). And more painting and more decluttering.

Now while hubby was in the thick of all this painting and decorating, i decided that January/February would be a good time to start seeking out the job opportunites. I made an informal email enquiry to the Mater Adult Hospital in Brisbane and the next thing I know I am sat at my dining room table at 10pm with a glass of wine and many bits of paper around the place (again) being interviewed. The wine must have helped because they rang me at work about a week later and offered me a job! Things were starting to come together.

In March the house was ready to go on the market. Up went the For Sale sign and 3 weeks later we accepted an offer from 1st time buyers! infact the survey is being done today! We are hoping to complete by the end of July all being well.

So for all of you who are struggling through the mountains of paperwork of TRA's or the visa, in 12 months time, things could be very different! Good luck to you all.

I can't believe how lucky we have been. I just hope it doesn't run out!


Jackie x

acbh2

Sounds like an exciting year! Glad you are all set to go we are heading off to the Goldcoast in June and hope we love it as much as you seemed to on your rekkie.

Andreaxx

Mrs JFW

Thanks for that Andrea

Here's to the next 12 months whatever that may bring!


Jackie x

mindblower

Excellent pogress Jaqi ....a reward for hard work and persistence.

All the best hon..

Cameron Clan

Great post Jackie - gives us all a bit of hope. We lodged our visa appl in October and had it was 4 months before called for meds and pcc's. Everything now in Oz since 3 April so just a waiting game. Agent said could still be a couple of months though?!? It's the not knowing that is driving me insane and the checking the emails every morning at the crack of dawn is starting to drive me crazy! (Especially when loads of folk who applied months after us ie Dec?Jan & even Feb I noticed yesterday! are getting their visas granted. Really chuffed to see that but it does make you jealous (and paranoid that something must be wrong!)
All the very best with your move and your new life down under.

Jaycee1

Glad it has all come together for you so fast(ish)
J x

Weasy

So you're actually coming over at last Jackie . When do you intend flying? We've been here 3 months today and still loving it, move into our new home in 2 weeks and can't wait for that.

Lou
xx

shears

Great post! You're an inspiration to those of us still at the stage of looking round thinking OMG what am I going to do with all this stuff??!!
The decluttering is the major thing here

Brisben

Jackie your story sounds like mine expect

1. Visa granted in Novemeber.

2. Sold house after 12 weeks.

3. Survey done just waiting for sale agreement to be signed.

4. No job yet.


I had to tart up the house in magnolia also, looked nice

Anyway it was all hard, I was stufying and working and raising the little ones at the same time as visa processing, anyway we are looking to vacate our prorprty in around 2 weeks, we are almost all boxed up and ready to move out so I hope to be there in June latest.

It is a time consuming and frustrating process but even if though we are still in UK I do feel good about going through the process and passing so to speak.

Anyway the house selling and packing up is hard enough and sure have much more hardship to come when I arrive, but hey life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

Wendy

I can't believe that it's been over 12 months since we sat in Brewsters in Sheffield. What a difference a year makes eh!.

So glad things are finally coming together for you.

Have you heard from Debbie? If you have, how is she doing?

Mrs JFW

Is it over 12 months ago Wendy? OMG! I didn't think it was that long ago. Yes, things are slowly coming together and I'm so excited about it. Not heard from Debbie for ages, she is enjoying her new life on the sunshine coast so doesn't come on here too much, but I hope to meet up with her again on t'other side.

Jackie x

paulainspain

Its amazing reading peoples post, you feel so much for them as though you have know them for years especially when so many of us are going through the same experiences, its exacty how I feel when I read your posts Mrs JFW. We should be in Brisbane now but are having trouble selling as you may have read elsewhere on the "need house selling Karma"!! We wish you all the best for the next chapter in your life and obviously keep us posted, its important for all of us on here to hear the good and the bad, cant wait to join you there. Paula

sion

Well Hello Mrs JFW hope you remember me
we started out our journey virtually the same week back in April 2006 I still look at the spreadsheet now.
My missus got pregnant so we had to delay, I still remember your post when you got the Visa thinking It could have been me.
oh well I have a beautiful baby girl called Naomi 8 weeks old now and the visa quest is back on, medicals completed and sent just waiting for the e-mail.

our house is on the market (I hated the bloody decorating, de-cluttering and cleaning bit as well)
we are hoping to arrive in aus in October (now looking at Adelaide or melbourne)

good luck with the big move and congratulations on the Job Offer

Kind regards

Sion

Wendy

Just looked it up and it was the 2nd of June last year. I thought it was the school holidays before that because I left the UK on the 5th July, I didn't realise that we met so close to us moving.

I know when we met we were waiting for the house to sell, so can't really believe it went through within a month, it felt like years at the time

sophjam

Hi jackie thanks for telling your story, I have a telephone interview on tues for the cairns base hospital. Im really nervous, can you give me any tips? Im still waiting for my skills assessment to come its been 7 weeks now.The ANMC has a backlog wish it would hurry up.