Guest Guest18443 Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I haven't been on here for a while - what with Christmas and everything!! God, it is so fustrating!! We're currently awaiting references from current and previous employers. One of the companies seem to have not received our letter - so will have to send another one today!! My OH current employer seems to withholding the reference - aaahhh!!! We started the process back in September of 2008 and I'd just love to know how long it took everyone else - from start to finish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lucygray29 Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 15 months for us from beginning to end - but felt a lot longer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest littlesarah Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Hello Hoo For me (as a solo applicant, with MODL occupation), it took 11 months from application to visa grant; although I have to admit that my skills assessment had already been done (but that only took about 3 months anyway). (I think my visa would've been granted in October, if I hadn't freaked out about not selling the house & obtained new meds etc!) I didn't use an agent, as I felt that my situation was very straightforward & I wanted to save the money! There are a number of factors that affect processing time: whether occupation is on MODL, or whether you have a job (both speed things up). There is a list of these factors somewhere on DIAC's website (but I can't remember where exactly, sorry). A few people on this site have tried comparing notes to try to find a pattern when it comes to visa processing speed, but as far as I'm aware there doesn't appear to be one! I assume that this is because the decision process is carried out by lots of Case Officers, who are likely to work each in their own way. I know how frustrating it is, waiting, waiting, waiting; with no indication of long it will take. But now that I have my visa I've realised that we really are going, this has been my last Festive Season in the UK, & we've still got loads to do! (Like sell the damn house) I wish you the very best, I did hear that DIAC want to speed up online 175 processing (but I don't know how reliable the source is though!) Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dan&nikki Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Ours took 18months from signing up a migration agent to getting the visa granted. However we had lots of bits to do before submitting out visa application (AQF, IELTS, etc)....from submitting visa application to having visa granted was 7 and a half months...i would definately recommend having meds and PC's done afew around 4/5 months after submitting visa...as they do seem to pick out the ones which are 'ready to go'. good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Ours took 18months from signing up a migration agent to getting the visa granted. However we had lots of bits to do before submitting out visa application (AQF, IELTS, etc)....from submitting visa application to having visa granted was 7 and a half months...i would definately recommend having meds and PC's done afew around 4/5 months after submitting visa...as they do seem to pick out the ones which are 'ready to go'. good luck With the change in skilled visa processing priorities effective 01/01/2009 we can expect to see a marked slowing in the processing of skilled applications from the UK that are not within one of the categories noted in the recent Ministerial Direction: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/migration-program.pdf I would therefore encourage caution when arranging medicals and police certificates before requested by the Department of Immigration - at least until there is a clear pattern as to processing timelines under the new Direction. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mel.R Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 With the change in skilled visa processing priorities effective 01/01/2009 we can expect to see a marked slowing in the processing of skilled applications from the UK that are not within one of the categories noted in the recent Ministerial Direction:http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/pdf/migration-program.pdf I would therefore encourage caution when arranging medicals and police certificates before requested by the Department of Immigration - at least until there is a clear pattern as to processing timelines under the new Direction. Best regards. Hi Alan my husband is a bricklayer so he is on the CSL list. We submitted our visa application via your good selves on 25/07/08. Haven't done meds and police checks yet, but are planning to do them at the end of January. Will the department of immigration sort through all of the outstanding applications and pull all the priority ones to the top of the list, or will it only apply to new applications from 1st Jan? Thanks Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Hello Mel. My understanding is that applications that were assessed by a case officer as at 31/12/2008 will progress to a visa decision and will not be held up. Applications that were not assessed by the end of 2008 will be administered under the processing priorities set out in the Ministerial Direction. Hope this helps. Feel able to telephone or email the Go Matilda consultant handling your application if you would like to discuss further. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mark & Tracy W Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 This is very frustrating as we are on the CSL and could have gone for the sponsored 176 earlier this year as we are on the South Australian list. However as we had 120 points we went for the 175 visa as thought it would be quicker as you require more points to get it, etc. I feel a bit annoyed about paying over a grand to be told we are now further back down the list of applicants through no fault of our own. I just hope they also acknowledge at DIAC that some 175 visa applicants are on the CSL and the state sponsored list. There is no point in trying to go for sponsorship now as that takes a good 6-8 weeks for South Australia. GRRRRR.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dan&nikki Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 id still have the meds and PC's done a few months after lodging application....regardless of this new change.....they clearly dont work / process the applications in chronological order as they claim, they go for the easy ones first.....whats the worst that can happen?? your meds and PCs would expire after 12months and you'd have to pay to have them done again...but thats worst case scenario! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest littlesarah Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Or looking at the positive: at least you have complete independence with the 175 (& something that a lot of people want!). You'll get there in the end (I did!)... Good luck Sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 id still have the meds and PC's done a few months after lodging application....regardless of this new change.....they clearly dont work / process the applications in chronological order as they claim, they go for the easy ones first.....whats the worst that can happen?? your meds and PCs would expire after 12months and you'd have to pay to have them done again...but thats worst case scenario! If you have a family then that is a £1,000 worst case scenario, which could leave you with less than a month to get to Oz I prefer to wait till I got a CO then get the meds done, that way the worst case scenario is I get to wait an extra two months for the VISA, but Im no poorer and get a year to chose the best time to go to Oz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THORPES Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Hi we applied for TRA in Feb08 and it took 2 weeks to hear we had passed. We lodged 175 MODL visa on 19/03/08 and visa granted 26/08/08. OH is a spray painter/french polisher. We front loaded our meds and used an agent. Good luck, it will be worth it in the end. Jillxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dan&nikki Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 it IS worth sticking it out for the 175 - we lost count of how many ppl over there on a temp visa said they wished they had gone for the 175 in the first place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest andrewbatt Posted May 9, 2010 Share Posted May 9, 2010 we sent off our visa application in jan 2009 meds and pc checks done but the frustrating thing is lack of information you just have to sit and wait andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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