Can I have your thoughts on this one please...

[cormcvcr]

Hi all,

 

just want your thoughts on this one please......I am considering phoning the LCU at 10.30pm our time tonight (9.am their time tomorrow) to find out if our meds have cleared yet and thereafter contact DIAC regarding our application to find out if we have been allocated to a case officer as yet.

 

I know our agent should be doing this, but as patient as I have been trying to be, feel that I need to spur them on a bit. Our agent keeps saying not to worry and it will happen, but feel that they always aire on the side of caution and want to hear it from the horses mouth.

 

What do you guys think? Have any of you contacted either of them? If so was it easy to get through and would they answer your questions?

 

HELP!!!!!! I so want to be in Adelaide yesterday, we are ready to leave just now, everything packed, money transferred for some time now and flights ready to be booked at the touch of a button..........Please help keep me sane and give me your feedback!!!!

[Guest susanmary38]

hi guys

we are going it alone, instead of using agents, & saving a fortune, we have sent off papers to TRA, so will find out if we have done things right, its will be a learning curve along the way, after reading various threads it seams you guys know more about the process than we do.

We think as you have chosen to use an agent you should pressure them & make them work for there dosh.

good luck Dave N Sue

[Guest Django]

I'm with Dave and Sue,

 

You have paid your agent a lot of money so pressure them and make them earn their money. However, if you feel they are fobbing you off then go straight to the horses mouth. Then phone your agent and ask for a discount.:biglaugh:

 

Good luck and keep us informed of how you are getting on.

 

Pete

[Guest stiffsimon]

Hi Andy

 

I'm with the same agents as you and am getting the "cautious" line every time I contact them. For example my visa application was submitted on 29th Aug. 2007 and the application fee was taken out of my account on 12/12/07. So I thought I'd take the bull by the horns and book my medical for ASAP(14th Feb) and have it all reday for when I get my letter of confirmation. When I contacted my agent to ask what I need to do I was told that they do not recomend getting medicals booked before receiving letter of confirmation. This was emphasised more than once so I've taken their "professional" advice and delayed my appointment for medicals. This state of limbo is really, really trying my patience.

 

As to your dilems, I'd say go ahead. What's the worst that could happen? At least you will get some information to work with even if it's no information if you know what I mean. Good luck and if all else fails look out side at the weather to remind you one good reason why you're putting up with all this stress.

 

Simon

[cormcvcr]

Thanks guys,

 

Simon - we were told to wait to get the medicals done, but when we said what harm would it do, they sent out the information under duress, a covering letter was attached, stating again that it wasn't a good idea. We done our meds at the end of September and got acknowledged at the beginning of december, so even although there was a couple of months in between, we are hoping it doesn't take another 9-10 months for the visa to come in, therefore feel that it was worth it. It also meant that as soon as we got acknowledged we sent the meds in immediately.

 

As far as the agent is concerned, I am pleased with what they have done so far and understand that they have to be cautious, but it's just all this waiting, I didn't mind when we had things to do, to help the process along the way, but feel it's just lets all sit back and wait! I don't think a little gentle prodding in the right direction could do any harm.

[Guest Andrea&Andrew]

Hi

 

I remember being in this situation well. Very, very frustrating

 

I sent an email to DIAC, they replied back saying because we had an agent they could not answer my questions, they could only communicate with our agent. I also emailed the LCU. It took them just over 3 weeks to send me a reply. They did apologise for the delay and informed me that the results of the medicals had been passed onto our case officer, but could not let me know the outcome. Also, at that time, I did not have a case file no., so on the emails to DIAC and the LCU I quoted all our names, dates of birth and passport nos.

 

Unfortunatley, it is just a waiting game and very frustrating, but you do get there in the end.

 

Good luck and hope you hear something very soon.

 

Andrea

[cormcvcr]

I sent an email to DIAC, they replied back saying because we had an agent they could not answer my questions, they could only communicate with our agent.

 

We tried sending an email to DIAC ....with the same response as yourselves!

 

We e-mailed the LCU today, didn't realise it takes that long for them to answer it!

 

We have a reference number, so hope this will help, although when we emailed before we had this, we too used the information that you used.

 

I'm going to be an alcoholic by the time we get there......thank god the medicals are already done!!!!! My liver is going to be shot to pieces with all this Aussie wine I've been sampling!!

[Guest mOZzy]

hi conny!

i so understand what you are going through!

we'll be booking our medicals tomorrow for in 2 weeks time.

and we haven't received a frn yet!!!

 

BUT as you said i don't want to wait another 2 months on top.

the earlier we get it the earlier we can actually plan!!!

 

as to 'agents not doing enough' i guess it's a double sided sword iykwim

it's not that they can speed it up somehow but i agree SOME feedback would be great!

i haven't contacted ours in absolutly ages - we must be the absolutly perfect customers - but they'll hear from us really soon alot - and as you said: i want some feedback!!!!!!!!!!! after all i pay them for their experience. i don't want them to give me a date but at least some ideas ....

 

don't give up!!!

[Guest Martin and Val]

Hi,

We had our medicals done today. We were not asked to do them!

We submitted our Visa 475 application on the 19th Nov the money was taken on the 20th and the agent said wait it should be about 3 months from application till when they request the medicals and Police checks. As we will be in Adelaide on HOLIDAY then, we decided to have them done and hope for the best.

We applied on line and had a TRN number straight away, I asked the agent about case reference numbers and she said the TRN number you have will be enough. She sent us the medical forms which were also available on line pretty much filled out already and was told if we had the medicals before being asked it would all be married up the other end as they will go by the TRN number. BUT WE NOW MUST BE THERE BY 15th JAN 2009, don't intend to wait that long anyway!

Cheers

martin and Val

[cormcvcr]

Well I phoned the DIAC last night............

only to be told that we are a paper based application on 496 visa and not an online one as we had thought, this now puts us back to january 2007!

 

We are gutted, they wouldn't tell us a great deal of information, only that the meds have came through from LCU and that we don't have a case officer as yet, also if they have anything to tell us they will do so through our agent.

 

So, today the agent will be receiving a phone call from me to explain what I did and how I feel about it all. We now, from what I can see havea major setback...............OH was depressed last night as it was, as he is also fed up waiting and is so ready to start his new life, only for me to add salt to the wound!

 

Will keep you updated as to what is going on.

[Guest Django]

Ohhhh no

 

Don't think of it as a set back coz it isn't. You will still get your visa at the same time you would have had you not phoned. The only difference you aren't sitting there thinking 'have I got a case officer yet?' You know whats what. It is a pain waiting but thats the 'joy' of going through the visa process.

 

Chin up it will happen for you. Keep the faith.

 

Pete

[Guest mOZzy]

since you've supplied everything already i beleive you'll get the visa out of the blue really soon!!!!

 

i know of 4 july applicants who got their visas all yesterday!!! .

.. so hang in there ...

[Guest Rachel1477]

Hi Andy

 

I'm with the same agents as you and am getting the "cautious" line every time I contact them. For example my visa application was submitted on 29th Aug. 2007 and the application fee was taken out of my account on 12/12/07. So I thought I'd take the bull by the horns and book my medical for ASAP(14th Feb) and have it all reday for when I get my letter of confirmation. When I contacted my agent to ask what I need to do I was told that they do not recomend getting medicals booked before receiving letter of confirmation. This was emphasised more than once so I've taken their "professional" advice and delayed my appointment for medicals. This state of limbo is really, really trying my patience.

 

As to your dilems, I'd say go ahead. What's the worst that could happen? At least you will get some information to work with even if it's no information if you know what I mean. Good luck and if all else fails look out side at the weather to remind you one good reason why you're putting up with all this stress.

 

Simon

 

Hi Simon and Andy

 

I note that you are both in Scotland and was wondering who your agent was? We have used an agent in Edinburgh and I wonder if it is the same one? OE? We are just about to hve our application submitted online and I want to be aware of any potential pitfalls?

 

Rachel

[Guest stiffsimon]

Hi Simon and Andy

 

I note that you are both in Scotland and was wondering who your agent was? We have used an agent in Edinburgh and I wonder if it is the same one? OE? We are just about to hve our application submitted online and I want to be aware of any potential pitfalls?

 

Rachel

Hi Rachel

Yeah it is OE we're using and I have to say that I have had no real problems with them. They're always ready to answer any questions but it's just that you don't always get the answer you were maybe wanting. I think that it's just that we're "in the system" at the Australian end and that there is only so much our agent can do or even tell us.As agents I suspect that they have to be very careful what they tell us and naturally tend to err on the side of caution.

Simon

[Guest Libby1971]

Hi

 

I just wanted to say that I sympathise.

 

Our visa was sent in the post as online wasn't an option. I nearly went mad - we were told that medicals are only valid for a certain period of time and if they are done too early, there is a risk they are out of date by the time they are seen. If so, it means paying for them again, at least this is what we were told.

 

I know it is frustrating to be in the UK but bear in mind, that not only has it just been Xmas and New Year with the appropriate holidays but also as it is the height of summer, many staff are taking their summer hols meaning there is a problem with how many people are available to be case officers. The recruitment company I am with only opened up on Monday from 21st December...great hols if you can get 'em!

 

I would also say that bear in mind that you made a decision to pay a company for their advice adn expertise to make sure you got your visa. As irritating as it can be, I would stick with that decision. If you are still waiting for your visa when others around you ahve got theirs and on the same visas then I would approach the ombudsmen for migration agents. For now though, their advice seems sound.

 

Hang in there

 

Libby

[cormcvcr]

Hi guys,

 

we spoke to our agent who confirmed that our application was a paper based one as it was submitted before 1st september. The e-lodged applications are being processed quicker, hence the reason for the changes.

 

We are now looking at May earliest to July latest, so not all bad, but just disappointed as I had been going with other peoples timelines on here and presumed we would be february time. Our agent had said last August that it would be May, but because everything seemed to be moving for others on here, I put May to the back of my head and worked on the assumption that it would be the first part of the year.

 

The agents themselves have been nothing but honest with us, we have no complaint with them, we couldn't have done this without them and would recommend them to anyone looking for an honest reliable agent, the gripe I have is with DIAC processing times and the disappointment of seeing others getting their visa quicker, but that's life!

 

The bigger picture is that we will still be going, just not as quick as we had anticipated.

[Guest Rachel1477]

Hi Rachel

Yeah it is OE we're using and I have to say that I have had no real problems with them. They're always ready to answer any questions but it's just that you don't always get the answer you were maybe wanting. I think that it's just that we're "in the system" at the Australian end and that there is only so much our agent can do or even tell us.As agents I suspect that they have to be very careful what they tell us and naturally tend to err on the side of caution.

Simon

 

 

Hi Simon

 

We are a the point of finally lodging our aplication so I am probably just getting a bit jumpy as we move in to the long wait!

 

They have been great so far. They are one of the least mentioned agencies on this forum - we used them upon referral from someone the OH met on a building site! Random - but they have been brill and all has worked out well so far!!! Touch wood it will continue!

 

Rachel