Medicals or Not???

[Guest happy-jools]

Our application has been sent of for almost two months now to the DIMIA for the SIR 495 Visa. To date we still havnt heard anything (although nothing unusual in that).

 

Anyway I have booked our medicals for the first week in August. Front loaded then I guess.

 

Spoke to our Agent today and he said we should wait until we have had acknowledgement. This apparently is taking between 2-4 months. What are other peoples views.

 

I know no one can tell me what to do, but some other views would be helpful.

 

Cheers:cool:

[Guest Matt & Suzi]

Hi, we are wondering the same thing about doing our medicals early. Do you know when you should do the police checks, did you do yours early ?? when we did the visa online it said send the police checks within 28 days, is that correct ??

[Guest soggy]

Hi, we are wondering the same thing about doing our medicals early. Do you know when you should do the police checks, did you do yours early ?? when we did the visa online it said send the police checks within 28 days, is that correct ??

 

Hi, we got how police checks back recently and they took exactly 40 days, the maximum time allowed for them to reply. It may be worth applying for them early, just remember that when you get your visa you must enter Australia within 12 months of the date of the police checks ( and medical).

Hope this helps

 

Simon

[Guest dglamoore]

As long as you are able to get to oz one year from the date of the medicals or police checks there is no reason not to get them done early

 

It is funny how different agents work as we asked our agent if it was ok to frontload the meds and she advised us to book them for about 6 weeks after application went in which we did. Just as they finalised we got the CO so they did not have to request them so did save a bit of time

 

Lisa:cool:

[Guest happy-jools]

Thanks for the replies. The Police checks I hadnt even considered. Now another worry. Do you apply for them before you get your medicals????? And is the date you get them the date they do them or the date you applied if you know what I mean.

 

One thing about Medicals tho - If we dont have a case number etc, where do the medicals get sent to????

 

Im sick of rining in the Agent. He isnt very easy to chat to. He is good that he gives you answers but not easy to chat too. Blunt I guess Im saying, so I dont feel able to ask:mad:

[Guest mOZzy]

no answer to your question really but i'd say if you pay an agent to 'look after you' then just tell them that that is the way you'd like to go and you expect some support from them and at least show you the right way - even if they don't agree! it is YOUR money after all ... and just argue back if they are not confident that you actually will get the visa (subject to medicals and police check of course) - they should have told you before hand. so you can't see the harm done by front loading because you just want to finally get to oz!! - they really need to take he time to explain everything to you whatever you want to know regarding the whole process!!!

 

go for it girl

[Guest graandjac]

;)Hi Julia, our agent has been fab but they do seem to play things by the book, and have said wait for meds / police checks to be called for, the police checks is just a matter of picking a form up from your local police station or thats what we have done, i guess if time is the important thing(the bets still on) then there is no reason why they cant be done early but the clock is ticking from which is ever dated first

cheers Graham

[Guest Aussiebound]

Hi Julia

You are paying the agent a lot of money, he should advise you when to do them and give you honest answers.

 

Can you re-arrange the medicals a bit nearer the time if no CO allocated?

 

Sarah

[Guest NikNrich]

Hi there Julia and Steve.

First time on this site just sent visa application today so thought we'd try and find out some info. Your location stood out!!

We are a couple of months behind you in the process, so we are watching your thread with interest. We also have two girls (8 & 4) so we will probably be facing some of the same issues.

Loadsa luck ;)x

[Guest dglamoore]

Hi Nick & Rich

 

Welcome to PIA Good luck with everything and anything you get stuck on shout out - friendly bunch on here and someone should be able to help you

 

Lisa:cool:

[Guest NikNrich]

Thanks for that!!!

LOADSA stuff we wanna know, no doubt no different to everyone else on PIA!

Nice to know theres someone out there who might be able to help.

We`ll just take 1 thing at a time, (i`m holding back on the 3 million+ questions that are in my head!! :-)

Most important question I guess - has it lived up to your expectations so far???

Nic x

[Guest dglamoore]

So far eveything here is better than we expected. We removed the rose tinted specs in the uk and came over with open minds. We had heard a lot of negatives that just where not as bad as we had expected Driving being one of them

 

Lisa:cool:

[Guest dglamoore]

Our application has been sent of for almost two months now to the DIMIA for the SIR 495 Visa. To date we still havnt heard anything (although nothing unusual in that).

 

Anyway I have booked our medicals for the first week in August. Front loaded then I guess.

 

Spoke to our Agent today and he said we should wait until we have had acknowledgement. This apparently is taking between 2-4 months. What are other peoples views.

 

I know no one can tell me what to do, but some other views would be helpful.

 

Cheers:cool:

 

Hi Julia

 

Just had this info through -

 

Offshore Applications: receipting applications received on 25 June 2007 and

acknowledging applications received on 23 April 2007.

 

 

By this you should have your visa acknowledged before your meds in August as they are only a couple of weeks away from your application date

 

Lisa:cool:

[Guest dglamoore]

;)Hi Julia, our agent has been fab but they do seem to play things by the book, and have said wait for meds / police checks to be called for, the police checks is just a matter of picking a form up from your local police station or thats what we have done, i guess if time is the important thing(the bets still on) then there is no reason why they cant be done early but the clock is ticking from which is ever dated first

cheers Graham

 

 

Wonder why some agents say to wait when ASPC actually seem to be quite happy for you to front load your meds - we were also told that they seem to prefer it as it saves them time if the CO has everything without the need to reuest meds etc and then go over the paperwork again

 

This is from an aspc email I got today -

 

The inclusion of health forms on the department's website means that

applicants can reduce the time taken to finalise the application by

commencing health and character checking before their application is

allocated to a case officer, however, applicants and migration agents

should be aware that:

o Applicants are responsible for all costs associated with medical

examinations and providing police clearances;

o Health examinations and police clearances have limited validity

periods, generally for a period of 12 months;

o If clearances expire before the application is finalised they may be

requested again, and must be provided at the applicant�s cost;

o The ASPC may need to undertake other checking in respect of the

application that can delay a decision; and

o Undertaking health examinations and providing police clearances does

not guarantee an application will be successful.

 

Lisa

[Guest happy-jools]

Cheers Lisa. As I said you are the "godmother" in all of this. Your help and words of wisdom are much appreciated.

 

Sending Police Check forms off today as we were told by local police station that at the mo there is a backlog so are taking the 40 days.

 

Still going to go ahead with medicals I think, despite what agent says.

 

Cheers, everyone.xx;)

[Hayshake]

Just a slight word of warning, the Police checks are only valid for 12 months, and entry has to be made into Australia within 12 months of the date on the check.

This may mean having to do a visit to Aus to get the VISA validated if you are not ready to make the big leap before the 12 month period.

We applied for our police checks early, and now only have until November to validate our Visa's, so may have to make a short visit if we are not ready to go before then. This will cost money, if only for the airfares which could be better spent upon permanent arrival.

[Guest soggy]

Just a slight word of warning, the Police checks are only valid for 12 months, and entry has to be made into Australia within 12 months of the date on the check.

This may mean having to do a visit to Aus to get the VISA validated if you are not ready to make the big leap before the 12 month period.

We applied for our police checks early, and now only have until November to validate our Visa's, so may have to make a short visit if we are not ready to go before then. This will cost money, if only for the airfares which could be better spent upon permanent arrival.

 

Just wondering is it not possble to get new police checks or has it got to be the ones used for visa application ? old ones show you were not a criminal 12 months ago new ones will show your not a criminal now (hopefully).

 

Simon

[Lea]

Yes you can get new police checks, obviously you will need to pay the £10 for each person again though.

 

Bear in mind you only get the 12 months from the date of your medicals too.

 

Lea

[Guest soggy]

Yes you can get new police checks, obviously you will need to pay the £10 for each person again though.

 

Bear in mind you only get the 12 months from the date of your medicals too.

 

Lea

 

paying for new police checks at £10 a go may buy a few extra weeks maybe months if it saves paying for flights maybe worth it.

 

Simon

[MacLeods]

Our application has been sent of for almost two months now to the DIMIA for the SIR 495 Visa. To date we still havnt heard anything (although nothing unusual in that).

 

Anyway I have booked our medicals for the first week in August. Front loaded then I guess.

 

Spoke to our Agent today and he said we should wait until we have had acknowledgement. This apparently is taking between 2-4 months. What are other peoples views.

 

I know no one can tell me what to do, but some other views would be helpful.

 

Cheers:cool:

 

Just seen your post and wondered if you had heard anything yet re SIR495 - Have you had a case officer assigned ? We lodged ours beginning of June had the medicals ( on the advise of our agent ) in July , sent police checks off in July ( on the advise of our agent).

Spoke to the agent this morning (I'm not having a good day- Want to get out of here) still no news yet. I'm looking for a glimmer of hope from anywhere..................

Anything............

 

Michelle

[Guest Tina]

Hi all,

 

our agent advised us to wait, to go for the medicals and police checks purely on the basis of the 12months validity, but when we received ack the letter this advised us to go for them as this speeds up the process but we still waited 7 weeks after ack (22-06-07) to book them and they are booked for the 14th aug, but it is still over 3 months from the date of actual lodging the application which is dated on the ack as (24-04-07). so i am glad we waited a bit as now we have our ref number to add to the docs and we have a little longer to sell the house before our 12 months are up and we have to validate the visa.

i spoke to our agent today and asked if she had heard anything regarding the co and she said with all the changes going on this month and next month it could take longer to get the co as everyone is trying to get there application in before all the 1st sept changes.

[Guest happy-jools]

Still not heard anything. Apparently our agent said it is unusual not even to have acknowledgement number but they cant e-mail the DIMIA until the three month mark us up

 

Its so bloody fustrating not toeven have had acknowledgement. And I thought we were the only people in this situation - having applied to DIMIA on the 11.05.07.