Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (onshore 857)

[Guest caoimhe]

We are currently living in Adelaide on a provisional 496 but my OH is starting a new job and they are going to sponsor us for PR on the above visa.

Just wondered if anyone has gone this route and have any advice. We have been told it cost $2552 and have to have meds and Police checks done again, but have also been told by someone that when they changed over visas they didn't have to pay the full fee as they had alreadly paid for thier original temp visa but they were changing from a temp visa to the Employer Sponsored Migration Scheme.

Also any info on time lines welcome

Been on to the DIAC who have told us a few conflicting things so if anyone has any advice I would love to hear from you:wubclub:

[Guest caoimhe]

Bumping this up as for the 1st time ever on PIA there has been no answers;)

[Guest lastboyscout]

Just wanted to say congrats Jacqueline and clan, can`t help you with the question though

[Guest caoimhe]

Thanks Lee, we really need this PR otherwise we'll be heading home as the savings are running out

[cribber]

We went through the process 12 months ago, changing from a 457 visa and paid the full fee of $2150 plus meds.

 

Some close friends of ours transitioned from a 495 to an 857, paid the full fee and then had about 90% refunded.

I guess it's all to do with the similarity in the paperwork between the 2 visas.

 

Chances are if your police clearances for the UK are still valid (not older than 12months) you'll be able to reuse them. We did not need to submit Australian Police clearances as we had been here less than 12months at the time.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Paul.

[catherine.c]

Hiya

We came over on a 457 and changed to 857 - yes we had to pay the full amount. We did not have to pay anything for the 457 and that is why we paid for the perm. My daughter is on a 475 and I believe that she will not have to pay a large amount on applying for a permanent visa as she paid for the temp one. I guess it just depends on what visa you started on. Also, a friend who has been granted 857 had it paid by the company they were sponsored by - worth a try!

As for police checks, my husband and I had been here less than a year so UK checks were still valid and did not need an australian one. My daughter however had an indepth more thorough check in the UK as she had been due to work with children in the summer hols - unfortunately Immigration here did not recognise it for the permanent reidency so she had to have a lesser one done - took about 4 weeks.

As for medicals, my husband and daughter had to redo them as the UK ones were not complete (only I had needed full medical).

Luckily our case was being dealt with here in Adelaide so we could just take info they needed in.

We had a little trouble getting my daughter on the visa as she is a 23 yr old student and had to prove dependency (not easy - just telling them she was a student was not enough).

Other than that, things went smoothly, I handed in last bit of info that they needed on the thursday and I had an email on the friday saying we had been accepted.

Hope this helps.

All the best

Catherine

[Guest caoimhe]

Hiya

Luckily our case was being dealt with here in Adelaide so we could just take info they needed in.

Catherine

 

Adelaide DIAC have just told us they don't deal with it anymore, it is done through Melbourne:arghh:

Thanks for all the info. Can anyone tell me how long it all took?

[cribber]

Our paper application made in Adelaide took a week to process and grant the 857 visa!

 

Fingers crossed yours don't take too long.

 

Paul.

[Guest caoimhe]

Our paper application made in Adelaide took a week to process and grant the 857 visa!

 

Fingers crossed yours don't take too long.

 

Paul.

OMG:shocked: thats amazing

Did you lodge the employer nomination, your forms, meds and police checks all at the same time?

Sorry for all the questions but to be honest we don't really know where to start. Stephen hasn't started with the new employer yet but they are sending in for the nomination before he even starts

[cribber]

Hi Jac,

 

My employer lodged the nomination and due to a number of administrative cock ups on their part the nomination approval took 3 months. It has to go through the State Office for Certification before the Federal Office give the approval. You may find it's quicker in your case.

 

Personally we used the time to process the nomination to get together all the additional information we required and fill in the forms. Our Police checks were still valid from the 457. You will still need to fill in all the required forms even though you probably did them for your 496.

Offically you can lodge the visa application at the same time you lodge the nomination but i would worry about the DIMA's ability to match them up and the meds too.

 

We had our meds the same day we submitted the visa application. Even without a TRN the meds and application met up in without a hitch. The visa grant email arrived exactly one week later

 

Paul.