The Big Black Hole - Cat 5 PR 176 Visa -

[howzitmarc]

Hi All

So according to my records we have just passed the 6 year mark for waiting for any type of news on this Visa.

If I worked in any sort of efficiency position at the department of immigration for Australia I would be extremely embarrassed.

Taking peoples good, hard earned money, charging for things like IELTS, and then leave them hanging with absolutely no form of communication for the next 6 years??? I feel exposing the Aus immigration department as totally inept is the only way I can either get my money back or push them into assigning me with a Case officer. We are both degreed, working for big corporates and scored top marks for IELTS. I also have family living in Australia.

To give you an idea of how long I have been waiting, when we started the process it was just me and my wife, now I have two daughters one going into Grade 2 and the other Grade 0....!

As a matter of principal I flatly refuse to apply and pay for another visa, at least not until I get official communication from somebody.

Anyone in the same boat, please advise.............

Edited November 18, 2014 by howzitmarc

[Donovan83]

Are you using a migration agent? I think it's highly unlikely that the DIBP would advise you to do an LSD trip...?

[Nev]

Yep, as i understood it the Cat 5 guys were getting responses around the 5 year mark, same question as Donovan, are you guys dealing with an agent or did you do your own application, the departments site should give you some information on processing time frames and last action on the application.

Edited November 17, 2014 by Nev

[miran]

Ours took 5 years 2 weeks. We voluntarily did a LSD in 2008, applied in 2009 and after 2011 we kinda forgot about it. We saw the LSD as our second honeymoon and the money wasted ( luckily not on gambling or something worse......) I would not go on national tv about it though, don't want to jinx it - we're leaving end of December. Maybe you should contact the minister of immigration's offices directly and tell them about it, if you haven't already. 6 years is the longest I've heard of. Did you do a "paper application?

[howzitmarc]

Hi Guys

Thanks for you feedback.

Yes we have dealt with an agent who is as frustrated as we are. No the minister of immigrations department will not give any straight answers or time frame. No 6 years is not the longest there are people that are 7 years plus in other parts of the world. Yes it was a paper based document.

The issue I have with the entire process is not a financial one, I am in a fortunate position to be able to reapply or do further LSD trips if the situation arises but on principal I feel the lengthy delay and absolutely zero communication from them is unacceptable. Our Visa application is a PR 176 Family Sponsored Visa and one of the reasons we went on this is because we wanted to be able to live close to my family already in Australia. This forum represents only a handful of people that have been affected by this specific vis situation, globally there are thousands of people living in limbo and many in financial situations that don't allow any other option but to wait. It is very difficult for most people to "simply forget about" their application specifically looking at the reasons why many people apply for it in the first place.

I wait and wait for someone, anyone who is able to give me up to date relevant information with reasoning on why we continue to wait, and why we never get communication.

From a professional point of view people are entitled to their own opinions however in my view the way have been treated with regards to our application is anything but professional.

[Nev]

I hear you, not great at all, you would expect at least an idea of a time-frame.

But i suspect you won't find many people willing to take shots at the Auz government while they have applications outstanding, there are many that won't have the means to do another application if this one falls through and after Carte Blanche has had a go at them i doubt the Auz government will be too charmed with the applicants.

[howzitmarc]

Hi nev

Absolutely and to be totally honest the TV thing is not something I would personally want to pursue anyway. But I do feel there are far too many applicants like myself that have been sitting patiently on the edge of their seats for way too long. The fact is the process has been followed by everyone lodging an application, and if a process is followed then by all means it should be reciprocated by both parties i.e. the applicant & the dept. of immigration.

As an applicant nobody wants to rock the boat and of course you want it to go smoothly and quickly and not have anything potentially derail that process, however if you look at the people that have been waiting as long as we have and the emotional investment that is involved you can understand that people have their breaking points.

The simple fact is that communication is the key. Either tell the applicant "sorry you application is not successful for the following reasons.....", give a proper timetable, or refund the money. The vast majority of people respond well to communication and in my case any communication from them will be most welcome.

[Sunnyskies]

I agree, and I fear that if we had gone the PR route we would also probably have gone into a long limbo. Lucky for us we decided to risk it on a 457 at the end of 2008 precisely because we feared the wait and now we are citizens.

Communication is not a government strong point here I'm sorry to say and I've got the odd battle scar and emptier pocket to prove that. But then I think it's a problem in many companies here as well.

No real words of wisdom but remember that playing hardball is probably going to be least effective. Perhaps reconsider your options and if another route is open follow that. As so many say once you have moved you will wish you had done so sooner (even if you couldn't). At the end of the day you just want to get on with your life, whether here or there.

[Donovan83]

Besides, outside of South Africa, nobody really cares about what Carte Blanche has to say.

[TeeTMI]

I always think of the Cat 5 priority people when people starting out in this process ask me how long they can expect to wait for a visa. Whilst I can provide current processing times the reality is that the rules can change, as happened in this case. Back in 2009 many of the applicants now in Cat 5 were in Cat 1 to 3 and had an expected time line of 3-6 months, some were even with case officers and some had been requested by case officers to do their PCCs and medicals. The department changed their processing priorities and everything changed.

One of the Migration Agents organisations has been pushing for answers but to no avail. You can see a copy of the reply to their request for information on one of the links below.

But they mention a couple of petitions (please remove link if inappropriate)

https://www.change.org/p/family-sponser-886-please-start-processing-of-our-application?share_id=DVguUdtJiB&utm_campaign=share_button_action_box&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition

[RYLC]

As a matter of principal I flatly refuse to apply and pay for another visa, at least not until I get official communication from somebody.

I hear your frustration but if your goal is to get to Australia and, as you say, you have the means and qualifications then apply for a different visa. Being right won't get you here any quicker. When things change we must adjust or wait. I don't mean to sound unsympathetic - it's just that I am a pragmatic person. Yes it's more money but with everything in life I have noticed that it takes either time or money. Hope you find a way forward soon.

Edited November 23, 2014 by Crisplet

[OubaasDik]

I always think of the Cat 5 priority people when people starting out in this process ask me how long they can expect to wait for a visa. Whilst I can provide current processing times the reality is that the rules can change, as happened in this case. Back in 2009 many of the applicants now in Cat 5 were in Cat 1 to 3 and had an expected time line of 3-6 months, some were even with case officers and some had been requested by case officers to do their PCCs and medicals. The department changed their processing priorities and everything changed.

One of the Migration Agents organisations has been pushing for answers but to no avail. You can see a copy of the reply to their request for information on one of the links below.

But they mention a couple of petitions (please remove link if inappropriate)

https://www.change.org/p/family-sponser-886-please-start-processing-of-our-application?share_id=DVguUdtJiB&utm_campaign=share_button_action_box&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition

I was very grateful for that reprioritisation in late 2008, early 2009 - we were in line for an 856 visa at the time and heard they were changing priorities (we automatically assumed we were going to be shafted, but had a pleasant surprise) - for us it meant we went from a 2 year wait to about 4 months. It's an ill wind that blows no one no good, but they definitely seem to be overdoing it in Marc's case.

[Bazza]

Hey guys, just picking up on this topic again... we applied in 2008 using a migration agent but havent head any feedback regarding our visa... has their been any movement with the 176 Family Sponsored visa or has it disappeared completely?