Got our ACT Sponsorship!!

[Pine and Riana Pienaar]

Hi guys & girls,

With the latest changes in the processing priorities we decided to convert our 175 to 176. Canberra is the only region that had General Manager on the list of occupations they are willing to sponsor.

Took a day off on Wednesday and compiled all the info we gathered over a long time. Thans so much also for all the forumites who gave us inputs and contacts so we can do this properly - would not be able to do it without you.

We lodged on Thursday morning and asked in writing for urgency. Nearly fell of my seat this morning when I opened my email.

They have sent form 1100 in already and I now have to lodge a post lodgement query to complete the process.

I pray this will put us back into the immediate priority list and that we will get some movement.

Will keep you all posted.

[Nats123]

Holding thumbs for you guys!

[Maggel]

Congratulations.

But good grief .

That was so fast. Glad some things about immigration can go fast.

We want to do the same. Have applied for WA sponsorship 3 weeks ago, and still waiting. Maybe should phone them? When WA ammended their list December, my husbands occupation was suddenly on there. So we took it as a sighn that we should also do it this way.

Well, at least you can change before the dreaded 13Feb date.

And hopefully a grant letter for 176 will follow just as quick.

[PieterK]

Vat vyf ou maat!

[billabong]

Oh S&^%t!!! As in 1 day or 1 week? WOW. We sent our things off to our agents in Perth. They received yesterday so will probably lodge today or tomorrow! S&^%t! Do you thing asking for urgency helped? Wow. I'm totally speechless. I was preparing myself for 8 weeks! So what happens now?

[billabong]

You might get it done before 13 FEB!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[didl]

I so happy for you. ( and us)

Hope it is all done by 13th so you are up and running with everything required.

See you before Eastern in Oz!!!

didl

[Pine and Riana Pienaar]

Thanks for the joy shared.

I really think it helps to have interaction with them.

I had to first mail them to get confirmation if they would at all be willing to consider sponsorship. Their response was very quick - day or so. I then mailed them to bounce my understanding of what they wanted in the statement of two pages they required around the personal research into their lifestyle and employment opportunities. They confirmed my understanding and indicated what was still needed to expand on.

Riana had done a lot of the research over the last weeks and we really focussed over the weekend on the employment part. I PMed all the people I could figure out may help on the forum and got fantastic responses from them all. I took a day off on Wednesday and we worked till late night on getting all together.

When I then lodged early the next day I sent a mail to the head of their division explaining my exact situation and asked for consideration of doing it urgently. The next morning I phoned and spoke to one of their team whom indicated that the head ofthe division was not in. I then emailed her the request for urgency and she indicated that she would see what she can sort out there.

Next morning it was done.

So yes, I think it helps to really do your research, be 100% honest with them and then ask and be nice about it.

[Deon-Louise and kids]

[At this rate you will be in Canberra b4 us!!!

We hope to be there in April/May.

PS Hope we will be invited for a braai!!! You supply the Roo meat we'll bring the salad!!!

PPS Well Done and Good Luck

Edited February 6, 2009 by Deon-Louise and kids

[Pine and Riana Pienaar]

[At this rate you will be in Canberra b4 us!!!

We hope to be there in April/May.

PS Hope we will be invited for a braai!!! You supply the Roo meat we'll bring the salad!!!

PPS Well Done and Good Luck

Absolutely - youre on. I love venison here - will have to convince my wife about the roo though. (Had a less tastefull trial run with some roo tail we bought for a potjie a few years ago - tough as hell and tasted like rat - or so I think)

I want to be out of here before the elections. From what I see they are moving so fast on sponsored it might just happen.

[billabong]

So when are you guys doing the big swop from 175 to 176?...

[Pine and Riana Pienaar]

So when are you guys doing the big swop from 175 to 176?...

I sent them the detail on Friday before 7 SA time. You have to lodge a post application enquiry form indicating that you have accepted the invitation. I also then phoned them and they indicated that I should also send the letter from ACT to them at the mail address used to send additional documents for your application. It will most likely take 5 working days to get it into the system - their standard processing time for post enquiry queries. This should ensure that all is on before the 13 Feb date they originally indicated.

On Monday morning I phoned them to see if all was Ok - and it was not. I wanted to just push a little and asked if they have recieved all, etc. They asked if the form 1100 from ACT has been lodged. They indicated that there was a note on my record that indicated that apparently there was a problem with the sponsorship - something along the line of it not being valid, not being on the critical skills list for ACT and that they needed to do some paperwork to get it on the quota of 500 sponsorships not on the list they are entitled. No amount of "freindly" reasoning helped.

I then phoned ACT and friendly and efficient as ever the lady indicated that they are aware of the issue and that they had sent off the needed paperwork at 11 OZ time. From the sounds of it there is a form in a different format or something that they needed. "No worries"

If I had not called I most likely would not even have known about the issue.

Linking this to the auto response from DIAC on the processing times - sounds like they would allocate COs to sponsorships within about 10 days as received.

Rather impartiently I will thus wait and I suppose get blisters on my knees. (No guarantees though that I wont give in to phoning again, and again, and again. . .)

[billabong]

Good luck guys! Hopefully we'll be there soon!

[Pine and Riana Pienaar]

Looks like it was worth the effort. We gave them the 10 days indicated in their service standard - would have phoned them on Thursday this week to confirm if I had a case officer. Was prepared to wait till the 10 days after that for the CO to contact us. Thank God we did not have to do this - did not even know we had a CO and got the Visa straight away today.

What a surprise.

Really seems the conversion was worth it. Will start in all ernesty to look for a job from tomorrow.

[georgie 1]

Looks like it was worth the effort. We gave them the 10 days indicated in their service standard - would have phoned them on Thursday this week to confirm if I had a case officer. Was prepared to wait till the 10 days after that for the CO to contact us. Thank God we did not have to do this - did not even know we had a CO and got the Visa straight away today.

What a surprise.

Really seems the conversion was worth it. Will start in all ernesty to look for a job from tomorrow.

Congratulations