Cravell Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Hi allMy husband and I have been busy with the process since last year. We have sent our assesment off and await with baited breath Our assesment went off on the 09th March 06 and to date we still have no news. Anyone out there can relate to this?? Oh it's sooo nervewracking. We are looking to go to Perth with our 14yr old daughter. We are working thru a migration agent and I think they are tired of hearing from me now. The waiting is killing me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamcatcher Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Hi cravell,Welcome to the forum! Well, I think most of us know what it is like to be waiting, even if we did not wait as long as you, every day still felt like an eternity.Good luck with your application!Greetings,Dreamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cravell Posted July 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Hi Dreamcatcher Thanks for the welcome. We are really excited and cant wait for the ball to get rolling. We have a few friends already in Perth and are itching to join them. We have only heard all good things about Oz. Which area are u in?RegardsClaudine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G72 Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 HiWe are in the same boat - our application was received on the 22nd of Feb - do you know about the email you can send to the ASPC center every Tuesday, to check which dates they are processing at the moment?If not - here is the latest info:As of 18th July 2006 the Adelaide Skilled Processing Centre is allocatingapplications lodged on or before the following dates:ONSHORE - paper based applications: 8 March 2006 (all applications)ONSHORE- e-lodged (online) applications: 10 March 2006 (all applications)SIR - paper based applications: 15 March 2006SIR - e-lodged (online) applications: 1 May 2006ONSHORE NEW ZEALAND APPLICATIONS: 22 November 2005OFFSHORE APPLICATIONS (all paper based)Priority Applications: In the range of 1 March to 8 March 2006Non-Priority Applications: In the range of 28 November to 5 December 2005Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamcatcher Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Hi Cravell,I live in the Goldfields area, Western Australia. Perth is our closest metropolitan area. I have been there for about an hour when we landed, and again for a weekend in March. It is a great city: clean, relaxed but still alive. At night you see people walking in the streets, you hear people laughing and talking on balconies and outside restaurants. It is just so different from Johannesburg for instance. A lot of people claim that Perth is very remote, but there are world class doctors, hospitals, art centres, concert halls and anything else you can think of! I'm sure you'll love it, and as you already have friends there, so much the better for you! Greetings,Dreamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatterbug Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Hi Cravell,Welcome to the forum, you have come to the right place for some support and advice. At least you have a application lodged, a better situation to be in than many others hey? The wait is very frustrating we all know something about this! My advice is to try and use this time for all types of things that you'd normally not do regularly and that you'd miss about SA. E.g. visting game parks, your favourite beaches/towns etc. Go to a couple of shows, theatre performances and visit friends and family you haven't seen for some time. Drink SA wines, buy nice books (stock up a bit) and coffee table ones about SA, SA/Afr music, get your favourite recipies together etc etc. This might postpone and "immunise" you against developing homesickness and the inevitable verlange for a bit after your arrival. Also try and sort out your tax/financial situation so that you don't have too much to do from this end. You'll save yourself a lot of hassles because doing anything from this end is so much more difficult.BUG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindylou Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Hi CravellWelcome to the forum - the members here are all at different stages: we've got everything from natural born Aussies to "just starting the process" wannabies, so I'm sure you can learn and teach! Just a quick question, in your post you say you sent the assessment - is this the skills assessment or are you referring to your visa application?Cheers,Cindylou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sunshine Sister Posted July 22, 2006 Report Share Posted July 22, 2006 Hi Creavell,Welcome to the forum. Good luck with the wait and the big move ahead !Looking forward to seeing you around.LoveSS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cravell Posted July 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Hi CravellWelcome to the forum - the members here are all at different stages: we've got everything from natural born Aussies to "just starting the process" wannabies, so I'm sure you can learn and teach! Just a quick question, in your post you say you sent the assessment - is this the skills assessment or are you referring to your visa application?Cheers,CindylouHi CravellWelcome to the forum - the members here are all at different stages: we've got everything from natural born Aussies to "just starting the process" wannabies, so I'm sure you can learn and teach! Just a quick question, in your post you say you sent the assessment - is this the skills assessment or are you referring to your visa application?Cheers,CindylouHi to everybody, thanks for the wonderful welcome!!!!!!CindyLou, we are really only at the beginning stage. The assesment we are waiting on is the skills assesment. Does anyone have any advice for me? I've just heard from my case officer this morning that the assesments were completed the end of March already but have now twice been sent to the incorrect postal address. Can I contact TRA myself to find out if the assesment has been successfull?ThanksClaudine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cravell Posted July 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Hi G72Thanks for that info. I have just heard from our case officer this morning that our trade assesment has been finalised. They cant disclose telephonically wether it has been succesful or not, do u know if I can contact the TRA myself to confirm if it has been succesfull?How far are you guys? Are you also using a migration agent?Thanks Claudine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuanJ Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Hi CravellYep yep yepIT is F*$ing frustrating to put it mildly. Ours went in about same tme as yours and about three weeks ago they requested some more info about some subjects we got credit for at Uni. sent it of again via our agent in Joburg and now waiting again.Can anyone tell me wich is the bigest hurdle - Skills assesment or actual PR application ?Its like ... you made up your mind to go to Aus and now you can't go ..... waiting and waiting drives you nuts.BUT it will be all worth it in the end so bite the bulet with us and see you in Aus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJV Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Can anyone tell me which is the biggest hurdle - Skills assesment or actual PR application ?Hi RuanJUnfortunately there is no definitive answer to this one. It is different depending on your individual circumstances. There are a number of hoops to jump through which could be very frustrating. Be patient, if you (or your agent) have done your homework properly it should all come together in the end.You may not want to hear this but once your visa is granted you may look back and consider it the easy part of the migration process! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindylou Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 How long is a piece of string?Ruan, I can only tell you from my side: I received a positive skills assessment in less than two months, just made sure that I included everything they could possibly ask for and it would appear that it wasn't v complicated.My PR application was lodged on 22 May and so far all we have received is the acknowledgement and file reference. As the processing centre is currently allocating Case Officers to applications lodged in Nov / Dec we were warned that we wouldn't hear from them again for at least another 6 months! See this link for a weekly update on allocations PR ProcessingSo, at this point in my life I can surely say that the actual PR is the shocker in terms of "hurry up and wait" but until I hear from my CO I won't know if I've crossed the eyes and dotted the teas correctly or if there are still more hurdles and hoops to negotiate.C'Lou Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cravell Posted July 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Hi CravellYep yep yepIT is F*$ing frustrating to put it mildly. Ours went in about same tme as yours and about three weeks ago they requested some more info about some subjects we got credit for at Uni. sent it of again via our agent in Joburg and now waiting again.Can anyone tell me wich is the bigest hurdle - Skills assesment or actual PR application ?Its like ... you made up your mind to go to Aus and now you can't go ..... waiting and waiting drives you nuts.BUT it will be all worth it in the end so bite the bulet with us and see you in Aus Hi RuanJa boet, the waiting is killing me. It's just like u say. U've made up u'r mind that u want to go and now everything seems to be standing still.I unfortunately cant tell u which of the two (skills or PR) is the lesser of the two evils....I'm in the same boat as u.Where are u looking at settling in Oz?RegardsClaudine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuanJ Posted July 24, 2006 Report Share Posted July 24, 2006 Hi ClaudineWe are looking at Brisbane at moment but Peth also strong possibility.Have you guys got jobs lined up or shooting from the hip like me.Will go there and look for employment.Scary thought comming from SA with it's extremly scarce job market, but have spoken to peolple in Aus and they reasure me that things are quite diferent out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cravell Posted July 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Hi ClaudineWe are looking at Brisbane at moment but Peth also strong possibility.Have you guys got jobs lined up or shooting from the hip like me.Will go there and look for employment.Scary thought comming from SA with it's extremly scarce job market, but have spoken to peolple in Aus and they reasure me that things are quite diferent out there.Hi RuanNeither of us have employment yet, but my hubby is a fridge mechanic and shouldnt find too much trouble finding a job. I'm in unit trust and dont think I'll be looking for anything immediately, unless of course I get offered a fabulous job Which industry are u in Ruan?CheersClaudine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuanJ Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Hi I’m in IT and my wife is an accountant - we shouldn't struggle to find jobs but it is still quite stressful thinking about it. I've been with my current company for 7 years now and having to do the whole job search thing - eish!Everyone does say you will have to start from the bottom again and prove yourself- which is fine as there is no affirmative action and you can move up with out any trouble.Remember we as SAfers work really hard and are dedicated peopleSo I doubt if you will have problems finding employ either. It’s more the uncertainty of it all, I think, that gets to us. You know there is a better future for you in Aus and you just want to get there and start living your life. I have a friend who moved to Brisbane in Dec 2005 and he is still on a high, I sometimes want to smack him for the great and free live style they have now and I cant have yet.But we will get there even if I have to swim there.How does your family feel about your move? (Mom dad etc) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cravell Posted July 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Ja RuanI know exactly what u'r saying. Just the thought of all the possibilities are wonderful!!! I've only heard good things about Oz through friends who are already in Perth. They range from being there 1yr to 5yrs and I can say the same for them....they're still on a high!!!!! Well, my family is not very impressed with me. We are quite a close knit family. But I keep telling them, this is in our best interest. If I can offer my daughter better opportunities in life, why not?? I dont mind moving all the way to another country in order to have peace of mind. regardsClaudine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuanJ Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi ClaudineI know exactly what you mean. My parents kind of "hate" us at the moment for doing this.We have a Two year old boy which is their only grandchild at the moment.They are NOT impressed. My in-laws on the other hand support us and want us to be happy and be the best we can be.Obviously that means not in SA. Sorry If I sound a bit sour about SA but we have been struggling against affirmative action for too long now. Here in the Eastern Cape it is really bad. My Wife , who works for a large accounting house have not been able to fine alternate employ for the last 9 months as she is extremely unhappy where she is.I have been told that I am too white to become management but I train the PDPs to move on and up.I love my country but I have too supply my family with the best I can give, unfortunately it is not here.Enough of my ranting .. how are you guys experiencing this ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cravell Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi RuanIm sorry to hear things are not too good on your side. Keep ur chins up and in no time we will all be reaping the rewards of the wonderful decisions we have made to move to Oz. I'm tired of waiting on an answer from TRA so I mailed them this morning to see if they have an answer for me keep u'r fingers crossed. Apparently they dont give out info freely, just trying my luck!!!Cheers for nowClaudine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuanJ Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi ClaudineSorry for venting this mornig- been one of those days.I am realy holding thumbs for u guys, hope you get a reply quick.I actualy also phoned my migration agent yesterday and he is also checking up Are you guys using a Agent ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamcatcher Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi RuanJ,If you don't mind me intruding on your conversation It is quite alright to vent your feelings, we understand what it feels like to have family that are negative about your big decision. It is not a nice position to be in. Just hang in there, and do what you know in your heart to be the right thing. In the end, all wil work out as it should. Making this move is not easy, but it is worth it every step of the way. Once you have made the decision to leave SA, it is as if a lot of things you took for granted, suddenly seems huge. Like the crime. We were so used to having armed robberies etc., that you built a wall around yourself, and you don't let these things affect you emotionally. But as soon as you have your sights set on a better life, you start seeing all of this, and experiencing the pain of it again. Maybe it has it's advantages in "toughening you up" for the initial troubles and torments you have to go through in your new life. How many of us would have run back to SA, had we not experienced this eye-opening period? And once you are here, you just cannot believe that you have ever lived like that. You have to experience freedom, to be able to comprehend it.As Claudine said, "chin up!"Greetings,Dreamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuanJ Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi DreamyYou hit the nail on the head.It truly is as if your eyes have opened and you experience these things(crime ect.) from a new point of view.O, how blind we can be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dreamcatcher Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi RuanJThat is why most people cannot understand your reasons for leaving. They have not had that change of perception, and really cannot see what you are seeing. It is better for them to stay blind to it, if they have to stay behind, but how do you convince them of your viewpoint without showing them the real world?Sad isn't it.Greetings,Dreamy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuanJ Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Hi DreamyIt is so true.Thanks for the support from you and the other people on the forum.We here is SA REALY appreciate all the support.It is awsome to chat with people who have gone thru the process and other who are also busy with migrating.My first words I posted when joining was " You guys Rock" and I sstand by thatThanks everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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