Please help!

[carolientjie]

Thank you, I will give them a call to find out, think that the car rental companies do work a little differently.

[Eva]

Wow, I didn't realise you were living in Toowoomba! Send me a PM with your contact details if you would like to meet up...

[carolientjie]

Hi, somebody replied on my Sabona appeal and offered to donate 2 nights at The Rondawel & a basket of Gourmet Afrika goodies. She suggested that we do a raffle and that other companies might donate other things as well. Do anybody know how to organize a raffle and if someone else wish to donate something?

[quinswan]

Regarding your outstanding debts. It would be very difficult for any lawyer to assist you an open forum like this, as it is actually against the rules.

Firstly ditch the migration agent to save money immediately, there is enough people here who can advise how to do what on this forum.

Then I do suggest that you go and see a local lawyer in your area. Better yet, there a debt and bankruptcy practitioners that advertise on TV (they work similar to the debt counselling services back in RSA)

Someone else here said and it is true, that they cant force money out of someone tat does not have it. I would for now forget about the outstanding accounts, and consider either bankruptcy or debt counselling. That way you get all your creditors off your back.

I am pretty sure that bankruptcy or debt will not affect you immigration status, just make sure you pay the DIAC fees beforehand to DIAC, otherwise a trustee may get their hands on it and may refuse to pay to DIAC. If there is a requirement to have money in your account for your particular visa, I would suggest that it be kept aside as well.

I would like to hear what the fulltime migration agents like Stephen and Ajay say about whether you need solvency for your PR. From my understanding of DIAC rules, you only need solvency on business visas.

Another question for the migration agents. If the child was born here, then surely the boy is a citizen, with full access to medicare even if the parents are not.

Then the same logic applies, the past debts can be wiped out during bankruptcy, and if the little boy can be accomodated on medicare then his future bills seems taken care of. After all he must surely be a citizen.

(ps. I have not checked the citizenship legislation - thats why i am asking stephen and ajay.

[Jordy]

quinswan, the baby will not be an aus citizen because the parents are not on Pr.

Also I was wondering if Kris would pass the medical for PR if there is a unresolved heart prob. You might need to hault your Pr application till that is properly assessed.

[Enrica]

If you do not hold permanent residence in Australia , and you have a child, that child is NOT considered a citizen unfortunetly. So no Medicare benifits.

I thought that if you were on a 457, you had to have medical insurance, and if that was the case , then surely the birth of the child would have been covered by Medical insurance.

Eitherway Carolintjie, my heart does go out to you and your family. I am sure that there are people that would like to make some sort of financial contribution. Perhaps your church can setup a collection( bank account) . I think that most people would not like to feel that they are being "fleeced" as there have been cases of this in the past. Your request for money in my opinion needs to have some facade of credibility.

If this is administered correctly , and people will then feel more comfortable about donating monies to your cause.

Sorry , I dont mean to sound negative in anyway, I hope you understand where I am coming from.

Good luck with your quest , my prays are with you and your family.

Regards

Enrica

[quinswan]

Thanks jordy and Enrica did not know this. So it is different to the USA.

Carolintjie, for what it is worth our daughter was also born at 28 weeks and 950 grams. She spent the first 3 months in ICU. She is now 10 and perdfris and gesond.

Remember god will not demand more from you than what you can handle.

So my feeling is the past debt is the past and creditworthness is important but is not everything. Sometimes you have to reset your life and focus on what is really important.

Your Son and the VISA.

For the debt go to a cheap lawyer or debt counsellor close to you, all the law firms will know how to handle bad debt issues.

Jordy may have raised a valid issue about the medical.

If you limit your total liability to just the VISA can you really not come up with jus the DIAC fee. Perhaps you might wanna consider taking another 457 with the new employer. for the interim, so you can earn money towards the PR application.

[Kita]

Shame hard times for you. Maybe you should consider seeing if you could be deported and then you would receive free medical help here in South Africa and be able to get back on your feet again. when things have improved you could then apply for pr visa. Are your family all still here in SA. Just curious what is stand down, that caused you to leave your sponsored job.

[carolientjie]

Shame hard times for you. Maybe you should consider seeing if you could be deported and then you would receive free medical help here in South Africa and be able to get back on your feet again. when things have improved you could then apply for pr visa. Are your family all still here in SA. Just curious what is stand down, that caused you to leave your sponsored job.

Hi Kita, you must be joking right?

Stand down is when there was not any work for the day and you are sent home, no work no pay.

What's covered

MBF Overseas Visitors' Cover will help pay for hospital and doctors' charges incurred in Australia where Medicare would pay a benefit to an Australian resident, providing standard conditions are met, including Waiting Periods. You can choose from single cover if you're flying solo, or couples/family cover if you're in Australia with your partner or family.

We will pay up to the following maximum amounts from the date your cover begins:

* An overall Limit of $30,000 per person per calendar year ($60,000 maximum for Family membership) applies to this cover. This includes both doctors' and hospital charges

* In addition to the overall Limit of this cover, you may be entitled to claim an accident benefit of up to $100,000 per person, in a calendar year ($200,000 per Family membership per calendar year)

Kris's Hospital bills was over $60 000

[Ajay]

Hi,

Been on conference for a few days and off there again now, so sorry about not replying when quinswan called on me

Under the character declaration, applicants have to disclose whether or not they have any outstanding debts to the Australian government or public service, so the medical debt, if incurred in a public hospital, would have to be declared. There are no questions relating to financial standing other than this on the ENS application.

If you proceed with an ENS application, everyone in the application, including baby Kris, will need to meet the medical requirement, so depending on his health at the moment, you may want to consider delaying this. As I've said in my previous post, I would probably be delaying this at the moment anyway, as you have other things that you need to address first, before taking on any more debt. If you do proceed, then do so on your own without an agent. That way, your costs will be limited to around $3,000 plus medicals.

Ajay

[Eva]

Eitherway Carolintjie, my heart does go out to you and your family. I am sure that there are people that would like to make some sort of financial contribution. Perhaps your church can setup a collection( bank account) . I think that most people would not like to feel that they are being "fleeced" as there have been cases of this in the past. Your request for money in my opinion needs to have some facade of credibility.

If this is administered correctly , and people will then feel more comfortable about donating monies to your cause.

Sorry , I dont mean to sound negative in anyway, I hope you understand where I am coming from.

Good luck with your quest , my prays are with you and your family.

Regards

Enrica

I think that is the point of people being able to make contributions directly to the hospital. People know they are not being fleeced if the money is being paid directly to the hospital to off-set the account.

Shame hard times for you. Maybe you should consider seeing if you could be deported and then you would receive free medical help here in South Africa and be able to get back on your feet again. when things have improved you could then apply for pr visa. Are your family all still here in SA. Just curious what is stand down, that caused you to leave your sponsored job.

And sorry, Kita, but I cannot believe you could make such a suggestion!! I would try ANYTHING and EVERYTHING to stay in Australia! Being deported would NEVER be an option!!

I am giving Carolien a call today, and hopefully will meet with her soon!

[Johan Venter]

Kita you suggest that they should return to RSA in your reply.

"Maybe you should consider seeing if you could be deported and then you would receive free medical help here in South Africa and be able to get back on your feet again. When things have improved you could then apply for pr visa."

You must be joking when you said that, wanting them to return to a country where the staff strikes, where people are left to die in hospitals, where services are almost none, where conditions deteriorate daily, etc.

You must be joking!!!!

People please stop getting technical and let us help these people. Give them bread when they ask for bread!!

I would have appreciated the help if I was in the same situation, wouldn't you?

[Eva]

People please stop getting technical and let us help these people. Give them bread when they ask for bread!!

I would have appreciated the help if I was in the same situation, wouldn't you?

Well said, Johan.

I understand that people may be offended by someone joining the forum and their first post is a request for financial aid.

Personally I think Carolintjie should maybe have gone about it a bit differently, but this is a young mother, desperate to find a way to pay her bills and STAY IN AUSTRALIA!

I guess it must take a fair amount of courage to ask people - strangers, to help you, knowing you will get a certain amount of backlash as a result.

Human nature makes one wonder if it is a scam or whatever, and as South Africans I think we have been ripped off by hardluck stories time and again. My initial reaction was much the same, I wonder if this is for real. Which is why I suggested people contributing directly to the hospital bill.

Carolien, I pray that your financial issues will be resolved soon, and will do what I can, in my small way, to help.

[Mikej]

Here is a question for the more knowledgeable members.

If Carolien and family apply for PR do they not get Medicare benefits when their application is submitted? We were on a 457 and got temporary Medicare cards as soon as we applied.

In other words we had Medicare before we got PR.

I know this will not help with her current debt but at least they will have Medicare. I am also aware that they need the money to apply for PR first.

So would it not be worth their while submitting the PR application just so that their new medical costs will be taken care of?

Michael

[Bob]

Personally, I'd be reluctant to take any course of action requiring deportation.

I can't see how getting deported can be a sound reference for migrating back to the same country that kicked you out previously, as a persona non gratia??

The child doesn't have Australian citizenship. Since 20th August 1986, one or both parents must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident in Australia for a child to automatically have Australian citizenship.

Since both parents are on a temp visa, he doesn't qualify.

Also, there is a matter of honour here.

I realise that honour isn't a fashionable thing nowadays and something that went out with Queen Victoria, but honour, especially with debts, goes a long way.

If you can "honour" your debts now, no finance company or bank in the future will refuse a normal bank loan to you in the future.

A hospital or car rental company will be happy to re-negotiate any outstanding debts, and getting a weekly amount, no matter how small in the current time, is better than getting them declared bankrupt and getting nothing back.

I would suggest going to see the finance officer in the hospital and the rental car company, explaining my finances and asking for a "break" from payments so you can get on your feet before resuming paying any outstanding debts.

If people see that you are genuine, honest and upright, you will be given a lot of leeway by Australians.

Try it first before considering declaring bankrupt and walking away from your debts.

[Kita]

Im sorry, I dont know much about how systems work and was just thinking that was a way that you dont pay ( I think) and I know when times are hard you really need your family and friends. Just going on what we have been through for 18 months, as we sold everything husband left job as agent told us visa was on its way, and DIAC put everything on hold. My husband has not been able to get another job and we have also had hospital expenses with our youngest child. Then have been using Government hospital. Its been a very tough time but having your family, friends and church play a big role in coping. So sorry did not mean to upset anyone.

[carolientjie]

Thank you Johan, Eva and Bob. My sentiments exactly. For the people who read this, please remember that it is entirely your choice if you want to make a donation. Nothing horrible will happen if you don't, I won't be calling the seven plagues on you. All I'm asking is for the people that understand my situation and feel the need to help, to do that.

Have a good weekend everybody!

[carolientjie]

Im sorry, I dont know much about how systems work and was just thinking that was a way that you dont pay ( I think) and I know when times are hard you really need your family and friends. Just going on what we have been through for 18 months, as we sold everything husband left job as agent told us visa was on its way, and DIAC put everything on hold. My husband has not been able to get another job and we have also had hospital expenses with our youngest child. Then have been using Government hospital. Its been a very tough time but having your family, friends and church play a big role in coping. So sorry did not mean to upset anyone.

Hi Kita,

I am very sorry to hear about your situation, it must be extremely tough for you guys, glad to hear that you have friends and family to help! Good luck and I hope everything works out!

[carolientjie]

I just want to thank the people who have sent my message on in faith. I am sure that we will get some positive feedback and hopefully be able to collect some funds!

[HouseInOz]

I often am amazed to see how other cultural groups help their fellow countrymen. Let us ex-RSA's overseas become known for "Helping each other" instead of being called any other names. Let us pay it forward.

My 2c worth

[carolientjie]

I often am amazed to see how other cultural groups help their fellow countrymen. Let us ex-RSA's overseas become known for "Helping each other" instead of being called any other names. Let us pay it forward.

My 2c worth

Thanks so much! Have a great week!

[quinswan]

OK so based on what AJAY said.

Seeing that you have an outstanding debt with government, bankruptcy is no longer a good option cos it will hurt your visa.

For the general debts you might want to consider the debt administration service that advertise on TV called ",my budget"

For the government debts, I now understand your urgent need for money.

AJAY am I right it is only government debts that will affect one's VISA application. Other debts are not considered at all?

[deons1]

Come on guys. I know we as South Africans have a inherent reluctance to requests of this nature. You can see that the Dreyer's have a serious problem and that this is no scam. Give them a helping hand and donate to either the hospital or their personal account which ever you find best. Imagine being in the same boat. I am sure they would be happy for any assitance. Will a $10 dollar donation really break the bank ?

[Koos VDM]

Give and forget about it - if your intention is to help, that's where it ends for the giver. And what you give is what you get back usually and a bit more :-)

[mircri22]

Hi there,

I phoned the hospital today(from Perth)...it is genuine...The lady there knew exactly what I was talking about...

It feels so good to help somebody when they are in need!!I just transfered $200 to the hospital account!I am not bragging about it,I don't even know this people,but I really hope that more people out there with a big heart will do the same..even a few dollars will add up!!If everybody does a little bit,this world would be a better place...

Hope little Kris will get better and the parents are strong and have faith!!

All the best!

Erika