Contributory Parent 143 Visa Support group

[Marchhawker]

On 8/2/2017 at 6:47 PM, DGT said:

 

In order to establish the length of time that they took to progress its better to take the date furthest back from their most recent known date.

The furthest back, that they were on 13 Oct 2014, that I personally have, is 29 May 2017.I therefore can say that they took at least 64 days to progress from 13 Oct 2014 to 25 Nov 2014.

If we used 10 July 2017 it will mean that they only took 22 days to progress the 43 days....which is not the case.

 

I will be grateful if anybody has an email response from WA Parents earlier than 29 May 2017 , that indicates that they are working on 13 October 2014 .

Please can you let us know.

 

Hey DGT i have one from the 26th May 2017. 

 

These are my records below, i was trying to formula a pattern but if i remember correctly 2014 was the year immigration cancelled non contributory visa for a while?? which might have significantly pushed the quantity of contributory visas applying up in a short span of time, resulting in immigration running out of visa approvals for the last financial year. Hopefully the affects of that have settle down now we are in the new financial year.  (well that is what i tell myself! but i am starting to feel like we are near the end, bring such hope seeing people get there approvals )

 

Days between visa updates	Date Noticed	Visa date	assessment dates covered
	13/03/2017	21/08/2014
12	25/03/2017	2/09/2014	12
9	3/04/2017	22/09/2014	20
29	2/05/2017	3/10/2014	10
24	26/05/2017	13/10/2014	10
68	2/08/2017	25/11/2014	43

Edited August 6, 2017 by Marchhawker

[DGT]

Marchhawker,thanks forproviding me with extra the date as well as the interesting info regarding the possible temp cancellation of the Non Contr Visas in 2014.

 

Looks like after DirkZ,Elna57 is our our next beacon .!

[Dirkz]

It's pretty nerve racking and a bit depressing to see the assessment date being almost 20 days past our application date.

I think it was Centrelink that delayed our process a bit - maybe the particular office where my son did the AOS. It was in a less effluent suburb of the Gold Coast near his present job site and that particular office is always overloaded with people dependent on the state for support. So they are pretty busy there. Took almost 3 months to finalize the AOS from application to acceptance.

The last letter I got from the CO on 30 June, which requested outstanding documents (which was basically the completion of the AOS), said  "Please send a scanned copy of the AOS Acceptance Letter from Centrelink to the Parent Visa Centre by email."

Well Centrelink said to my son when he registered the bond with Comm bank and took it to them, that they don't issue any Acceptance Letters anymore but enter it directly on the system with DIBP. 

So I emailed the CO to notify him/her that we have completed all their requests on 17 July.

Reading further down on the CO's letter regarding AOS, it states that Centrelink will provide advice of the outcome of the AOS assessment directly to DIBP and the proposed assurer (the latter which Centrelink doesn't do anymore).

I need all your support in positive energy and prayers that this process will come to a point now. Almost all our stuff is cleaned, packed (boxed) and we have the container on 5 days standby. And the next tenant is moving into our rental townhouse the end of this month.

Thanks for letting me blow off some steam 

 

 

[Elna57]

@Dirkz. I can only imagine how frustrated you must be. 

At least you have got all your ducks in a row and ready to go.

Can not wait for your granted post.  Hope it comes very soon.

Hang in there buddy... you are almost there.

 

 

[Ashmount]

@Dirkz  I feel your anxiety as we felt exactly the same.  I think when it reaches your date and you know it is imminent, that period is more stressful than waiting the 33 months.  But once you receive the email you will be so relieved and forget about all the stress.

We leave on 17 September and the packers come in to pack on 11 and 12th Sept.  Last minute preparation being done.

Hang in there we are all behind you.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Ashmount

[Dirkz]

@Ashmount Thanks for the encouragement. We should be in Australia before you, because we have virtually everything ready except the flight tickets which we'll get for the first flight available after we get our visa. 

We have to be out of our rental place this month and be in Australia for my daughter in law's birthday by the 30th.

We still have to pay the 2nd VAC and my daughter is ready to send the money to PVC as soon as we get the email from them. 

 

All the best with the last preparations. We have been busy with that for a while already.

The cancellation notices are the worst - Telkom telephone, Internet service provider, Netflix, SABC TV License, Vodacom, Municipality (if you still pay them electricity), Medical aid, House and car Insurance, sell your cars, have the vacuum cleaner cleaned, change your RVN at your bank to email (from Cellphone), cancel credit card/s you won't be using, also any stop orders from credit cards (like iTunes App store), cancel any bank stop orders, etc.

 

If anyone needs any info on how to do any of the above, I'd gladly share information. 

[Elna57]

@Dirkz. Just before I went to Aus recently, I went into my bank to have them change my RVN from cell to email. Then, while in Aus, I noticed that I was still getting sms instead. Thank goodness for dual simcard cellphones and roaming. Double check everything before you go. 

A neighbour who has recently moved to Jhb also told me over the weekend that although they have cancelled their telkom lines, the were still receiving bills for that number.  

[Elna57]

I was hoping to have heard from Immi by now requesting medicals etc, but nothing yet.  Then I read on another forum last night that someone who applied in Dec 2014 had been requested form 80 etc.  So, ears close to the ground, they are moving, although in the background.

[Elna57]

@Dirkz. I just had a good look at the 2 sheets I have updated from 2 forums. According to my calculations, it takes approx. 4 months for you to get your visa after being requested meds etc. So sit tight buddy, any day now! So excited for you!!

[Elna57]

And yes @Dirkz. If you could please (if you have the time) tell us all how to do all those, we would really appreciate it. Especially the ones that worked first time you requested them. Kind regards. Elna.

 

[Dirkz]

For what it's worth here are some of the cancellations that I went through.

 

Telkom cancellation - I emailed them and attached this form, a copy of my ID and the last invoice – gave one month's notice.

http://www.telkom.co.za/today/media/downloads/42546_Contract__Service_Cancellation_form_F_2.PDF

Internet service provider – on the internet on your account or phone them - gave one month's notice

 

Netflix through iTunes – log into your iTunes account and un-tick Netflix subscription about 2 weeks before your monthly renewal date. All explained when you login and go to your subscriptions.

SABC TV license – send email with this form attached. Form must be signed and stamped by commissioner of oath

https://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadcasting/171785-how-to-cancel-and-stop-paying-your-tv-licence.html

Vodacom you just phone Customer Care and cancel your contract (if it's on monthly renewal). If you have an email address with them, it will be deleted. So rather just change your contract to PrePaid at the end of the month (you need at least 20 days notice) and buy some data and talk time. If you leave and get a new sim card in Aus, your SA number will only expire after 6 months of not used (Vodacom). So you can change your vodamail email account everywhere it was used to your new or another email account.

Municipality account gets changed over to the new owner when you sell your property.

 

Medical Aid - I wrote Discovery an email with one month’s notice to request cancellation, giving all relevant details and attached a copy of my ID and my med aid card. They acknowledged the email and contacted me by phone to verify.

Short term insurance – going to do it through my broker the day the container is packed and leaves my house. Santam refunds you for the rest of the month that you've paid for. 

Fill in all relevant papers for selling of your cars beforehand. And line up the buyers. You are supposed to hand in the change of vehicle ownership yourself to the registering authority (normally a post office) so if you are not able to, then give a letter of proxy and copy of your ID to the person who will do it for you.

 

Change your Random Verification Number notice option at the bank from your cell phone number to your email address that you will keep in Aus. And make sure your email address is the one you will still have there. This is if you keep your bank account active in SA (not formally emigrate). Also change your SA bank account to the cheapest option to save money. You won’t need a private banker in SA anymore.

Cancel credit cards that you won’t use again in Aus. You can just phone the number on the back of the card to do that.

And renew the one you’d like to take along to still draw money from SA until it expires. ABSA said they can authorize a credit card for up to a year for offshore usage, but I’ll still see when I get to leave for how long I can authorize the offshore usage of the card.

Be careful if you have a stop order coming off the credit card that you have cancelled (like iTunes store with Netflix subscription). Make sure the amount does not come off your card after you have cancelled the card, because according to FNB card division your card will then be re-activated permanently for the money to go off. You then have to phone them again to cancel the card (when you might be in Aus!)

 

Lastly we have opened bank accounts online at Westpac Australia. It's very easy. They also have a very nice cellphone app. If you have been transferring money to Australia to another account (like your child's) through a forex company like Exchange4Free, then fill in the papers for them with your new Australian bank account details before you leave because they need the original papers for FIKA purposes. If you try to do it from abroad, you'll have to post it from there. 

There is a list of things that I noted down to do when we arrive in Aus. I can put it on the forum if anyone is interested.

[Elna57]

Thanks a lot Dirk. A lot of work to be done still some time in the future.

[Elna57]

@Dirkz. 

The waiting room has gone all quiet. Guess you are very busy packing and sorting.? No news yet buddy?

Regards

Elna

[Elna57]

@Dirkz.

Yes please if you have time could you please publish "There is a list of things that I noted down to do when we arrive in Aus. I can put it on the forum if anyone is interested." Then, once you have done all those, could you be so kind as to update us on how and where to do those. 

Thank you.

Elna

[Dirkz]

3 hours ago, Elna57 said:

@Dirkz. 

The waiting room has gone all quiet. Guess you are very busy packing and sorting.? No news yet buddy?

Regards

Elna

Yes we are packing but also scrambling around to sort out our AOS which seems to have stalled the whole process. I have been in contact with our CO for the past few days and he/she has been very helpful in assisting us. Centrelink sends DIBP (Parent Visa Centre) notifications once a week of AOS that have been accepted. We have not been on that list for the past 3 weeks, and should have been there. 

The CO even started a process to liaise with Centrelink to clear the problem, but this morning my son went to Centrelink again and found that AOS has not send the acceptance of the bond to DIBP.  So hopefully we should have that sorted in the next day or so.

After I explained to the CO in the beginning of our correspondence that we have to vacate our rental premises by the end of this month and asked for his help, he has been very kind and helpful. He also assured me that if the AOS is sorted, he will immediately request the 2nd VAC payment and as soon as he has received the payment, he could issue the visa in 2 working days! 

So we hope and trust that we shall be in Aus by the end of the month. We also have a birthday to celebrate there on the 31st.

[Onthemove]

@Dirkz holding thumbs for a speedy finalization for you. Good luck !

[Dirkz]

To-do list when I arrive in Aus:

Get new sim card for my phone. One can do that even on the airport when waiting for your next flight (Perth or Sydney) if you have time. Previously I just got a Vodafone sim with $20 of data. However later it is advisable to switch to a PrePaid that can be very cheap. Check out Vaya unlimited M plan for under $20/m for unlimited calls and 1.5Gb data. They even take over your old Aus number if you got a new sim at arrival(Vodafone). A Google search of PrePaid plans in Aus will give you over 120 options.

Remember when you put a new sim card into your phone (at least my iPhone), it will ask you if you want to keep your old number. If you say yes, WhatsApp (and probably other data based chats) will still work with your old SA number even when you have a new Aus number. So you can still stay in contact with friends in SA through WhatsApp until they have your new number.

 

Activate my bank account. We have opened Westpac accounts over the internet already. It is very easy. Same with Commonwealth Bank and NAB, the 3 biggest banks in Aus. Westpac banking app on your phone is the best one. You can deposit money into your account after opening it online but can't transfer money out of it before ID yourself physically at the bank. When you go into the bank in Aus to activate your account, take along your passport. I'll have my ID and drivers license with me just for in case. I'll see when I'm there if they need any proof of address, which I'll get from one of my kids (or brother). Sometimes they just need you to give them a contact address until you are settled in you own place.

 

Get Queensland Drivers License at the traffic department nearest to me. Take your passport, SA Drivers License, and proof of address along.

In Queensland you don't need to do any tests at this stage to swop your license to an Aus one. If you have a skippers license that is approved by Australia, take that along too. It gets added to your drivers license. Check the web which skippers licenses are accepted without doing an assessment exam. 

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/licensing/driver-licensing/overseas/transfer

https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/boating/licences/recreational#overseas

 

Register at Medicare. You can fill in Medicare enrolment application form (3101) before you go. You need to have a bank account linked to Medicare. The closest Medicare office can be found on the web.

https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/forms/3101

 

Change your phone number and credit card details on all the websites where you have used it. Also your login username where you've used an email address which has changed when moving out of SA - like a @vodamail.co.za address which falls away when cancelling a vodacom contract.

Credit card details have to be changed or cancelled anywhere you have been buying anything from the net, like PayPall, iCloud, any App store, eBay, or wherever you buy stuff from.

 

We will be renting a townhouse or house and have been checking available options in the area we would like to stay, which is between our two children. We have the apps on our phones and iPads and check it regularly. Property search sites are

https://www.domain.com.au

https://www.realestate.com.au/buy  they have a nice app for your iPad or phone

https://www.property.com.au/buy

 

 

[Husky]

Wow @Dirkz

Thank you for all the detailed to do tips. Very useful. Timing is such a balancing act.

[Elna57]

@Dirkz. 

Thank you for making the time to post, much appreciated.

It is very encouraging to know that your CO is so understanding and helping out. Hope the AOS gets sorted out soon.

@Husky.

Hi there.  Welcome.

[Onthemove]

Hey there all waiting roomers ,

 

Thought I'd share these following updates.  Today's response from the PVC (no change here):

 

Quote

In the 2017-18 Migration Programme year, 7175 Contributory Parent visa places are available for applicants applying from in and outside Australia.  Due to high numbers of Contributory Parent visa applications lodged in May and June 2014,  processing time for these is expected to exceed 30 months.

OFFSHORE APPLICANTS (subclass 143/173)

When your application is allocated to an assessing officer, you or your authorised contact may be asked to provide more documents, including but not limited to, Assurance of Support (subclass 143 only), police certificates and health clearances to finalise your application.

We are currently assessing applications lodged up to and including 25 November 2014.

 

Also updated today (processing time increased again):

Quote

Visa application processing times

Last updated: 18 August 2017 (for month ending 31 July 2017)

143 Contributory Parent (Migrant)

35 months                                                                                    37 Months

 

 

[Elna57]

No comment. @Onthemove

[Marchhawker]

On 8/10/2017 at 3:39 PM, Elna57 said:

I was hoping to have heard from Immi by now requesting medicals etc, but nothing yet.  Then I read on another forum last night that someone who applied in Dec 2014 had been requested form 80 etc.  So, ears close to the ground, they are moving, although in the background.

 

i am very excited about you getting your because it means my folks aren't far behind! Glad to hear that people in Dec are being contacted....so close now, hopefully only another month before contact is made with you! 

[Elna57]

Hi Roomies

. I know that our little list represents only a drop in the ocean of Immi's parent visa applications and that there are loads of people who are in the queue whom we do not know about. (Even some SA peeps.)  Yet, I get very upset when , out of the blue, someone who never contributed or joined suddenly posts complaints about others being issued their request for AOS etc. I have to immediately add here that this has not happened in our little group.

I know it is childish and silly to feel that way, but it would have really been a great help if more people supplied us with their details so we can have a clearer picture of the process. Alas, even by posting this on our little group, I doubt that anyone will join because of that.

I am just saying......

and letting off steam a little.

Thank you.

For those roomies interested: there is a CPV tracking list on a website, Private message me if you want details. It is not really too well organised or informative, but it does show that there ARE others ahead of us in the queue.

Have a great Sunday folks and keep those heads high and chins up!! We are IN THE QUEUE!!! That, they can not take away from us. 

Richest blessings to all. 

[Onthemove]

@Elna57 you are so right : "We ARE in the queue"!!!   And whilst we get frustrated and sometimes feel a little despaired at the slow progress, our turn MUST and WILL come. 

I did at one stage have the link to the CPV website provided to us by a kind roomie (almost think it might have been you ) only to find that it had stopped connecting and assumed it had been discontinued. 

Enjoy the rest of the weekend

 

 

 

[Dirkz]

Hi Roomies, it's all natural for us to get a little emotional when we have a life changing event in progress (like pulling up our roots and emigrate to another country at our age).

There are just a few things to keep in mind. 

It is a privilege to be able to join our children, no matter what we think otherwise;

There are many parents in the same situation as us (about 29000 I believe);

Australia Immigration has certain rules and regulations concerning the types and volume of people they allow to immigrate;

And then there is a system that Parent Visa Centre has to follow.

 

One thing we should not do is criticize Immi or be impatient. Just learn along the way what is going on and be prepared when you get contacted by PVC to do or supply something. That is all one can really do to prevent any unnecessary delays. 

 

It is very exciting to receive that first email from PVC after years of waiting, inviting you to commence preparation of documents, going for medicals and starting the AOS. Almost 3 months later we received the request for documents which we had already sent soon after receiving the first email (and have done the medicals and initiated the AOS).

Since the beginning of July our AOS acceptance has been delayed due to an overly busy Centrelink and AOS Dept. We only received a personal CO at the very end that we could communicate with to try and sort out the AOS Acceptance Letter which is holding back the request to pay our 2nd Visa Application Charge (VAC). This Case Officer has been very helpful. 

Note: Once the Co's PN number is the same every time, then you are dealing with the person who is handling your personal case at the end.