The 100 step process to immigrating to Australia from South Africa

[boo]

Thanks, you're making me sweat.

I love lists. Will definitely keep this one in mind. There was a few things I had not counted on, like National service dismissal forms.

[Debs]

Hi, thanks for this fantastic step process. What an enormous help!! Puts all of the emotional and practical stuff into a checklist that is user friendly and makes a daunting project seem easier to tackle.

Just one question ... the discharge papers from the Defence Force, could you advise on the reason for this. My husband did do his 2 year service, but this is the first site that mentions it.

thanks

debs

[Alla]

Hope someone may find this useful. Had to zip file as it was larger than 2mb

SA2Aus_Immigration_Checklist.zip

Rgds

Matman

This is even more spectacular en will most definately help me a lot.

Alla

[Elso]

Thanks Jordy and Matman.

Helps us a lot. :ilikeit:

We decided to do this by our selves.

When do you need to give in the medicals and PC? With your Visa app and skills assesment or later?

Thanks again!!

[gail24]

Hi Jordy

Many thanks for the time and effort put in to this check list as I found it very useful.

Gail

[ANXIOUS]

Hi Almal

Kan iemand my dalk raad gee? Ek het `n dogtertjie uit my vorige huwelik. Haar pa het nie `n probleem dat sy saam met my en my man na Aus emigreer nie. Watse bewys het ons nodig as ek aansoek doen vir ons visa?

[TraceyR]

You need to have sole custody which must be evident in your divorce document or you must provide a "Statutory Declaration" (from your child's father). See below

http://www.ag.gov.au/statdec

Statutory declarations

A statutory declaration is a written statement declared to be true in the presence of an authorised witness. A person wishing to use a statutory declaration in connection with a law of the Commonwealth, the Australian Capital Territory or certain other Territories must make the declaration in accordance with the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 (the Act) and the Statutory Declarations Regulations 1993 (the Regulations).

Under the Act a person who wilfully makes a false statement in a statutory declaration is guilty of an offence and may be fined or jailed, or both.

The Act provides that a statutory declaration must be in the prescribed form and must be made before a prescribed witness. The form for making a statutory declaration and the persons who can witness a statutory declaration are prescribed under the Regulations. The form and a list of persons before whom a statutory declaration may be witnessed can be accessed using the links to the right of this page.

The form must be used for all matters arising under a law of the Commonwealth, the Australian Capital Territory or certain other Territories. A statutory declaration may be invalid if it is made using an incorrect form, is witnessed by a person not prescribed by the Regulations as an authorised witness, or if it is incomplete.

An information sheet for persons making a statutory declaration and for witnesses can also be accessed from the link to the left of this page should you require further information.

A printed version of the form is available in commercial quantities from:

CanPrint Communications

PO Box 7456

Canberra Mail Centre ACT 2610

Tel: 1300 889 873

Email: sales@infoservices.com.au

Persons wishing to make a statutory declaration in relation to a matter under a State law will need to check the procedures for making and witnessing declarations with the relevant State Department of Justice or State Attorney-General's Department.

[ANXIOUS]

Thanks alot Tracey. I have printed the form.

[Markus&Susan]

I have been fumbling around trying to work out what to do and where to start so this list is just what we needed. Thank you so much to all who contributed to the lists. This should smooth the way, can't wait till I can really get started.

[Markus&Susan]

still getting the hang of things Edited June 15, 2008 by Markus&Susan

[JeanneY]

Dear Jordy

WOW, WOW, WOW!!

We are just starting with the practicalities. All new to the process. Your information is just awesome. Great help!

Thanks!!

Jeanne

[Strumfie]

12. Apply for military discharge papers from the Defence force if you did National Service.

.

Item 12. Do I still need these papers if was in the PF and resigned?

Hans

[Jordy]

Item 12. Do I still need these papers if was in the PF and resigned?

Hans

Yes. If you look at your visa application form then you will see that it says you must supply proof that you discharged. Although step 12 says National service, the immi forms says something like "any military service"

[lyall]

Its quick and easy, we got a certificate back in about two weeks....very helpful lady that did it for us, and was so easy compared to the other nightmares like ielts and so forth....

And it was one of the things we didnt have to pay for...I dont know bout anybody else but this emmigrating is not for people who are struggling financially....but still, worth it in the long run...

Lyall

[alexandra]

Thankx for this usefull info.

[John G]

Very comprehensive list

I think this is only valid for sponsored visa's from what I have seen so you would not qualify.

I hope I am wrong but itf your employer agrees you cna claim it as a cost against getting here.

I have heard there are some 457 visa holders that have been able to claim all of the flight costs and shipping costs as well with employers help and blessing.

The tax website ato.gov.au has a section on claiming a rebate for being away from home. If you are on a temporary visa, and signed an employment contract before migrating you can be considered to be away from home. You dont get all the money back but it reduces your tax liability.

I also stored all the scanned information on a USB drive and emailed CV or resumes to a hotmail address I set up in South Africa ( remeber to log in more than once a month, or you will be locked out).

This means if you find a job you wan to apply for after arriving, you cna go to an internet cafe and send your prepared CV. ( They do them a little different here). We migrated with no jobs and then decided where to live.

International drivers licence. You dont need it to hire or drive a car, but it is a picture ID with expiry date. I carried it and RSA passport and ID document to have 100 ID points. Austrlia LOVE drivers licence because there is no ID document due to privacy invasion fears

[John G]

I have just joined the forum and have scanned through a lot of the topics and was pleasantly surprised to note that someone had taken the trouble to list the 100 points for relocation. Great job ! This is the kind of information that makes a forum like this worthwhile.

[LIGGIE]

Can someone please tell me, after your Visa is granted, how long is it valid for, before your must activate it?

Thank you very much for all the helpfull info!!

LIGGIE

[Eva]

Which visa are you applying for. I'm not expert, but from what I have gathered, for some visas anyway, you have to activate your visa within a year of the date of your police clearance or medicals whichever is first. That means you have to touchdown in Aus within the year. Then you can leave and certainly one type of visa gives you 5 years to get there or it 'expires'. Think I've got that right... any others?

[GSI]

Great topic everyone!

Another thought - after getting the kids registered at private school before 12 months of age.... dont forget to send the schools a letter withdrawing your child from the list - that way some poor kid who's parents forgot to register him by 5 months of age or something silly can get a chance at a place!

[ChristineC]

Which visa are you applying for. I'm not expert, but from what I have gathered, for some visas anyway, you have to activate your visa within a year of the date of your police clearance or medicals whichever is first. That means you have to touchdown in Aus within the year. Then you can leave and certainly one type of visa gives you 5 years to get there or it 'expires'. Think I've got that right... any others?

Yes that's right. The medicals "expiry" date is one year from when it's been processed by DIAC, which is usually two or three months after they've received it.

And yes, the visa valid for travel in and out of Australia freely for 5 years from date of issue. After that you need to get citizenship to be able to leave and return again. Currently to apply for citizenship you need to have been in Australia for 4 years before applying, with not more than 12 months out of the country in that time and not more than 3 months out of the country in the 12 months before applying.

-Daniel

[Jordy]

10 000 views!

times 100 steps

= 1 million little immigration steps

[Michele R]

Once again thanks Jordy & Matman!

I can now finally start ticking things down on the list!

[JennyG]

Yeah Michele, I totally forgot about this one!

Jordy and Matman you are

[LeeInOz]

10 000 views!

times 100 steps

= 1 million little immigration steps

Show how necessary the list is or perhaps necescary it is to plan migration properly.

I used Microsoft project to manage all tehse item and optimise timing and know what stage each was at. OPenProj from SourceForge.net is a freeware version of the same thing. I will test this one and perhaps submit a copy for those who prefer PC to papers. Great cos you can read them anytime and make notes but I keep loosing them and did not want visitors finding a list pinned up in the Kitchen for our secret plan unitl it was hatched and ready to fly. ie visa in passport