# Yipee! We have our visa



## WeekrisH (Feb 21, 2011)

What an exciting start to the New Year! 
DIAC have given us the wonderful gift of a bright future with our Permanent Resident visa grant today (3/Jan/2012) with an initial entry date of 15-Nov-2012. 

We have had a Case officer since 12/12/11 and were waiting on our FBI checks to complete. The FBI checks finally arrived on 31-Dec-11 and i had it sent off to DIAC on 1-Jan-2012. 

I didn't expect to receive the visa on the first working day of the year given the fact the DAC Case officers must have had scores of emails waiting for them due to the holidays in the past two weeks. 

I would like to thank for the innumerable people on this forum who have provided us with valuable information and updates along our visa journey. I've even had the chance to make a few friends here and meet some of them in person. i'm extremely grateful to all of you and wish you a speedy visa grant and the best in life. 

My timelines are in my signature for those who are curious. Please also feel free to hit me up and i will do my best to provide personalized help. 

Regards
Krish


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## lifeisgood (Mar 30, 2010)

congratulations...


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## coolsnake (Nov 12, 2011)

WeekrisH said:


> What an exciting start to the New Year!
> DIAC have given us the wonderful gift of a bright future with our Permanent Resident visa grant today (3/Jan/2012) with an initial entry date of 15-Nov-2012.
> 
> We have had a Case officer since 12/12/11 and were waiting on our FBI checks to complete. The FBI checks finally arrived on 31-Dec-11 and i had it sent off to DIAC on 1-Jan-2012.
> ...


Congrats Krish!!! All the very best for the move.


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## Hassan_Warraich (Jun 24, 2011)

Excellent gift of the new year!

Congrats, Krish!




WeekrisH said:


> What an exciting start to the New Year!
> DIAC have given us the wonderful gift of a bright future with our Permanent Resident visa grant today (3/Jan/2012) with an initial entry date of 15-Nov-2012.
> 
> We have had a Case officer since 12/12/11 and were waiting on our FBI checks to complete. The FBI checks finally arrived on 31-Dec-11 and i had it sent off to DIAC on 1-Jan-2012.
> ...


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## mbc71 (Dec 30, 2011)

Congrats!! We are just going through the ACS assessment at the moment, so have not filed our application yet. I noticed you said that you were approved for initial entry on November 12, 2012 - so once you are approved, sounds like you still have to wait to enter? Do you know what the norm is for that, like is it usually 11 months from the date of approval?


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## WeekrisH (Feb 21, 2011)

mbc71 said:


> Congrats!! We are just going through the ACS assessment at the moment, so have not filed our application yet. I noticed you said that you were approved for initial entry on November 12, 2012 - so once you are approved, sounds like you still have to wait to enter? Do you know what the norm is for that, like is it usually 11 months from the date of approval?


Hi 

The initial entry date is the date by which we have to enter Australia to validate the visa. The requirement is that you have to land in Australia ( even if it is for one day only), pass through immigration and stamp your passport, which basically ensures that you have validated your visa. 

The initial entry date is dependent on when your Police or Medical checks are done and is usually one year from the earliest of these checks. Our medicals were finalized on 15-Nov-2011 and hence the initial entry date of 15-Nov-12. 

The visa itself is valid as of the date it was issued, one can enter and leave Australia anytime after the visa grant.


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## mbc71 (Dec 30, 2011)

WeekrisH said:


> Hi
> 
> The initial entry date is the date by which we have to enter Australia to validate the visa. The requirement is that you have to land in Australia ( even if it is for one day only), pass through immigration and stamp your passport, which basically ensures that you have validated your visa.
> 
> ...


Thanks for that, appreciate the clarification! Congrats again, best wishes


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## stormgal (Sep 30, 2009)

Congratulations WeekrisH!! 

lol, seems like only yesterday when I saw that you got back your + ACS assessment - how time flies when you're having fun 

Best wishes with your new life down under. ~~


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## anj1976 (Apr 24, 2008)

Congratulations


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## mehran2010 (Nov 6, 2009)

Congratulations Krish!

My partner and I have lodged our visa and are waiting for a case officer to be assigned. I am wondering when we will be required for the medical report. Is it after the case officer is assigned? Approx. how long does it take for the officer to finalize everything?

Thanks and congrats again!


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## tanhum (Jul 1, 2010)

Congratulations!! so when are you planning the move??


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## mehran2010 (Nov 6, 2009)

tanhum said:


> Congratulations!! so when are you planning the move??


Hello Tanhum. I've noticed that you've lodged your visa on 06-06-2011 and a case officer was allocated to you on 14-12-2011. This is great and I hope you will soon get your PR. 

I've lodged my 175 visa on 27/05/2011, but have not been allocated a CO yet. Should I expect to be assigned one soon? :confused2:

Thanks for your feedback.

Good luck with your visa!


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## atsurti (May 20, 2011)

Congratulations


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## varunsal (Aug 17, 2011)

WeekrisH said:


> What an exciting start to the New Year!
> DIAC have given us the wonderful gift of a bright future with our Permanent Resident visa grant today (3/Jan/2012) with an initial entry date of 15-Nov-2012.
> 
> We have had a Case officer since 12/12/11 and were waiting on our FBI checks to complete. The FBI checks finally arrived on 31-Dec-11 and i had it sent off to DIAC on 1-Jan-2012.
> ...


Congratulations Krish 

Definitely, you wouldnt have asked for a better New Year gift 

Your timelines are impressive for a 175..........Enjoy the moment of glory......it comes after a lot of wait and effort..............

So, PARTY HARD!!!!!!!!


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## WeekrisH (Feb 21, 2011)

mehran2010 said:


> Congratulations Krish!
> 
> My partner and I have lodged our visa and are waiting for a case officer to be assigned. I am wondering when we will be required for the medical report. Is it after the case officer is assigned? Approx. how long does it take for the officer to finalize everything?
> 
> Thanks and congrats again!


Hi 

In our case we predicted that a case officer would be assigned in January and decided to frontload so that there wouldn't be anything pending from us when we have a case officer. But obviously DIAC beat us to it and we still had to wait for our FBI checks  

If you have made definite plans to move i would definitely recommend to frontload based on current predictions since that eases a lot of tense moments and you might even get a straight grant if all documents are in order. 

We had our medicals done on 7-Nov and sent on 13-Nov. They reached the Sydney HOC on 15-Nov and were finalized the same day. 

On the day we received an email from our case officer , i noticed that the status of all documents were 'Met' except for FBI Checks which is what he had requested. 

What was your date of application?

Here is a spreadsheet that keeps track of current timelines and predictions based on DIAC processing. This was extremely useful for me to be on top of things. 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...EpQS2NMbTItV1o5bTctcE4wa1pVWHc&hl=en_GB#gid=1


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## WeekrisH (Feb 21, 2011)

mehran2010 said:


> Hello Tanhum. I've noticed that you've lodged your visa on 06-06-2011 and a case officer was allocated to you on 14-12-2011. This is great and I hope you will soon get your PR.
> 
> I've lodged my 175 visa on 27/05/2011, but have not been allocated a CO yet. Should I expect to be assigned one soon? :confused2:
> 
> ...


Just noticed you had lodged your application on 27/05. According to the official DIAC update all applications lodged before 5-May-2011 have been contacted by a Case officer. I wouldn't fret too much since the so called 'Official' timeline has not yet reached your date. I am pretty sure you should hear from your case officer in a week or two. Also i see that you are from what DIAC calls a HR country. 
Please ignore my earlier post on front loading in you case. 
I would hold off on doing the Medicals and Police checks until the Case officer asks you to go ahead with them.


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## WeekrisH (Feb 21, 2011)

tanhum said:


> Congratulations!! so when are you planning the move??


Hi tanhum 

We are planning to move to Melbourne around Oct/Nov 2012. We already have family in Melbourne , so hopefully the transition is smooth. 

Regards
Krish


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## lifeisgood (Mar 30, 2010)

WeekrisH said:


> Hi
> 
> In our case we predicted that a case officer would be assigned in January and decided to frontload so that there wouldn't be anything pending from us when we have a case officer. But obviously DIAC beat us to it and we still had to wait for our FBI checks
> 
> ...


Wow this spreadsheet is awesome..
Does it keep on getting updated regularly?


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## WeekrisH (Feb 21, 2011)

lifeisgood said:


> Wow this spreadsheet is awesome..
> Does it keep on getting updated regularly?


Yes it gets updated regularly. Here is the original pomsinoz thread that maintains this sheet.

New Cat 4 July 1st 2011.....PART 2


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## Esurfer (Nov 18, 2011)

WeekrisH said:


> What an exciting start to the New Year!
> DIAC have given us the wonderful gift of a bright future with our Permanent Resident visa grant today (3/Jan/2012) with an initial entry date of 15-Nov-2012.
> 
> We have had a Case officer since 12/12/11 and were waiting on our FBI checks to complete. The FBI checks finally arrived on 31-Dec-11 and i had it sent off to DIAC on 1-Jan-2012.
> ...


Congrats buddy. I wish the very best for all your future endeavors.


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## mehran2010 (Nov 6, 2009)

WeekrisH said:


> Just noticed you had lodged your application on 27/05. According to the official DIAC update all applications lodged before 5-May-2011 have been contacted by a Case officer. I wouldn't fret too much since the so called 'Official' timeline has not yet reached your date. I am pretty sure you should hear from your case officer in a week or two. Also i see that you are from what DIAC calls a HR country.
> Please ignore my earlier post on front loading in you case.
> I would hold off on doing the Medicals and Police checks until the Case officer asks you to go ahead with them.


Thanks a lot.


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## MaddyOZ (Aug 16, 2011)

WeekrisH said:


> What an exciting start to the New Year!
> DIAC have given us the wonderful gift of a bright future with our Permanent Resident visa grant today (3/Jan/2012) with an initial entry date of 15-Nov-2012.
> 
> We have had a Case officer since 12/12/11 and were waiting on our FBI checks to complete. The FBI checks finally arrived on 31-Dec-11 and i had it sent off to DIAC on 1-Jan-2012.
> ...


Heartiest Congrats  Wishing you Good Luck with your move to OZ 

Cheers!


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## tanhum (Jul 1, 2010)

mehran2010 said:


> Hello Tanhum. I've noticed that you've lodged your visa on 06-06-2011 and a case officer was allocated to you on 14-12-2011. This is great and I hope you will soon get your PR.
> 
> I've lodged my 175 visa on 27/05/2011, but have not been allocated a CO yet. Should I expect to be assigned one soon? :confused2:
> 
> ...


Hi Mehran.. 

Dont worry you would get a CO pretty soon.. Your application date is still not within the official timeline... according to my guess you should have a CO in a week or two  

Also as suggested do not go in for the meds and pcc unitll the CO requests you for it. 

All the best!!


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## tanhum (Jul 1, 2010)

WeekrisH said:


> Hi tanhum
> 
> We are planning to move to Melbourne around Oct/Nov 2012. We already have family in Melbourne , so hopefully the transition is smooth.
> 
> ...


All the best for you move  Thats nice that you have a family there. you will have a lot of emotional support as well from them in your settleing period.

Once the Visa is granted we plan to make the move in May/June. We have distant relatives and many friends in melbourne so hopefully we should also settle well. 
On the job front we have already started looking out at the jobs and connecting with the recruiters. would be great if something works out there.. Fingers crossed!!


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## jas131 (Nov 9, 2011)

Hi All,

Today I got positive assessments form acs.

Can someone please help me with the Visa process.
What all documents are required and what is the process.

Waiting for the reply eagerly.

Thanks!!
-Jas


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## WeekrisH (Feb 21, 2011)

*Documents for Visa Processing*



jas131 said:


> Hi All,
> 
> Today I got positive assessments form acs.
> 
> ...


Hello 

I assume you have also completed your IELTS and have the requisite 65 points to be eligible for your visa. 

Please go through this Information Booklet on General skilled migration and ensure you have met all requirements
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1119.pdf

Please start filling up the Online application here. You can save the application at any point and continue filling at a later date as well. 

Professionals and other Skilled Workers - Online Applications

To fill the application form online all you need is your nomincate occupation and your IELTS score and other relevant details. Once you have lodged your application and paid the visa fee you will receive an email with your transaction reference number and a link to attach supporting evidence to your application. 
You will have 28 days from the time you receive this email to submit all documents required. 

Here is the list of documents that i have submitted as part of my application
Disclaimer : Please always go through the document checklist once you lodge your application and inventory your documents against the actual requirements to make sure you have submitted everything.


1) Copy of Digital Passport Photo for all applicants

https://www.passports.gov.au/web/requirements/photos.aspx

2) Evidence of Age for all applicants
Copy of Full Birth Certificate (recommended). If you don't have a Birth Certificate you can also produce copies of School Leaving certificate(s), Passport Copy, 
any Government Issue ID with Birth date
3) Copies of Biopages of Passport for all applicants

4) Evidence of English Language Ability 
Copy of IELTS Test transcript with a minimum score of Band 6 (or higher if you are claiming additional points for English language ability) in each module. 

5) Evidence of Overseas Qualification 
Copies of Degree certificate(s), Official Mark Transcripts

6) Evidence of Skills assesment
Copy of Positive Skills assessment from your Skills Assessment Organization i.e ACS

7) Evidence of specific work experience
Copy of Detailed Employer reference(s), CV, other documents that will help you establish your experience in the nomintated occupation e.g Certifications, Professional organization membership etc

8) Evidence of Work experience
Salary Slips for the period of work experience claimed, Bank statements showing salary deposit, Progression letters, Awards, Tax Statements, Work Permit with employer name and address (if applicable)

9) Form 80 and Form 1221 for all applicants over 18
Application Forms – Numerical List – Forms 1 to 99

10) Copy of Marriage certificate ( if applicable)

11) Evidence of Spouse English Language Ability ( if married and applying with your spouse as a secondary applicant) 
Copy of IELTS test transcript with a minimum score of Band 4.5 in each module (or) 
Copy of Official Degree/mark transcript showing medium of Instruction is English, Letter from college stating that his/her Medium of instruction was English for the course undertaken.

12) Evidence of State Sponsorship ( if applying for a Subclass 176 visa only)

13) There may be other documents required for less common situations like claiming Professional year points, Community Language points etc as is specific to each case. 
I am not an expert on these and will leave this for your own research.


The documents above need to be submitted within 28 days of lodging your application. Form 80 and Form 1221 can actually be submitted after you CO asks for it but it is better
that they are taken care of in the initial stages. 

In addition the following are required to complete your visa processing. These can be front loaded or be completed after a Case officer has been assigned and requests for these.
Please note that Front Loading is only recommended if you are from a LR country. 

The terms 'Low risk' and 'High risk' show whether passport holders are eligible to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). Low risk applies to nationals from countries which issue ETA eligible passports. A list of these can be found on the department's website. High risk countries are those which are not ETA eligible.
See Visas, Immigration and Refugees
Eventhough India is not considered a LR country according to DIAC it is considered extremely rare to see applicants from India subject to lengthy external checks unless they have lived in countries that are considered very High Risk by DIAC e.g Pakistan, Iraq, Iran etc. 

First entry (Enter By) dates are based on either PCC or Medical dates whichever is the earlier. The entry date is generally 12 months from then. 
This should also be considered as an important factor while choosing to Front Load PCC and Medicals. 

13) Medical Examination for all applicants

Meeting the Health Requirement
Meeting the Health Requirement

Health requirement for permanent entry to Australia 
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1071i.pdf


Medical examination for an Australian visa
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/26.pdf

Radiological report on chest x-ray of an applicant for an Australian visa
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/160.pdf

You will have the option to download the prefilled medical forms after you have lodged your visa from the document checklist on your application status page. 

14) Penal Clearance Certificates for each country you have lived in for more than one year in the past 10 years

Character Requirement - Applications & Forms

Character Requirements - How to obtain police certificates
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/character-requirements/character-penal.pdf

Guidelines for Attaching documents to your application. Please go through this without fail before you start uploading documents.
Attaching Documents to a General Skilled Migration Visa Application

Pardon my freestyle writing and only consider the above as an informative guide rather than the actual DIAC requirement. 
As always do your own research before blindly following what others tell you.

Regards
Krish


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## ausv (Jan 6, 2012)

WeekrisH said:


> What an exciting start to the New Year!
> DIAC have given us the wonderful gift of a bright future with our Permanent Resident visa grant today (3/Jan/2012) with an initial entry date of 15-Nov-2012.
> 
> We have had a Case officer since 12/12/11 and were waiting on our FBI checks to complete. The FBI checks finally arrived on 31-Dec-11 and i had it sent off to DIAC on 1-Jan-2012.
> ...




Heartiest Congrats and :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: cheers !!!


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## ardee (Sep 13, 2011)

*Initial entry date*



WeekrisH said:


> Hi
> 
> The initial entry date is the date by which we have to enter Australia to validate the visa. The requirement is that you have to land in Australia ( even if it is for one day only), pass through immigration and stamp your passport, which basically ensures that you have validated your visa.
> 
> ...


I will like to find out if only the Principal need to enter Australia before initial entr date or all the Applicants.
Thank you


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## WeekrisH (Feb 21, 2011)

ardee said:


> I will like to find out if only the Principal need to enter Australia before initial entr date or all the Applicants.
> Thank you


All the visaholders need to validate their visa (enter australia) before the initial entry date.


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## ardee (Sep 13, 2011)

WeekrisH said:


> All the visaholders need to validate their visa (enter australia) before the initial entry date.


Thank you for your quick reply


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## ardee (Sep 13, 2011)

*Visa endorsement on passports*



ardee said:


> Thank you for your quick reply


I will also wish to find out if we need to have visas endorsed in our passports after grant before travelling to Australia or the visas are electronically held?

Thank you for assistance.


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## WeekrisH (Feb 21, 2011)

ardee said:


> I will also wish to find out if we need to have visas endorsed in our passports after grant before travelling to Australia or the visas are electronically held?
> 
> Thank you for assistance.


It is not required to have a visa stamp in your passport as it is an electronic visa. However if you wish you can request for a visa label for your passport by sending your passport and visa grant letter along with a cover letter to the australian high commission in your country. I believe there is no charge for this service.


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## ardee (Sep 13, 2011)

WeekrisH said:


> It is not required to have a visa stamp in your passport as it is an electronic visa. However if you wish you can request for a visa label for your passport by sending your passport and visa grant letter along with a cover letter to the australian high commission in your country. I believe there is no charge for this service.


Weekrish,

Thanks a million for your advice.


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