# 189 visa processing time increased



## Coming2Oz (Nov 1, 2012)

Hi Friends

I was just looking at the changes to the visa processing time. 
DIAC website mentions that 189 visa processing may take up to *18 months*. 

Client Service Charter

Did I read that right?

What has been the experience who received 189 through skill select?

Regards


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## ahmed84 (Apr 3, 2013)

No, it is still 12 months. 

*SkillSelect Independent and Family Sponsored
(subclass 189 and 489) 12 months*

You scared me dude.


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## superm (Jul 1, 2012)

And it does not take that long even. After applying visa - usual time is 1 to 3 months depending on cases! There are ways in which you can speed up processing - for which you can check Migrate to Australia: How to Try and Speed up Grant Process
In short it says provide everything that you need to prove your claimed points + pcc + meds before CO allocation and you will be good!
Best of luck!


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## Coming2Oz (Nov 1, 2012)

For a moment I got scared too.
I just received my invite and am going to lodge my application soon.

It's comforting to know that it usually takes only 1 to 3 months. (Thanks superM)
Has that been the general experience? Have we seen cases that take longer than that?

For now I have to get the PCC in parallel. The dept says they will take 1 to 2 months for it.... and they will need to keep my original passport ... how lame is that.


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## Coming2Oz (Nov 1, 2012)

May I ask what's T4 and T6 in your signatures?


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## ahmed84 (Apr 3, 2013)

Coming2Oz said:


> May I ask what's T4 and T6 in your signatures?


Those refer to the case officer's team. You will know yours once you get assigned a case officer. Good luck!


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## findraj (Sep 24, 2012)

Coming2Oz said:


> May I ask what's T4 and T6 in your signatures?


All Case officers are assigned to a Team, Team 4 Team 31, Team 6 Team 2..Mine was from T4

So if one of the CO (case officer) is absent or on long leave the other can provide status and process the file 

Hope it helps!


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## superm (Jul 1, 2012)

Coming2Oz said:


> For a moment I got scared too.
> I just received my invite and am going to lodge my application soon.
> 
> It's comforting to know that it usually takes only 1 to 3 months. (Thanks superM)
> ...


its basically case to case - if you have e'thing in order, you should be done in min time that's currntly going on depending on number of cases.
Major Issues that can get process delayed-
- meds referred
- issue from applicant in providing docs like pcc, meds, form 80, additional docs requested.
- security check

so good point is to do what you can to speed up the process as mentioned in my last post!


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## AjanAussie (Mar 22, 2013)

*189 with 65 Points*

Hi Guys 

R they prioritizing the application based on the points or if applicant crosses 60 everyone will be treated same.


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## CaptainR (Sep 5, 2013)

I've been reading through and keeping track of various threads on various forums of 189 grants and the current allocation time of a C/O and in many cases getting the grants seems to be around 10 weeks. Many people who applied in early July are getting Case Officers or Grants at the moment. 
The website states that they will be allocated a Case Officer "Within 8 weeks of lodgement" which seems to be a few weeks out. 

I don't think there are any real delays in the process at the moment.


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## pip.Depp (Sep 19, 2013)

*189 visa*

Hi,
Could anyone plz let me know about a condition in subclass 189 visa, like i have an overseas experience of developer programmer. I have 60 points now and i m going to apply 189 visa. I'm in Australia on another visa.
when i apply i know its not necessary i should have same job. but when apply or after grant of 189, do i need to show same job in australia or not
much appreciate ur valuable feedback guys!!!!!
thanks


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi pip.Depp, 

your nominated occupation is only relevant for the 189 visa application; after the grant you can work in any job you like (e.g. surf instructor ) or not work for a while if you can afford it. There is also no requirement that your current job must be as "developer programmer" or that you have to be employed. It's different if you apply for an employer sponsored visa such as the 457, which basically "locks" you in in your current company and position.

Cheers, 
Monika


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## pip.Depp (Sep 19, 2013)

Hi Monika,
Thanks a lot dear 








espresso said:


> Hi pip.Depp,
> 
> your nominated occupation is only relevant for the 189 visa application; after the grant you can work in any job you like (e.g. surf instructor ) or not work for a while if you can afford it. There is also no requirement that your current job must be as "developer programmer" or that you have to be employed. It's different if you apply for an employer sponsored visa such as the 457, which basically "locks" you in in your current company and position.
> 
> ...


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## Coming2Oz (Nov 1, 2012)

espresso said:


> Hi pip.Depp,
> 
> your nominated occupation is only relevant for the 189 visa application; after the grant you can work in any job you like (e.g. surf instructor ) or not work for a while if you can afford it. There is also no requirement that your current job must be as "developer programmer" or that you have to be employed. It's different if you apply for an employer sponsored visa such as the 457, which basically "locks" you in in your current company and position.
> 
> ...


We should be careful while making such statements. 

My take - If a country grants you immigration in a specific skill, they'd expect you to be contributing to their economy by fulfilling roles in that skill set.
One can of-course choose to do otherwise, but I am sure there are (or going to be soon) checks in place to minimize that.


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## sylvia_australia (Sep 8, 2013)

Coming2Oz said:


> We should be careful while making such statements.
> 
> My take - If a country grants you immigration in a specific skill, they'd expect you to be contributing to their economy by fulfilling roles in that skill set.
> One can of-course choose to do otherwise, but I am sure there are (or going to be soon) checks in place to minimize that.


Ok i agree but they must willing to offer that job to the applicant. Why they said you must have local exp.
In my case as i am a university lecturer and they said it on my exp and qualification. They need only graduation for immigration but in real situation university demand atleast phd for the same position. What is this?
They only need skilled and educated labor.


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi Coming2Oz, 

I think that *most* applicants *actually work in their nominated occupation* - after all, to qualify for a 189 visa you must have invested multiple years into education/work in that area. But it's good to know that you can take a casual job to pay the bills, are allowed to switch jobs/domains, go back to university to further you education or live a life of leisure (if you can afford it ).

There are pretty *rigid conditions for temporary visa holders* on a 457 visa, though. Even if you just change positions within the company (e.g. switching from "testing" to "programming"), you have to get a new nomination. Likewise, if you want to switch jobs. You are not allowed to work in a job that's not on the CSOL etc. If the market changes, these people can be sent home on short notice. Personally, I don't think that they will tighten the PR visa rules to enforce that you have to work in your nominated occupation, but they could reduce the number of PR places or increase the points threshold. That way the number of temporary entrants would increase while the number of people with a chance at citizenship drops. 

@sylvia_australia: Employers still get to pick and choose their employees. If the job market is over-saturated with workers, people without local experience or no experience (e.g. recent graduates) have a harder time. That's partly because people (property agents, recruiters) want *references *which they can contact and ask about your work performance or if you paid your rent on time and looked after your previous flat. If you come from a country where that is not common practice, it can be kind of a shock. We had a hard time getting our first flat, even though we had money and job offers. But all our references were overseas and the agencies did not feel like calling internationally when there were other suitable candidates with local references. The second flat hunt was much, much easier. It's the same thing with jobs, really. I'm still hanging around university, working as "casual academic" because full-time positions are sparse at the moment. If I cannot get more hours mid-term, I'll look for a job in industry. 

Cheers, 
Monika


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## gururajan (Oct 8, 2013)

Hi,

Can someone tell me which is the best section for IT skills to get selected? I looked at ACS site and it has more BAs than programmers getting the visa. But the downside is that only few positions are vacant. 

Can someone advice please?


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## Kamm (Oct 22, 2013)

Hi Monika,

Your footer reads that you had your medicals done on 14 Dec and lodged ob 11 Dec. Does this mean that one can have medicals done even before CO is assigned and ass for it? If yes, how?

Secondly, I am applying for ACS skill assessment this weekend (I just have 1 Australian degree with no experience so it shouldn't take long hopefully), I've got rest of the documents ready and will be doing an EOI asa I get the assessment. I have 60 points. How long hopefully would it take to actually get an invitation? 

The reason I asked this question is that my current visa expires on 15March 2014 and I have a short trip to make back home in Feb and will be back in first week of March. Now I've heard that immigration Australia does not allow people to enter when the visa is just for a couple of weeks and their studies are all done. I could have got the 2 years post study visa but I thought better of the money that I was gonna spend on that . Once the invitation is received, applicant can get a 28 days visa to go out of Australia.

A long scenario but any help by anyone will be much appreciated. Cheers


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi Kamm,

*1.) Medicals*
There should be an "organize your medicals" link in the eVisa system once you have lodged the application. Just click on the link and follow the instructions. They will display nearby eHealth/eMedical enabled clinics where you can call to book an examination. For most applicants it's fine to get them done early. 

Note that health examination results are generally only valid to be used for your visa application for a maximum of 12 months. If processing of your visa application is delayed, you might need to repeat them. But lets hope that it won't take that long in your case, eh . 

More information: Arranging a Health Examination


*2.) Time until invite*
That's hard to estimate because it depends on your occupation code, its ceiling and how many applicants with a higher or identical point score are ahead of you in the queue. Check the most recent SkillSelect report for the cutoff dates for various ICT occupations. For example the last _Software and Applications Programmers_ with 60 points who got an invite had an EOI date-of-effect of 13/6/2013 6.09 pm. If you are in that unit group, you should definitely try to boost your points score, for example by re-taking IELTS. With 65 points you should have a good chance to get an invite in one of the next rounds. 

*3.) ACS*
One thing that worries me is that you write that you don't have any work experience but want to apply for a PR visa. Have you read the ACS News about Graduate Skills Assessment? To quote: 



> Applicants with an Australian study component that wish to apply for permanent residency will *require either 1 year of relevant work experience* or *completion of an ACS Professional Year Program* to receive a suitable skills assessment which can be used for general migration purposes.


You may have to go for a _Temporary Graduate – 485_ visa after all... 

All the best, 
Monika


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## Kamm (Oct 22, 2013)

espresso said:


> Hi Kamm,
> 
> *1.) Medicals*
> There should be an "organize your medicals" link in the eVisa system once you have lodged the application. Just click on the link and follow the instructions. They will display nearby eHealth/eMedical enabled clinics where you can call to book an examination. For most applicants it's fine to get them done early.
> ...


Thanks Monika,

The ACS thing, yeah that was a bummer when I heard the news but we had a petition and long discussions with Thomas Shanahon over a forum helped us getting the current batches exempted from the new rules. So the date for the rules to be applied was extended till 15 Jan. 

With the occupation I will be having my skills assessed for is fortunately Computer Networking Professionals and just 483 out of 1800 is the ceiling status. So, I guess I'll be just fine over there. What do u think?

& with the IELTS, I took it just once and was devastated to see the results, everything is either 8 or 9 except speaking, which by the way I believe should have been around 8.5. So the whole belief in the exam was a bit shaken.

Thanks for the detailed reply, it helped.


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## goto2014 (Jul 21, 2013)

espresso said:


> Hi pip.Depp,
> 
> your nominated occupation is only relevant for the 189 visa application; after the grant you can work in any job you like (e.g. surf instructor ) or not work for a while if you can afford it. There is also no requirement that your current job must be as "developer programmer" or that you have to be employed. It's different if you apply for an employer sponsored visa such as the 457, which basically "locks" you in in your current company and position.
> 
> ...


Hi Monika,

I have few queries to put forward. I am not sure whether i can reply directly or just need to raise as a new thread. 

1. I have got my invite last week on 4th Nov 2013. I have old ACS letter with 65 points. If they deduct 2 years i will be left with 60 points. In that case will they put me back in the EOI queue , if that is the case, what will happen to the money i am paying while submitting my Visa application.

2. While submitting my spouse details, i had wrongly typed a letter(instead of c i typed S, all other 17 characters are correct) for IELTS test result form number in EOI. I noticed it only after i got invitation. 
WIll there be any implications?

3. Also my spouse(secondary applicant) is claiming points for Analyst programmer role, she got her ACS and IELTS results. She came here as my dependant and joined after a month. so the immigration stamping shows as date one month prior to actually she started working in Australia. But she still continue with the same employer and was on annual leave. 

Please provide your views, as we are going through lots of confusions. Expert opinion like yours will be very helpful. I had seen your replies for various threads, thats why i am asking you.
Thanks.


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## svshinde83 (Mar 27, 2013)

Hello All,


I have applied for PR 189 on 28.10.2013. I got my PCC done on 26.06.2013.
Indian Passport Seva Kendra says that the certificate is valid for 6 months and my Agent says that the certificate is valid for 1 year. My PCC as per PSK would expire on 26.12.2013.
Can any one please guide me as to should i worry about it and assume that PCC is valid for 12 months OR shall i re-apply for a PCC?
I am confused please help.


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi goto2014, 

just my two cents:

1.) *I would not take the invitation* but wait until it expires, correct the EOI to 60 points and wait/hope for another invite. A couple of applicants with an old ACS letter got their points reduced by the CO which results in instant refusal... and the application fee is gone too. I have no idea about the likelihood of a refusal/grant in that scenario. It could be that they will accept the full experience - the CO has the last word on that. 

2.) You can submit a form 1023 - Notification of incorrect answers to the CO after application to correct that. Or if you wait until the invitation expires, you can just correct in online. The important thing is that her IELTS result is dated earlier than the date of effect of the EOI. 

3.) Your wife only needs a positive ACS assessment and an IELTS score of 6+ in all bands. Her work experience should not matter, so I don't quite get your meaning... 

Cheers, 
Monika


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## espresso (Nov 2, 2012)

Hi svshinde83, 



> For immigration purposes a police certificate is *deemed to be valid for 12 months* from the issue date.


Source: Character Requirements - How to obtain a police certificate


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## Nik_S (Nov 21, 2013)

I am a little worried about my CO assignment. I have applied for Subclass 189, visa application lodged on 17th OCT '13. All the documents are done and I have taken my medicals, should I upload the medical document before the CO is assigned? 

How long does it take for a CO in 189 to be assigned (I know the website says 10 weeks) but anyone who can give me their personal experience on the whole charade.

I have IELTS 9/8.5/7.5/8.5 I qualify with 60 points. How long does it take for the CO to Grant process in general. I would appreciate anyone who can answer these questions for me. (Probably just for some peace of mind) 

Thanks,
Nik


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## sudeep22 (Mar 26, 2013)

Hi all,

I have a small query for those who have already got a grant. Is form 80 mandatory for all applicants? I have already submitted my application and have done police check and medicals too. i want to complete all documentation so that the grant is not further delayed. Can anyone shed light on this? thanks in advance


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## cooluno (May 26, 2013)

sudeep22 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I have a small query for those who have already got a grant. Is form 80 mandatory for all applicants? I have already submitted my application and have done police check and medicals too. i want to complete all documentation so that the grant is not further delayed. Can anyone shed light on this? thanks in advance


Hi,
Form 80 will be needed, in most cases. It is probably a good idea to upload it before the CO asks for it. So instead of running the risk of delaying your application grant by a month(in case the CO insists on it), it is always better to upload it upfront.

At the end, it all boils down to the CO's requirements.


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## sudeep22 (Mar 26, 2013)

Thanks cooluno for prompt reply. What about form 1221? I will download the form and fill it out. Is 1221 also required? Have you been granted PR already or on the waiting list? Thanks a lot for your reply..appreciate it.


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## sudeep22 (Mar 26, 2013)

I had seen an excel spreadsheet earlier regarding the waiting applicants and granted ones from the forum in a google document. Just wanted to see what the current waiting period is for CO allocation and grant...Anyone knows what the link is for that spreadsheet? Thanks


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## cooluno (May 26, 2013)

Nik_S said:


> I am a little worried about my CO assignment. I have applied for Subclass 189, visa application lodged on 17th OCT '13. All the documents are done and I have taken my medicals, should I upload the medical document before the CO is assigned?
> 
> How long does it take for a CO in 189 to be assigned (I know the website says 10 weeks) but anyone who can give me their personal experience on the whole charade.
> 
> ...


Hi Nik,
Doesn't the medicals from the med centre you did it form get directly sent to DIBP?? I believe you would not have any involvement in uploading the medical data at all!! If you have done it, it would be anyways sent to DIBP. And once all the documents are uploaded/sent to DIBP, you would just have to wait according to the timelines given by DIBP. It typically takes a tad less than what they mention on their website, bt there are always exceptions on either sides of the story.


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## nero250 (Dec 30, 2013)

espresso said:


> Hi goto2014,
> 
> just my two cents:
> 
> ...


Hi
I have done my ACS in Feb-2012. I just submitted my EOI in Dec-2013 indicating that old ACS assessment. It will 'expire' (as per 24 months validity) in Feb-15-2014. Will my EOI be still valid and will I still be eligible for an invitation?

Thanks.


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## SS_visa (Mar 3, 2014)

More than 12 months after medical

Hi guys I am working in Malaysia but originally from Pakistan, I applied for 189 skilled visa Systems analyst you can see my timeline below, My medical was conducted on 11th Jan 2013 and I submitted two police certificate one from Pakistan another from malaysia on 4th Feb 2013..after that when I enquire about my case I get following lines

"Your application is under routine processing for external checks"  it has been more than 13 months and still no sign of visa grant. 

I am not sure what to do..any one faced any issue like this or I am the only exception here 

ACS 19 Jan 2012|EOI:31/10/2012| CO: 04/12/2012|PCC, Med & Form 80 submtd on request on 4th Feb 2013| Visa grant : Waiting..


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## myphexpat (Sep 20, 2014)

SS_visa said:


> More than 12 months after medical
> 
> Hi guys I am working in Malaysia but originally from Pakistan, I applied for 189 skilled visa Systems analyst you can see my timeline below, My medical was conducted on 11th Jan 2013 and I submitted two police certificate one from Pakistan another from malaysia on 4th Feb 2013..after that when I enquire about my case I get following lines
> 
> ...



That sounds so sad. Hope you got your PR by this time.


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## VRS (Nov 17, 2014)

svshinde83 said:


> Hello All,
> 
> 
> I have applied for PR 189 on 28.10.2013. I got my PCC done on 26.06.2013.
> ...


Hi SVSINDHE,

I dont think you will have a problem, if the CO has a problem he will ask you for another PCC. Do not worry.

Good luck!


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## VRS (Nov 17, 2014)

nero250 said:


> Hi
> I have done my ACS in Feb-2012. I just submitted my EOI in Dec-2013 indicating that old ACS assessment. It will 'expire' (as per 24 months validity) in Feb-15-2014. Will my EOI be still valid and will I still be eligible for an invitation?
> 
> Thanks.


Yes it is valid, the rule is the ACS should be valid on the date of submitting the EOI. I think you are fine.


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## VRS (Nov 17, 2014)

cooluno said:


> Hi Nik,
> Doesn't the medicals from the med centre you did it form get directly sent to DIBP?? I believe you would not have any involvement in uploading the medical data at all!! If you have done it, it would be anyways sent to DIBP. And once all the documents are uploaded/sent to DIBP, you would just have to wait according to the timelines given by DIBP. It typically takes a tad less than what they mention on their website, bt there are always exceptions on either sides of the story.


Hi Nik,

have you taken medicals or "organized you medicals/health" before the CO is assigned?? If you already have an HAP id, i guess your should inform the same to the CO and he will NOT assign you a new HAP id.


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## VRS (Nov 17, 2014)

cooluno said:


> Hi,
> Form 80 will be needed, in most cases. It is probably a good idea to upload it before the CO asks for it. So instead of running the risk of delaying your application grant by a month(in case the CO insists on it), it is always better to upload it upfront.
> 
> At the end, it all boils down to the CO's requirements.


Hi,

what is form 80???


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## prab (Jan 22, 2015)

*Hapid*

Hi

Can we do medical before CO gets assigned. How to get the HAPID in that case.

Thanks!!


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## g86verma (Feb 16, 2015)

Is there any 1 who has alocated co from team 23 gsm for 189 visa cz i hv been alocated a co from t23 n he did ask sm docs on 4th which i hv uploaded n still waiting


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## JonDoe (Jul 17, 2014)

prab said:


> Hi
> 
> Can we do medical before CO gets assigned. How to get the HAPID in that case.
> 
> Thanks!!


In the documents upload section there is a paragraph for organise health check for every applicant. 
If you go there there would be a questionaire to be filled and submitted. Once done it will show a PDF which is a reference letter to the medical centre. This would contain the HAP ID.


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