Badger Galore

Staying ‘Up Over’ for a while.

12/03/2019 12/03/2019

Well, knock me down with an emu feather!

So...I got two unexpected emails today. The first one informed me that the Resident Return visa I applied for yesterday has been granted.When you have been waiting over a year to hear about your Citizenship application and you waited for over 9 months to get your original Partner Visa confirmed you hardly expect such a quick response. I was told yesterday that 75% of people requesting Resident Return visas hear within 4 days and 91% hear with in 71 days. To be honest that was no help at all and was as clear as mud to me. Does it make sense to you? Anyway I heard one day later....and it was unexpected.The second email was even more of a shock. I don't know if my Resident Return visa request arriving in some government office with a loud 'PING!' woke somebody up but it's strange that after 13 months of nothing I finally get some indication that my Citizenship application has not been mislaid or accidentally shredded. I have been called for a Citizenship Interview and to sit the Citizenship test in Brisbane on the 11th April.You don't think the Government is reading this blog do you?

11/03/2019 11/03/2019

A surprise payment!

So....my permanent residency visa was granted in February 2014. After four years you are entitled to apply for Citizenship which I did in February 2018. I am still waiting to hear if that is to be granted and was told today not to expect it before December!Yesterday I discovered that my permanent residency visa only covers me to exit and return to Australia for 5 years. That facility ran out this last February. I have had to apply to extend my resident return rights at a cost of $379.55.So...a further travel payment on your visa is required after five years but you can apply for Citizenship after four years, yet it takes nearly two years to be granted. Funny that!No more IKEA kitchen cabinets for a while then.