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Wednesday 23 December 2015

So, I will have to do a lot of backdating ... but let's start with the now ....

Well, yes, it's been years since I posted anything here. Much has happened!

I have visited Sydney to spend some time with my lovely family, and my resolve to move there has become even stronger. I shall post pictures of my visits soon. Meanwhile, I shall ramble (in diary / journal format) what comes to mind on the topic of moving to Sydney ...

... When you buy yourself Christmas presents for future enjoyment...
I love pretty feminine things that adorn a home. One of my little grumbles is, taking rings etc. off when washing my hands and not knowing where to put them safely at the washhand basin or sink. So I found this gorgeous combo. Right now, in my current apartment, this combo is not safe to be placed in a tight space. So, as I am building up a small collection of treasured things to take to Sydney when I do get to move there, I shall leave these little jewellery holding birds nicely and securely wrapped.
‪#‎faithandhope‬ for Sydney...






Friday 28 December 2012

It's Time For An Update!

Nearly two years ago I started this Blog. Somehow I had hoped to have already settled in Sydney, but alas, I am still in London, UK.

Since then, something else happened that is ever so exciting for me: I have become a first-time grandmother, or Omi, as I prefer to be called, considering that I am German.

Yes, little Quentin Miles, pictured on the left, arrived on September 23rd, 2012. Suffice it to say, I am crazily adoring my little grand kid!!


Oh and of course here is a little video clip of Quentin and his dad Titus:




...... and the best thing is that in a few weeks I will be flying over to Sydney to be able to cuddle little Quentin for the first time, plus catch up with loads of hugs with Titus and Rose.

It will be a two weeks 'scouting out the land' trip for me. It is still my intention to live there.
Thus hopefully, my blog posts will become more frequent.

Monday 24 January 2011

Beyond The Yellow Brick Road




“Oh I've finally decided
my future lies
Beyond the yellow brick road”

(Elton John)


The Emerald City, at the end of the Yellow Brick Road. Been following and trekking on that road for some time negotiating all sorts of challenges!

There appear so many interpretations and meanings attached to both the story, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”. Whatever it might mean to you, I have my own .... and I am adding the symbolism of emeralds into the mix.

All I can say is, I’m smiling! This is going to be good!

Friday 21 January 2011

Obtaining the Contributory Parent (Migrant) visa to Australia


This is the information I received. Any further info and advice will be really appreciated!



The Fees will cover the following:
·          Medical check fees;
·          Police check fees;
·          DIAC fees;
·          Assurance of Support Fee (Bond)


The Various Stages

First stage verification

Your application will be looked at in detail to establish whether you will qualify for an Australian visa and if there is any risk of failure.  Particular attention will be paid to your work history, Australian family ties (if applicable) and any pertinent health or character issues.

Second stage verification
Your application will be assessed in compliance with the MARA Code of Conduct, the 1994 Migration Regulations for your visa sub-class and the Migration Act 1958.  
During the next 2 months you will need to collect various documentation, completing forms, writing statutory declarations and any other supporting documentation that is deemed necessary to satisfy the legislative requirements for your visa.

After 2 Months  - DIAC Application will be Review and Lodged


Once your application is deemed complete there needs to be a final review of the application. 
On the day your visa application is submitted, the following payment is required.

·          Payment of the DIAC application fee of 1,735.00

DIAC is taking about 20 to 24 months at present to process your application and during that time you will need to liaise directly with DIAC and deal with any requests and issues that may arise.

You’ll need to find resources and information on relocation topics such as shipping , currency transfers , banking , drivers licences etc

MONTH 20- DIAC health & character checks requested

We advise that you only arrange your medical (Budget £150 to £200 pp) , and police checks (Budget £35 pp), once DIAC has requested them.  We recommend that you budget £100.00 - £200.00 per person for these.

MONTH 22- DIAC Assurance of Support Bond Requested

Only once the health and character checks have cleared there are no other reasons preventing the visa from being granted, and the will the bond be requested.  At that point you will need to give your sponsor instructions on how to lodge the bond. If you are giving your sponsor the bond money then you will help you arrange to transfer the money to the sponsor.

The sponsor will lodge a bond of AUD$10,000 

MONTH 23- DIAC Final Visa Charge Requested

Once the bond has be lodged, DIAC will request the final application change. 
At that point you will make the final visa payment of:
  
·          If one applicant the payment will be  37,965.00
      
 
MONTH 24- VISA GRANTED!

Once DIAC have received the final payments you will be notified that the visa has been granted. At that point you will need to send your passport to the Australian High Commission so that a visa label can be put in. This normally takes about 5 days.
You are then free to move to Australia!

-------

 Question: should I get this or any other Migration Guide books? If yes, please recommend.

It’s time to prepare to move again ...


Welcome to my new blog!
I’ve been having ‘itching feet’ for some time, so now things need to be put into action: experiencing London at its best before relocating to Sydney, Australia.
You can read more about me in the ‘Meet Geli’ section, but right now here’s a bit of a summary:
I was born in Germany a very long time ago, lived there until my early twenties (in the early 70’s), then moved to live in London, after a few years I moved to Holland for a couple of years, back to London, then lived in Hong Kong for seven years, back to London, and now making plans to move to Sydney.
My son, Titus, and his beautiful wife, Rose are residents in Sydney for some time now. I’ve been saying to them, “no grandkids till I arrive at OZ, please” LOL. I love my ‘kids’ dearly, but I am not one of those mums that would sit on their door step! Rather, I am starting to create my own life in OZ by already, ahead of time, making friends with those who are there or are in the process of moving there, too.
Apart from looking forward to making new friends, I am looking for those who would graciously share their experiences and wisdom, their humour and their stories, and their advice.
I need to know soooo much in terms of migration requirements, and every bit of advice from my readers and new friends is much appreciated! I will be going in on a parent migration route, being sponsored by my kids. I am not planning to use immigration agents, but rather do the process myself. I am also planning to visit them on a tourist visa before the resident visa is granted.
Meanwhile, I want to also really re-experience the London I fell in love with so many decades ago. It’s funny, when you actually live in a place, it tends to lose the magic after a while, especially if you’re a mum with two growing kids, having been a university student in town, then build own consultancy / coaching business, and generally just drive from the supermarket to home, and from home to the supermarket .... you know what I mean!!
So, this blog will be a mixture of my preparation to move to OZ, as well as taking some time to be the London tourist again, but more from exploring the unusual sites here.
Looking forward to connecting with you and befriending you!
Geli.

Location:Church Path,Brent,United Kingdom