Visas Granted You beauty! After weeks of nail biting suspense the visas have finally landed in our laps and its done and dusted. Phew! Its been like waiting for a delayed flight at the airport but without the overpriced coffee. Not knowing when they could be approved has frustrated us all big time but the dream is now a massive step closer – just the bloody Avmed clearance to wait for… Our visas took 4 weeks from the completion of the medicals and took 7 weeks in total. I was checking the account daily during the working week and it was amazing to see it flip from “further assessment” to “fina ..read more

Transaction Reference Number TRN The transaction reference number is needed before you can apply for your visas. The OLRS team will send you some paperwork to complete and you’ll need to send copies of passports, birth certificates and marriage certificates for all those moving to Australia. This is needed for the OLRS team to sponsor your visa application. Once you receive your TRN you can start the visa application for a sub class 186 visa. The wait to receive the TRN can take months. Here’s some info you can get ready beforehand to save time: You will need a UK Police ARCO certificate. It ..read more

High cholesterol So as I said in a previous post my blood tests for the medical flagged up high cholesterol. The OLRS doc wanted me to have further testing done due to my aviation trade. This was a shock as my diet isn’t bad and I keep myself in reasonable shape. Maybe all the boozing in Brunei has caught up with me. My GP didn’t see this as much of an issue at first and didn’t authorise the testing the OLRS doc wanted. After weeks of frustrating conversations I was left with no option but to go private and have the testing done at my own expense. I figured it would probably be quicker anyway ..read more

5 Jun 23 is when I received my LOO, they told us at the selection board it would be April but took until June to arrive. The wait was so frustrating and it felt like the offer was getting sent over in a bottle not an email. By far the longest 6 months of my life especially when you see others on the FB group posting that they had received theirs. This is where you must trust that it will come and try not get sucked into thinking something is wrong. The Letter of Offer (LOO) I received was consistent with the information provided during the selection board interview, outlining the essential det ..read more

On September 1, 2022, I received an invitation to the selection board scheduled for November 2022. It offered several date options, providing the flexibility needed to arrange time off from work. At that time, I had not informed anyone in my Chain of Command. I attended the board alone due to the unavailability of childcare. The interview took place at the Radisson Blu Edwardian Grafton Hotel in London. Choosing to stay at the same hotel seemed like the more convenient and stress-free option. I traveled down the night before, woke up refreshed, and avoided the rush hour traffic hassle. It’s wo ..read more

While all the medical paperwork was been processed we were contacted by the Defence Members Family Support service for a phone interview which we had on 30 Aug 22. This phone call was very relaxed and lasted about 50min. Both me and Becky were present. After pleasantries he asked us a little about our family, what my career has been like, how the kids are doing at school and what Becky does for work. Then we worked through more directed questions like: Why do we want to move to Oz. Have we been to Oz before. What do we think will be the challenges of the move and how will we over come them. Ho ..read more

No logic to the process Before I dive into the nitty-gritty let me tell you that the only predictable thing about this process is its ability to be totally unpredictable. Everyone’s journey is uniquely their own. It’s like waiting for Christmas morning when you were a kid – time doesn’t just slow down; it practically moonwalks. Patience? Oh, you’ll need heaps of it. Your patience doesn’t just stretch; it practically enrols in yoga classes. It will feel like its never ending but it will happen. Don’t compare your application with anyone else’s…it will drive you nuts and you’ll question your san ..read more

The decision to relocate Why are we leaving the UK for a new life down under? The idea of walking down a white sandy beach with a surfboard under my arm and the wind blowing through my new aussie mullet is a welcome distraction from a rainy day in Shropshire, although my days of having long hair are long gone. Moving to Australia has been a dream of ours for years. The thought of exploring a new country and experiencing life from a fresh perspective fills us all with excitement and anticipation. After much contemplation and planning, we finally made the decision to take the leap and embark on ..read more