It happened! The visa was approved! What a relief!
It's been a hard 7 1/2 months waiting for this visa to come through. I've had difficulties with jobs, stress, fear, loneliness and isolation. A big part of the whole horror of this process was that I gave the immigration department my blog address as part of our relationship evidence. What I didn't realize until later was that by giving them my blog address, I would have to self-censor this place--my place. My place for self expression.
Out of fear that they would deny me the visa if they knew how unhappy and dissatisfied I am with life in Australia, I decided to either post relatively neutral posts (I tried but usually failed) or say nothing at all. Which is why I went so many weeks without saying anything.
Life here has been hard and so many of you will never know the extent of it. It's not just the finances. I would say my number one problem with Australia is the people and for that reason, we will probably leave. Soon. As in, likely before January. I'm not 100% sure where we will go. I've been working on my visa documents for Korea since August and they're almost ready. We also applied for jobs in Japan back in September with ECC and have been put into a pool of accepted teachers waiting for placement offers.
But the main thing is that I don't have to keep silent in solitary confinement anymore. It's been hard. I haven't made any close friends here at all save one German exchange student who left Sydney and returned home a year ago. Instead, I've met a lot of really "nice" people. "Nice" as in, not really interested in knowing you or being your friend but will happily pretend they're interested as long as it doesn't require too much effort. When I tried to reach out here on my blog, watering down my feelings of isolation for immigration but still looking for some support, I got a surprising range of responses: a bit of loving encouragement, a bit of ambivalence, a bit of denial, a bit of hope, a bit of "you should just get happy," and even one glorious piece of hate mail.
Thanks so much to those of you who knew what was really going on and stood by with a metaphorical arm around my shoulder. I can't thank you enough. I'm not sure how much I'll be blogging here anymore but I'll try to post the random update here and there so you at least know what's happening for the next few months.
Ciao my faithful readers!
Showing posts with label partner visa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label partner visa. Show all posts
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Catching Up
Sorry I've been such an absent blogger. A lot has happened in the last few weeks and yet at the same time, not much has happened either. Let me explain.
Work: My current visa status only allows me to work up to 6 months with any one employer and so I had to quit both my jobs earlier this month in order to avoid deportation and fines. I didn't really expect much but my two employers gave me such warm and loving good bye parties that it made me feel like maybe I did fit in after all. CRG wrote me a very nice reference letter and gave it to me along with a delicious cake, book I wanted to read on Feng Shui and some very nice bath stuff from Body Works. Not to mention they gave me a very nice speech and told me all the work I've done there on their marketing materials has actually helped them land and retain contracts--one of them being a multi-million dollar deal. Apparently the CEO of this international pharmaceutical company was very impressed and even mentioned he would like to do the same sort of thing for his company! It was a sad day to leave though and they kept telling me that as soon as my visa is approved to please, please call them--they want me back! That sort of praise really lifted me up and made me feel good for a whole week.
My other job at Thomson Reuters was a sweet parting as well. Since my team there was really small (three of us), I invited out almost everyone I knew for a farewell lunch so it wouldn't seem so empty. And it was glorious. We had a beautiful Cambodian/Thai lunch and afterwards they gave me a cake shaped like a dog (laso apso to be exact) and a beautiful card wishing me well. I went around and thanked everyone personally before packing up my desk and leaving my final instructions for the next temp. It was a sad parting because I'd been there off and on for almost a year and had grown really close to my boss, Alysia, in that time. When I felt like I had no friends, seeing her at work reminded me that I do. Even though it wasn't always easy working there, being gone has shown me a little hole is left in it's place.
Housing: Since I was no longer working and was free to scour real estate sites, Jeremy and I decided it was time to start looking again for a new apartment. We abandoned our search a few months back after repeatedly failed attempts to secure a home but it felt like the right time to look again and since I had all this free time, it would make moving easier. So, last weekend we started house hunting. It was a long, long day of walking for hours all over the Inner West. We saw 8 properties and applied for 4 before collapsing on the couch with blistering feet (me).
This week we heard back from one of the agents notifying us we didn't get the property (it was actually the one we really wanted) and so I headed out yesterday to see more. I was waiting for the agent at a complex in Kirribilli (with harbour views!!) when Jeremy called to tell me we were approved for one! In fact, the one we were approved for is about a 3-5 minute walk from our current place! Obviously we accepted and on the 13th, we'll pick up the keys to our new palace! It's not quite a palace but it is a bit bigger with two balconies and a window in the shower which means less mold! Yay! We put in our deposit on Friday and then it's time to start packing! I can't wait to move!
Visas: Nothing has happened. Did I mention before that I was once told I had a case officer sometime back in June? Well, turns out that was a farce which was quite the surprise for me--I had her name, phone number and email address given to me from the immigration department! When I never heard from her after several months, I decided to call up immigration and I've since learned that in the 6 months since I applied for my partner visa, nothing has happened. Absolutely nothing. They gave me the usual spiel about how it takes 6-9 months to process visa applications and that I'll have to wait until 9 months has passed to escalate the issue. The most annoying part though is that I have no direct contact with whom I can talk to. It's a real pain. It's keeping my whole life on hold. I can't get permanent work, I can't go to school, I can't leave the country and I can barely find work at all. But more so, it hurts Jeremy too because it puts an unfair financial burden on him and keeps him from returning to school as well. I wish some consideration was put into the lives of the people applying--especially considering that we've all paid $2,500 to apply for this stupid thing! We're going to stick it out but I'll admit, sometimes I wonder if it was ever worth applying...
Looking for Work: I've had a weird past two weeks of job hunting. First, I interviewed for a manager's position for a Santa photography set in the mall this Christmas. I actually applied for this same position last year and was even offered it--but the offer came the day after I accepted a different job and even signed the contract. This year though, I am definitely taking the job. I got the call Monday with the offer which wasn't unexpected but definitely appreciated. I'm really excited that this is actually a job as a photographer (even if it's just Santa stuff) and that it's a management position in sales which means I could probably break into retail as a second in charge with relative ease after this (a very good segue position). The downside: it doesn't start until the last week in October which means I've still got three weeks on my hands. It's unlikely that I'll get any work in that time because most people want someone for a month or at least someone available for a month's work. But I'm trying to look at it positively: I'll have plenty of time to pack and move all our junk up the road and I'll be able to take advantage of the pre-searing heat known as "Sydney Summer" by galavanting around the city on small adventures.
Before I got the job though, I also got a call from the recruitment agency I work for asking me if I'd like to work for them as a recruiter. Now, I've always been fairly suspicious about their business practices and not so appreciative of their customer service skills, so I was already fairly certain I wouldn't take the job but I went in for an interview anyway. The result? The manager, whom I've spoken on the phone with many times, was exactly as I expected her to be: aggressive, defensive, domineering and a bit pushy. She was everything I've known her to be on the phone just in a power suit. She continued to tell me how hard the job is, that it takes serious drive and dedication, that it'll be long hours (generally 7 am - 7 pm) and fast paced. The hours were my most obvious concern (I do have a life, you know) and so when I asked about the compensation, she refused to tell. She said she would tell me the salary if I was successful as an applicant. Ha! I thanked her for her time and left. No way would I seriously apply for a job with those sort of hours without first knowing the pay! Ridiculous... Not surprisingly, my new recruiter who came two months ago quit on Friday. I remember actually saying in my interview that it sounded like the sort of job with a high turn over rate and she tried to tell me no, that most stay for 3-4 years... Whatever. It was the sort of interview like the one I had from Curves where they weren't seriously considering me but just wanted to sell me a membership!
Adventuring: We don't actually get out too much but we do love trying new restaurants! A couple weekends ago, Owen and Rachel took us to this glorious Lebanese place out in the middle of nowhere (Greenacre) where I seriously had the most amazing food of my life. No joke and no exaggeration. It was that good. Which got me thinking: I need to blog about some of these awesome eateries here because Sydney is an awesome city to eat out in. Seriously, Aussies love food and there is such a large migrant population in Sydney that you can find some really great authentic dishes easily. So that will be up next--along with my super cool birthday weekend adventure!
Family: I haven't asked but I hope no one minds me talking about this on my blog--Jeremy's sister is having a baby! Karen is a couple years older than me and is due in February. We just found two weeks ago that she's having a boy (her preference) and everyone is excited! It's a huge blessing because she lost a baby just a few months before this little miracle came along and we are all so grateful that he's healthy and growing strong. Doug, Karen's fiance, is a tall, tall man--as in 6.5ft--and so far it's looking like this boy's going to be big too! Can't wait to finally be around for a birth! I missed the births of Ally (niece), Mason (nephew), McKenna (niece) and Serenity (niece) because I've been away but hopefully this time I'll be around!
So, as you can see, I haven't exactly been busy but a lot has happened. I'll try to keep everyone updated over the next month because there will definitely be stuff to write about--birthdays, adventures, moving, starting a new job and a few other little surprises. :)
Work: My current visa status only allows me to work up to 6 months with any one employer and so I had to quit both my jobs earlier this month in order to avoid deportation and fines. I didn't really expect much but my two employers gave me such warm and loving good bye parties that it made me feel like maybe I did fit in after all. CRG wrote me a very nice reference letter and gave it to me along with a delicious cake, book I wanted to read on Feng Shui and some very nice bath stuff from Body Works. Not to mention they gave me a very nice speech and told me all the work I've done there on their marketing materials has actually helped them land and retain contracts--one of them being a multi-million dollar deal. Apparently the CEO of this international pharmaceutical company was very impressed and even mentioned he would like to do the same sort of thing for his company! It was a sad day to leave though and they kept telling me that as soon as my visa is approved to please, please call them--they want me back! That sort of praise really lifted me up and made me feel good for a whole week.
My other job at Thomson Reuters was a sweet parting as well. Since my team there was really small (three of us), I invited out almost everyone I knew for a farewell lunch so it wouldn't seem so empty. And it was glorious. We had a beautiful Cambodian/Thai lunch and afterwards they gave me a cake shaped like a dog (laso apso to be exact) and a beautiful card wishing me well. I went around and thanked everyone personally before packing up my desk and leaving my final instructions for the next temp. It was a sad parting because I'd been there off and on for almost a year and had grown really close to my boss, Alysia, in that time. When I felt like I had no friends, seeing her at work reminded me that I do. Even though it wasn't always easy working there, being gone has shown me a little hole is left in it's place.
Housing: Since I was no longer working and was free to scour real estate sites, Jeremy and I decided it was time to start looking again for a new apartment. We abandoned our search a few months back after repeatedly failed attempts to secure a home but it felt like the right time to look again and since I had all this free time, it would make moving easier. So, last weekend we started house hunting. It was a long, long day of walking for hours all over the Inner West. We saw 8 properties and applied for 4 before collapsing on the couch with blistering feet (me).
This week we heard back from one of the agents notifying us we didn't get the property (it was actually the one we really wanted) and so I headed out yesterday to see more. I was waiting for the agent at a complex in Kirribilli (with harbour views!!) when Jeremy called to tell me we were approved for one! In fact, the one we were approved for is about a 3-5 minute walk from our current place! Obviously we accepted and on the 13th, we'll pick up the keys to our new palace! It's not quite a palace but it is a bit bigger with two balconies and a window in the shower which means less mold! Yay! We put in our deposit on Friday and then it's time to start packing! I can't wait to move!
Visas: Nothing has happened. Did I mention before that I was once told I had a case officer sometime back in June? Well, turns out that was a farce which was quite the surprise for me--I had her name, phone number and email address given to me from the immigration department! When I never heard from her after several months, I decided to call up immigration and I've since learned that in the 6 months since I applied for my partner visa, nothing has happened. Absolutely nothing. They gave me the usual spiel about how it takes 6-9 months to process visa applications and that I'll have to wait until 9 months has passed to escalate the issue. The most annoying part though is that I have no direct contact with whom I can talk to. It's a real pain. It's keeping my whole life on hold. I can't get permanent work, I can't go to school, I can't leave the country and I can barely find work at all. But more so, it hurts Jeremy too because it puts an unfair financial burden on him and keeps him from returning to school as well. I wish some consideration was put into the lives of the people applying--especially considering that we've all paid $2,500 to apply for this stupid thing! We're going to stick it out but I'll admit, sometimes I wonder if it was ever worth applying...
Looking for Work: I've had a weird past two weeks of job hunting. First, I interviewed for a manager's position for a Santa photography set in the mall this Christmas. I actually applied for this same position last year and was even offered it--but the offer came the day after I accepted a different job and even signed the contract. This year though, I am definitely taking the job. I got the call Monday with the offer which wasn't unexpected but definitely appreciated. I'm really excited that this is actually a job as a photographer (even if it's just Santa stuff) and that it's a management position in sales which means I could probably break into retail as a second in charge with relative ease after this (a very good segue position). The downside: it doesn't start until the last week in October which means I've still got three weeks on my hands. It's unlikely that I'll get any work in that time because most people want someone for a month or at least someone available for a month's work. But I'm trying to look at it positively: I'll have plenty of time to pack and move all our junk up the road and I'll be able to take advantage of the pre-searing heat known as "Sydney Summer" by galavanting around the city on small adventures.
Before I got the job though, I also got a call from the recruitment agency I work for asking me if I'd like to work for them as a recruiter. Now, I've always been fairly suspicious about their business practices and not so appreciative of their customer service skills, so I was already fairly certain I wouldn't take the job but I went in for an interview anyway. The result? The manager, whom I've spoken on the phone with many times, was exactly as I expected her to be: aggressive, defensive, domineering and a bit pushy. She was everything I've known her to be on the phone just in a power suit. She continued to tell me how hard the job is, that it takes serious drive and dedication, that it'll be long hours (generally 7 am - 7 pm) and fast paced. The hours were my most obvious concern (I do have a life, you know) and so when I asked about the compensation, she refused to tell. She said she would tell me the salary if I was successful as an applicant. Ha! I thanked her for her time and left. No way would I seriously apply for a job with those sort of hours without first knowing the pay! Ridiculous... Not surprisingly, my new recruiter who came two months ago quit on Friday. I remember actually saying in my interview that it sounded like the sort of job with a high turn over rate and she tried to tell me no, that most stay for 3-4 years... Whatever. It was the sort of interview like the one I had from Curves where they weren't seriously considering me but just wanted to sell me a membership!
Adventuring: We don't actually get out too much but we do love trying new restaurants! A couple weekends ago, Owen and Rachel took us to this glorious Lebanese place out in the middle of nowhere (Greenacre) where I seriously had the most amazing food of my life. No joke and no exaggeration. It was that good. Which got me thinking: I need to blog about some of these awesome eateries here because Sydney is an awesome city to eat out in. Seriously, Aussies love food and there is such a large migrant population in Sydney that you can find some really great authentic dishes easily. So that will be up next--along with my super cool birthday weekend adventure!
Family: I haven't asked but I hope no one minds me talking about this on my blog--Jeremy's sister is having a baby! Karen is a couple years older than me and is due in February. We just found two weeks ago that she's having a boy (her preference) and everyone is excited! It's a huge blessing because she lost a baby just a few months before this little miracle came along and we are all so grateful that he's healthy and growing strong. Doug, Karen's fiance, is a tall, tall man--as in 6.5ft--and so far it's looking like this boy's going to be big too! Can't wait to finally be around for a birth! I missed the births of Ally (niece), Mason (nephew), McKenna (niece) and Serenity (niece) because I've been away but hopefully this time I'll be around!
So, as you can see, I haven't exactly been busy but a lot has happened. I'll try to keep everyone updated over the next month because there will definitely be stuff to write about--birthdays, adventures, moving, starting a new job and a few other little surprises. :)
Friday, September 3, 2010
Back on the Job Hunt
It's that time again!! (You can't tell, but that exclamation is DRIPPING with sarcasm.)
I finished my last day at CRG yesterday. It was sad. I really liked the people I worked with there and they really liked me. I wasn't sure up until yesterday but they gave me a really nice going away party with the world's most delicious chocolate cake, a book and a nice bath set from the Body Shop. And the general manager even made a nice speech about me and how I'd added value to the company and helped them win back some major pharmaceutical company contracts. It was a good way to go.
Why am I going? It's complicated but I'll try to explain. My first visa in Australia was a Working Holiday visa which allowed me to stay for a year and work up to 6 months in any work place (ie. I can work for 6 months at CRG and simultaneously 6 months at Thomson Reuters and then do another 6 months somewhere else if I want to). Just before that visa expired, we submitted an application for a Temporary Partner visa which essentially means I'm become Jeremy's common law wife and he remains my sponsor. However, that visa application is still in processing and yet to be approved and so, in the meantime, I am on a Bridging Visa (type A).
What is that? A Bridging Visa does as it says--holds you over during processing until your next visa comes through. It carries all the work rights of your previous visa which, in my case, is the Working Holiday visa. So, even though I'm not technically on that visa anymore, I'm still restricted as though I were.
So, having been at CRG for 6 months, I had to quit lest I break my visa restrictions (and risk deportation). Same goes for Thomson Reuters though my last day there isn't for a couple more weeks.
Thus, the hunt begins. I've already turned in a few applications and I need to do more, but we'll see what happens. It's hard to find the energy to keep trying when you've had such rotten luck in the past.
I finished my last day at CRG yesterday. It was sad. I really liked the people I worked with there and they really liked me. I wasn't sure up until yesterday but they gave me a really nice going away party with the world's most delicious chocolate cake, a book and a nice bath set from the Body Shop. And the general manager even made a nice speech about me and how I'd added value to the company and helped them win back some major pharmaceutical company contracts. It was a good way to go.
Why am I going? It's complicated but I'll try to explain. My first visa in Australia was a Working Holiday visa which allowed me to stay for a year and work up to 6 months in any work place (ie. I can work for 6 months at CRG and simultaneously 6 months at Thomson Reuters and then do another 6 months somewhere else if I want to). Just before that visa expired, we submitted an application for a Temporary Partner visa which essentially means I'm become Jeremy's common law wife and he remains my sponsor. However, that visa application is still in processing and yet to be approved and so, in the meantime, I am on a Bridging Visa (type A).
What is that? A Bridging Visa does as it says--holds you over during processing until your next visa comes through. It carries all the work rights of your previous visa which, in my case, is the Working Holiday visa. So, even though I'm not technically on that visa anymore, I'm still restricted as though I were.
So, having been at CRG for 6 months, I had to quit lest I break my visa restrictions (and risk deportation). Same goes for Thomson Reuters though my last day there isn't for a couple more weeks.
Thus, the hunt begins. I've already turned in a few applications and I need to do more, but we'll see what happens. It's hard to find the energy to keep trying when you've had such rotten luck in the past.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Visa Updates
My application has been received and later today I will have my visa health check. From what I can tell, all it entails is a chest x-ray and me answering a few questions. Nothing too exciting but your well wishes are appreciated none the less.
Hopefully this visa is granted quickly because I really want to go home and we are (surprisingly) close to having all the money we need to purchase tickets! One of the stipulations of the bridging visa is that you can't leave the country until your status has been resolved (lest you wish to forgo any and all work you've done up to that point) which means we can't buy tickets, even if the flights are six months in advance. It's unlikely that the visa processing will take that long but it's certainly not unheard of and I'm not taking any chances.
I'm also quite anxious to start looking for full time work! Even though temping is varied and interesting, I would really like a bit more consistency. Not knowing if I'll have a paycheck in a couple weeks scares me (which is why I pay my student loans 3 months in advance) and stresses me out to the point where I'm grumpy and jumpy. Just another reason to get this visa stuff done quickly!
Hopefully this visa is granted quickly because I really want to go home and we are (surprisingly) close to having all the money we need to purchase tickets! One of the stipulations of the bridging visa is that you can't leave the country until your status has been resolved (lest you wish to forgo any and all work you've done up to that point) which means we can't buy tickets, even if the flights are six months in advance. It's unlikely that the visa processing will take that long but it's certainly not unheard of and I'm not taking any chances.
I'm also quite anxious to start looking for full time work! Even though temping is varied and interesting, I would really like a bit more consistency. Not knowing if I'll have a paycheck in a couple weeks scares me (which is why I pay my student loans 3 months in advance) and stresses me out to the point where I'm grumpy and jumpy. Just another reason to get this visa stuff done quickly!
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