Thursday 25 April 2013

The waiting game

For any of you that have ever had to move to another country, you might know something about this.

After spending a year in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa, I have now applied for a Partner Visa which will grant me 2 years temporary residency, and then I can apply for permanent residency after that. So far the Visa process has been going well, considering. It took forever to gather all the evidence and present it the way immigration likes it (believe me - we're talking 4 months of hard work here!), and you have to pay a small fortune to lodge the application, but we finally got it in this January!

Jacarandas in bloom in New Farm Park
I had to go back to Norway for a few months in order to finish up some work there, and spend time with my family of course, so I applied for a visa that would allow me to stay in Norway for 3 months (Yup, that's right! I needed a separate Visa to travel to my own country and back). Since the current average processing time for Partner Visa applications is a gruelling 12-13 months (!) I figured this would be no problem at all. But about 1,5 months into my stay in Norway, I got an e-mail from my Case Officer saying they needed me back in Australia because the application was ready to be processed and FINALIZED! :D The reason I need to go back for this to happen is that I lodged my Visa application in Australia, and so I also have to be in Australia when it is being finalized i.e. I get my "yes" or "no".

And this is where the waiting begins. I know my Case Officer has made a decision (and I am crossing my fingers and toes that it's a positive one), but they won't let me know until I actually return to Australia! And it will probably take some time after I arrive as well, depending on how busy/effective my Case Officer is. And I have absolutely NO patience! My partner is in Brisbane waiting for me, my Visa application is in Brisbane waiting for me, my whole future life is in Brisbane waiting for me, while I am in Norway! At the other side of the planet! It's been a few weeks already, so it's getting closer, but I just want to know for sure. Now.

I can't wait to get started on my new life in Australia, even if the process is quite scary. I have to find a new job in Australia, and from what I can tell that might take some time. I also have some studies I need to finish up and really work hard on while looking for and getting this job. And then we want to find a new apartment, as the current living arrangements aren't ideal, and then I have to actually start my new LIFE in Australia. Even after living there for a year already, I have no idea what that's going to be like. It's very different when you know you might not go back "home" for a long time, and that this will be my new home. For ever? Hm. I just wish I could take all my family and friends with me!

I just have to suck it up, I guess, and try to endure these extra weeks. Although every minute feels like forever! What I love so much about Australia, you might ask? Well, if you have a look to the right column on top of my blog you can see that I've added a few photos (OK, a lot) from my first year in Brisbane - that most certainly make me miss the place! :) Enjoy!



2 comments:

  1. Hey Linda! I can totally relate to the anxiousness in wanting to know the visa status and getting on with your new life! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah, I can't wait to be back! It's so exciting thinking about it all! :)

    ReplyDelete