Sponsored Permanent Residency Visa 176

After some initial problems using a visa debit card (and having to 'borrow' a visa credit card instead), we (me, my wife and our two little boys) finally submitted our Australian visa application on the 11th, and received our TRN reference.

We also got a receipt for the £2,060 AU we just spent!

The visa we have applied for is a sponsored permanent residency visa (subclass 176), and will allow us to live and work anywhere in Australia.

Skilled – Sponsored (Migrant) visa (subclass 176)
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A permanent visa for people unable to meet the Skilled – Independent pass mark. Applicants must be either sponsored by an eligible relative living in Australia or nominated by a participating State or Territory government. Applicants must pass a points test lower than that for the Skilled – Independent visa.

As a permanent resident you are permitted to remain in Australia indefinitely. This visa also allows you to travel to and enter Australia for five (5) years from the date the visa is granted. The expiry of this visa does not affect your permanent resident status if you are in Australia. However, if you wish to continue to travel to and from Australia as a permanent resident after the initial visa has expired, you must obtain a Resident Return Visa (RRV). Your eligibility for an RRV will depend on the period that you have resided in Australia.

The points test pass mark for this visa is 100 points. If you score less than 80 points, your application will be refused. If you score at least 80 points but less than 100 points your application will be placed in a reserve pool.

I've followed this up by asking our Sydney relatives to fill in the online sponsorship form.

I also spent most of Tuesday night scanning and uploading documents to my online visa application. Checking off the document list there.