Australia here we come.

First of all apologies for not keeping up with blipfoto, we have been extremely busy. I knew the process of applying to emigrate would be stressful but I could never have dreamed just how stressful. The whole process has taken just a bout a year to the day. It began last October with the IELTS exam, then a few wait for the result, Superior English ablility! Yes, full points as far as the Visa application was concerned, that was only the beginning! Then came sorting out paperwork for the skills assessment. Finding 10 years worth of references, qualifications, payslips, banks details and was hard work as due to the recession I had been made redundant many times through companies going bust. I was then invited to a practical skills assessment in Blackburn on the 31st May , the assessment itself was workshop and classroom based for a full day. We were advised then we had to go away and complete a Level 2 emergency first aid course to finalise the assessment and send the certificate to Australia, then more waiting....
Success, I gained my OSTR (off shore training record). We could then lodge an expression of interest for a visa. An invitation to apply was returned pretty sharply! Bugger........ now what? Hundreds of documents certified by soloictors uploaded to the immigration and border patrol. There had been a massive backlog in the processing dept so at the start of June they were doing March....Aaaargh!
In the mean time were off to Edinburgh to complete Medicals for all four of us.
Clean bill of health....phew.
Sorry if this is boring but actually writing it down is helping me understand it all!
A couple of weeks ago were contacted by a visa case officer stating they needed 'more information'....S**t, I have no more....
Mrs P, dug and dug for P60's payslips etc......you need to prove your work history for 8 out of the last 10 years. They are not quick in responding to emails so it's a stressful wait!
Every emotion tore through us over the last few weeks, all throughout we have both been working and have sold the house, so if it we were to have the rug pulled out from under us now it would be hearbreaking.........
Friday the 12 of Sept I got up for work as normal, checked my e-mails religiously as I have done for months now for some news....a response! "Please send more information!" I could have puked....we physically can't provide any more. I went to work crest fallen, thinking possibly it may all be over....
Mrs P phoned my mobile around 8am, 'Are you sitting down?' she asked. Not waiting for a response there came whooping and hollering from my wife and boys..............they've only gone and said YES! Dumbstruck was an understatement! As I write this I think it has just started to sink in properly......
Things have been a whirlwind this week too, packing the house, booking removals, booking flights etc, still working! Friday was my last day.
Pickfords international are coming with a container for our house tomorrow so it will be living out of a suitcase for the next 10-14 weeks. Our flights are booked for the 20th October so there are a few goodbyes to say and a few journeys around the country to make.
I am going to make the effort to blip my last few weeks in Blighty and continue it when we reach Brisbane. fair play if you stuck through that!
Oh by the way, not one process was free...it's been wickedly expensive!