So I went to the Sydney visa office to submit a second package containing records from my recent visit to Canada. The lady behind the desk first just told me she'll add it to my file. I had to ask her if they still need more documents from me. Only then did she pull up my file on the computer and tell me they've got my medicals and police checks, but they want a traffic history record from the state of Victoria. I told her I never held an Australian driver's licence and VicRoads can't issue any records of me. She then told me to submit a statutory declaration form, signed by me and a justice of the peace, stating that fact.
This kinda ticked me off. Long before I submitted my application, I've asked what can be done about the traffic history record, but NOBODY mentioned a statutory declaration form. I had a back-and-forth with VicRoads, because the visa office first said that VicRoads can issue a document saying I've never had a licence, which is not true. In the end, I e-mailed VicRoads asking them to reply in an e-mail saying that they have no records of me. Which, nice people that they are, they did. So I forwarded that e-mail to the visa office. This was all before I submitted my application. They told me to wait until I've submitted and they've reviewed my case, and they will tell me if they need more documents.
I don't understand why, at that time, didn't anybody say anything about the statutory declaration form??? It would have been much easier for me and faster too, to just sign a statutory declaration form then, before submitting my application. But they only told me now, and only after I went there in person to ask. If I hadn't gone there, it would've caused delays in processing, as they realise it's missing, ask me to send it, I try to get it while I'm actually out of the country (which is almost impossible), all the while my application would've been just sitting there waiting. I'm so annoyed that they didn't ask me to get it before. Anyway, I managed to get it that very day because I was due to leave Australia the next day.
So the next day, I went back to the visa office to submit the statutory declaration and also a change of address form (which I already did online following the directions on their website but apparently didn't go through, so they would've sent everything to my old address and I wouldn't get any of their letters). She told me they have everything they need now, so that's good.
I asked her if she knew how much longer it would take, and she said it depends on the officer who will review my file. It could be 1-4 weeks. Which is great news for me. So despite their mistakes and delays, I left the office feeling pretty happy.
It would've been very different if I hadn't gone to the visa office and asked, though. So I'm just saying that it might be good for your application if you could visit the visa office to ask questions. People who work there might have different levels of knowledge, so you might get different answers for the same question.
This kinda ticked me off. Long before I submitted my application, I've asked what can be done about the traffic history record, but NOBODY mentioned a statutory declaration form. I had a back-and-forth with VicRoads, because the visa office first said that VicRoads can issue a document saying I've never had a licence, which is not true. In the end, I e-mailed VicRoads asking them to reply in an e-mail saying that they have no records of me. Which, nice people that they are, they did. So I forwarded that e-mail to the visa office. This was all before I submitted my application. They told me to wait until I've submitted and they've reviewed my case, and they will tell me if they need more documents.
I don't understand why, at that time, didn't anybody say anything about the statutory declaration form??? It would have been much easier for me and faster too, to just sign a statutory declaration form then, before submitting my application. But they only told me now, and only after I went there in person to ask. If I hadn't gone there, it would've caused delays in processing, as they realise it's missing, ask me to send it, I try to get it while I'm actually out of the country (which is almost impossible), all the while my application would've been just sitting there waiting. I'm so annoyed that they didn't ask me to get it before. Anyway, I managed to get it that very day because I was due to leave Australia the next day.
So the next day, I went back to the visa office to submit the statutory declaration and also a change of address form (which I already did online following the directions on their website but apparently didn't go through, so they would've sent everything to my old address and I wouldn't get any of their letters). She told me they have everything they need now, so that's good.
I asked her if she knew how much longer it would take, and she said it depends on the officer who will review my file. It could be 1-4 weeks. Which is great news for me. So despite their mistakes and delays, I left the office feeling pretty happy.
It would've been very different if I hadn't gone to the visa office and asked, though. So I'm just saying that it might be good for your application if you could visit the visa office to ask questions. People who work there might have different levels of knowledge, so you might get different answers for the same question.
