# After how long do you usually get assigned a case officer?



## tigris330 (Nov 10, 2010)

My partner and I are waiting on a state sponsorship application, and we will proceed to apply for a Visa 176 if we get a positive answer.
I have just read an article on DIAC priority processing for Australian visa applicants which says that we'd be better off getting our police checks and medical checks before we get a case officer assigned, as this would speed up the process. However, we would then have to make the move to Australia 12 months after the issue of those medical checks, which would make the move pretty tight if, say, we submitted the checks immediately with our application and then the visa took almost a year to be processed and granted.
So my question is this, considering that we'd be on priority processing 2, how long is the average time to be assigned a case officer? We would like to know this so we could take our chances and submit the check one month before this average. 
Any help or stories from personal or friends' experience stories would be greatly appreciated.
Denise


----------



## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Going from advice of a certain date re already submitted applications to deciding to submit the police/medicals with your application could get you into the difficulty you have identified. 
Times re appointment of case officers will always vary depending on how many applications are being received and how close to the end of a financial year it is and immigration numbers approved Vs budgetted number for the year.
It may well be that because of complexity seen by some people of past changes made to regulations and new changes scheduled for mid this year that applications are running below budgetted numbers and certainly some states have made getting sponsorship a little more demanding.
If that trend continues, it is quite possible that with a Priority #2, you could have a CO appointed within a month or two but if numbers go up as people get more used to the SMPs _[ for the states only started getting them in place in recent months ]_ you could be looking at anywhere between 2-4 months or longer.


----------



## tigris330 (Nov 10, 2010)

Thanks wanderer,

Another question: Here is an extract from the link I mentioned in my previous point: 'as we monitor the rate at which these cases are being allocated, we will be able to give you an indication as to when DIAC will be approaching your lodgement date. As a result, you will still benefit from a more efficient processing timescale from DIAC and you will have a significant period in which to make your first entry to Australia following the visa grant.'

Who can do this, i.e. tell you when your lodgment date is nearing?


----------



## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

You'll get some companies even telling you your feet will not get wet when wearing two feet high gumboots through three feet of water because they come with waterproof socks!
There can be variations between processing times of the same reasons for a number of reasons and if you want to attempt the ultimate finessing you could try such a company but all they will do is monitor applications they put forward re when a CO is allocated is probably what they mean by *" when DIAC will be approaching your lodgement date. "* which in itself is not a great use of terminology and makes me wonder who they could have working for them.
No company will have access to all applications and by themselves will handle only a very minute % of all applications given that more than 50% of applications are non agent anyway.
Immigration may from time to time put out a notice like they did when it may be of relevant value to people looking to get processing a month or two quicker.


----------



## dfakhry (Nov 25, 2010)

*My visa is not assigned to a case officer for 6 months now!*

Hi
I lodged my application last november. Till now, my case is not assigned to a case officer.
I tried sending zillions of emails to the addresses they provided for inquiries but i got no reply!
I tried calling them and the answer machine always say they experience technical problems and i have to get back to the subsite.
Mine is a skilled migrant visa class 175
i am applying from Cairo-EGypt
Please advice
Thank you
Dalia


----------



## tigris330 (Nov 10, 2010)

For 176 state sponsorshed it's looking good. We applied on the 21st of April 2011 and just got a case officer.


----------



## dfakhry (Nov 25, 2010)

tigris330 said:


> For 176 state sponsorshed it's looking good. We applied on the 21st of April 2011 and just got a case officer.


it has been 6 months now and no case officer!


----------



## dfakhry (Nov 25, 2010)

dfakhry said:


> it has been 6 months now and no case officer!


April 2011 is very near, or do u mean april 2010?


----------



## raysool (Sep 28, 2010)

dfakhry said:


> April 2011 is very near, or do u mean april 2010?


hi there,
* firstly concerning how to know the progress:
there is an E-mail address, you send a blank E-mail to this address and it will gives you the recent situation for all skilled processing visas.
these information is updated fortnightly (every 2 weeks), last update was May 6th, 2011, next update will be (god willing) May 20th, 2011.
the E-mail address is: [email protected] 
* secondly, for 176 state sponsored, case officers assigned now within 3-4 weeks from state sponsorship form date (form 1100) as declared by the reply for above mentioned E-Mail.
* last but not least, 175 & 176 Relative sponsored applications, they are now working on applications lodged by Jan 5th, 2010.
i guess that for the update in May 20th it will be about April or May 2010.

best regards to you all


----------



## tigris330 (Nov 10, 2010)

dfakhry said:


> April 2011 is very near, or do u mean april 2010?


Yes it's very near, but I really mean April 2011, not 2010. We have SS from Vic. We applied on the 21st of April. Vic sent form to immi one week later. We got a case officer 3 weeks later. I have heard similar stories from people who have recently applied for State sponsored 176


----------



## Lefteris (Oct 12, 2010)

In our case we applied on 3rd of February 2011 for a 176 Relative sponsored visa and on 18 of March we received an email from DIAC, which says that it is expected our case will be allocated to a case officer within three months from that letter! This means until 18th of June more or less. It seems that everything is going too fast!!!


----------



## sonanna (May 22, 2011)

I was assigned to a case officer 4 days after my application was lodge. I applied for a Spouse visa in Sydne NSW. But, my case officer wanted a new police check so I'm still waiting for the documents.


----------



## hjs (Apr 26, 2010)

I applied in August 2010 and still no CO !!!


----------

