News & Updates

Autumn is on it’s way, it’s getting dark earlier, and it’ll soon be Christmas! Well ok, it’s still about 14 or so weeks until Santa uses the chimney as a door, but it’ll soon be getting much colder! On the upside though, at least we won the Ashes in the Cricket!!

Recently we spent almost 2 weeks on the road, being in Sheffield for a day or so, and then Glasgow for the remainder of the time. It gets very wet and windy in Glasgow, and it wasn’t too warm - you actually have to wear a jacket half the time in August! I managed to get a short trip to Edinburgh one day when Dawn was working, and also saw parts of Glasgow that I hadn’t before. Check out our Photos section for a few pics I took!

On Saturday we both spent the day in London - Dawn at an interview, me just wandering about - catching random tube trains and buses! Currently Dawn is waiting to hear from a couple of labs in London, and one of the Glasgow labs which may be opening a lab in London. So maybe we’ll end up in London - or if that doesn’t work, maybe we’ll look at something else.

I’m hoping to send off my visa application in the next week so maybe we’ll end up downunder at some point soon. As you can tell, things are still very much up in the air here!!

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The process for my Australian spouse visa has officially got underway now! Just a short while ago I went through the medical required by Australian immigration, which included x-ray, blood test, and general prodding here and there.

It wasn’t such an ordeal as I thought it was going to be, though it was the first time I’ve had blood taken from me. After getting there early I was in and out within 40 minutes - and now have a slight bruise and plaster (band-aid) on my right arm!

Things for the application are generally coming together now - a few more pieces of evidence to get, and then hopefully in a few weeks time it can all go to the High Commission in London. The clinic I had the tests today will send the forms straight to London in a couple of weeks when the blood test comes back. I’ve also found a forum recently with people who are applying or have applied for Australian immigration - in some parts helpful regarding evidence, in other parts not helpful as some people who reply to posts aren’t totally clued up on all the requirements, and ins and outs of it all. (I’ve spent a lot of time looking over the DIMIA website in great detail, like I did with the IND website for Dawn’s UK visa)

No news on the job front from either of us just yet. We’re hoping to see a show in London tomorrow - the tickets were given to us as a wedding present. A friend from uni, Elliott, is playing drums in the band for the show! Hopefully we can still get there with the recent additional developments on happenings in our capital.

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This morning Dawn & I got up ridiculously early (before 6am!) to get over to the Home Office in Croydon. This was for Dawn to apply for her Missionary Visa to be switched to a Spouse Visa.

The big news is….Dawn is now officially a Temporary Resident of the UK!! Further leave to remain was granted, and Dawn has a brand new Residence Permit in her brand new Passport! We knew within an hour that the Home Office were to grant this visa, and it was a smooth ride all the way! We had all the documents they required (which wasn’t really loads) and no questioning or interviewing.

This all means that Dawn can now live and work in the UK for the next 2 years. In 2 years time, we fill out a different form and apply for permanent residency - and then hopefully dual citizenship soon after.

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Well, as you have already found from Rob it was not exactly ideal weather in Australia. However, since there is a terrible drought we shan’t complain, shall we Rob?

We had a great if rushed time in Australia, wish we had more time to see people but it was a bit of a whirlwind. It was good to finally visit the Sydney Opera house for the first time in my life! We even got to see the Sydney Symphony and the Sydney Ballet rehearsing. Awesome!

Spain was quite idyllic, weather started out a bit overcast but fined up and we had a great time. We visited a couple of villages up in the mountains as well as had a trip to Gibraltar which is a very bizarre place! The flamenco evening at the resort was also lots of fun. I think I put on heaps of weight from all the amazing food.

Now we are trying to get back to reality here in Britain. I have been looking to see whether there are many dental technician jobs here in England and the answer seems to be, not really. It’s early days, though, and I am not seriously looking since I don’t have a visa to work yet. The jobs that are advertised would take us further north and we are reluctant to make such a big move. We’ll just have to wait on the Lord and see where He leads!

Well, that’s about it for now. We will keep you posted on our next change of plans!

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