Paulkyville

Two bits of good news to report today! The first came through yesterday, with the arrival of my Police Certificate. This is a mandatory check you have to undergo to prove you don't have (or confirm you do) a criminal record. In my case it came back with the words "No Trace" emblazoned in the middle of the form. A quick read of the accompanying notes reveals this means that there is no trace of a criminal record for me in the Police National Computer. This is what I was expecting, of course! But knowing my luck there would be another Paulky out there with a similar date of birth or something who was banged up for an armed blag (I watch too many cop shows) and they had gotten the two confused. But for once everything has gone smoothly and my un - blemi shed record is confirmed by the boys in Blue! My other bit of good news comes from the Doctor, who confirms my second lung X-ray is normal so I am not dying of something horrible. Phew! So the AHC should get my medical in...

Yesterday was the day of the medical. Not one of my favourite things to do, but it had to be done, so off I went to a little place in London to probed and prodded! The AHC give you a list of approved doctor's, so you can't just roll up to your GP and ask for an MOT. No, you have to spend £160 to get a stranger who has no idea of your medical history to ask you a few questions during a 30 minute exam, on which the rest of your life depends. Hmm . So first they give me a little jar in a plastic bag, and I know what's coming next. Now, on the few occasions I've had to do this, I'm always in a quandary as to how much is enough; do you fill the whole thing, or just a little? Unlike previously, when the container has been very small and you have to be very precise with your aim, this was quite a generous sized receptacle and so my dilemma was increased. Just how much do they want? So I retreat to the little boy's room (though in this case it's the little girl...

So I've had time to digest what's required of me, and I have to make a (very expensive, I suspect) appointment with a doctor recommended by the Australian High Commission. This involves blood tests, X-Rays and other medical probings. Oh how I look forward to that. (That's sarcasm, by the way.) I also have to have Police checks carried out to make sure I am not some hardened criminal (which, as someone pointed out, used to be the only way to get in to Australia!). This costs me £35. And finally I have to provide further evidence that Mrs Paulky and I are a bona fide couple; this one enables me to skip the Temporary Residence visa and skip straight to Permanent, so it's worth doing. Just now have to gather together suitable evidence, which makes my decision to have a clear out last month of all old documents suddenly seem unwise... One good thing that all this clarifies is that, assuming I get the visa, I have to make a trip to Australia before the medical and p...

Well, strike what I said yesterday about my application being put into a big pile! Today I get an email for the Australian High Commission asking me to go for a radiological exam and a medical and to have my police checks done withing the next 28 days. I thought I might have to wait a couple of months for the request, so was a bit surprised by this. I also have to provide a bit more info on what Mrs P and I have been up to for the last five years. Still, a step in the right direction and a lot quicker than I had hoped! Will keep you posted!

Finally , after more than three months of planning and eight months since I stood on that beach, my application for permanent residency in Australia has been sent. Someone asked me recently if I was excited and the answer is no; my fate is now in the hands of others and I can't get excited until I get the official notification that they have granted my visa. Until then there will be much fretting! I still have medical checks and police checks to undertake and I may still be called for an interview. And there's always the possibility that I've missed something or done something wrong on the form an it all gets sent back. So keep your fingers, toes and any other appendages you may posses crossed for me please!