I need some advice on this issue and would appreciate being pointed in the right direction so that I have my facts and figures straight.

I have been approached by a friend in South Africa whose mother is desperate to get into the UK. The mother is wanting to get an ancestral visa before the window of opportunity closes on this (as has been reported). However I have been informed that she needs to have documentation to take to the Embassy/Consulate in Pretoria stating that she has employment in the UK (company, position and income stated in letter).

I run a small company here in England and my friend has asked if it would be possible to put together a letter for her mother to present to the British authorities on behalf of the organisation I run that will facilitate her acquiring a visa for the UK.

I think it might be important to mention at this point, that I will not be employing this person, nor providing for her. She just needs something official to present to British immigration so that she can obtain a visa. She will look for employment on her own merits when/if she gets to England.

I have not given my agreement to this, however, I said that I would look into the matter and come back to her with an answer. There are a few questions that have been raised in my mind that I would like some help with.

1. Is guarantee of employment required for an ancestral visa?
2. What are the implications for me and my small organisation if a letter is presented to the British authorities?
3. Will the British authorities follow this up and want to see legal documentation that this person is employed and drawing income from my organisation?
4. Am I in fact sponsoring this person to come into the country? Do I need to show evidence of the fact that I will be responsible for this person's health insurance, housing situation, pension, etc, in the event that she cannot provide for herself and won't be a burden to the state?

my baba decided to let us see...

we're having a :daisy: babygirl!!! :daisy:

bit of a shock.... seriously thought i was having a wee boy!!!

My personal views on moving to NZ and Oz!!!

New Zealand would be my first choice if I was not looking at things very practically. In general I liked the Kiwis very much, and NZ to me is the most beautiful country in the World I have visited (not including Africa). I have visited or lived and worked in over 50 countries around the World (every continent except South America, when I make this statement).

Down side one is the similar weather, day/night conditions we have here in Europe. Which if I have a choice on my next move, I would like to consider better weather.

Down side two with both NZ and Australia, is that they are so far away from everywhere except Asia.

When I was in NZ in 1999, the economy was not the best and employment was not that easy. Hence many Kiwis work in Oz or somewhere on the Pacific Islands. When doing some enquiries about the economy this year, it seems to have improved, growing and stable.

In the first two years of living in NZ, you could experience a sceptical attitude from the Kiwis. This being that many Saffers who cannot get directly into Oz, use NZ citizenship only as their stepping stone for getting to Oz. They despise those that that are just there for their passports. So needless to say they are waiting to see what you do after you get your citizenship, before they accept you 100%.

If I was NOT going to let the weather influence my decision, I would live in Christchurch on the South Island yesterday.

Australia: I have recently returned from a month visit there. Have two brothers who live there in North Sydney, and have visited a few times previously. A brother living in London and hoping to move to Brisbane. Although he has a franchise offer in Darwin, and SIL has a great job offer in Carnes (she specializes in teaching children with dyslexia.

Which makes me believe, that is your city/area of choice actually, not more influenced by where you can get a good job within your field/qualification?

Question about finding work? I believe one can always find a job anywhere in the World, if you really want to work. I worked for Spur Steak Ranches for many years in SA. When I decided I wanted to live in Edinburgh, my first job was cleaning toilets and showers/bathrooms. That filled the gap until I got a proper job (job I was qualified for and paid rather differently) working for Scottish and New Castle Breweries.

So work in my books, is always there if one is prepared to bend one's back and dirty one's hands.

Australia is massive as we all know, and therefore offers every type of weather condition environment to suit all. My advice is to take a map and run the same latitude line from where you live/ed in Southern Africa across to Australia. Now look at the cities it crosses, if you would like to compare a place that should suit your weather preference. E.g. the line from Cape Town runs through Perth, Adelaide and Sydney basically. So if you take a city like Melbourne that is a bit more south, realize colder and shorter days than in CT.

Adelaide, to me is like the Bloemfontein of South Africa. Lovely, but behind the rest of the country and also a bit out of touch with other cities (although nothing compared to Perth when you talk about out of touch). Yes it does have quiet a bit of German influence in certain towns (which I love). I also know two families that went there first, as the State helps you in a big way. So for those with not enough points etc and need help, it is a great stepping stone to your citizenship. Tasmania also offers similar help, but I would rather go to South Australia.

They calculate on a % staying there, once their two year (I think it is 2 years) agreement period is up. Of the two families I know, one still lives there and the other moved to Melbourne. A teacher I knew who went to Hobart on that help program, strangely enough now lives in Adelaide (as her Oz husband is from there).

Any new countries, like NZ, Australia, SA or USA that are mostly made up of ex-European immigrants. All have very little exclusive culture, but a mixture of things they adopted. The biggest culture (unfortunately) is the Americanization of the world, which comes through TV, movies, teen clothing culture, fast food and and..... So culture is a very debateable word to be used when referring to a New World country (500/300 years old), in my opinion.

I prefer to use the wording "Our Southern Hemisphere Lifestyle", that we all love and miss sooooo much. Yes, our lifestyle from Southern Africa is very similar to the lifestyle in NZ and Australia. That is why so many do or would like to settle there. As it is the easiest adaption, and a better/similar lifestyle for our children to grow up in.

Sydney and Melbourne are both lovely cities, but again both too big for my liking. I would choose to live 100km south or north of Sydney on the coast if I had the choice one day.

I hope some of my personal views here, will help you with some decisions and feel more secure in your decision to move to Australia. Australia is always my first country of choice, (and for most South Africans) when I am asked for an opinion on where they/one should move to if they could choose.

But for me right now, I have NO intention of leaving Germany and love living in Western Europe.
:luck:

I received this email from our IT guy this morning...

Microsoft has just issued an urgent fix to a problem with the windows operating system. Everyone needs to be sure their Windows is update or you risk having some very nasty things happen to your machine.

To update your windows, go to Start --> Programs --> Windows Update. Follow the instructions and make sure all of the critical updates are installed

Anyone want to choose a country we can find a book based in ?

Italy did not seem to have been a popular choice, so perhaps anyone who said they were interest last year might want to choose the next destination !

Here is wishing EVERYONE a happy New Year !!!

Hope that we can read some books together again this year -

Did anyone get any new books for Christmas ?

I got Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by John Grogan

"Oh my. I don't think I've ever seen anything so cute in my life." Thus author Grogan's wife sealed their fate when they "just went to look" at a litter of Labrador retriever puppies and ended up picking out Marley. Maybe their first clue should have been that the breeder had discounted the price on their puppy, or when they saw his father charging out of the woods covered in mud with a crazed but joyous look in his eye. Despite these portents, Marley entered their lives, and nothing was ever the same again. Between careening through screen doors and swallowing everything that would fit in his mouth, Marley also managed to comfort these two when they miscarried their first child. Although Marley got kicked out of obedience training after he dragged the instructor across the parking lot and terrorized his pet sitter, he also landed a minor role in a straight-to-video movie. Marley, incorrigible though he was, had inserted himself into the author's life in a way no normal dog could. A warm, friendly -memoir-with-dog.

And Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

Curtis Sittenfeld's poignant and occassionally angst-ridden debut novel Prep is the story of Lee Fiora, a South Bend, Indiana, teenager who wins a scholarship to the prestigious Ault school, an East Coast institution where "money was everywhere on campus, but it was usually invisible." As we follow Lee through boarding school, we witness firsthand the triumphs and tragedies that shape our heroine's coming-of-age. Yet while Sittenfeld may be a skilled storyteller, her real gift lies in her ability to expertly give voice to what is often described as the most alienating period in a young person's life: high school.

True to its genre, Prep is filled with boarding school stereotypes--from the alienated gay student to the picture perfect blond girl; the achingly earnest first-year English teacher and the dreamy star basketball player who never mentions the fact that he's Jewish. Lee's status as an outsider is further affirmed after her parents drive 18 hours in their beat-up Datsun to attend Parent's Weekend, where most of the kids "got trashed and ended up skinny-dipping in the indoor pool" at their parents' fancy hotel. Yet even as the weekend deteriorates into disaster and ends with a heartbreaking slap across the face, Sittenfeld never blames or excuses anyone; rather, she simply incorporates the experience into Lee's sense of self. ("How was I supposed to understand, when I applied at the age of thirteen, that you have your whole life to leave your family?")

By the time Lee graduates from Ault, some readers may tire of her constant worrying and self-doubting obsessions. However, every time we feel close to giving up on her, Sittenfeld reels us back in and makes us root for Lee. In doing so, perhaps we are rooting for every high school student who's ever wanted nothing more than to belong.

Both quite different - found them all on an American bestseller site - and wanted something different.

Miskien is die probleem met al ons nuwejaarsbesluite dat ons te moeilike uitdagings aan onsself stel. Ons wil die onmoontlike regkry. Dan is ons moed klaar gebreek voordat ons nog begin het. Miskien moet ons kleiner, meer realistiese, doelwitte vir onsself stel. En dit moet lekker doelwitte wees! Kies om hierdie jaar iets te doen wat jou eie lewe en dié van ander rondom jou gelukkiger gaan maak. Kies doelwitte wat God se heerlikheid sal weerkaats deur doodgewone dinge wat jy elke dag doen (Kolossense 3:17).

Wat van ‘n doodgewone voorneme om van nou af minstens een keer elke dag lekker te lag? Of om een keer per week met iemand koffie te drink? Is dit te veel gevra om net vir een ander persoon elke dag te bid? Of om een keer per week iemand wat swaarkry te bel en te sê jy dink aan hom of haar? Of om gereeld in die geheim ‘n addisionele geldjie aan iemand in nood te gee? Strooi 2006 vol vreugde, die Here se soort. Jy kan nie die hele wêreld verander nie. Jy hoef ook nie, maar jy kan ongetwyfeld jou eie stukkie wêreld vroliker maak. Jy kan Die keuse is joune.


Vrede
Stephan Joubert

http://www.ekerk.co.za

Hello all

Seeing Cheffie's post made me think - perhaps I will get some replies to my current dilema...

My ex-husband is in SA and is not worth mentioning BUT... it seems I need his signature on passport application forms for my minor son's... despite having full custody - by SA standards the father (estranged or not) always has full guardianship!!

Apparently if I have a court order giving me full guardinship I dont need to go through the hassle of getting the father's signature... only question is which courts do I need to do this through - UK or SA... and if I use the UK courts will it stand up in SA?

Has anyone done this or know anyone I can spead with? I have sent an email to SA House asking the same question but am still waiting for a reply. The main reason I am hoping not to contact the ex is that the last time I needed a signature from him it took nearly 8 months and he had it witnessed wrong - voiding the whole document!!! We plan to travel in December and the boy's passports run out in June! HELP!!!!

bye for now
Samantha

Howzit all

Shortly I will have to do the whole citizenship thing.

I would like some advice (where possible with links etc) on the following:

(note - please make it idiot proof as I don't want to waste your time, and you mine )

Dual nationality? Steps etc required, time frames etc.

Citizenship (British)? Been on ILR for a year after WP for 4years. Steps to apply for this, time frame, costs etc.

British passport? Wait for the biometric ones? Steps to apply for the passport etc.

Any other relevant info I need?

Many thanks in advance for advice and help
G

SAMSUNG COLOUR TV

14" Colour Television
Remote Control
Product Code CI14Y42TS
14 inch Display
Cabinet Color - Silver
Excellent Condition - hardly used (guests only)

£70 or any offer - please call 07799624020 or email [email]hanley6 [at] aol.com[/email]

------------------------------------------------------------------------
3/4 Bed with storage in base and headboard.

Used but in good condition. Comes with headboard but can be used without. There are 4 storage drawers in the base of the bed and the bed is on wheels for easy moving.

£35 or any offer - please call 07799624020 or email [email]hanley6 [at] aol.com[/email]

------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993 BMW 518 I SE RED - GOOD PRICE!!!
EXCELLENT CONDITION - 3 OWNERS FROM NEW

Manufacturer: BMW Condition: Used
Model: 5 Series
Number of Previous Owners: 3
Type: Saloon Number of Doors: 4
Engine Size: 1,796 cc
Mileage: 110000
Model Year: 1993
MOT Expiration Date: Jun 2006
Date of 1st Registration: 01 Aug 1993
Road Tax: 4 Months Remaining
Colour: Red
V5 Registration Document: Present
Metallic Paint: Yes
Transmission: Manual Right-hand drive/Left-hand drive: Right-hand
Options: Alarm, Alloy Wheels, AM/FM Stereo, Cassette Player, Catalytic Converter, Central Locking, Electric Windows, Power-assisted Steering (PAS), Sunroof Safety Features: Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), Immobiliser, Rear seat belts
Fuel: Petrol

£2500 or any offer - please call 07799624020 or email [email]hanley6 [at] aol.com[/email]


Car located in Surrey - can possibly arrange meeting/delivery


edit: admin changed email to avoid being picked up by spam robots