Exempt Vignette

[doctorj]

Thanks for all the information, I know first hand of many people that have been helped by people on this forum.

I'm an Australian who is currently in the UK on a WHV. I was fortunate enough to recently receive a job offer from an organisation that under the immigration act is exempt from UK immigration. They've advised me to apply for an 'exempt vignette' before starting.

HR advise that usual practice is to return to ones home country (Australia) and apply there. For personal reasons (time, money, gf etc) I'd like to do it somewhere closer to the UK. I've spoken to the home office and they've told me that there's nothing stopping me from applying from a nearby country. I'm a little bit sceptical - as we all know visas and immigration is a fickle process, so I'm hoping to tap in to everyone's experience here.

(i) Has anyone successfully applied for an exempt vignette in a country other than one they're a citizen of?
(ii) How long did it take?
(iii) I have some flexibility with where to apply. Can anyone recommend a country somewhere this side of Austria that is likely to be quick? I had heard that applications were pretty efficient in Poland.

Thanks in advance.