When typing a full path in the VFS Browser open dialog filename, completion does expand the path, but still searches for files in the old directory.
org.gjt.sp.jedit.browser.VFSFileNameField.doComplete(String) calls TaskManager.waitForIoTasks() to no effect apparently.
Steps to reproduce:
prepare files
cd ~
touch a_test
cd /tmp
touch a.txt
in jEdit,
File > Open (navigate to home directory if not already there)
type /tmp/a in filename
press TAB
see that the filename is now /home/youruser/a_test and not /tmp/a