shelld81

My god I'm getting so nervous I know how you feel! We are taking ours down to London Monday next week I'm soooooo scared! I figure the same thing, if you overload them with so much information (as long as it's relevant) then hopefully they won't waste time asking for more stuff. I'm dreading them reading all our letters from each other when we were apart it's so embarrassing, and the language is terrible! The best of luck to you

PS Does anyone know if you are allowed to hand the visa in, or do you have to post it?

JBlokeUK

You can do either, im going to be submitting my application for a prospective marriage visa by hand to Australia House in London at the end of June

shelld81

Nerve racking isn't it? We've been working on this for so long and I just KNOW there's nothing else I can put in it, but I still keep panicking that I've missed something. Cheers for letting me know, I've heard it can be hard to get into the building with anything at all (like bags and wallets and stuff) but I don't know any details. I'll let you know how it goes anyway, we're heading down on Monday and should be handing it in Tuesday. Might just give them a ring first and ask all the questions. EEK!

donovandenese

we were told by Aus House that they prefer you to post the application by special delivery, rather than hand deliver. we sent ours that way and we knew it had arrived as they take the money off your card the same day they get it.

I read earlier on this thread that one person who went in with a pile of evidence was handed a large amount back without them even looking at it!

shelld81

Wow thanks for that, I wasn't sure how we'd go. I guess it sounds better to post it although I don't feel safe sending all that stuff through the post! I know you go registered mail but it's still kinda scary. Has anyone else had to hand in any letters to and from their partner that are just SO embarrassing? We spent a lot of time apart after we first met and our letters and emails are just SO graphic! And they all are, it's not like we can just weed out a few safe ones. One thing I have done is just printed off a few of the slightly less awful ones and included copies of the list of emails received in the account. If that makes sense. It kind of shows how many we sent each other without giving them every horrible email to read. Aaaaahhhh!

shelld81

Just in case it helps anyone, I've written a cover letter for our application today and this is what it says:

To Whom It May Concern:

This is our application for a Provisional Spouse Visa 309. We are applying for this visa for Oliver to return to Australia as my spouse.

Included in this application are:

● Form 47SP (including four photos of the applicant)
● Form 40SP (including two photos of the sponsor)
● Certified copy of applicant’s birth certificate and passport
● Certified copy of sponsor’s passport and driver’s licence
● Police checks from both the UK and Australia
● Form 80
● Written statements from applicant and sponsor detailing the history of our relationship
● Evidence that our relationship is genuine and continuing:

▪ The Financial Aspect:
- Sharing of finances (sharing payments of flights and travel insurance for joint holidays)
- Joint liabilities (joint car insurance, joint vehicle repair receipts)
- Joint bank accounts, Australia and the UK
▪ The Nature of the Household:
- Statement on distribution of responsibility for housework
- Joint rental lease for our house in Australia
- Statement from Oliver’s parents to show that we have been living here as a couple since arriving in the UK
- Correspondence addressed to both of us at the same address (Australia and England), and correspondence to each of us separately at the same address during the same period of time
▪ The Social Context:
- Letters from family and friends, addressed/written to both of us
- Cards for special occasions, written to both of us, or each of us separately by mutual friends
- Photos of holidays/events spent together, time spent with mutual friends, and special occasions spent with each other’s families such as Christmas and leaving parties
- Copy of Shelley’s Australian Tax Return (2006-2007) where we have declared our relationship to the Australian Tax Office
- Six Statutory Declarations from family and friends in Australia
- Three statements from family and friends in the UK
▪ The Nature of Our Commitment to Each Other:
- A list of all the emails we sent to each other during the time we spent apart
- Copies of some of the emails we sent to each other during time apart
- Letters (including as many envelopes as we have kept) to and from each other


Please note that all medical checks have been completed and have been sent on to you. If there is any further information that you require, please let us know and we will provide it

jutang

Hi,

Did you include your wedding certs ? Or are you applying for an interdependent visa ? Soz dont know the visa's by their numbers.

bella.b

Thanks Shelld81!! Was just thinking earlier today about doing a covering letter so your letter is a great help!! Good luck with your application - fingers crossed!! I am posting mine recorded delivery on Friday so it will be a long weekend to wait for them to receive it! Cant wait to get it submitted however I can feel the nerves building already!!

cazw1405

Hi Estee

Great to see things are moving along! I bet you are so stressed

I am sure it will all be fine for you though! Did you go in and see them or was it over the phone?

I have everything still crossed for you! you can breathe a big sigh of relief in a few days!!

Love and best wishes, Caz x

esteeandrew

Hi Caz

It was over the phone, the whole thing took about 10 - 15 minutes. Can't tell you how nervous I was!

We are hoping for GOOD news this week!!!! My nerves are non exsistant at this stage...

Will keep you updated.

PS - Have you add me on facebook yet?

shelld81

Hey Jutang, no wedding certs for us, we're not married yet. We're going for the defacto spouse visa, only found out the subclass because of stupid form questions that expect us to know what we're doing Instead of providing wedding certs we have to prove that we've lived together as a defacto couple for a minimum of 12 months (we've done two years). Have decided to post our application down either tomorrow or Friday, as soon as we have it finished. Sounds too risky to take it down in person and the number they told us to phone at Australia House just buzzes at us!

Wish us luck pleeeeeeaaaaaase!

shelld81

Will keep everything crossed for you Bella, looks like we'll be posting at the same time so we can panic together! I just have to keep reminding myself that ANYTHING IS NORMAL. If they don't contact me, that's normal and if they contact me the next day then that's normal too. So scared...

SillyOldBag

I was planning to take my application in to London as I lived fairly locally but phoned them first to check it was ok. They advised me that there are frequently long queues there and the office is only open for limited hours - they highly recommended that I post the application. I decided to take their advice and posted the application Royal Mail Special Delivery - it didn't cost nearly as much as I thought bearing in mind it was a thick wadge of papers and was guaranteed next day delivery by noon I think or I might have gone for 9am delivery and you can check online to see that it has been received, they give you a code number. I hated handing it over to the post office, it felt really strange - its so precious and been the focus of my attention for so long!
In my case I heard exactly one week after they received it asking for another document which was dealt with immediately and then exactly a week later the visa grant email was received.

moneypenny20

OK people. I've closed this thread for several reasons. First off it was started as a way for people applying for spouse visas to chat and has developed into a satellite immi thread in The Barbie. Secondly, there is a few bits of duff info here which can confuse people. Thirdly people are being directed to this thread from the Immi site and they are being told everything they need to know is here - it's a huge thread with mountains of general chit chat and a new person will never find the info required. Fourthly, we have the immi forum for immi queries. The Barbie is not the right place.

Feel free to start threads to chat or tell each other how it's going, but please leave the Immigration Facts to the Immigration Forum.