SillyOldBag

Congratulations to you both and good luck with your move to Australia!!

I've still got the temp spouse and permanent spouse to do - one down, two to go!!

flodsfive

Thanks Denese,

I will do the extra notes. I should have sent of VISA application yesterday but got tied up at work. So Will do it today. fingers crossed it will come soon.

We need to be in Aus by Nov, because we have already bought a house, and want the dog to go through quarantine before it gets to hot.


Roll on Nov I hope

Bernieboy

Thats great news,all the very best

Rainydaze

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Thanks for keeping us other 'spousies' posted! Me and OH been waiting for about 5 weeks now, so hopefully not much longer...Hoping to goodness we get permanent visa too (together 7 years), cos really who would want the stress of it all again in another 2 years!

Good luck with your new life in Oz and let us know how you're getting on!

kyosho

Hi, I've just joined the forum and have already picked up some great tips (thanks for that!).

I recently married (just under three weeks) my fiance in Australia. I came back to UK (due to work requirements) but he is still in Australia. I want to apply for the spouse visa but am a little concerned over where I am supposed to be when applying for it. I've read different websites saying that married couples should be living together when applying for the spouse visa. We aren't living together at the moment. Also, I'm worried about how much evidence we need to provide for the continuing relationship part. We lived together in Melbourne for several months (i was over on a work holiday visa), but it was shared accommodation and cash in hand, all bills included. We have no proof that we lived together (apart from photos). I know for de facto you have to provide a fair bit of evidence. But what about married couples? All we seem to have are cards, emails, phone calls, trips over, letters but nothing substantial like shared utility bills, joint bank accounts.

Would it be more beneficial to go over there on an ETA, and then apply? Cos at least then we would be living together?

any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

AndyCCC

Thanks to everyone on here for all the useful info. Submitted my application rather later than planned so was nervous about possible delays, but it's gone through without a hitch.

Some points of experience to add to the knowledge on here:
* my credit card was debited on day of receipt but I received no acknowledgement or other communication until I received an email granting the visa 9 working days later
* I submitted on 26 June (delivered 27th) and there has been no problem with the "old-style" police check that I'd got in March
* my australian stat decs from wife's family were not accompanied by any proof of ID (they forgot to send them to me) - I also had 2 supporting statements from friends in the UK, but they were not witnessed
* I did supply form 80 with the application (and medical was sent in advance)

Presumably it was fairly straightforward as we've been married over 10 years and have a child. We didn't go overboard with evidence. We had:
Certified Personal Docs: applicant, spouse & child birth certs, marriage cert, child citizenship cert, applicant & spouse current passports all pages (only biog page certified), applicant previous passport (all pages as it included visits to Oz, only biog page certified), applicant first passport & child passport (biog pages only)
Financial: spouse payslip & last 2 P60s (as proof of ability to sponsor, also added short para on additional page about how we would support ourselves in Oz to the sponsorship form), applicant payslip, 2 x joint bank statements (one old, one recent, marked both pay & mortgage going through account), 2 x mortgage statements in joint names (one old, one recent), Australian bank and mortgage statements in joint names (recent), insurance policy in joint names (old), internet domain registration in joint names
Other supporting docs: 2 x joint holiday bookings (one old, one recent), wedding invite addresseed to both of us, formal invitation to both of us, Xmas letter to both of us, card to both of us, one page of 6 photos with dates

Not saying this will always be enough (might be too much) but I did worry after reading on here what others had sent that I might not have sent enough! Anyway, hope this extra info can help someone else in future

Andy

donovandenese

congrats on getting the visa!

SillyOldBag

Congratulations AndyCCC !! No matter how much we KNOW in our hearts and logical brain that there shouldn't be a problem, it's still a worrying time - the irrational thoughts creep in! Glad to see that you have got your visa sorted!!

medon

Hello,

I am in the process of applying for a de facto spouse visa, but am becoming worried after reading the evidence that other people have given.

My partner and I have been living together for almost two years but have always lived in shared accomodation where we shared a room. As such, we do not have bills in joint names (other than a council tax bill) nor de we have any mortgage agreements, joint bank accounts etc. We have a statutory declaration from our previous landlord saying that we rented the room as a couple and also a letter from our current landlord saying the flat was let on the basis of a couple and two others sharing, however I do not know if this will cause a problem. Has any one else applied in similar circumstances?

Thanks.

MelbourneCityRach

Hi there- yep, identical circumstances and we got our visa on Monday

My OH and I have never lived alone together, but have lived in a shared house for 2.5 years. We don't share bills as our rent is inclusive.

Our case officer asked us for bills sent to us separately, but showing we lived at the same address for the whole 2.5 years. It might be an idea to include these in your app.

We also had a shared car club membership and we opened a shared bank account for our move to Aus.

no big deal I think they recognise that modern couples have all kinds of different living/social/financial arrangements.

By the way - I've posted in a thread titled 'my turn - spouse visa success' our cover letter listing everything we provided - have a look if you think you would find it useful. Best of luck!

nervouswaitahead

Hi everyone,

We lodged a de facto spouse visa on 25th June, i'm in Aus and my O/H is in UK due to work. Anyway a few days after lodging we got half of our evidence sent back. Included were a few photos we had included, cards etc. Then got an email asking for more evidence for financial stuff. Problem is that bills in OZ can only be in one name, and because I'd previously been a customer I just put them all in my name.

Anyway have sent copies of bills in my name, showing the same address and also car insurance showing our names and a couple of other things. Been together over 4 years and have got nothing else I can think of to provide!

O/H went for medical yesterday and we're waiting on Australian police clearance so got no idea how long we're looking at to wait...please let it be soon!!

pixie_girl77

I'm officially starting to panic. I thought we had this all sorted out. We fly out in 8 days! I'm Canadian, but this site seems to have a lot more info and discussion.
I'm moving from Canada to Sydney with my boyfriend who is Australian. I had been told (by an immigration lawyer for the uni my bf has just been hired at) to apply for the defacto spouse visa once we are IN Australia, not before, and to travel in as a visitor (I got an ETA travel visa online already).
I didn't think we were doing anything dodgy, but after reading some posts, my main question now is do I tell customs that I'm planning on applying for the spouse visa while in OZ or do I pretend I'm just visiting? I only have a one way ticket so it's going to seem obvious I think.

I don't want to lie, but I don't want them to deny my entry if I tell them I'm planning on applying for residence. Anyone have advice?

Also, we ARE going to the USA in the Fall, so maybe that will work in our favour, I wouldn't have had a return ticket home anyway (although the USA ticket isn't booked yet - we weren't going to book until later).

I wonder if I can be honest and say I am arriving as a tourist for a few months to see if I like it, applying for a defacto spouse visa, then visiting the US and probably Canada for a week, then hopefully returning to OZ.

flodsfive

Hello Everyone,

Happy to say just got spouse visa today,

Really quick, very impressed. handed in a couple of weeks ago. got a request for med next day. they received meds yesterday and got it through today.

Brisbane here we come in Nov.


NB. I discussed with somebody (sorry I cannot remember who it was, Hopefully still subscribed) about being sponsor and not working in Aus, Well OH got visa and I did'nt have to prove I had a job in Aus. so I hope that answers that question.

Good Luck to everyone still waiting.

Rainydaze

Congratulations!! All the best for your new life in Oz ;-)

Chief1980

Hi all,

Been a long time observer of this forum and have asked and answered questions here before.

Well we finally did it. Our application for a PMV has been with London for 5 days now (incl weekend so 3 working days) and they took the processing fees out 2day!!! Never have I been so happy to see €900 go onto my CC.

What are ur feelings on this timeline so far, I know they are quick to take the cash but can be slow with the rest but I've chosen to take this as a good sign. What do ye think?

I'd love to hear from anyone who has gone through the PMV process before (especially recently) and ur thoughts on this timeline.

Thx.

Cian

I think we have been relatively proactive, frontloaded both Meds and Police Check and supplied ok evidence and 3 very good 888's [My Fiancee's Mother, boss (Company CEO who was also my boss) and her best friends.

Any input would be appreciated,