Baby Bee

Hi, long time since I have written and things have changed a lot and a little confusing now...

I'm aussie, partner Irish. We were apart for 8 months last year when I had to go back to oz from Ireland. We had applied for the partner visa which came thru last year. He entered Australia in May and vailidated it this year before the August cut off. We then got married in Aus in May and because of his job decided to try and make a go of things in Ireland. I was told by DIMIA before I left that there were no residency requirements and that if we were outside the country by the time they would be looking to review our case (2 years from application) there would be no hassles. I sent the offshore assessment team in Sydney details of our change of address to Ireland and a copy of our marriage cert but have heard nothing and don't know whether this is the most reliable way to keep them up to date with our details.

The thing that worries me is that we want to keep oz an option and were given the impression that we can, as long as our status doesn't change, although now I am reading about this 5 year stipulation and 2 years being there in that time etc and am confused. I would appreciate it if someone could spell it out a little. We don't want to lose the option of being able to go to Australia but I'm just worried about the timing. The visa was issued last year, so presumably we'd have to be out there by 2010, but I'm confused about this 2 year thing, and also who I should be sending all my documentation to seeing we are still offshore.

Please help!

Thanx

Baby Bee

Actually I just found some info which set it all out pretty clearly - that ideally we should be out there 3 years after the visa issue, so that gives us 2 years to play with. Phew. But still if anyone has any ideas about where I need to be sending my documents to, proof of our marriage etc would be grateful. We sent our initial application to the assessment team in London but not sure if we still go thru them or not as our case officer never seems to reply to our emails now that we have the thing granted

Pollyana

By the sound of it your partner is currently on the 2 year temp spouse visa. After 2 years DIMA will contact you with regard to turning this into a permanent residence visa, and you should have no hassles - as they have said - as long as you can prove that your rel'ship is continuing. The office in Sydney will contact you - thats why you ned to keep them updated with your address etc - but they probably won't be in touch until about a month before your partner's PR is due. The due date will be 2 years from the application for the temp visa - by the sounds of it that will have been May or June. You probably won't hear from DIMA until then, so make sure you update the Sydney office whenever you change your address.

The reason your case officer doesn't respond is because they don't need any contact from you until the two years is up, and even then you will almost certainly have a different one.
However, if the temp visa was granted by Sydney, make sure that all your updated details are sent to the Sydney office, in writing, quoting the visa number.
The form you need for this is - http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/929.pdf

Baby Bee

The visa was granted by the offshore assessment people in London, so that's why I'm concerned about who to keep updated on our status. I don't imagine things change too much regardless of the fact we are now married? Ta