lammetje

I want to apply for the partner visa (interdependent), but we don't meet the 12 month living together requiry yet. The Australian Embassy in Berlin won't give us the visa for that reason. They told us I can go with my partner to Australia on a tourist visa and then lodge an application in Australia, once we meet the 12 month criterium.

Now I read on this forum that Australian customs might send me right back if they find out I want to stay longer than 3 months.

If that is true, how can Berlin tell me to get the visa this way?

Does anyone have tips for me how to enter Australia, or what else to do?

My partner has to go back because her year's leave will end, so we cannot wait till we live together here for 12 months...

Barbara_CH

You can enter on a tourist visa but BE CAREFUL! They will ask you why you are coming to Australia and if you mention your future plans you can get yourself in deep shit.

How about a WHV?

I will send you a PM

Barbara

podgypossum

i entered Australia with just an ETA. My husband is a kiwi and i am English. I wasnt asked a thing when we entered Sydney, and was here 2mths before we put our PR application in. I am not saying it wil be the same for everybody, but i never had a single problem and i even put on my PR application that my current visa was only an ETA

lammetje

That sounds really good Podgypossum!

I am getting so confused. My partner has called the Australian immigration twice and heard two completely different stories. One told us we have to go to the customs desk, so once we apply for the visa we don't have to go offshore. The other person said no, no, don't do that, just go in and apply for a visa later...

The return date on my ticket is 8 months after my entering Australia. Will that get me into trouble? Does customs look at the return date printed on the ticket?

podgypossum

They didnt even look at my return ticket!!...

When when you make a PR application whilst onshore in Australia, you do NOT have to leave the country to validate it. We were under the impression we had to, but i was told by the manager of Adelaide processing department that we did not have to. This is correct as we were granted our visas 6 weeks ago and just went to their offices and had them put in over the counter.
We did not go to a customs desk, we just dowloaded application forms from the immigration website and sent the application in 2mths after arriving here.

lammetje

Your story is making me very happy!

So I'll go through customs with my poker face

What did you fill in on the card you get in the plane? Where they ask what the purpose of your stay is and how long you intend to stay?

podgypossum

gawwwd..i cant remember!!... but we had planned to go back together to NZ on the date of my return ticket if we didnt like it here, so i think i would probably have put i was on holiday, but i am not 100% sure. My husband hadnt bought a return ticket (but he didnt need to as he is a New Zealander), but they still didnt query anything.

JayDeee

Sorry but dont get too excited, I entered Australia on a whv with my Australian husband for a 6 week holiday, I filled in the landing card correctly stating that I was only there short term and I was pulled up by immigration, I had to prove that I was leaving and not intending on applying for PR once onshore. (I could do this as I was telling the truth). It all comes down to who looks at your passport etc on arrival, some people will let you go some wont

At the end of the day the decission is yours, It is illegal so in doing things that way you do risk no being allowed to apply for your visa full stop.

How far off the 12 months are you, can your partner not leave then re-enter on a tourist visa and not work? untill your 12 months is up?

JD

podgypossum

Illegal??!! :scared: :scared:

gawwd..i didnt know that..but how come i put down on my PR application that i was here on a ETA and no one said anything?

JayDeee

I think Its only illegal if you put on your landing card that you are there on a holiday and you actually intend on staying, If you were intending on goin on to NZ then you weren't actually being illegal. somethink like that anyway but I can say for certain that some people do get pulled up and they can give you the third degree, I was taken off to one side and had to prove everything.

podgypossum

oh dear...ahem...well..Lammetje....take absolutely no notice of anything i said!!!!!!

JayDeee

Have a look at this thread, JAJ has put some good information on this one

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...8&page=1&pp=15

podgypossum

Geeez!!..so i unwittingly could have got myself thrown out.... i innocently put on our PR application that i was here on a ETA! ...well...i think thats quite funny really. I even grassed myself up :scared:

JayDeee

at least it worked out in the end

lammetje

Lol! I won't Podgypossum


Thanks all, for the feedback. It is good to read of other experiences.

According to the guy in the other thread (btw, he is not by boyfriend :-) they will most likely grant a tourist visa which does not have the 8503 clause on it.

If I read it correct, most people who got pulled out by customs didn't enter on holiday visa's but on another one?

We will call Berlin again tomorrow and ask them what exactly we have to do, because they were the one that told us it was possible.