mark80

HI there,

This is my first post, so you might have to bare with me!

I basically would just like some idea as to how long these police checks really do take to come back. I sent my Australian Federal Police check off while I was still in Australia, just over a week ago. Im kinda worried about it, cos I sent the photocopies of identification, but they werent certified, but I was advised by the postal manager that they didnt need to be, because it didnt say that the had to be certified on the form. BUT, cos most of the visa apps say to get certified copies, its gots me thinking, should they have been certified!! Also, are there any ideas on how long it takes for the Australian police checks to get back to you in the uk?

Also any idea on how long the UK checks are taking to come back?

I am also looking into getting a migration agent to assist me with my application. I have found a place in Sydney called BeyderWellen & Co. Immigration Barristers and Solicitors. Has anyone ever dealt with them or heard about them etc? Also, it is a lot of money for an agent. I dont know even know whether it is worth me going through one or not. Im very worried about the whole thing and want to make sure I can get my visa the first time. I want to front-end load my application, as soon as possible so if anyone has any advice at all I would be very very grateful.

Realistically, its now 19th August, and im waiting on police checks coming back, and I have my medical next week, how long do you think it could be until I could have a spouse temporary visa in my passport?

I appreciate any help you can give,

Thanks,

Mark

cresta57

Hi Mark and welcome,

Uk police checks take approximately 40 working days but don't quote me on that!!!!!!!
As for agents this topic has been debated a million and one times on the forum. My suggestion would be to do a archive search, several migration agents do post on the forum and give wonderful advice, but there are members who have dealt with agencies that do not appear to give a good service.

Good luck
Debbie

steve-n-jo

How long is a piece of string Mark?

Police checks in the UK are supposed to be back within 40 days.

I got mine back in about 10 days, my hubbys took 10 days longer.

If you are going to use an agent, get one based where you will be for the majority of the time. We went with Go Matilda, we had a reccommend and liked the idea of offices in the UK and OZ. So far they have been excellent.

As we are still waiting for our Visas, some more experienced members of the forum will be able to help you on that.

Best of luck

Jo

PeteY

Give the police checks 35 days, and if they are not back by then, start chasing.

Its your statuatory right to have your police checks back WITHIN 40 days.

mark80

Hmmm,

It seems like its quite different in everyones case, which is understandable. Im asking really just so I can get an understading in my head of how long things may take.

I appreciate all of the answers I am getting, so thankyou for those.

Could anyone recommend an Agent in the UK, I've already looked into Go Matilda. Any other recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Mark

PeteY

I would recommend doing it yourself !

The spouse application is pretty simple, and you should'nt have any difficulties.

You will save a big old lump of cash...

Pete.

WannabeWallaby

I agree, save your money! The spouse visa is easy to apply for assuming you have all your ducks in a row already.....we applied in the States and had no problems and we didn't front load, hubby got his visa 6 months to the day we applied.

Good luck
Wannabe Wallaby

earlswood

Mark,

We had a quote from BeyderWellen & Co. Immigration Barristers and Solicitors and they turned out to be double what we have paid to George Lombard. His webiste is

http://www.austimmigration.com.au

and so far he has been really good.

Regards

Earlswood

cookies

I paid quite a lot of money to an agent who on the whole has done a good job. In hindsight, would I do the same.....probably not.

Most of the info you need you can research on the internet, and if you get anything wrong then DIMIA would tell you. My case waited for 11 months, before police and health checks where requested ,with the expertise of an agent to smooth everything through. A freind of mine, who has the same points and is in exactly the same occupation as me did the forms himself and got a response from DIMIA within 6 weeks for his police and health checks.

What doe this prove.....firstly, it can be done yourself, and secondly the timing is a bit of a lottery. The only diffreence with my appliation to my freinds is that I am going to Brisbane whislt he is going to Adelaide - not sure if this would have made a diffreence?

Steve

mark80

Firstly, thanks for all your answers.

I am very tempted to not use an agent and save myself some money. But at the same time I am worried I might not write my statement correctly, or I might not include the correct things in the application etc.

Let me explain my situation, I met my wife when I travelled Australia for 12 months. We knew each other before I went, as we met on the internet. I kept in touch with her for 4 years, and then finally met her in August 2001. Our relationship began in June 2002, then I had to go back to England in July!. She visited for 3 weeks in Novemeber. While apart we kept in touch almost everyday via the internet and then I went out for 6 months in Feb 2003, when we got married in July. Now I am back in England as my visa was stamped 8503! We lived together in Australia for more or less 6 months on a permanent basis when I was in Australia but we have spent a lot of apart due to me having to go back to England due to visa expiry. Will that affect us? Also, we paid for things jointly, but never had bills in both our names, as I couldnt do that due to not being able to work on my holiday visa etc. So Im worried about proving that our relationship is genuine, even though its as genuine as it can be!! Just worried about having to prove the financial side of the realtionship as we didnt have any bills in both our names etc So this is why Im thinking I might need an agent? Also, any ideas on roughly how much they can cost? And is it true they slow down your application time?

Any help appreciated!

Thanks.

cookies

If you are married I don't see a problem.....but then I am not an expert on this!

My agent cost £3000 - but I would not say they slowed my application down in general. Yes, they are effectively a middle man so there is no doubt they do add time. However, if they are efficient then, over the whole process, this extended time would amount to a few weeks in total. As I said before, the time element is a real lottery in as much when you submit your application compared with everybofy else, and the dates that the visa quotas are closed every year.

Hope this helps

Steve

Wilf

Here is my take on your situation for what it is worth.

You don't need an agent. Save your money for your future. You can ask all your questions on this forum and on the immigration section of this site and you will get them all answered, no matter how small or daft they seem to you. There are many helpful people on this site. As someome else said, if you do something wrong on your forms, they will be sent back to you and you just correct it. It is one of those things where once you have done it, you will wonder what all the fuss was about.

Regards your personal situation, why do you not just get some members of your wife's family who know you to write letters saying your marriage is all above board. Have you got any photos of you and her together from as far back as you can go? It would help if they had dates on the pictures, but if not then it doesn't matter all that much.

cazsue

I was in a similar position before I applied for my spouse temp visa.... had met my hubby on the internet... had a long distance relationship for 2 years before we married... visited each other five times before we married.

Basically I just sent in as much relevant information as possible, copies of emails sent to each other, copies of telephone bills (to show that we spoke on a daily basis), at least five statutory declarations from relatives and friends to say that they knew our relationship to be genuine, copies of photos of our joint holidays. We did actually open a joint account while I was visiting in Australia and enclosed copies of statements. We also enclosed a five page statement outlining our relationship. (This was done in diary form... i.e. dates of holidays... important events, shows of support etc).

You will be glad to hear that from the date of submitting our application it took only six weeks to grant it.

Hope this is of some help to you.

Best advice is the more evidence you can give the better.

Good luck

bondipom

No need for certified copies for the police check. I sent UK and Australian checks at the same time from the UK and got the Ozzie one back first!!!!

I just did the Ozzie again now I am applying for the final stage in OZ and it was back within 10 days of posting.

Best of luck

PS I didn't use an agent. I think agents are for border line cases and those with more money than time.

gottogo

We are also trying to do it ourselves and have managed to complete most of the visa forms. However, one requirement of the visa is for us to obtain a statutory declaration by two existing Oz residents, confirming they support our claim to be in an ongoing relationship. Does anyone know what is meant by a statutory declaration -is it just a signed letter or does it have to be witnessed etc?

Geoff