Passports
Aug 21st 2004, 9:43 am
#1
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Joined: Apr 2004
Location: scotland
Posts: 90
Passports
We received our visas in July and plan to go in November/December 2004. My partner and I (obviously) have our own passports with the visas in them. Due to the change in passport regulations some years ago, our youngest (5 year old) also has his own passport which expires in this month. (Why the hell they wanted new born babies to have a picture passport - other than to make money - I'll never know). Our other two kids are listed in my partners passport, which also has their visas.
We need to renew Jamies passport (he's the 5 year old), and I would prefer to get my other two (Cassie and Adam) their own passports. To top it all off, my partner wants to change her surname (to the same as mine, before any funny **** makes any suggestions) to avoid any confusion when we arrive and get settled.
What happens regarding the visas if we change our passports just now. Are we better to wait until we arrive in Oz before applying for individual passports, and if so, what happens to the visas held in the old passports?
As you can see my life is a bowl of spaghetti - any help/advise would be much apprecited
We need to renew Jamies passport (he's the 5 year old), and I would prefer to get my other two (Cassie and Adam) their own passports. To top it all off, my partner wants to change her surname (to the same as mine, before any funny **** makes any suggestions) to avoid any confusion when we arrive and get settled.
What happens regarding the visas if we change our passports just now. Are we better to wait until we arrive in Oz before applying for individual passports, and if so, what happens to the visas held in the old passports?
As you can see my life is a bowl of spaghetti - any help/advise would be much apprecited
Aug 21st 2004, 9:59 am
#2
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Joined: Jul 2004
Location: up north
Posts: 191
Re: Passports
I'm confused. I was told by Mlbonner (visa angel) that everyone on the application had to have their own individual passports before they can have a visa. Can someone clarify. I haver a 12 year old on mine, but based on the info I was given I have sent off for her own.
Sue
Sue
Aug 21st 2004, 10:05 am
#3
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Re: Passports
Obviously from our experience it is better that evryone has their own indivudual passport, but when we applied for pr, via an agent, this wasn't pointed out to us. The application was lodged with my partners passport details, which contained the names of two of our three kids, and when we approached the agent regarding this they said it was better to sit tight until the visas were granted. If you haven't applied for your visa yet or haven't sent off the form which requires your passport number, get individual passports now.
Aug 21st 2004, 11:06 am
#4
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Location: up north
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Re: Passports
I have already applied under the skilled Australian sponsored catagory. However, I did send a covering note saying I was applying for an individual passport for my daughter and would send them a copy of it as soon as I got it back. Must have known deep down she needed her own.
Aug 21st 2004, 11:26 am
#5
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Re: Passports
Originally Posted by sue_parker
I'm confused. I was told by Mlbonner (visa angel) that everyone on the application had to have their own individual passports before they can have a visa. Can someone clarify. I haver a 12 year old on mine, but based on the info I was given I have sent off for her own.
Sue
Sue
This is certainly something I have read on the immi.gov.au website and on this forum. I hope I didnt confuse you.
The 'visa angel' tag, was given to me by someone else
Hi Clandfam,
Its usually advised to apply for a passport in the country that you want it from (so in the UK for a British passport). The visas in the old passports, should still be valid in conjunction with your new passport, however apparently some checkin staff can get confused with this. It is possible to have your visa re-evidenced in a new passport, but I don't know how you'd go about this exactly (I'm sure your agent could advise). Also, if you search on the immigration forum, JAJ often answers questions on this and should be able to provide you with a lot of answers
Aug 21st 2004, 3:03 pm
#6
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Posts: 34,649
Re: Passports
Originally Posted by mlbonner
Hi Sue
This is certainly something I have read on the immi.gov.au website and on this forum. I hope I didnt confuse you.
This is certainly something I have read on the immi.gov.au website and on this forum. I hope I didnt confuse you.
Hi Clandfam,
Its usually advised to apply for a passport in the country that you want it from (so in the UK for a British passport). The visas in the old passports, should still be valid in conjunction with your new passport, however apparently some checkin staff can get confused with this. It is possible to have your visa re-evidenced in a new passport, but I don't know how you'd go about this exactly (I'm sure your agent could advise). Also, if you search on the immigration forum, JAJ often answers questions on this and should be able to provide you with a lot of answers
Its usually advised to apply for a passport in the country that you want it from (so in the UK for a British passport). The visas in the old passports, should still be valid in conjunction with your new passport, however apparently some checkin staff can get confused with this. It is possible to have your visa re-evidenced in a new passport, but I don't know how you'd go about this exactly (I'm sure your agent could advise). Also, if you search on the immigration forum, JAJ often answers questions on this and should be able to provide you with a lot of answers
However, getting new visas stamped can be a problem. It's not always possible to get new printed visa labels.
DIMIA can always do a handwritten visa label but that will also cause delays entering and leaving Australia, and may well confuse check-in staff even more.
The only option is to approach the nearest DIMIA office offshore and see what they can do.
I am constantly saying to people here that if you want a simple life, make sure all family members have their own, up to date passports *before* having any visas stamped in them.
Jeremy
Aug 21st 2004, 5:33 pm
#7
In Brisbane at last!!!
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 589
Re: Passports
[QUOTE=JAJ]It's not necessary for children to have their own passports as far as DIMIA is concerned, to the best of my knowledge.
Hi Jeremy,
When we recently received a phonecall from the AHC regarding my husbands spouse visa being granted, she asked my husband whether our son had his own passport and when he replied that he does have his own, she responded - 'good because you would have had to get one for him otherwise, before sending the pasports for the visa labels'.
I got the impression a child had to have their own possport now due to this.
Shell
Hi Jeremy,
When we recently received a phonecall from the AHC regarding my husbands spouse visa being granted, she asked my husband whether our son had his own passport and when he replied that he does have his own, she responded - 'good because you would have had to get one for him otherwise, before sending the pasports for the visa labels'.
I got the impression a child had to have their own possport now due to this.
Shell
Aug 21st 2004, 8:43 pm
#8
Retired
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 34,649
Re: Passports
[QUOTE=shecha]
That not what DIMIA's official policy on travel documents says, unless they have changed it *very* recently.
-----
... Most countries, including Australia, now issue passports on a one-person, one-passport basis. However, some countries still issue family group passports, which may cover, for example, a husband and/or wife and children or two or more siblings.
3.2.3
Validity may be restricted in some way, such as only the principal holder being permitted to travel independently or all persons being required to travel together.
3.2.4
Visas may be evidenced in family passports, provided the visa does not grant travel or stay permission in conflict with any restrictions expressed by the passport issuing authority.
3.2.5
For entry purposes, Australia accepts dependants on such passports only when accompanied by the principal holder. Visas should not be evidenced to dependants included on a family group passport who intend to travel alone.
----
Having said that, some DIMIA offices may have their own 'local' policies on minor issues like this. And as I've already mentioned, it's *advisable* for a variety of reasons to get children their own passports before getting visas stamped, unless you enjoy the prospect of administrative hassles later on.
Jeremy
Originally Posted by JAJ
It's not necessary for children to have their own passports as far as DIMIA is concerned, to the best of my knowledge.
Hi Jeremy,
When we recently received a phonecall from the AHC regarding my husbands spouse visa being granted, she asked my husband whether our son had his own passport and when he replied that he does have his own, she responded - 'good because you would have had to get one for him otherwise, before sending the pasports for the visa labels'.
I got the impression a child had to have their own possport now due to this.
Shell
Hi Jeremy,
When we recently received a phonecall from the AHC regarding my husbands spouse visa being granted, she asked my husband whether our son had his own passport and when he replied that he does have his own, she responded - 'good because you would have had to get one for him otherwise, before sending the pasports for the visa labels'.
I got the impression a child had to have their own possport now due to this.
Shell
-----
... Most countries, including Australia, now issue passports on a one-person, one-passport basis. However, some countries still issue family group passports, which may cover, for example, a husband and/or wife and children or two or more siblings.
3.2.3
Validity may be restricted in some way, such as only the principal holder being permitted to travel independently or all persons being required to travel together.
3.2.4
Visas may be evidenced in family passports, provided the visa does not grant travel or stay permission in conflict with any restrictions expressed by the passport issuing authority.
3.2.5
For entry purposes, Australia accepts dependants on such passports only when accompanied by the principal holder. Visas should not be evidenced to dependants included on a family group passport who intend to travel alone.
----
Having said that, some DIMIA offices may have their own 'local' policies on minor issues like this. And as I've already mentioned, it's *advisable* for a variety of reasons to get children their own passports before getting visas stamped, unless you enjoy the prospect of administrative hassles later on.
Jeremy
Last edited by JAJ; Aug 21st 2004 at 8:47 pm.
Aug 22nd 2004, 6:17 am
#9
In Brisbane at last!!!
Joined: Jul 2004
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 589
Re: Passports
Originally Posted by JAJ
That not what DIMIA's official policy on travel documents says, unless they have changed it *very* recently.
-----
... Most countries, including Australia, now issue passports on a one-person, one-passport basis. However, some countries still issue family group passports, which may cover, for example, a husband and/or wife and children or two or more siblings.
3.2.3
Validity may be restricted in some way, such as only the principal holder being permitted to travel independently or all persons being required to travel together.
3.2.4
Visas may be evidenced in family passports, provided the visa does not grant travel or stay permission in conflict with any restrictions expressed by the passport issuing authority.
3.2.5
For entry purposes, Australia accepts dependants on such passports only when accompanied by the principal holder. Visas should not be evidenced to dependants included on a family group passport who intend to travel alone.
----
Having said that, some DIMIA offices may have their own 'local' policies on minor issues like this. And as I've already mentioned, it's *advisable* for a variety of reasons to get children their own passports before getting visas stamped, unless you enjoy the prospect of administrative hassles later on.
Jeremy
-----
... Most countries, including Australia, now issue passports on a one-person, one-passport basis. However, some countries still issue family group passports, which may cover, for example, a husband and/or wife and children or two or more siblings.
3.2.3
Validity may be restricted in some way, such as only the principal holder being permitted to travel independently or all persons being required to travel together.
3.2.4
Visas may be evidenced in family passports, provided the visa does not grant travel or stay permission in conflict with any restrictions expressed by the passport issuing authority.
3.2.5
For entry purposes, Australia accepts dependants on such passports only when accompanied by the principal holder. Visas should not be evidenced to dependants included on a family group passport who intend to travel alone.
----
Having said that, some DIMIA offices may have their own 'local' policies on minor issues like this. And as I've already mentioned, it's *advisable* for a variety of reasons to get children their own passports before getting visas stamped, unless you enjoy the prospect of administrative hassles later on.
Jeremy
I thought about this a bit more and realised that if our son had not already had his own UK passport, he would probably been on my UK passport and not my husbands (children usually go on the mothers passport). As I am not 'emigrating' to Oz coz I have duel Oz/Uk Citizen, I have to travel there to live on an Oz passport and my husband (who has a spouse visa) and our son have to emigrate on UK passports (we haven't registered our son as an Oz Citizen yet).
So perhaps in our particular situation - this could be another reason why the AHC insisted our son have his own Uk passport???
Shell
