WJBooth

Hey everyone,
i'm going to apply for a spouse visa to Australia with my Australian girlfriend. Unfortunately she's had to return due to family problems and i cant go over until end of November because of work commitments.
Should i wait to apply for the visa until I'm in the country (which will be on a tourist visa) or should i apply from here before i go - i'm worried by the fact that we're not together.
also is there anything i could do to speed up the process, is there a particular type of police check/medical certificate i should get?
has anyone been in my situation before? any information advice would be really appreciated

William

JAJ

Have you got 12 months of co-habitation? (which you'll need if you're not married). Temporary separation is not always a show-stopper but will make things more complex.

You're not supposed to try to move to Australia as a tourist and all kinds of problems can arise if you try this.

Are you planning to get married? If so, a fiance visa might be the right option instead.

Yes, you will need police checks and medicals.

Consider getting professional assistance. Ian Harrop is a good option in the UK: http://www.ianharrop.co.uk

sid_s

I know that in order to apply for a defacto spouse visa you have to live together for the 12 months immediately prior to your application. The idea of this visa is that you have to prove that you are effectively married, but that would be hard to do if you live in different countries.

The prospective marriage visa would allow you to live in Oz for 9 months before getting married.

Pollyana

Almost true, but not quite there - it gives you 9 months in which to move to Aus, get married, and apply for the spouse visa itself

WJBooth

"Have you got 12 months of co-habitation? (which you'll need if you're not married). Temporary separation is not always a show-stopper but will make things more complex."


we've been together 15 months and have documents to prove it. due you think that it would be a problem to apply while im in the country on a tourist visa?

Wilso16

I've read somewhere that you are not allowed to enter the country on tourist visa and then try and obtain a permenant visa - causes all sorts of hassles.
If you have been together for longer than 12 months and have loads of proof that you have lived together and are in a "defacto" relationship then you should try for it over here - you should also add in any letters/itemised telephone bills/emails to prove that you are in contact constantly.
The spouse visa's are usually a lot quicker to be processed and you should front load your medicals and your police check. You can find the list of doctors on the www.immi.gov.au website.