Rach25

Hey there, hubbie and I hand wrote our statements on 2 sides of lined A4 paper, we described how our relationship developed and the ways we share our lives. We didnt get it witnessed, just signed and dated them and they sounded quite similar! We got our visa last week.

Rach25

I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you!! It's an awful feeling but it won't be long.

JBlokeUK

Thanks Rach. Me and my fiancee first met in 2002 and was together for 7 months before she had to return to Australia, then we split and lost contact for 4 years, then we got back in contact and realized we both shared the same feelings for each other and always did, it's quite an amazing story, thats the short version!!

Will look to start writing my statement very soon, the sooner my application is submitted the better!

scor

Hi, quick question..

I NEED to get my visa application sent off on monday as my flight is on June 11th. All I need now is to get some photos and photocopies certified. I've called round all the local solicitors and none of them will do it for under 75 quid.. is this normal? Seems expensive for 5 minutes of signing documents...

Where did you guys get yours signed?

Kris_Rocks

Blimey that is expensive - my solicitor did me some cert copies for £4 per copy and if doing a bulk load just quoted an overall price which was cheaper still. Dont know if I got that price because I used to work for them or not though, but even so that does seem very expensive to me.
All he did was photocopy them, stamped them and signed them - only took a couple of minutes.

SillyOldBag

are you sure you need to get all the documents certified? We only had to get birth certificates, divorce decree, passport - I think that was it. Was charged about 10 pounds I think. The rest of the evidence didn't need to be certified, I just said the originals could be sent if they so wished, which they didn't!

Good luck with the application

JBlokeUK

Hi all,

Another quick question. Do I need to have a date set for my return to Brisbane included in my application for a Prospective Marriage Visa?

SillyOldBag

No you don't. I didn't book mine and my daughters flights back here til after the visa was granted. When the visa is granted you will be given a date for first entry and you then have to be married within 9 months of the date of grant of visa.

Good luck with it all - bet you can't wait to get back and get on with your new life!!

JBlokeUK

Thanks SillyOldBag, love the name by the way.

When you say given a date, do you mean your told an exact date as to when you have to leave the UK or a date that you have to be in Australia by?

I'm looking to submit my application at the end of June, wedding is booked for 31st Jan 09. How soon after the visa is granted are you given for first entry?

SillyOldBag

hehe - thanks - it makes me giggle when people have to call me SillyOldBag it sounds so impertinent! I'm a little kid at heart

You're given a date by which time you need to have entered Australia - you're also allowed to come and go from Australia although the expense of that means its not really all that likely to happen for most of us! Most people seem to be given months for first entry - for some reason mine was only just over a couple of months, but it might have tied in with my wedding date.

Its a strange feeling when you finally relinquish your application that you've spent weeks/months preparing into someone else's hands, and then its so great when the visa grant arrives!

shelld81

Just to confirm this, for anyone else who's reading, the 12 months is cumulative. If you've spent a total of 12 months or more (that includes short stints added together) in any country you must get police checks done for that country.

shelld81

Can anyone who's applied recently please tell me what my options for payment are? I don't want to phone the London office if I can help it cos it's so expensive, but I'm not sure how to send payment with our application. I also don't know what the current cost is at the moment when applying from England. I know (many many months ago!) that the cost when applying from Australia was around the $2000 mark, but I think it's a little cheaper if applying from the UK? I only heard this the other day, I don't know how true it is.

How long now Jutang?

shelld81

If it's not too late, take them to a bank. I know our branch of Abbey in Holmfirth will certify (and photocopy) for free! They're sooooo sick of us!

Good luck!

shelld81

And I forgot to mention... appointment for OH's medicals is this afternoon! I'm soooooo nervous, thought I was over the nerves but they've just come back in full force. Makes me realise how close the application is to being sent away

JBlokeUK

Thanks for that SillyOldBag.

I know this might sound like a silly question, but what does OH stand for?