WorldStomper

Hi Everyone.

What a informative site. Very helpful indeed!! But still unsure on a few things and was wondering if anyone knows the answers

I have been living with my Australian girlfriend in the UK for two years and now want to move to Oz (as quickly as posssible). She has a UK passport as well as an Australian!!(lucky eh!)

I have just downloaded the relevant forms and started to fill them in when i came upon this site. Now is it possible to apply for a spouse visa online? as it speeds up the process? Also i want to front load my police/med checks so do go to my local hospital and have the checks and then post/email results?

Also any other ways that can speed up the process will be really appreciated

thanks guys
Andy
roll on Oz

goldchoccycoin

If you apply through London (which you will!) then the processing times seem really short for spuse/de-facto visas - usually a few weeks at most!

You must use a Panel Doctor (not just any doctor/hospital) do a search on www.immi.gov.au for 'Panel Doctors'

I think it's all still paper applications for spouse visas - make sure you include all the proof you have of your relationship and good luck!

lonndongeek

We (I) did the following for my spouse visa:

Complete forms and gather evidence
Get medicals done
2 weeks later, send forms and evidence to Australia House.

You'll find a list of UK panel doctors at http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/over...el-doctors.htm. You simply turn up, pay the money and be examined. The doctor sorts out getting his/her report to Australia House.

Cheers

Steve

moneypenny20

No online facility for spouse visas. It's only a couple of weeks generally so doesn't need speeding up any more.

WorldStomper

Thanks for the info guys. Really helpful.


cheers Andy

WorldStomper

Hi everyone. Is there any advantage of submitting the application in person rather than posting it.


regards

Andy

WorldStomper

maybe a problem? we have limited evidence of financial commitment. I pay for most of the bills. Rent is paid out of my account but my girlfriend contributes by depositing half the amount into my account by cash. We have some bills with both our names on; council tax ( actually thats the only one) and the only other thing with both our names on is the tenancy agreement.

I imagine these two documents are no where near enough! does any one have any suggestions on what we could do.



thanks everyone
Andy

georginabutcher

It takes more than a few weeks.Ours took 3 months and we've been married for 9yrs and have 3 kids.When I phoned Aus house they told me 6 months is normal.But as we had been married for more than 5yrs it was more straight forward.If you are not married or only recently married it takes longer because they need to be sure your relationship is genuine.You will have to provide evidence to prove you are genuine,like statements from friends from you and your spouse,aswell as evidence of commitment to each other such as joint bank account or mortgage.The medical is the easy bit.But I wouldn't do it until they ask for it because if they don't think your relationship is genuine then you will have wasted alot of money.It will only take a few weeks after they receive your medicals and police checks.

SillyOldBag

It is not unusual these days for couples to keep their finances relatively separate. I think if you are applying for a defacto spouse visa the key element is establishing with evidence that you have been living together for the required period.

You mention the council tax bills and the tenancy agreement - does that show that you have been together long enough? Also if your gf is regularly paying in half the amount of the bills into your account, then could you provide copies of your bank statement showing the same cash payment going in regularly? What about travel evidence? Have you been on holidays together, do you maybe have or can get copies of hotel bookings in both your names? You'll also need to sort our your statutory declarations from friends/family - 2 need to be Australian citizens. They say they need 2 but if you are struggling to get much by way of other documents you might want to get a few extra ones done!

The previous poster suggested caution with regards to getting your medical/police checks. Yes it is a risk up to a point front-loading, but you know that your relationship is genuine etc.. so I don't think its a HUGE risk, you may have to rack your brain a bit to get sufficient evidence, but I'm sure you'll manage it! The tricky thing is when you start a relationship/living together the last thing on your mind is keeping receipts etc showing that you are at the same address! Don't get disheartened though, you'll get there!

JAJ

Based on the reports of those on this forum, 6 months is exceptionally long for a spouse visa processed in London.

moneypenny20

I have to say I think your application is the exception that proves the rule. Generally if you've been married for more than 2 years and have children, it's a rubber stamp as soon as they receive the application. You were singularly unlucky. Normally the only time the relationship has to be proved genuine is under 2 years and no kids or if one of the couple is from a 'high risk' country.

Also spouse visas are supposed to be frontloaded, meaning everything is sent together and that includes the medical and the PCC. The reason behind this is that it's a quick visa to turn round and it's just wasting yours (general) and their (DIAC) time in requesting you get them done.

WorldStomper

Thanks so much everyone!! you have put my mind at ease!

I met my girlfriend in England in 08/04/06 and she returned to Australia in 09/05/06. As I had already visited Australia the previous year and liked it so much i decided to go over and visit her. We started a relationship in 29/8/06 where her mum kindly gave us a house to live in rent free (i was on a visitors visa) oh and all bills included. So for those first three months we cannot prove any finiancial evidence.

I left just before my visa expired and my girlfriend followed two weeks later. Now my mum n dad kindly let us stay as they have a big house so we could travel europe (what we both wanted to do). We moved out this year 08/04/08 and i have just terminated the contract to finish 08/01/09.

So we have been together for 2.5 years it was just worrying that i might not be able to fill the financial side of things. I have loads of pictures, travel bookings and hotel bookings. I think it doesnt matter as long as i show the relationship is genuine and has been on going for 12 months +, or am i wrong?

Also with the statements on the Australian side how do i get them signed or do i just ask them to put their contact details on?

Thankyou so much everyone you all have been a very big help and definitely making this experience a whole lot easier. Thank you

Andy

SillyOldBag

just make sure when you write your statements that you give a very detailed account of your comings and goings. You need to show that you have been together in an exclusive relationship for the period - so if you have hotel bookings and travel documents showing you are together accompanied by statements from both sets of parents about the time you were with them etc... I'm sure you will be fine. You just need to set it all out clearly, it takes a bit of time and effort but will be worth it in the end!

With regards to the Australian statements, you'll need to get them to fill in Form 888 which has to be signed by a JP along with a certified copy of their birth certificate or passport. If you tell them now that you need it, there are LOADS of JPs about ... if they don't personally know one, then usually shopping centres have them visit once or twice a week - or at the local court regularly. It shouldnt take them long and while you are arranging your medical and police check, you can be getting them to fill it in and post it to you! The statements on the english side don't have to be signed by a JP which is a plus for us poms

Keep positive and keep busy getting everything ready, there are loads of people here who can tell you of their own experiences if you get stuck with anything.

WorldStomper

Thank you silly old bag.

Now i know it doesnt ask to provide evidence for the two statements for the relationship history but is it a good idea to show here there was? its only a couple of weeks?

Another thats really getting to me is that i arrived on a vistors visa but my travel itinerary shows a return of 6 months later. The travel agent did this. Also in these few months in Australia i went and saw a friend in new zealand and was granted working holiday visa for New Zealand but only stayed a week. Was granted another visitors visa for australia and stayed three weeks more and left for the Uk. Would this be seen in bad light that i was granted a wrokling holiday visa to new zealand? i have all travel documentation to prove this. The rest of our 2.5 year relationship is in England.

just wanna get this visa! i know u guys are trying to spread your time/information to other members and sorry for taking to much time up.

thanks all

Andy

slipshot

JAJ is right. Ours was for a subclass 100 and took less than a month start to finish, and that included getting the request and then submitting Form 80, which added to it. Once everything was there it was 2 days later when the visa was issued.

Many others have had the same, short, experience. Yours is thus the exception rather than the norm...