chrisdarby

Hi, I previously posted a few months back about my RRV renewal

britishexpats.com/forum/immigration-visas-citizenship-australia-32/rrv-eta-898412

I had originally intended last September after my last trip back to Oz from the UK to renew my RRV for 1 year, however since then my mother was diagnosed with cancer and subsequently died in late November, so in September, November and December i've had to travel between Oz and the UK and not been in a position to risk renewing my passport and losing the ability to travel and therefore not renewing my visa (which expired on Feb 25) for the same reason.

I got back third week of Jan and renewed my passport, receiving the new one on the 25th of Feb, the same day my 5 year RRV expired. I already have travel booked and paid for, for April 13th, which was booked last year over 6 months ago in good faith that my RRV process would be completed before we travel, however as mentioned, with my mother getting sick and passing, this didn't happen, as i've needed the use of my passport and visa entry into Australia.

I don't have the time or resources at the moment to gather the supporting documentation i need (from Australia) to prove my close ties for my RRV which would take several weeks to gather at least going through my ex-wife, getting them certified etc, and for the foreseeable future I am working and living in the UK, as i have been for the last 5 years... so I decided to go for an eVisitor on this occasion to enable me to see my family and take my chances with renewing RRV as a former permanent resident at a later date.

I applied for the eVisitor on the 25th of Feb... on the 27th I received a request for further information (coincidently 10 minutes after i got off the phone with Australian Immigration Hobart office), which outlined the fact that i previously held an RRV and that any substantive visa would replace this.

And if I wanted to continue with the eVisitor, I would need a declaration stating that i wished to do so, an outline of the purpose of my visit, my itinerary, my intentions once i've departed Australia, and any intentions while within Australia for applying for further visas.

I gave them the following information:
- The purpose of my visit (to see my daughter and family)
- My itinerary including booking references showing my arriving and returning flights
- That i understood that an eVisitor or ETA would replace my RRV which has already expired
- That i had no intention of applying for further visas on-shore but that i would be gathering documentation for a possible future off-shore application as a former permanent resident and that i would continue to talk with australian immigration to see where i stand as a former permanent resident
- My intentions after i left were to return to my full time employment in the UK and gave my employers details
- I also outlined the reasons as to why I hadn't applied sooner for a replacement RRV, detailing the events of the last 5 months

Now... since responding to the request for information, its been 9 days with no update, my call to the UK office for immigration just gets met with 'it says further assessment' and my calls to the australian office are a) expensive and b) largely the same response.

I have an international call to australia planned to query further later tonight, but I expect the same sort of response...

Every visa i've ever had in the past, including my RRV's has been renewed within hours, so currently at 12 days and no indication yet of anything else has me worried, is there any way i can find out more information. I still have 36 days until i travel... but if its taken 12 days so far for something thats 'usually' approved/processed within hours... how long is too long to wait?

Any advice or magic spells would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

verystormy

What immigration have pointed out is not that a tourist visa cancels your RRV, but it cancels your permanent visa which hasn't expired. A PR visa never expires, it is just the travel portion that does. A tourist visa will cancel your PR and any ability to apply for a further RRV.

carcajou

Nowhere in your post do you report that you consulted a MARA-registered agent to discuss options.

An e-visitor cancels your PR, and with it, your right to live and work in Australia. Don't assume that you will just be able to get it back on demand. You will have to apply again for PR. Is your profession on the skills shortage list? Is it expected to remain there for a long time?

PR is a very, very valuable thing and it sounds odd to just wave it away because of some current inconveniences with documentation.

Pollyana

Trust me, magic spells do not work with Immigration.....

louie

My RRV story. British, living in England. Got PR in April 2007, having applied days before the deadline of my 45th birthday. Bought a unit in Sydney, intending long term to live there. Planned to move over 3 or 4 years after that but my business prospered and it would have been a disastrous move financially to do that. Applied for an RRV a little more than a year before the initial five years was up and it was granted in three or four days with our only ties being the property, a few cousins, a bunch of friends and good job prospects. That was a five year RRV; five year ones in such circumstances were abolished the following year.

Moved here in May 2015 (still a poor move financially but what the hell...) with the RRV expiring in February 2016. Went back to the UK for a late November wedding and Christmas. May 2016 and my m-i-l was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Applied for a one year RRV with no proof whatsoever of her illness (obviously it could have been obtained if needed), no job and no home in Australia as taking time out to travel and living in a caravan (still have the Sydney place but rented out). Got it in a couple of days. Spent nearly four months in the UK until after the funeral. Then back for Christmas to support my f-i-l.

That one expired May 2017. With three elderly parents left, we applied for another one year RRV to go back for a visit. Still no job, no home, living in a caravan. That was approved in a couple of days.

As I said in your original post, with an Australian daughter and your father and other family members living in Australia, I really, really doubt you would have an issue getting a RRV. You'd probably only need to write a page explaining your situation and give them your daughter's passport details or birth/citizenship certificate. Or even start by doing the application so it is in the queue, upload a page of info and start gathering evidence at the same time; you may find you don't actually need it.

I would really strongly recommend you withdraw your e-visitor application and go for an RRV. I can only speak from my experience but as you can see I have found both the level of ties (and proof thereof) required to be relatively low and the processing speedy.

BritInParis

Cancelling your PR for the sake of making it slightly more convenient for you to travel for this particular trip seems very short-sighted to put it mildly. I would concur with the other posters; withdraw your subclass 651 application immediately and go for a 12 month RRV.