ardykav

Just wondered can any of you help me with a few things. I would like to apply for a de facto visa(my girlfriend is australian) weve been living together 3 years and have all the documentation to prove it. Have been trying for a while to get info on how to do it ourselves as we cant really afford to go through an agent, what would you recommend? Whats the first step to take? Sending the application to london? when should I get the medical garda checks etc? I already went to my local garda station with the relevant forms and have the 40 and 47sp filled out ready to be sent.Is there any other tips anyone would have? Were heading to melbourne hopefully, Cannot wait. Your help on this will be hugely appreciated

moneypenny20

You will be expected to frontload a spouse visa. If you don't know, this means getting everything together, including meds and pcc and stat decs etc, as well as the forms and sending them all off to AHC in London. So if you haven't already done so, get your meds organised. Once you have them back and your pcc back, make sure everything else is sorted and send it on it's way.

Have you got your Australian 888 Stat Decs done by the Aussie friends and family regarding your relationship? Have you done your bit about how you got together, what you've done as a couple, where you see the relationship going in the future blah blah blah?

ardykav

These are exactly the pointers i need. Thank you so much. No we havent got australian 888 stat decs but will get on top of that now. Do we just need to write out a letter each stating how we got together and where we see the future etc? Do I just need to get a full medical and can I get this done through my own GP or do I have to go through a doctor connected to this process?
Also were would I get the 888 stat dec form or would my girlfriends family get them over there? This is all need for the de facto visa yes? just that you mentioned spouse visa or are you talking about the same thing? sorry about the lame wuestions i just want to make sure I make no mistakes

moneypenny20

Sorry, defacto works in much the same way as a bog standard spouse visa, you need the same sort of info. You can download the 888s off the DIAC website or the Aus lot can - save you posting them. They need to write their blurb - might be easier if you write the basic dates etc and email that to them. Then they need to take them to a JP together with their passports and/or birth certificates (I think) and have the 888s certified. Then they send them back to you.

You should also get some basic English friends/family ones done. These can be just standard letters with their addresses at the top, giving the same sort of info and just signing them - they don't need certifying.

Medical needs to be done by one of DIACs panel doctors - list can be found here, just find the nearest - ring a few, they all vary in price but all do the same stuff. When I did mine the doctor was allowed to give me the results and I put them with my stuff. They don't do that anymore so make sure you get all your stuff ready, then when you've had the medical, send your stuff off to AHC and the doctor will send the results there as well and they will meet up You need to download the forms linked on the above page, fill them in and take them with you.

One thing, when you do send it all off, send the passport as well. You should have a certified copy of it, but if you enclose the actual passport, they won't waste time asking you to send it. Also enclose a self addressed special delivery envelope so they can send it back safely with the visa already in. Send the whole thing off in a special delivery envelope as well, you can then track it.

Oh and your letter. I think now you only have to do one between you both. When you met, when the relationship turned serious, what you've done together, what the future holds, how you support each other - all that crap .

Oh just noticed you mentioned Guarda. I can't remember if the panel list of doctors covers Ireland - you may have to search further but the info amounts to the same thing. You possibly don't have special delivery envelopes either but you get the gist

Good luck. No questions are lame, they are just ones you don't yet have the answers to. You only know it all when you've been there done that and then you pass it on to the next bod and they assume you're clever

donovandenese

hi there - check out the official spouse visa thread below (in "the barbie")

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...27#post6360227

you'll find answers to most of the questions you might have here, if not just post and one of the many of us in the process of doing spouse visas will reply to you.

couple of things: i noticed someone on the spouse visa thread had her passport returned to her when she sent it with the original application, they didn't want it until the visa was ready to be issued.

heard conflicting things re whether you need to get stat decs from non Australians certified - general opinion on BE seems to be that you don't (hope thats right as i posted my application yesterday and the non Aussie stat dacs weren't certified) - then bizarrely today Australia House replied to an email I sent them three weeks ago including a checklist for spouse/defacto applications and this seems to suggest they do need to be certified. this is a pdf document - if you want a copy PM me your email address and I will send it on to you.

Also - form 80 - have you completed that? some people didn't send it with the application and were never asked for it, others didn't send it and were asked for it which held up processing. (can download this form from the immigration website)

Dogmarsh

I don't know whether it is relevant, as I applied for De Facto Temporary and Permanent visas here in Sydney. However, I am sure that lots of things would be the same. I used an agent for the first stage, and am planning to handle the second stage myself, in a months' time. I still have all the advice I was given at the first stage and could email a precis to you. It would make a large file for posting to the forum, so do you know if there is any way I can post direct to you?

Hope I can help. Good luck.

heg3

Hi Dogmarsh, I'll be very interested to hear you experiences of the second stage.

Dogmarsh

Hi HEG3,

I will post a reply as soon as something happens! I was told at the Department that they are behind with their schedule. Instead of getting my CO allocated in March/April I will be lucky if it happens in June, and then apparently, it could take anything up to 18 months for the result, because I have to apply for a health waiver as well. It could be an interesting time.