Lodging the spouse visa application offshore in person

**lesleyc73** · 26-02-2009, 05:10 AM

I have a question around lodging the de-facto spouse visa application offshore in London. The plan now is for my partner (the applicant) to go to Australia House and hand in the application over the counter in person.

I have a few silly questions:
1. Do you put all the application form, documents and supporting evidence sealed in one big envelope for handing in? If so, what do you write on the big envelope?

Also, we are a little stumped with the 47SP question where it asks "Have you paid?" and if you answer No, it directs you to the next question "How do you intend to pay" - where you have to provide your credit card details.

2. If the application form is lodged in person, do we hold off completing that question and pay on the spot to the staff, then mark the question as "Yes we have paid"? After that place the application form in the big envelope and the staff will take it in?

3. Or should we answer "No" and then just leave the credit card details in the following question and assume the case officer would process the payment based on the card information provided in the application form?

Appreciate the advice. Thanks.

**cjdamoo** · 26-02-2009, 05:13 AM

We were advised By Australia house NOT to lodge the application in person as we were origanly planning to do.

**lesleyc73** · 26-02-2009, 05:18 AM

Interesting, any particular reason why they gave such advice. We had an email from Australia House less than 2 weeks ago when we enquired about lodging the visa and one of the options they clearly offered was to come in person and hand the application in.

**cjdamoo** · 26-02-2009, 05:21 AM

No idea we just telephoned to double check the opening hours to lodge in person and the lady on the phone told us they would prefer the application to be sent by registered post. Bit of a pita to be honest as we lived in london but ho hum I did as was told lol

**lesleyc73** · 26-02-2009, 05:32 AM

How did you deal with payment then since you are posting the package? Did you just say "No" to the question - "Have you paid?" and then supply credit card details on the following question?

**cjdamoo** · 26-02-2009, 05:33 AM

Yes we ticked no and supplied credit card details the money was taken the very next day and the day after that we recieved a reciept in the post

**KayJ** · 08-09-2010, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by lesleyc73

I have a question around lodging the de-facto spouse visa application offshore in London. The plan now is for my partner (the applicant) to go to Australia House and hand in the application over the counter in person.

I have a few silly questions:
1. Do you put all the application form, documents and supporting evidence sealed in one big envelope for handing in? If so, what do you write on the big envelope?

Also, we are a little stumped with the 47SP question where it asks "Have you paid?" and if you answer No, it directs you to the next question "How do you intend to pay" - where you have to provide your credit card details.

2. If the application form is lodged in person, do we hold off completing that question and pay on the spot to the staff, then mark the question as "Yes we have paid"? After that place the application form in the big envelope and the staff will take it in?

3. Or should we answer "No" and then just leave the credit card details in the following question and assume the case officer would process the payment based on the card information provided in the application form?

Appreciate the advice. Thanks.

Hey there, we're going through the application process at the moment. We lodged our application in person back in June and felt so much better for doing so. I couldn't bare the thought of it getting lost in the post. In asnwer to your questions:

1) Yes we put it all in one big envelope, but don't seal it as you have to pass it through a hole in the counter which is fairly small, so we had to pass it through in stages and the guy transferred it all into a big plastic wallet.

2) We answered No and put our credit card details down on the form but because we handed it in rather than post the guy took payment over the counter and put a stamped receipt on our file. If you do it in person then they have to take the money then and there.

I thought we would have to queue for ages, but we got there early and were in and out within 20 minutes.

Hope that helps

**yugoj** · 08-09-2010, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by KayJ

Hey there, we're going through the application process at the moment. We lodged our application in person back in June and felt so much better for doing so. I couldn't bare the thought of it getting lost in the post. In asnwer to your questions:

1) Yes we put it all in one big envelope, but don't seal it as you have to pass it through a hole in the counter which is fairly small, so we had to pass it through in stages and the guy transferred it all into a big plastic wallet.

2) We answered No and put our credit card details down on the form but because we handed it in rather than post the guy took payment over the counter and put a stamped receipt on our file. If you do it in person then they have to take the money then and there.

I thought we would have to queue for ages, but we got there early and were in and out within 20 minutes.

Hope that helps

Interesting.....
We live in London and my boyfriend took it to Australia House in person and was turned away. After going to quite a few entrances, meeting the security guard and the reception desk (and yes, it was during opening hours) he was told to walk across the road to the post office and send it by post!
The reason for this was that we had put it all into a small box (we had so much evidence that it didn't fit into an envelope) and he was told that posted and courriered items are scanned for suspicious materials, this small box he was handing over hadn't been scanned and therefore they couldn't accept it. They didn't even offer him to take the documents out of the box and give to them that way.

So - it seems you may get your application accepted if you take it in person, as KayJ did, but you may also get turned away and told to go to the post office, like we were.

If you live in London though it's worth a try I suppose.

**clipclop** · 01-02-2011, 07:00 AM

Hi I am going to fly over next MOnday from Ireland to Lodge mine. I presume its Strand that i go to.? Is this correct. Was the queue very heavy ?
Does anyone know how soon after this do you get assigned a case officer. Im hoping to go over in teh next 2 months along with my boyfriend/partner as he is starting a job . any information appreciated. thanks!!

**Peach** · 01-02-2011, 07:28 AM

Hi, it takes around 10 days to get a case officer and around 5-6 months after that to get the visa issued. I certainly would double and triple check in advance if you are flying to London to lodge it...