Keep me in oz Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 I learned so much from peoples stories on this site, so here is mine which I hope you can learn from too! In May 2014 I applied for an onshore partner visa, my partner and I had only been living together for 8 months but due to financial reasons preventing us from obtain a property together we figured we had a good enough reason for the Department to grant our visa. In March 2015 this visa was declined. We immediately lodged an appeal with the Migration Review Tribunal and supplied further supporting evidence. In June 2015 I found out, from this site or one similar, that I could also apply for an offshore visa whilst the decision was being made on my declined application. Although an expensive option, we chose to lodge this as it would save us the pain of selling up and departing Australia should the tribunal not work out in our favour. So in June i went overseas on holiday, after applying for a bridging visa allowing me to depart and return to oz and successfully applied for a 309 offshore visa. I immediately received an email asking me to provide scans of my fingerprints for identifying purposes. After asking my migration agent, checking the information on the Department's website and even asking an Australian immigration officer at the airport, I returned to Perth with the intention of providing my fingerprints in my local immigration office. On Monday morning I called the Department to book an appointment in order to provide my fingerprints. To my absolute shock and horror they informed me that I was required to provide this information offshore. I explained to them that I had already returned to Perth and was told my application would never be processed unless I flew offshore again to provide my fingerprints (keep reading it gets better). So bearing in mind I only had permission to leave and return to Australia for the next 7 days, the validity of my bridging visa, I immediately flew back offshore to provide my fingerprints. An expensive trip I could have done without. I provided the Department with my fingerprints and was advised my application would now be processed. Still in June 2015 I returned to Perth to await my application to be process and for a hearing with the MRT. Meanwhile, I lodged a formal complaint with the Department and subsequently the Commonwealth Ombudsman about the lack of information provided in the Departments request for my fingerprints... I was like cmon guys if you had written the words 'this must be done offshore' it would have been as clear as day that I needed to provided them whilst overseas! After a couple of months of waiting I finally got a response from them... so it turns out I could have had my fingerprints could have been provided in Perth and they sent me back overseas incorrectly... can you even imagine my emotions when receiving that email??!?! They did apologise though! Pfffft! Anyways on to the compensation claim, so as a result of incorrect information which directly casued me to be at a financial loss, I lodged a compensation claim though the CDDA scheme. In Feb 2016 I was contacted by the Department of immigration in London about my 309 offshore visa, It was ready to be granted but as its an offshore visa I had to go overseas in order to allow this. In March 2016 I travelled overseas again and was granted my 309 Visa. Also in March 2016 I was given $1900 in compensation by the Department for the incorrect advice on my fingerprints. At least they paid for my airfare, accommodation, and taxis hey! Oh and my leave from work! On March the 15 I heard from the Tribunal, they had decided to overturn the decision on my onshore application. Thank you MRT! In May 2016 I was contacted by the Department of immigration asking me to provide new medicals and police clearances. I immediately advised them that I had current and valid ones on their systems as I did them all as part of my offshore visa application. After a few days of confusion on their part and some processing errors I was granted the 801 onshore permanent resident visa! This was all done slightly before the 2 years after my lodgement date too so that is a bonus! Complicated I know but if any of you can learn from this or have any questions please feel free to ask away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gbye grey sky Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Exhausting just reading your saga. Well done for your persistence and perseverance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep me in oz Posted May 25, 2016 Author Share Posted May 25, 2016 Exhausting just reading your saga. Well done for your persistence and perseverance. ha ha ha, I know right! trying living through it, it sent my head in a downward spiral! worth it now though, my partner and I just bought a house and it looks like I might get made permanent at work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjwilli Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 ha ha ha, I know right! trying living through it, it sent my head in a downward spiral! worth it now though, my partner and I just bought a house and it looks like I might get made permanent at work Aww well done guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Congratulations!! Nice to see the department gets it right sometimes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tappers2oz Posted May 25, 2016 Share Posted May 25, 2016 Wow, what crazy times! Glad it all worked out in the end though. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMay24 Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Other than for police checks, I've never heard of needing fingerprints for any step of the process. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep me in oz Posted May 26, 2016 Author Share Posted May 26, 2016 Other than for police checks, I've never heard of needing fingerprints for any step of the process. Feel free to have a read up on it.... https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Biom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bungo Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Feel free to have a read up on it.... https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa/Biom Maggie was just saying that she has never come across it before, neither have I and I have spent a lot of time on immigration forums over the last six or seven years. Out of curiousity, what is is that is unusual about you such that they were required? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep me in oz Posted May 26, 2016 Author Share Posted May 26, 2016 Maggie was just saying that she has never come across it before, neither have I and I have spent a lot of time on immigration forums over the last six or seven years. Out of curiousity, what is is that is unusual about you such that they were required? ah yea no worries, its a relatively new thing! Caught me out! its all about the country i submitted my application in. I an English but was in Malaysia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep me in oz Posted June 10, 2016 Author Share Posted June 10, 2016 And the Department have now kindly refunded me the entire application fee for my 309 visa! I couldn't be happier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 ah yea no worries, its a relatively new thing! Caught me out! its all about the country i submitted my application in. I an English but was in Malaysia. Never come across it either, maybe no one else has ever mentioned it. My OH was certainly never asked for prints, maybe cos it was easier just to tell us to sod off back to England!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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