Cez

Pretty sure the answer is 'yes'.

 

Anything that goes through Australian Customs (or any other part of the Australian Government) incurs a sizeable fee.

 

Unlike the UK where everything is given away free to any swinging Dick that wants to turn up on our shores (but paid for by British taxpayers), Australia has this interesting notion that foreigners, immigrants or visitors should pay for the cost of their own interactions with Government.

 

I suspect may of the customs fees are relatively flat rate (seem to remember the customs search fee for 20ft sea-container was £300) so by shipping a small create you will probably have attracted disproportionately large costs.

I'm more than happy to stand corrected! but the use of the words "receiving company", "import" and "vat" sound like a number of these charges are imposed by the UK government, not the Australian.

Sorry I can't help on this one, Peccavi. Does sound a bit painful though :-S

You may be asked to provide evidence when you physically enter the country, not at the time of your visa application.

I think it does. Bridging visa time definitely counts at least.

If he applies for an 820 visa (defacto) towards the end of his working holiday visa then he will not need to leave australia - he will go onto a bridging visa a which will allow him to remain in australia until the 820 visa is granted,

If the boyfriend could move in with her at least one month before she leaves for australia then this would ensure they meet the relationship requirements - I don't know if you can register relationships in Queensland like you can in NSW and it would be preferable for them to be able to prove 12 months of living together. If I were him I would move in with her and get some evidence of this for at least one month before she emigrates.

Quickest and easiest would be for him to come with you on a working holiday visa - usually granted in a matter of hours - then when in australia to collect lots of evidence of their life together. Do they live together now? At the end of the working holiday visa they can apply for a defacto visa, and he will go onto a bridging visa a with full work rights until it is processed. Two years after lodging he would be a permanent resident once the final lot of paperwork is done. He could then apply for citizenship once he has met the requirements. Phew!

Agree with Peach - I was in Oz on a partner visa and if after three years and moving across the world to be with my partner he had turned around and suggested I pick fruit somewhere in deepest Queensland to give him another year to decide whether he wanted to sponsor me for a visa, I may have told him where to stick it!

Reckon it would be better to get the ball rolling during the first WHV - bear in mind the visa is only provisional for the first two years, so following your original plan of action the poor lass wouldn't even have permanent residency until 2018 at the earliest :-S

Oh and the re entry element of the permanent visa would then be valid for a further five years, so until 2020 or so. If still not in australia by then, she could try applying for a resident return visa in the future.

Her temporary visa will become permanent regardless of whether she is in aus or not - just make sure you let australian immigration know your new address in the uk so they can send you the relevant paperwork once the two years is nearly up - and this is two years from the date of applying for the 309, not the grant date.