middo2905

Hello, We are now one week into our adventure in Melbourne, still looking for places to live and everything is crazy, it's certainly an experience but we're enjoying it all so far! Anyway, here is my question. I am the main 457 visa holder, but my partner needs to come back to the UK in February for 2 months. Are there any issues with this from a visa perspective? Appreciate your responses in advance. Steve

Thanks pintpot, good luck to you to! n8111445 - to prove our relationship, we provided; Car Insurance - we are on each others policy for the last 3 years, proof we've been living together - wage slips/bank statements for 12 months, flight tickets with both names on, holiday photos - say cheese!! Plus a written statement from each of us detailing our relationship - how we met, how the relationship progressed, how things are now, etc. We didn't have to get the statements certified due to the fact we had evidence we'd lived together for 12 months. Hope this helps.

Cheers - and thanks for the advice. We're going into this with our eyes wide open and as we haven't got kids, it's an opportunity that we'd regret forever if we didn't take. i shall be doing everything in my power to make things work but understand that on a 457, this may not always be in my control. What happens in the future - who knows? I'm just happy to have been given this opportunity in the first place. Steve

Wow, i have had my visa approved!! I received an email from my immigration agent in the early hours of Tuesday morning to say both me and my partner have been granted our visas! Still in a state of shock as it only took a week! I think they want me out there in 2/3 weeks so I'd better pull my finger out. Hopefully, this gives some of you hope that good things are just around the corner. Steve

Same here. I'll be working for Kmart, so not been asked for Police Checks. Not sure if they'll ask for medicals, but have been made aware that I may be asked for additional information - which could include this. Fragomen have been really good - all contact has been via email, they have kept me up to date with everything and been very clear on the information I needed to provide. If you have access to a scanner, I would suggest collating everything (as per original post) so you have it all to hand.

Millers/vdM Family - it sounds like I'm one step ahead of you in the process so if there's any information you want, please don't hesitate to ask and hopefully I can help. TCASAlert - I think we all need to adopt the "I'm lucky that I've even got this close" attitude, but like you say - it's the not knowing that's the killer! To make matters worse, it's my last day at work tomorrow - I just needed to make myself as attractive as possible to potential Australian employers! As always, good luck to everyone.

I imagine most people on this board do! Such a mix of emotions going on! The Immigration Agent (Fragomen) told me that the DIAC would take approximately 2-4 weeks, although reading the forum pages, i anticipate it could take longer than this. So for now, it's just a case of playing the waiting game . . . which I'm not very good at! Steve

Thanks Kate, Well, I now realise how stressful it all is and this is before anything has really happened!! I received an email last night from Fragomen, stating that my application has now been lodged with the DIAC, so it's just a case of waiting with everything crossed! Other things we have been investigating during the last week is places to live in Melbourne - which, without the local knowledge is quite difficult. We know we want something in the south-east area (Bayside, Kingston, etc) but need a little bit of nightlife as well as beaches or greenery! Also been investigating Removal firms with the first quote coming in at £3700 - so we're now weighing up if it's worth just shipping a pallet of our 'essentials' and starting from scratch with the money we'd save and shipping and make on selling our stuff - dilemma!! I have my family leaving party at the weekend for my 'oop north' family which will be quite difficult - and very strange seeing as they'll all be asking me questions I just don't have the answers to!! So that's where I am at the minute! Good Luck to you all in the same boat. I'm fully aware of the helpless feeling you have because everything is out of your hands, the sleepless nights because you're checking emails every 2 hours and the days when everything's brilliant, as well as the days when you are convinced that something will go wrong. Keep strong everyone! Steve

Hello Everyone, As you can see I'm new to the forum (although have been an avid reader for a while), however, I thought I'd take the plunge and sign up as it's a brilliant forum with helpful people and I can hopefully share my experiences with you all that are going through the 457 visa process! So, about me! I work in retail head office as Space Planner - planning store layouts and displays so as I don't have a trade, I've been searching for a role that would offer sponsorship for 18 months, on the 22nd September I received an email containing a job offer which will hopefully change my life! I will (all being well) be relocating to Melbourne with my girlfriend of 4 years, Lisa. Following the offer, an agency called Fragomen contacted me, as they would be putting forward the visa application to DIAC to request various details such as: Passports, Birth Certificates, Qualification certificates and because Lisa and I are 'de facto' a mountain of information on our relationship, which as we don't have joint accounts/purchases or anything with either of our name on it consisted of the following: Proof we live together for the last 6 months (wage slips, bank statements, etc) Holiday/Flight confirmation, holiday photos and written statements from us both detailing our relationship. I would advise anyone looking into the 457 route to keep this in mind and keep old flight tickets, etc. Alternatively, you could always get married! :wink: We also had to have proof of Health Insurance - which took us 2 working days to receive. We have now sent everything and Fragomen are happy that they have enough information to lodge our application. And that's my story up to date so far. I'll add the timeline of everything below, to give people an idea of what it's like going through the experience - I've already learnt that it is very stressful and no matter what you are doing - it's constantly on your mind which is quite draining. Job Offer: 23rd September Fragomen Initial Contact: 30th September All information back to Fragomen: 6th October That's it for the minute and I will continue to update my progress, which hopefully you find of use, or at least a little bit of interest. Good Luck to everyone going through this process or similar, I already feel your pain but it'll be worth it! Steve