kkr

I lodged the 309 visa in January and I have already submitted the medicals/police checks. I was told that the timeline is 8-9 months. However I have read in this forum that some people are getting it 6 months after lodgment. Can I rely on those posts? I'm asking that because there are others who have waited for 8-9 months and to be honest I find it strange that some people have to wait much longer than others.

 

From your point of view, when is it most likely that my visa gets granted?

As someone who watched people who applied up to 3 months after me receive their grants before me - from the same CO - I can confirm it is indeed puzzling!! Especially when there are seemingly no problems or reasons for it to be held-up.

All I would advise is to plan for the full 8-9 month wait and organise your life around that. Keep track on here to see when people who applied at the same time as you/have same CO are receiving news. And be optimistic and hopeful that you may just be one of the increasing number of lucky people getting an early grant :biggrin:

Best of luck!

Visa finally granted! Almost the full 9 months...

PMV application sent: 04/09/12

PMV granted: 30/05/13

Now 'normal' life can begin!

Good luck to all!

Finally got the go-ahead to arrange to head offshore for visa grant!

I applied 04/09/12 for my PMV, so will be the full 9 months of processing by the time it is granted.

So glad I have had good news and am finally near the finish line!

Hi ashleym23

I came out on a 12mth tourist visa last november and when i got to the airport they did not ask me for any proof off finace,i just told them i am waiting on my spouse visa to be granted,they said good luck and welcome to Australia!

Hopefully my grant should be coming through soon as my co is off until the 9th may.:wink:

Ooooh, so CO (VF) is currently on holiday? That helps to explain things!

Hopefully we are contacted soon!

Can't believe mid-October applicants are being granted now! Lucky, lucky people

I'm a Sept 4th applicant and still waiting... Anyone else in a similar situation? Should I be concerned?!

I never thought processing times could be this skewed...

Hopefully I get a 'head offshore' email this week. Fingers crossed!

I had her and thought she was great, straight to the point just what is required I think. Got ours through ahead of schedule.

Hmmm... that's interesting! When did you apply, kirkhoffmann? I applied on Sept 4th...

Wah! So many September applications being granted!

Hoping so much that I get a 'head offshore' email asap. I applied on September 4th!! And my tourist visa expires in 4 weeks! HURRY UP!!

Think my CO (VF) is the slowest and most inflexible of all...I have heard others mention this too...

Any other early September peeps out there??

Here I am reading the forum, thinking.... cmonnn 2 weeks lets do this!!!!!

So it's fiance's birthday yesterday so we had nice relaxing day, I took the afternoon off work, we had cake etc.... didnt check his emails cos we were taking it easy.......

Go in there today.... and there it is!!!! The email to tell him to goo offshore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

We are SO SO excited to go offshore and get the decision, but we also need to work out some cheap flights to go to Bali/Malaysia in the coming week or two - there's a public holiday next week so flights are VERY pricey! we just want to go TODAY!!!!!

Wow, littlekitty! So excited to come on here and see that you have received the all-important, head offshore email! I always look out for your name since we applied at the same time for same visa! Congrats - the end has finally come!

If you don't mind me asking, did you contact your CO much beforehand re the expiry of your fiance's tourist visa and heading offshore for visa grant?

I ask as I just emailed my CO last week, asking how much notice I would get in order to leave the country come grant time. My tourist visa expires on 31st May (just 4 days short of what would be the full 9 months of processing!) so I always hoped it would coincide.

My CO simply replied saying she'd be in touch nearer the end of the 9 month period, advising me then to go offshore...

I guess I was hoping she'd acknowledge when my current tourist visa expires and indicate that my PMV grant would be made to coincide...would make life a lot less stressful! Am I asking for too much?!

Maybe I'm worrying unnecessarily, but would love to know if you had much correspondence with your CO recently, and if you had to give him/her a nudge?

to be honest I did pester him quite a bit before I got an answer and a date ..when the holiday visa was granted last week we contacted him and after a few email back and forth he told us ..so a little nudge can help

Thanks for that. Good to know as the end of the waiting game is (hopefully!) approaching.

All the best with your plans from here on in!

Hello everyone ..I have just received confirmation from CO that the visa will be granted on the 2nd of march ..I had planed on going on a holiday visa but when we received this confirmation have decided to wait ..I cant believe that this all over and I get to see my wife and start our future ..I hope for anybody waiting that there visa is granted soon and would like to thank everyone on here for there support and advice ..:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Wow...fantastic! Congrats - only 7 months processing! I take it you too were quoted 8-9 initially?

And out of curiosity what did you say/do to prompt your CO to confirm when your visa would be granted? Was it because you were planning to travel as a tourist to Oz, anyway?

Hi Kkr,

 

I'm almost ready to send mine off. I'm assuming from your post that I can send photo copies of bills, banks statements etc?

 

Thanks

Yes, photocopies of bills and bank statements is absolutely fine. Only the more important documentary evidence must be a certified copy (ie. birth certs, passport).

Is it normal for the evidence supplied to be returned before the visa is approved. We applied in September, had to supply extra evidence twice and then received the request for Medicals/police checks. No mention of returning documents. We applied in the uk, but are both now in Australia waiting, which our case officer is aware of. Is it possible that she sent them to our previous address or is the fact she's hanging onto them a bad sign?

 

Thanks

Hi Austate,

As far as I know, COs only return documents where you specifically request this, and include a stamped addressed envelope for their return. I didn't bother asking for any of my documents/evidence to be returned as almost everything I sent was a copy of an original.

So, in your case, no need to worry about bad signs!

Hi all,

I've read the forums for ages but never joined - but just wanted to give a little hope to any July/August applicants as it seems that not many visas are coming through lately! We applied on 15th August and actually had our visa approved at the start of January. I feel bad that people have been waiting longer and that there is no rhyme or reason as to why we were granted early except perhaps a well timed email to our CO at the start of the year. We never heard from our CO nor contacted them whilst awaiting the visa (except that first email in Jan asking about the possibility of travelling on a holiday visa) and we were not at all expecting things to be granted quickly. We are married with 2 kids and can't imagine that there would be anything to doubt our case (but most cases seem straight forward anyway).

Just wanted to let people know that they are working on them ....

 

And also, on booking tickets to Oz with Singapore Airlines - found out that any immigrants with the appropriate visa are allowed double their luggage limit - which is quite handy to know!

Congratulations to you and your family! Out of interest, who was your CO?

I too have gone down the tourist visa route while waiting on my PMV (applied 5/9/12) and all has worked out well. I came out on an eVisitor in September and as the 3 month mark is fast approaching, I went to DIAC in person, here in Melbourne, and applied for the onshore Tourist 676 to stay until my PMV is hopefully granted. Got the 676 granted for 6 months, taking me up until 31/5/13. Very happy! Makes the 8-9 month processing easier to handle.

I empathise with you re the worry of airport immigration! I was SO worried entering the country again on an eVisitor but, in the end, didn't get asked a thing.

All the best!

Woo hoo! I love coming on here and seeing grants in a row like that! That's so cool guys, congrats!

:biggrin:

A little bit of good news for me this morning too - got the "OK" from LG that she will let my fiance know when to leave Aus "closer to the grant" to activate our PMV in April... So he will be here in less than 4 weeks if all goes well at the airport He's applying for the e676 tonight.

 

Thanks for the advice everyone - if anyone else is doing the tourist visa route, dont be a stranger - make sure you post on here so I dont feel like I'm the only one! I'm sure in 3 or so weeks I'm gunna be freaked out about the whole airport thing. I know in the back of mind I know it will be OK.. but there's always those niggling little worries.

Hey kkr, welcome! I am similar to you, we submitted in Sept also! I think unfortunatly that is wishful thinking...If that were the case, I would have my date set for today to get my man here ASAP! haha. But I know what you mean, it IS close to the potential grant date...but no I dont think that would allowed you to "skip the queue" essentially...

Is your fiance also in England?

Yes, wishful thinking, indeed! I know I am just clinging on to any hope of a faster grant date...shall drop that hope now!

I am actually in Melbourne with my fiance. Here on a tourist visa for the time-being. I take it you are going to the UK in November? Hope we will be able to track each other's progress along the way, given that you/your fiance have submitted just a day before me!

Hi all,

Have come across this thread in the last week or so andit is shedding so much light on the dark situation of partner visas! Great tohear the experiences of others in the same boat...

I am from the UK and applied for a Prospective Marriage Visaon 5/9/12 at Australia House, London. At the time of submitting our application, my fiancé and I believed the processing time to still be 5-6 months, andso set our marriage date with our celebrant for 10/5/13. We were soon informedby our CO (VF) that processing is 9 months, meaning that the wedding datesubmitted on our NOIM and letter from celebrant is approx. 1 month before weshould even expect the PMV to be granted! It is not a problem at all to myfiancé and I to change our marriage date to one further in the future, but Iwas just wondering if the fact our wedding date falls 8 months into processingwill somehow mean we can expect the visa to be granted by that date?! Wishfulthinking?! Will our CO simply expect us to push the wedding date back?

Any thoughts are greatly welcomed!