CollegeGirl

You would call your defacto partner your "partner." I normally agree with Blossom, but I've seen excellent MARA-registered agent suggest that it can be important in certain circumstances to ensure you use the correct verbiage of "partner" and not "boyfriend/girlfriend." Take that for whatever it's worth - probably what you paid for it - but it doesn't hurt to make it a point to use that term.

There are no 40SP and 47SP to worry about when you apply online. The questions in the online applications take the place of those forms.

Right, I understand that, but OP is not leaving of his own accord. I was fairly certain that as long as you didn't leave voluntarily it didn't matter.

Yes, you can count your time on your WHV. The requirement is four years in Aus, no more than 12 months out of Aus total during that four years, and no more than 3 months out of Aus your last year. At least your last year must be as PR.

A relationship of one year is definitely not "longstanding" by DIBP standards. I believe it's 3 years they consider "longstanding." Sorry, but you're more than likely going to have to just wait it out. You can always consult a MARA-registered migration agent to see if you have any other options. There are several good agents on this forum.

You have permanent residency. It's permanent, and once you have PR like you do it's no longer tied to your job. You can find another job, and you can live in Australia for the rest of your life regardless of where or if you're working.

I agree - I would advise your friend to take a letter from his specialist saying what his diagnosis is, current treatment, prognosis, and (this will be important given the attempts on his life) whether or not the specialist believes he is likely to need hospitalization for further attempts on his life (or anything else related to mental health issues) in the next five years after applying. Hospitalization is expensive. If the specialist can HONESTLY say they don't believe he'll need hospitalization in the future that would be hugely beneficial.

Hey Bound4Tassie - Kids who are citizens don't get included on your application in that section. No, they don't need medicals - they're citizens. You provide their birth certificates, photos, etc. as evidence, but they don't get included on your application in that section or the CO will think they need visas/medicals as well. They really need to design the system better, IMO. It's too confusing when you have citizen kids.

Do keep in mind that PMVs are not taking six months from any embassy I know of.. most 9-12 months or longer. If you're going by the 6 months quoted on the DIBP website, don't bother - it's not accurate.

It used to be easier. You can thank the idiots who decided it would be kind to lie for their ex-partner and say they were still together so their ex-partner could get their permanent visa for making it harder on the rest of us.

Sometimes forums do, in fact, contain accurate information backed up by official sources. And frequently official information that later gets documented by Immi/the embassies begins with one member saying "Hey, I called Immi/the embassy today and they told me that..." No reason to disparage forums.

People who think that quoted 5/6 month timeframe reflects average processing times these days... sigh. How I wish you were right! First off, that was never meant to reflect average processing time. It's their service standards which they "aim to" meet (and are definitely not meeting in many cases these days). If you want average processing times right now, you have to look elsewhere. That page you linked has not been updated and has not been accurate in TWO YEARS. No exaggeration. It infuriates me, honestly, that they still have it up - better NO posted "service standards" rather than information posted that is SO misleading. SO many people see that and think "whee, only 5/6 months to get my visa!" and that's just not true. Not sure where OP got the 18 months, but you can see in multiple places that that 5 months outside Australia for Low Risk Countries/6 months inside Australia for the 820 information does NOT reflect current processing times. Even their own official website and official embassy websites show you that: 820: http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/801-820.aspx (In gold: "Average processing time for this visa is 12 to 15 months.​") 309 from UK: http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/immi_processing_times.html ("Partner Migration: 10 to 15 months.") 309 from US (another very low-risk country): http://www.usa.embassy.gov.au/whwh/dibpssdibpss.html ("Partner Migration: 12 to 15 months.") 5/6 months WAS at one time probably close to what was actually happening. It's no longer anywhere close. Processing times have skyrocketed.

This should be of some help to you. Here's the checklist: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/partner/_pdf/info-permanent-partner-visa.pdf Here's where you start the process of applying online: https://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/partner/ You'll need to provide what you've described, plus your own statement, photos of the two of you together with other people, and evidence that you still have a combined household and shared finances (bank statements, mail to the same address, etc.) It used to be much simpler, but they're requiring more evidence for second-stage visas recently as there was just too much fraud (people swearing they were still together who had actually broken up).

Yep - good advice re: shipping your belongings. I was planning on doing exactly what you were doing, and for good reason - I had been separated from my then-fiance (now husband) for 15 months waiting on various visa issues to play out (first six months for his PR to finish processing (quoted timeframes were 6 weeks at the time!), then 9 months for my PMV (timeframes were typically ~4-5 months for the US at the time). There was no end in sight, and no response from my CO, and we couldn't stand being apart any more. I let my CO know of my travel plans (we were planning to holiday together in Australia), got an ETA (no, this doesn't invalidate your partner visa application, though it would be a problem if granted after the partner visa was, so verify your visa status before you apply for your eVisitor), quit my job, packed up my stuff, had the moving company come and start the process of shipping my stuff, and spent the holidays with hubby and my mom/family, and then with hubby and his parents on the other side of the US. A week before i was scheduled to go to Aus on the ETA, I emailed my CO to (very politely) remind her that I would be flying out the next week. The business day before I was due to fly out, she (very kindly!) granted me my PMV. Turned out that was highly fortuitous as I was unaware at the time that I couldn't have received my shipped goods if I hadn't had my PMV yet. The shipping company never told me that nor verified my visa status before starting the shipment. Could have been bad!

^That's consistent with the way we've seen them approve/deny de facto applications on another forum in my last couple of years there, IMO. If a couple lived together, was separated briefly, then lived together again within the last 12 months, it was no problem getting an approval (as long as there was evidence of continuing support and communication during the period apart). But those who tried to claim they were de facto before they were actually living together, and didn't have 12 months living together in addition to that time weren't usually approved. Neither were those who tried to claim they were de facto but had never actually lived together. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, but generally that's what we've seen.

Start here and apply online: https://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/partner/ Here's the checklist of documents you'll need to supply: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/partner/_pdf/info-permanent-partner-visa.pdf The amount of information they ask for these days is indeed very similar to the original application. They've really cracked down on the 801 lately because of too many idiots taking advantage and fraudulently saying they were still together when the time came for the 801 when they weren't.

We actually moved to Turrella recently.

Wowwwwww. Hopefully DIBP will see this and go through whatever process they have to to subpoena the IP address you're posting from.

Awesome. I hope you DO hear within six months - it'd be awesome if you guys were one of those super-quick cases. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Yes, obviously he'll go straight to the 801. That's not in doubt. But that doesn't change the processing time. No one is trying to scare anyone. But if it were me I wouldn't want to start my citizenship clock over again or be completely unable to leave the country if there were a family emergency. Guess I'm just weird.

FYI, it makes no difference that they told you "in writing" that the wait time for the 820/801 is 6 months. The average processing time for this visa is 12-15 months right now. Check the Immi website (relevant part is highlighted in yellow) - it's one of the few things they have accurately updated. A FEW people have been getting theirs around 6-7 months, but I wouldn't count on that.

Yiiiiiiikes. You were so concerned about him never having been here unlawfully... and now he has been. The BVE means he's allowed to stay in the country, but it's granted when people are unlawful non-citizens, which he was the second he cancelled the 457. Not only does he have no work, study or travel rights (you know you can get the work waived via hardship application, but it's not guaranteed) - so he can't leave the country at all during the next year+ while they process his 820 - but also any time he's spent in the country prior to this now no longer counts toward citizenship. Is that really better than being unhappy at his employer? Obviously that's something only you can decide, but yikes - I wouldn't want to be on a BVE for anything.

I'm not as familiar with the specifics of the 189 (partner visas are my thing), but if it is a visa that can be granted whether you are inside or outside of Australia (and from memory I believe it is), and you're inside Australia, it won't need to be validated. Validating visas is for visas that are granted offshore. Hopefully someone else will chime in and confirm or chime in and tell me the ways in which I am wrong.

Quinkla - bubs must have a passport to travel. Their ID is going to be checked and compared to their face just like anyone else's. Nice try, though. lol

Best to buckle down and get ready for a long wait. 10-14 months for new applications at the moment through London.