Bill Adams

Bill, I agree, all dependant on the individual case office assigned and if they what to build a relationship with you throughout the process. I'm sure they're rather busy and it's hard for them / in-fact anyone to keep in regular correspondence! Think my CO works on a need to know basis. I would assume best not to mention names.

So yeah, I'm just sitting tight hoping for a very positive outcome :biggrin:

 

Thanks Biz - will keep you posted.

Sounds like you're really close to the grant, that visa grant email can't be far off. Good luck!

Bill Adams - I also tried to go down the small talk route but that was not really entertained by the case worker although I did get a nice message (from Caseworker) after my wedding.

 

Also tried a little nudge every month, asking questions relating to my application, weather, what they had been up to the weekend, the cricket etc, etc... Of which the response was always; processing time is 8-9 months, or 'I will contact you when I'm in a position to finalise your application' of which I've just hit the 8 month mark.

 

So here's hoping for some good news soon -the wife (Australian) wants to move home, until visa is granted we can't really plan anything, which leaves us in this strange transition limbo, knowing that at best we'll be in the UK for another 6 months.

 

On the flip-side I'm praying that my visa is granted, otherwise I'll have one very unhappy wife!!

themod53, the case officer I was assigned introduced herself by her full name and the correspondence was from her direct email address; assuming we don't mention CO names here?

From the experiences others have had, the approach and communication from each CO is quite different. Still, the end result justifies the means!

Bill - you were very lucky your visa only took just under 5 months. Many applying around the same time and later were waiting around 7-8 months for grant. Given time was 8/9 months. Now it's defo taking pretty much the full 9 months and may even increase. I've not heard of grants coming through inside of 5 months for a long time now.

 

People can't generally front load these days as medicals are all uploaded online and a HAP number is bedded, which comes from CO.

Absolutely, I was very lucky - it was far quicker than expected and as a result I was contracted in London to a job until the end of August.

I believe around that time was quieter than usual, but unfortunately I know many others who waited until October to receive their grants.

The amount of preparation involved before posting the application was enormous. Our application was 240 pages, including evidence of a continuing and genuine relationship; all signed by various JPs.

We also applied without the use of a migration agent or lawyer.

I'd be happy to help others out with any questions regarding their 100/309 visa applications or wait times.

Cheers!

Hello!

I forget to put my visa processing update on this thread (from way back on page 450!)

My girlfriend (Australian) and I (British, London born and bred) were together 3 years and 6 months on date of application. I had been in Australia since 2006. Went back to the UK to apply as waiting times are a lot shorter.

We lived together for 2 years 6 months before that in Sydney. I was on a 457 business sponsored visa and a 416 Working Holiday Visa (x2, I did fruit picking for the extra year in Bundaberg!) before that.

Applied: 07/01/2013

Location: Australia House, London

Payment Taken: 09/01/2013

Case Officer Assigned: 21/01/2013

Police Check: 28/03/2013 (United Kingdom Police Check and Australian Federal Police Check)

Medical: 30/04/2013

Visa 100 (Permanent Residency) Granted: 31/05/2013

Total Time: four months, three weeks

Advice

Maintain contact with your case officer. Be nice, we chatted about the weather, good pubs in London and life in Sydney (my CO was female)

Don't front load your application. It gets stuck in piles of other applications. Get your police checks and medicals in separately. Ask your case officer to confirm they received it.

Don't panic about not hearing anything.

Hey guys anyone got any good news recently ? doesnt seem tp be that much happening on the visa front

Got an email this afternoon regarding a case officer being assigned. Seems there is a light on in Australia House!

Applied - 8th January 2013

Case Officer Assigned - 21st January 2013.

Hey all!

This forum has been a wealth of fantastic information for myself and my Australian girlfriend so I just wanted to add our experiences so far.

I lived in Sydney for six years (WHM then 457) and met my Aussie girlfriend there in April 2009, living together since Jan 2010.

The company I worked for on my 457 was acquired by a larger company just as they were preparing my residency application in August 2012, most of the staff were made redundant and ending the residency application process (much to my frustration) due to the dissolving of our existing HR and new company policy of no people on visas. This forced me to head back to London in November at the end of my 457. My girlfriend is now over here with me and we decided that the 100/309 visa process is much better for us than going for the long wait on independent residency (I'm an IT Systems Engineer) so we applied on 7th January 2013. Payment was taken on 10th January 2013, so we're just waiting to hear back on any further information.

I'm employed at an IT company in London, supporting us both, so it's just a wait on how long they decide to process the application for... with six years of living in Australia already before application and a monster amount of relationship proof, we hope it won't take too long to grant!