rheia

Does anybody know if I'm likely to get extended baggage allowance on a 309 visa? Flying with Singapore Airlines. Have spoken to someone on telephone but they just gave the standard company line "single way flight, first time entry on visa, visa allows unlimited stay". My visa states "Until notified that subclass 100 has been decided or the

application is withdrawn" under stay period.

 

Emailed and got similar response saying if I show my visa at check-in extended baggage allowance will be given if it meets guidelines. Don't want to risk being rejected at airport and was hoping to get written confirmation beforehand. My family will be there so can always leave extra baggage with them to send on I suppose. Thanks in advance for your help

Hi there @NaomiSimone

A late reply but I've been enjoying my new life in Oz too much to keep up to date with the forum

I got extra luggage, an additional 10kg, when flying to Oz with Singapore Airlines last month (2h stopover in Singapore, luggage checked through).

(I'm on a 309 visa too.)

I had email printouts and still had to explain quite a bit at the airport but eventually got the 10kg (and a bit extra, they weren't that fussy with a couple of extra kilos on top...).

The condition I was given was that the visa had to be unvalidated (i.e. first entry into Australia on this visa). Also, only I got 10kg extra - my partner didn't as it only applies to the visa holder, not anyone travelling with them.

Hope that helps

Just started a new thread about this, but please be aware that the processing times on the London website have changed

Thread here: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/216729-new-processing-times-london.html

Partner Migration - 10 to 14 months (was 8 - 9 months)

EDIT: As MovingtoTasmania pointed out, this should NOT affect those people that have already applied.

Well, after 8 months & 9 days (but hey, who's counting) my partner visa has just been granted!

All details below in my signature but a quick recap:

- applied 22/10/13 in London for the 309/100 visa and got the 309 visa granted today 01/07/14 via email

- CO was DP

- I never once contacted my CO, not even to check the medicals & police checks had arrived. I just assumed they had after I got the police checks sent back & my cover note for them had mentioned that I completed the medical check as well.

Celebrations tonight & then time to finalise all our plans. Looks like we'll be flying out mid-September!

Fingers crossed for everybody that's still waiting!

Visa's been granted! Wow!! Just had the email from our CO. We're over the moon It looks like we've skipped the queue as we applied end of October. Good luck to those still waiting. Right, now to get the rest of loose ends tied up and get 'outta here!!

AMAZING! Congratulations

Now that gives me hope Our timelines are so similar that I'm now going all nervous...

Hi @dia2499 & @owliswise, we've got DP too, and he has pretty much told me the same thing too. Our flights are booked for the 17th July, and he said to contact him the first week of July and he will see if he can grant us then.

 

Just counting the days left of work now...

Now that's very interesting - we've got DP too and applied same time as you.

I seem to be the only one that hasn't bothered to contact their CO We're just waiting it out and will maybe send a quick note beginning/middle of July if we haven't heard anything by then.

We are planning on flying out middle of September.

It's quite common not to hear for quite a few weeks - I waited nearly a month for my acknowledgement email. But I knew the application had been received, as the money was taken off my credit card, very quickly!

Haha, true. They're really quick doing that. We had the mail tracking first, then on the second day the money was taken out.

Just one quick question- I've read that quite a few people got an email a few days after submitting with their receipt, I know it can take months for the CO to be assigned and for them to get in touch but is it normal that it's been nearly 2 weeks and we haven't received this initial email?

 

No email for me. The only way we knew the application had been received was because we sent it via tracked mail (and I obsessively checked that). We had no communication at all until the CO email after about 6 weeks.

For some reason when I typed the address in it asked me for username but when I clicked on the link on my previous comment it took me to old HAP ID log in so managed to access account but it's just showing referral letter generated when I entered my medical history. Is this what you see or can you see an overview/status on yours?

It is basically the same referral letter but now with the photo that was taken at the medical and a section "Health Case Status" that gives the date the medical was submitted to DIBP, as well as listing the "Examinations required for this visa application", their Exam status (completed) & the clinic where I took the medical.

Was wondering if anyone could help me. I attended my medical on the 11th March but the computer system was down so they had to fill out the forms manually to upload later. Just want to make sure everything is in order and it has been submitted. When I booked my medical I was sent confirmation of my appointment along with details about what happened after the appointment. The letter states you can check status of medical by visiting: www.emedical.immi.gov.au/eMedUI/eMedicalClient. However, this requires log in details. When I filled in my medical history prior to the appointment I did not have to create an account/username but simply fill in Family name, HAP ID and date of birth. Does anybody know if I can track status without a username?

Not much help I'm afraid, but for me it still only requires name, HAP ID & date of birth when I click on your link (which is the same one I was sent). I had my medical earlier this year & can still access the system.

We applied for my partners 309/100 visa with the London embassy on 18 Nov 2013 and were assigned a case officer on 28 Jan 2014. They asked for some additional information about my Italian passport (specifically details of my grandparents and my father's birth certificate) not long after and set a date for when they would like my partner to get his health check and police check done (mid-late april).

 

I am just curious as to why they would want more details about my Italian passport - I have an Aussie passport obviously (born and bred) but I am living in the UK (and have been the past 7 years) on my Italian passport. The information they are after was all provided to the Italian embassy when I got my passport from them almost a decade ago. There is no doubt that I will be returning to live in Oz with my partner and our two kids and the Italian passport was more so I could travel through Europe and live/work in the UK for a few years, so I am just a little unsure of why they would want this extra information. Has anyone else found this or have some advice/suggestions?

 

thanks

Amanda

Very interesting - we applied for the same Visa in London just a month before you & my partner also has dual citizenship but wasn't asked to provide any additional information about his EU passport...

how much is a de facto these days?

 

i paid £1400 all up inc medics etc back in 2012/13.

Well, costs have certainly gone up...

I'm looking at around £ 2200.- (309/100 visa charge, police checks, medical check)

I'm actually a little bit confused about when the date of lodgement should be! Is it the date they sent the letter and give you a CO or is it the date that its sent off? I sent the visa on the 13th June 2013, then the money came out on the 23rd June and then a letter from our CO on the 25th June - does this mean our date of lodgement is the 13th? my CO also advised me she had everything she needed and it would take approx 9 months from date of lodgement but by the sounds of things, they are moving through the applications a bit quicker. Did anyone else get told this?

In my case, the date of lodgement was mentioned in the acknowledgement letter from my CO (in the first line of the letter actually).

Something like:

"I am writing to confirm receipt of your migrant visa application that was lodged with this office on 22 October 2013."

Which was actually the date the money was taken out of my account (they received the application the day before).

Hey everyone, I lodged my spouse visa at the start of December. It was only 2 weeks ago but are we suppose to have heard from them yet to say they have received it? We sent tracked so we know they it arrived, but have no idea what next.

My advise: Be patient.

We lodged end of October and it took just over 5 weeks to hear from them (via email). We also knew it had arrived safely because of Royal Mail tracking.

Hi Everyone,

 

Congrats to all that have had their visa grated recently, it’s such good news.

 

I have been on the forum many times and everyone is so helpful. I was wondering if I could ask everyone for their option on a question I have. I am going to apply for the spouse visa in Feb/Mar time, but I was wondering what people views were about visa agents? Do you think they would aid or hider my application?

 

Any advice would be welcomed?

 

Thanks

Personally, we decided to go through the process without the aid of a migration agent.

Our application was straightforward and we felt that we could easily get it done well on our own. It took us 6 months from starting to look into the visa to finally sending off the application but with the help of resources online (forums / Immi website) we didn't encounter any major issues.

The main stage at which I felt a migration agent would have been useful was to review our application before it was sent off - whether we had included the most relevant information or should take out some pages, add others etc.

But then migration agents do tend to offer that as a service, separate from going through the whole application process with them (at reasonable rates).

I would have gone with a migration agent if there were complicating circumstances, i.e. if we hadn't lived together for the full 12months before the application, I was from a high risk country, there was a pre-existing medical condition, criminal convictions etc.

If you decide to use an agent, make sure they are registered! (https://www.mara.gov.au/)

Applied the day after Rheia and lilacdreamer, and today got my CO. Delighted!! Been told to wait till after 21 Jan 14 to go for my medicals, that's fine. At least I can get it booked in.

congrats on the co!

re the medical, if you're going for the central london clinics be prepared for only being able to book a month in advance. I might have been keen as well and called them up for a february appointment today... no chance!

other clinics might have similar limitations.

How funny! We might get granted same day too!

 

We applied for the 309/100 too, but we've been living together for 4.5 years, so he said we are eligible to skip straight to the 100.

 

Did you include an envelope for them to send your stuff back? We didn't, but we sent copies of everything, so I'm not fussed if we get it back.

Yes, we included an addressed return envelope as we included some original cards (birthday, christmas etc.). Guess we'll see what we actually get back...

No skipping to 100 for us, I'm afraid! Only been living together for about 1.5 years...

We finally got our CO!! So excited, it all feels quite real now! :jiggy:

 

We got DP, he was really lovely. We have also been advised we are eligible for a 100 visa straight away - which is such a massive relief.

 

Just need to sit back and let it all play out now. We are very lucky that it will all fall in line with when we need to leave. My ancestry visa for the UK runs out in July next year, and he advised we should be able to leave the country together.

 

I can't believe what a weight has been lifted!

Haha, guess what - applied the same day, got DP assigned today as well!

(we're applying for a 309/100 visa)

And from Royal Mail tracking I know that some of our evidence must have been sent back as well - expected to arrive in the post tomorrow....