kusems

Hello all! Apologies if there is a better place for this type of post, or a thread already started. I had a look around and couldn't find anything. I just thought I'd share my timeline and experience of applying for (and being granted) the 820 De facto partner visa. While I've been waiting, I've been curious about people's timelines as it seems to vary quite a bit. First off, I'm American, not Pom, so I'm not sure how that might change things. I applied onshore in Melbourne. My partner and I met in the UK and dated for about five months before going home to our respective countries. We knew we wanted to stay together, though, so I applied for a work and holiday visa and arrived in Australia on 26 June 2012. I moved in with him and his sister right away, then I applied for the partner visa on 26 June 2013. In my application, I included police checks from the UK and US, but not the AFP check or the medical check (DIAC advised to wait until they requested them). 26 June 2013 Applied for visa (in person, in Melbourne) early Sept 2013 Applied for BVB to travel overseas (in person, in Melbourne) 13 Sept 2013 Contacted by DIAC: granted BVB, also asked to complete health check 19 Sept 2013 Completed health check 21 Feb 2014 Contacted by DIBP: asked to submit any other documents (in my case, this included the AFP police clearance) 26 Feb 2014 AFP police clearance completed and sent to me; I sent in onward to department shortly after. 7 July 2014 I phoned the Immigration help line hoping for I don't know what. He tells me to wait longer. 11 Aug 2014 Applied for second BVB in person, in Melbourne. The woman tells me they won't process my BVB application for a little while longer. (Travel dates are 5-22 Sept) 15 Aug 2014 Contacted by DIBP: granted BVB, charged $140. 26 Aug 2014 Contacted by DIBP: De factor partner visa granted. WOOOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!! So it was exactly 14 months to the day, applying onshore in Melbourne (and they took money from me for a BVB which I now don't need :mad: Small price to pay, I guess!) As you can see, I didn't hear a peep from them between February and August. And you might notice that my medical exam was only a month off expiring, though the woman at the Melbourne office told me this wouldn't be an issue. Also, I was never contacted directly by a human being. All contact from the department was via email, always an impersonal form letter. Other people have talked about chatting with case officers, but I've never been contacted by or given the name of one. Anyone else have a timeline to post, even if you haven't been awarded yet? Also, I'm certainly not a migration expert, but if nervous applicants have questions, feel free to PM me and I can tell you more about my experience (what I included, how I organised it, etc.)

Hi Arkansas, I was on a US WHV and applied for an 820. I was worried about the same thing as you because I remembered checking a box for my WHV application that said I had no intention of staying in Australia beyond the one year. But my 820 has just been approved, no issues at all. I spoke to people at the immigration office in Melbourne several times before applying for the 820, and no one ever seemed concerned that I was switching to an 820 from a WHV. It is definitely a possibility. I didn't use a migration agent at all. I personally recommend DIY. There are loads of people to help you here on the forum, and I got a lot of helpful advice from immigration as well, in person and through their helpline (though that was a year ago now). My advice is get as much information as you can straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak.

Are you applying onshore or off-shore? I don't know the current answer to this question, but when I applied onshore a year ago, the department told me to wait on the health check for the reasons you stated (that it expires after 12 months). Processing times were sitting at 13-18 months when I applied (I've been waiting 13 months now and still haven't heard back). The department contacted me last September to get my health check done (which, now that I think about it, might be expiring soon...) If you're worried about it still, I would give them a call. I've called their helpline a few times and found them to be relatively helpful, though waiting times can be a bit ridiculous.

I applied for the 820 in Melbourne at the end of June 2013, so I'm currently sitting at just over 13 months, and still waiting. I was told when I applied that it would be between 13 and 18 months. It seems like processing times might be different based on which state you apply in? It's frustrating, because we traveled abroad last October, so I had to apply for a bridging visa B, and we're traveling again in four weeks, so I have to apply for a second one! That's an extra $280 on top of the de facto application fee. :wacko: