TinaK

Anyone recommend a good shipping company? Figure it won't hurt getting a jump on things while we wait for the visa!

 

 

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We're in the process of getting 3 quotes from Anglo Pacific, Crown and a local company. They've all been around to do the surveys so now we're just waiting for the quotes to come so that hopefully we can do some negotiating/haggling!

Just had further contact asking for another couple of joint bank statements. They are clearly working through all our documents hahaha god help them, I sent loads!

 

Re medical threads above, I was told by panel doc that the results are all sent to Immi and someone there assesses it (rather than the doctor themselves who just put down results and recommendations) and then the case officer changes the status to something like Approved or Passed.

 

Also was told that if you enter Australia on a tourist visa, and are granted the 100 permanent visa, that you don't have to leave the country for a grant as it's a permanent visa. It's only if it's a temporary visa like the 309 that you have to leave the country for your grant. Happy days!

Ooo great that you've had more contact, at least you know they're working on it!

Interesting about not having to exit if you get granted the 100 visa too - bang goes the cheeky trip to NZ then! ;-) I guess the only issue will be if you go in on a tourist visa, immigration will expect you have a return/onward flight booked but I guess a fully flexible ticket will allow you to cancel? Am keeping everything crossed that it's granted before then so it's not an issue! One less stress to consider hopefully!

This forum is a godsend for learning from others' experience! They were quite adamant not to get anything certified apart from Aussie ones! I just used their form as it was the lazy option haha.

I've my medical booked for 31st March in Dublin (I live in NI, altho from Kent originally) and have sent off for the police checks this week - they don't take long apparently.

 

Where you heading in Oz? We are for Victoria

It really is isn't it! I think it has saved me from a few sleepless nights! I still haven't been asked for my medicals or police checks yet but I'm hoping now I've submitted the info they've asked for, they'll ask me to get them done. My application now states being that assessment is in progress so I'm hoping it will all be sorted before we're due to fly in early July. If I can avoid having to apply for a tourist visa and do the whole exist Australia to get the partner visa granted, I'll be a happy woman! I'm from Kent originally too - whereabouts were you before you moved to NI?

We're heading to Victoria too, my husbands family are all in and around Melbourne so we're heading there. How about you guys?

Hi, I only asked about Italian citizenship as my husband, also the sponsor, has Italian citizenship by descent (as his father was Australian but was in Australia from '47), altho they've not asked us that yet! We did state on our form that Tony was dual national though, although they've not queried it, although perhaps because we put it on the form quite distinctly and included a copy of his Italian passport as well.

 

Form 888 - only the Australian ones were certified. The UK ones were on the same form but they were not certified, as I had rung through to check what I needed to do!

Ah i see, interesting... Yeah as you stated it and provided a copy of the passport that would answer their question upfront. Just shows how thorough they are though, I wouldn't have thought they would even think to ask us for that.

Interesting about the certified copies too. I didn't get mine certified as I didn't think it was required but I just re-read the guidance notes for completing the partner application form and it states that they should be. Good to know you asked the question though and were told not to, I will stop stressing. I guess they will come back and asked them to be certified if they to be! Thank you :-)

Quick question - when you provided witness statements in your applications so written statements from non- Australians (so not on Form 888) who did you get to certify them? Did you use one from the list of occupations that are provided for witnesses required for Form 888?

Is your husband the sponsor or the applicant, and why were they interested in Italian citizenship?

He's the sponsor. No idea why they wanted to know that, they mentioned that his mother was born in Italy which is true but she's been in Australia for 60 years! I don't know what difference it would make anyway if he had dual citizenship, which he doesn't. They asked for some other quite random stuff too.

It definitely feels like they are powering through the applications now - great news! I haven't had a chance to post until today but I was contacted by a CO on Monday too to request further documents (evidence of previous travel/visas to Australia, statement from my husband that he hasn't got Italian citizenship through his Mother and some other really random bits) and I only submitted my application on 5th February so they definitely seem to be throwing resource at this. Haven't been asked for the medical or police checks yet but as I was given 7 days to provide the info they'd asked for, I'd hope that that request soon follows once I've submitted everything. Fingers are crossed.

Hi Tina

First up, this site is a godsend in chatting to others who are going through the partner visa process.

 

I've spoken to Service Centre about e600 as we are planning to travel to Oz, and arrive on 16th June. The lady on the phone told me that I needed to let them know that was our intention as my Visa could be granted anytime from May onwards. She also advised that I could either travel on an ETA and apply for the e600 onshore (recommended) or I could apply for an e600 this end, but I'd need to let them know so that it doesn't affect partner application. The one other thing she said to me was that if I was to enter Australia on any temporary tourist visa, that I would definitely need to have a return/onward flight to get through Immigration on arrival.

 

Whilst processing times are listed as 9 months, there have been cases recently going through in 3-5 months, and there's no rhyme or reason why some are being granted quicker than others, so it seems. You'll start to realise that when you hear everyone's story!

 

Your situation is close to mine, we applied 3rd February 2017. We've been married 11 years, together 14 years and have one daughter, who's Aussie citizen.

 

B

Thanks so much for the info and is great to hear of others in a similar situation - meant in the nicest way! So are you still planning to apply for a e600 so you can travel in June or are you hoping your 309/100 will be granted by then?

Were you contacted to get your police checks and medical done already? I'm wondering whether I should plough on and organise mine so they're done even though I haven't been asked. You're right though, there seems no logic behind who's applications are processed when which is the most frustrating thing.

There seems to have been a flurry of grants in the last few days though so hopefully they're speeding up - fingers crossed.

Thanks Jacqui - I'm not sure how I would tell them about the situation within my application? Also not sure if that would make a difference? I might try and give them a call tomorrow to see what they advise but just noticed on the Australian High Commission UK website that they're saying 10-14 months for partner migration applications now... :-(

Hi everyone, first time post for me having only just discovered this site. I'm way behind all of you having only submitted my partner application on 5 Feb 2017. I've been with my Aussie husband 9 years, married 6 and we have two young children who have dual British/Australian citizenship and Aussie passports. Apologies in advance for the lengthy post but it would be great to get your advice...

My husband has a job starting in Australia in July and going by the most recent update to processing times I think there is little to no chance of my visa being granted before he is due to go. Our plan was to all head over together so that we can sort out the logistics of tying up our lives here in the UK and so that we can get the kids into school at the right time there. However with the processing times now being advertised as being 9 months this won't be possible unless we find a workaround. To that end does anyone have any knowledge of the e600 visitor visa and whether this would enable me to travel to Australia with my husband and kids whilst waiting for my partner visa to be processed? I figure I might need this visa as they can be granted for longer than 3 months. I understand that you have to leave Australia in order for the partner visa to be granted however is anyone aware whether my partner visa would be adversely impacted if I were to apply for the e600? Are there any other considerations I should take into account before pursuing this option? Would I even be granted a e600 with another application pending?

Any advice or insights would be gratefully received! Many thanks.