TheWayOfThePony

If she is living outside of Australia you need to apply for an offshore spouse visa https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/partner-offshore/provisional-309 That page has all the information you need, including all the documents required and a step-by-step of the procedure.

that is so great to know! thank you!

I'm still a year away from lodging my 801 but I was wondering - is it just an update of the previous application, i.e. do we just provide new bills, new tenancy agreements etc that occurred from the previous application + new statements (from us and friends)? or is it an application from scratch, with birth/marriage certificates, etc?

Hi! I'm going to try and get through all, but please note that I am not an immigration agent, just somebody who was in a long distance relationship like you and got a PMV So I'm only speaking from my personal experience. I cannot guarantee that what worked for us will work for you - I came from a low risk country so it's quite possible you might need more for a high risk country... 1. Immigration does make the distinction between dating and being engaged/making a commitment. But I don't think there is a requirement regarding how long you have been engaged for. What you will definitely need to provide is evidence that you are planning a life together and are going to get married - like conversations between you two regarding your future/the wedding, and the Notification of Intention to Marry. 2. I don't think it matters where you spent time together (in Aus or in the Philippines) as long as you have met each other. 3. You don't need dozens of picture (we had nine for our PMV). Yours at least show that you know each other's family, that you have friends in common, and that you have met in person. 4. You can get things in advance (the NOIM you will definitely need at the time of lodging) but be aware that medicals expire after a year, so if your visa takes longer than 12 months to be processed, your fiance will have to go through another (and pay the fee again). 5. I can't think of something else, we basically gave the same evidence as you. 6. Same as above 7. See question 3 8. I think we only had dates and travel together for that one, so I'm not sure! sorry! 9. No, it's fine. Ours were also done a month or two before lodging. 10. Your fiance's CV is technically irrelevant since this is a partner visa - what you will be judged on is how genuine your relationship is. Perhaps if he had been living on the dole for a decade, Immigration would not be super keen on bringing him to Australia, but he's been working and saving up for your future together, so... 11. Processing times depend on a number of things - how straightforward your case is, how clearly presented your evidence is (I cannot stress that enough: make it easy for your Case Officer who has dozens of cases to go through!). It's not officially stated on Immigration website but yes I think being from a low risk country is a factor, as checks will be more thorough... Good luck

You can also compress your PDFs online - you upload the files on a dedicated website (*) that will do all the work for free and you just download the compressed file. Pretty handy as you can upload several files at the same time, so it saves heaps of time. That's what I did as my documents were also way over the limit! Just be aware of a loss of quality for images - don't compress it tooooo much. (*) Not sure we're allowed to post external links here, but you can just google "compress PDF"

I think I lodged my 820 a week or so before my PMV expired. So you should be fine Just make sure you apply for your marriage certificate straight after your civil wedding as it can take a while to process, and it is one of the essential pieces of evidence to provide for a 820. And yes there are travel restrictions in the period between when you apply for the 820 and when it is granted, though you can apply for a bridging visa B to waive them off (I think it's straightforward but yes, it's another admin task to get through!) Good luck!

Only recent post I saw on the subject (in this topic) said they had to wait for one year. )

Ha, this is all so familiar! After London I found most high street fashion in Melbourne a bit, well... dowdy, frankly. I do miss TopShop and Joy, and half of my clothes are from TK maxx... That said I've found a few things in Princess Highway/Dangerfield stores; it's not "standard" street fashion in that they have a specific audience (Dangerfield is on the rockabilly side whilst Princess Highway is about whimsy and forest critters prints) but if you like that kind of things you'll find cute knits, skirts, scarves, etc. And since you are in Melbs there are a few good op shops in the hipster parts of town - BrotherHood of St Laurence on Brunswick Road for instance is a big one. There's also heaps of small, cool independent stores around Brunswick, Northcote etc but these are of course pricier than high street fashion. I'm also desperate for decent shoe stores... sigh. And yes, humans don't HAVE to dress up. But some of us like to. I swear we do it mostly for ourselves,and not to annoy those who don't. So why not *not* be judgemental, hey? ?

Congratulations on your 300 application @HibiscusDreams! here's to hoping it will be processed swiftly ? it's such a massive hurdle to get over (all that paperwoooork) that it's very strange to go back to a life of not obsessively going through old emails and photos ? @spangle 1 and @CEP don't fret toooo much about the 820 - it's just a question of updating what you've sent for your 300. I basically sent the same core documents (proofs of ID, evidence of continuous relationship etc), all I did was to add new stat decs from witnesses, new statements from us, and evidence that we : - got married (e.g. wedding pictures, bills from the venue and the celebrant., and official wedding certificate; tip: apply for the certificate as soon as you get that ring on, it can take a few weeks for the Register to have it ready) - live together and share costs of living (tenancy agreement, bills, bank statements with annotations pointing out who buys what etc.). I was dreading it too, but in the end it took a lot less time and effort than the PMV. If you've managed that 300 - you can definitely do that 820!? Added bonus: an application for a 820 following a PMV usually gets processed quicker than direct-to-820 applications ? (Mine got granted in four months; a British friend who went directly for the 820 had to wait for over a year)

Yes Blimey, a year! And I'm guessing processing times can only get longer for that as well... well, good to know!

Finally! congratulations, what a relief it must be ? you can put your feet up for 2 years!

Thanks for sharing. It's true you hear people say it's a risk, but people actually being refused at the border, not so much. I remember reading (not here) about that visitor/820 visa gamble and it was presented as a viable option; this was after I had submitted my own 300 and I remember thinking damn, I wish I had known... Now I'm happy I didn't ?

I can only concur - don't sneak in, it's not worth the risk. Offshore visas are processed fairly quickly these days (a matter of months). I understand being apart from your partner is not ideal (I've been there ? ) but really, in the grand scheme of things, what's a few months in a committed relationship? I had to wait seven months between lodging my offshore application and actually moving to Australia, though I did go there on a short holiday on a visitor visa in the meantime (so it's definitely possible!). All I can say is, it flies much, much quicker than you think. You have SO much to do in the meantime, saying goodbye to family and friends, sorting out your belongings, deciding what to take and what to leave, packing and shipping to Australia, canceling your phone, internet, etc, and ticking off boxes on that bucket list of things you never took the time to do (we take Europe for granted, trust me, I regret not visiting more).

Seems like you got your evidence covered, don't forget to organise it neatly (give a self-explanatory title to each file, e.g. "applicant_proof_of_id.pdf", and write a short caption explaining what's going on if the document is not self-explanatory; for instance in the case of pictures, indicate when it was taken, what's the occasion, who's in the picture etc). It's like giving a Powerpoint presentation about your relationship to someone who's never heard about you and your partner after all ? And they are not monsters if my own application is anything to go by ? there was a form our migration agent hadn't provided (can't remember which one it was, possibly 80? a long one anyway!) and the CO contacted him requesting we send it to them, along with more pictures of us; we were given a 28 days deadline. So they do give you a chance to rectify a thing or two! Good luck ?

I'm not sure about the other enquiries you have, but as for the checks: Police check: you need one for each country where you have cumulatively spent over 12 months over the past ten years; that means if for instance you reside in the UK but regularly go to, I don't know, Spain for holidays, you might need to do a police check for Spain (on top of a check for the UK) if all those holidays amount to +12 months for the past ten years. A police check in the UK is easy, you can apply online (https://www.acro.police.uk/Police_Certificates_Online.aspx). The check takes about 10 days and costs 45 GBP (or 80GBP if you request an express service that gets your check done in 2 days). The health check: have a read through here https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa/heal/meeting-the-health-requirement/arranging-a-health-examination It will explain how to get your Health identifier number (called a HAD ID), which you will need to arrange your examination. You also need to have the examination done by a panel physician (not your regular GP). Here is a list of all the panel physicians for the UK: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about/contact/offices-locations/united-kingdom The forms are daunting, but just go about it methodically, section by section, and don't rush it ?

Hello! The process is, you apply for the 309 (i.e submit all documents required for a 309) and should you qualify for a 100 you can get that one in the same breath too (I think you get the grant for the 309 first, and the grant for the 100 comes a few days later; it's all automatic, just send them an email if the grant for the 100 doesn't come after a few days). In order to qualify for a 100 straight away you need to have been married/in a long term relationship for over three years (or over two years if you have a dependent child). Sounds like you qualify so what you need is to prove you and your husband have been in a (1) committed relationship (2) for 7 years: wedding certificate, evidence that you have been living together for X years, bills with both names on it, will, life insurance, etc. And do hammer the fact in your personal statement: Case Officers deal with so many cases, you really need to make life easier for them and spell things out. The documents you should provide in your application: they are listed on the Home Affairs website https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/309- ; I'd advise to prepare them in advance. Once you've gathered them, you create an Immiaccount, pay for the visa, THEN upload all your evidence on the dedicated page (it's all signposted but basically it looks like this https://partnervisa820uploadguide.neocities.org/ ). Be aware that there is a limit of the number and size of files you can upload (60 docs for you, 60 docs for your sponsor; max size is 5Mb per document). Regarding the Police/Health check, you can either upload them straight away, or wait until a Case Officer contacts you and requests them; you'll find advocates for both approaches; front-loading the application makes the processing faster according to some; others say that given the fact applications can take a while to process and that checks expire after a year (making it necessary to do those checks all over again if your application has not been processed), it's a risk. It's up to you. Good luck!

I would assume you both need to be divorced from your respective spouses before registering a relationship. That's certainly the case in Victoria: In Victoria, you can register a domestic relationship between two adults who are a couple if: You're both at least 18 years old One party lives in Victoria You're not married, in a relationship that's already registered in Victoria, or in another relationship that could be registered You provide domestic support to each other You're committed to each other both personally and financially. (source: https://www.bdm.vic.gov.au/marriages-and-relationships/register-a-domestic-relationship) The register of BDM in Victoria asks that you mention previous marriages or registered relationships to them and provide evidence that you are no longer in that relationship (official evidence, that is: divorce decree, certificate of annulation, etc). I'd call or check the website of the Register of BDM for the state you live in and see what they say but I'd be surprised if any would allow that. That would make things way too easy (anyone could pretend they are in a relationship and sponsor a fake partner even though they are married), so you can see how Immigration would close that potential loophole.

Speaking from a 300-820 combo perspective, it's not as daunting at it seems. First you don't pay the full partner visa fee both times (you pay around $1200/1300 for the 820 - granted, it's still a sum, and between that, the fees for the various checks etc, it all adds up), secondly you have to apply for the 820 so quickly after your 300 that it's just a question of sending the same evidence with updates (marriage certificate, new statements etc), so it doesn't take nearly as long to gather the evidence; also the 820 seems to be granted quite quickly when it comes on the back of a PMV (4 months in our case). That said, we went this route because we didn't fulfill all the criteria for a 309 (and didn't want to risk the tourist visa-820 visa route). But if you do, a 309 sounds like a sensible option.

No, you don't need to have a venue booked ? All you need is the NOIM (Notice of Intended Marriage), a document filled by the celebrant which does set a date, but that date can be changed depending on when you get your visa. And a lot of celebrants are used to deal with PMVs, so they know the date has to be flexible. In our case our celebrant just put a random date on the NOIM (like a year after lodging date) and asked us to keep her updated so we could change the date if necessary. We only started looking at venues, catering etc once the PMV was granted.

I can't comment on the child situation as I have no idea how this is handled in a visa application, but regarding the 300 (since I got mine last year)... * You don't need to be living together for a 300 (which you do for a spouse/partner visa 820 or 309). My husband and I were on a long distance relationship when we applied for ours; like you we were visiting each other when we could, and I won't let anyone say we were "just dating" or "reliving our youth". Nobody can judge how serious and committed you are (well, Immigration can, and will, but you get my point!). Seriously, are we still thinking like that?? Long distance relationships these days are nothing like back in the days of snail mail and rushed phone calls... you can basically talk every day for hours. Which is more than what a lot of couples can say.... anyway! What you DO need (and that's the bare minimum): - you must have physically met, with evidence of it (photos together, bookings together etc) - you must be in a continuous, exclusive relationship (evidence: phone logs, chat logs, anything showing you are in regular contact despite the distance) - you must be planning to marry (you will need a Notification of Intention to Marry, or NOIM; this is provided by a celebrant, so should you go down that route you will need to find a celebrant in Australia and plan your wedding; the wedding date can be changed later, but Immigration wants that NOIM). That's the basic, there is plenty more to provide (proof of ID, statements from friends and family, etc). Look at the official leaflet for detail - I would really read it carefully before starting filling forms. And browse immigration forums like this one, they are a goldmine for advice. * Processing times for a 300 vary. Ours took 3 months to be granted but it all depends on the backlog at the time of submission, how long the checks take, how straightforward your case is, how complete and well-presented your evidence is, etc. * Once 300 is granted, your fiance can move over (and look for work!). You have 9 months to get married and apply for the next stage, which is the Onshore Partner visa (820). Again processing time vary, but it looks like holders of a 300 get their 820 granted quicker than people who apply directly for the 820 (ours took 4 months). Whilst waiting for your 820 to be granted you get issued a bridging visa that allows your partner to live and work in Australia. Also note that while you pay full price for the 300 ($7000, which is the price for a partner-type visa in Australia), you will "only" pay about $1200 when you apply for 820. It's not like you have to pay $7000 both times, thank god! * Agents: we used one for our 300. We felt a bit lost and overwhelmed and it provided plenty of guidance and help; also most serious agents won't submit a case unless they feel confident it has a good chance to get through, so that was extra peace of mind for us. I think it was worth it - even if looking back our case was straightforward, at the time we had no idea if it was. And it did give us the confidence to lodge on our own for the next stage. Good luck!

Many congrats!! We just got ours too so I can relate re: weight off the mind. As pointed out above the challenge is to not drop the ball and keep gathering evidence now ? I now know they don't care about our receipts for restaurant meals or cinema tickets ? so hopefully it's just a question of keeping a regular record of bills, bank statements etc...

Interesting! I didn't know they did that (re: questions on tattoos). Makes sense.

What @snifter said - basically what they want to establish is - whether you have a contagious disease (a serious one, like tuberculosis! not the common cold obviously) that would pose a risk to the Australian population - whether you have a condition that requires (or will require) costly medication & care, as it would be considered as a burden on the Australian health system; the keyword here is "costly" - a myopia is fine, but if you need, say, an organ transplant in the future, that would be flagged.

Yes that's what I figured - I suppose given the fact a 820 has to be applied within a very short time after getting the PMV, a lot of the criteria (genuine relationship, good character etc) have been ticked off already and recently, and it's just a matter of confirming it's still going on. Still - very happy and relieved!

This really is the luck of the draw - we just got our 820 granted (we lodged in February 2018). We front-loaded the application, and perhaps the fact we were applying on the back of a PMV sped up the process? Looking at the grant it appears our application was processed in Victoria. Hope yours is in the post @dotdotslash