TellHimHesDreamin

Perfect...thank you. Looks like I would be eligible and even go for the 189 (Skilled Independant Visa). So how would this fit in with a future partner visa application? Or would I simply not need to go down that route, live work and get married under the 189 visa, and at the right time, just apply for citizenship?

Same...amicable separation, but yes...it now needs sorting ASAP! Although there doesn't seem to be any length of relationship criteria against the 300 visa?

I'm struggling to see if I qualify or not. On the Australian Visa Bureau website, my occupation is on the SOL, but when I go to take the assessment, I cannot find it in the drop down...!? https://assessments.visabureau.com/australia/assessment/skilled/default.aspx

Thanks for the comments so far... Bit more than long distance dating. We have been in a relationship for over 18 months, flight tickets all over the world meeting up, hotel bills, HUGE phone call logs etc, joint party invitations, joint savings accounts, photos of social events, wedding invitations...small things that all add up. So...once divorces are finalised, being offshore and continuing to work off shore will not stop a 300 application? And once granted, I can still come and go as I please for work purposes, yet apply for jobs knowing I have the right to work in Oz and then at the same time, organise our wedding? I believe that once the 300 is granted, and we marry, I can then apply for the 820? Reading some more about it, it seems I need to be in Australia when making the application and when the 820 is granted, but then I can be outside of Australia when the 801 is granted - what if I am overseas working when the 820 is granted...does this void the visa? And is the only difference between the 820/801 and the 309/100 visa, your location when applying? Once again, thank you all for the advice.

Hi all - new to the site and first post. There are clearly a lot of knowledgable people on here and I am hoping someone can help me. I did think our situation was unique, but it looks like a lot of people have similar questions, relationships and problems in getting into Australia. Anyway, I am a UK national, but currently working in the Middle East. My gf is an Australian national and has lived there her whole life. I fly into Oz as often as work permits and we spend as much time together as we can. We have spoken and will marry as soon as we can, but also need to align work and visas...but more importantly, we are both in the final throws of getting divorced from our exes. Neither of us have really pushed for the divorces, even though we have been separated for a number of years. We have been in our relationship for about 18 months, now need to push things forward so that we can start our new lives together in Australia. My question is, what route do we go down? I will probably continue to work FIFO for a while (to save up for a house!) but at the same time, in order to make the move to Oz, I need to be able to work, and getting the right partner visa will of course allow me to do that. The whole, being in the country when applying, or when the visa is granted, against costs, and time, or whether to enter on a visit visa, get married and leave again for work...is just confusing! Any thoughts greatly appreciated.