Here goes my story I would love to share with everyone, especially to those who felt like they have lost all hope.
First of all, my visa journey was a very very complicated one. I believe some of you guys are on the same boat here.
I am from Malaysia, was a civil engineering graduate from UWA in 2014. I was playing and partying around in the whole 2015, working as a salesperson for vodafone(good money and commission), while being too comfortable, I was wasting time instead to look for a job and practise my IELTS to 7 or even 8. Being young and wild and ignorant knowing that my time is up before I know is too late.
Mid 2016, I found a job with a dodgy small property development company (didn't know at the time of work), so my graduate visa running out within 1-2 months time, I had to do something so my employer agreed to sponsor me as an engineering technician since it requires only $55k on paycheck as evidence, but I paid all the visa fees ~ $13000 incl agent fees. The company was doing well until I found out my boss were dodgy in the sense that he performs all activities with cash only, no bank ties at all. When the time came, we were asked to provide company financial statements and balance books to the immigration for criteria check for visa grant, he refused to provide as he is worried that they would find out his tax evasion schemes. At that moment, I was thinking to myself What am I still doing here. As predicted, it failed through but fortunately the visa 187 was refused with option to pay $3,500 for AAT tribunal review. I quit the job shortly after and relying on the time bought with AAT review that lasts 14 months before I get called to court for last chance to provide evidence, otherwise within 28 days I have to leave the country.
***Money paid: $9000 (visa 187) + $4,000 (agent fee) + $3500 (AAT review) = $16,500
***At the time of quitting job, time left: 8 months left to stay
Again, after I left the job, I had totally wasting time and lost the opportunity to apply for individual skilled visa as an engineer, my IELTS can't even score all 7's. Even if I did, my EOI will take at least 2 years for invite since I have only gotten 60 pts.
Above all, I found my soul mate, a girl who is so good to me, loves and care about me even though knowing I don't have much time left in Australia. Another note, she's a PR with family migration few yrs ago.
So I approached an agent to help with me to apply for a spouse visa that allows me to stay and work and live. Most importantly, she agreed to this, it can be a big decision for some partners as it involves their personal life.
So now, the complication comes, agent doesn't allow me to apply for visa 820 onshore because my partner is not pregnant or under any circumstances that I have to be onshore to look after her, even if we apply for it, it will be refused anyway and money will be wasted. So, I found out the other way is offshore visa 309/100 where I am required to be out of Australia while application is being processed. Gladly, my AAT review application provided me with a bridging visa where I could continue to stay and work until I got called to court and being decided or visa 309 being granted. Gladly, few days after I quit the job, I have gotten a job offer with a big private engineering company calling me to start the following week, well I had to lie about my visa status so that I could get a job there during interview. They were not too fuss about it after I told them midway, as long as I have gotten full work rights. 3 months after, we got married! Not a lavish one, we only signed the marriage papers in one of the perth marriage office where both families came together to celebrate. This fulfills my requirement to apply the visa as married couple, while she's the sponsoring one. And so, we applied the visa 309 and lodged.
*** Money paid: $16,500(part 1) + $7000(visa 309) + $1500(agent fee) = $25,000
*** At the time of applying, time left to stay in Oz : 5 months and 1 week.
I have went online everywhere forums and immi website to search for processing time for visa 309, and far out, it was at least 16 months, I was prepared mentally to leave the country away from my loving wife for that long and wouldn't know what would happen due to that separation, and also to leave the good paying engineering job I love. That mentality and thought just got me pulling my skin off thinking about it, all will roll back to square one losing everything. 1 month after lodgement, immi asked me to perform the health check where it's usually come after half a year after lodgment.
At the final week of the 5th month, I went back to Malaysia for a wedding and thank god that immi officer called my agent asking me to perform a biometric collection outside of Australia, luckily I was in Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur that time and able to find a centre that does that.
Few days after, they had granted me the spouse visa 309 before I am due to come back to Oz with my wife!!!! Too, I have withdrawn my AAT review applications and no longer needed that.
As you can see, I have quite a few ups and downs in this journey, but I kept my faith strong if I want to stay in Oz forever. If money can solve a problem, it's not a problem, remember this! Don't save and cut corners, nobody can help you except yourself.
Things I did that sped up the approval process:
1. We got married and used that status to lodge, instead of DE-FACTO.
2. Whatsapp chat messages, emails, air tickets and phone call records to show them that we are in contact every few days, proving our relationship is real. It's cringy but well, if that helps with the approval then why not?
3. Wrote out clear love stories of both of us, 6 pages long, including future plans.
4. Submit police clearance docs early, overseas usually take longer.
5. Financial aspects, we opened up joint bank accounts straight after we were dating, share meals, groceries and stuff. Talk to your spouse about this, tell her it's your future.
6. Translation and certification of all documents before lodgment.
7. Gather all couple selfie photos and date them in zip folders.
8. Submit a DECISION-READY application !!!!
Feel free to ask me any questions and I will advice you best as I can.
