KaptainKylie

Hi everyone! It's been a while since I checked in on here. I received my 309 grant in February from the London office and obviously the whole global shutdown put a spanner in the works for getting over here... But I arrived on September 24 to Sydney! My husband and I flew separately and had 1 flight each get cancelled, but we both made it in the end. 

I know that I for one had a lot of anxiety around what would happen once I got here, especially since I was flying separately from my husband. As our visa grants are all digitally attached to our passports, I felt like I was missing something. When I got off the plane, they just scanned my passport as normal and let me into Sydney without much hassle at all. After I got out of my hotel two weeks later and flew up to Queensland, though, they thoroughly checked my visa documents and needed me to provide some proof of address. Since I hadn't yet lived in Queensland, I showed my husband's Centrelink and that was sufficient. 

I kept a diary of each day in quarantine that a lot of people in the Facebook groups for people in hotel quarantine found helpful (PS definitely join these groups before flying over!  they are a wealth of useful information.)

http://kaptainkylie.com/2020/09/30/australian-hotel-quarantine-diaries/

I really hope you all get over here ASAP. It's such a relief after the UK lockdowns to be able to go out with almost complete freedom. 

Timeline: 

Applied 29 February, 2019
RFI 10 December, 2019
Visa Grant 5 February, 2020
Arrived in Aus 24 September, 2020

On 06/02/2020 at 22:17, KaptainKylie said:

Hello Everyone!! 

I got my golden email yesterday 5th February, 2020. I screamed on the street when I got it! 

Applied: 28th February 2019. Submitted my medicals the next week, waited until I got an RFI which came on December 10, 2019 for my police records for the UK and Australia. Submitted all of these on the 10th of January and waited. Unfortunately, missed the chance to activate the visa during a visit to Australia in January, but I am still very pleased. It was approved on 5 Feb 2020 and I have been given until 5 Feb 2021 to make my initial entry. SO glad they've changed the rules and are giving us the full year to enter the country now! 

It's been almost a year since applying, and I am so relieved the process is over. We have been living in limbo, not knowing how long to sign leases for, praying we wont have to keep paying more money. 

All the best, and keep a chin up all my fellow Feb applicants! 

K

Not sure if anyone is interested but I've written a few words which go into a bit more detail about my visa approval! More like a journal style but feel free to peep it if you're interested. It links to my other post with some tips for anyone who has applied for the visa. Congrats to all the new approvals! I wrote it because when I was applying there seemed to be a lack of info on blogs or anything like it that I could easily understand and relate to.

See you all down under  

https://kaptainkylie.wordpress.com/2020/02/19/i-got-my-australian-spouse-visa/

On 30/01/2020 at 15:08, C-J said:

Hey There, 

Im sure you won't be much longer now! 

Just a quick question when you got your RFI, was the police checks just for yourself or for your husband the sponsor too? 

 

It was for myself as well as my husband, for all the countries he's lived in for over 12 months (just the UK and Australia for him, UK, Aus, and USA for me)

Hello Everyone!! 

I got my golden email yesterday 5th February, 2020. I screamed on the street when I got it! 

Applied: 28th February 2019. Submitted my medicals the next week, waited until I got an RFI which came on December 10, 2019 for my police records for the UK and Australia. Submitted all of these on the 10th of January and waited. Unfortunately, missed the chance to activate the visa during a visit to Australia in January, but I am still very pleased. It was approved on 5 Feb 2020 and I have been given until 5 Feb 2021 to make my initial entry. SO glad they've changed the rules and are giving us the full year to enter the country now! 

It's been almost a year since applying, and I am so relieved the process is over. We have been living in limbo, not knowing how long to sign leases for, praying we wont have to keep paying more money. 

All the best, and keep a chin up all my fellow Feb applicants! 

K

first time post, here because I'm a bit disheartened! 

Applied for my 309 visa from London on 26 Feb 2019. Received a RFI for police checks on 10 Dec 2019. Submitted these second week of January 2020. Front loaded just my health check and my American police check, but had to also do my English and Australian police checks after the RFI.

I am American, husband is Australian. We live in England on my Irish passport and were married in August 2018. 

I was hoping for an approval before we went back to australia this past christmas for a wedding, but heard nothing. Everyone who has applied in April/May, don't get too discouraged! I am fast approaching a year waiting. 

I will keep everyone posted because I am following along with everyone else so closely. 

Let's hope this coming week is the one!!!!!!!!!!!!