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About a decade ago we had applied for a Partner 820 visa gaining a Bridging Visa. It was a slow process which is normal, but at the time we changed the bridging visa and flew to the USA in order to visit my wife's family. While there we decided to stay and do the US immigration for the green card which was fast and approved. Because we didn't go back to Australia for the application, the application was refused, obviously. But over the years I've really missed home, which is Australia. My wife and I have children now which we got them Aussie Citizens by Descent through my Citizenship. So here is what I'm wondering. We are currently trying to do the Partner 309 Visa, and there is a question that asks if the Sponsor (myself) has previously sponsored someone. Do we answer YES or NO? I had previously sponsored my wife around a decade ago and now would sponsor my wife AGAIN, being the same partner applicant. Do I answer YES, I have sponsored someone else previously and then just give the details or answer NO cause does this question really relate to if I sponsored someone ELSE other than my wife? Any direction would greatly help on this. Thanks in advance.

Hello, if you are like me and interested in how long it is taking the high commission in London to process applications for Spouse, Defacto and interdependency (Subclass 309 via the 47SP application), then please add your details to this thread. 12weeks is their standard quoted time but it seems some are granted much faster, especially if front loaded (Medicals and police checks completed prior to submission). Please add your details if you submitted a 47sp Application for Subclass 309 Spouse visa, including the following information: Application Submitted: Case Officer (C/O) Email: Visa Granted: Please also include any additional information, like if you front loaded your application (ie, included your police checks and medicals), and also any additional information that may be useful (like if you were asked to complete an 80 form, if and what type of interview was required). If there is a better thread out there on this topic, Please paste a link to it.. Here is a short history I have gathered so far: (Sorry If I missed yours! Please add, I will Edit the Post so the list below is always comprehesive.) APPLICATIONS IN PROCESS: 30th April: Sent Application (Frontloaded with 80 form). 6th May: We have had no news yet 30th April - Visa application sent (spouse visa 309) 5th May - Money taken from account 11th May - Email from C/O asking for further information (Police Check & ID card) Sent UK police check and form 80 also. 25/4 - App Sent Front Loaded 27/4 - Payment Taken 6/5 - Email from CO stating application and that processing times are currently 3 - 4 months 24th April: Sent application 24th April:Medical done 24th April, should be sent on 29th April, police checks almost ready, will send by first week of May 2009 28th April: payment taken 11th may: contacted by c/o, requested to send police certs and form 80, 11th may 13th may sent police certs and form 80 17th April sent 309: (front loaded with meds and police checks) 20th April: Received and payment taken: 23th April:CO contact requesting more evidence 27th April: Further evidence sent 29th April: CO requested further evidence 9th May: Further evidence sent 13th May: CO contact stating enough evidence and requesting phone interview: 18th May: Phone interview arranged Submitted 15th April CO on the 17th with the standard letter, & requested further information which all in all we managed to provide by the 24th April. On the 24th we had an interview where our CO said he would be approving the application we just needed to get the police checks. On the 24th i also asked about the processing times and he said average was 4-12 weeks. The police checks were sent off and received on the 28th April and since then we have not heard anything further from the CO. Spouse visa application and police check sent 21.1.09... c/o contact 30.1.09...medical done 6.2.09.....and still waiting... COMPLETED SUCCESSFUL APPLICATIONS: (Post Creator - SR1992s timeline) 3rd April 2009: Sent Application for Spouse Visa subclass 309, using forms 47SP and 40SP (Fully front Loaded wtih PCs and Meds) 6th April 2009: C/O Replied & Payment taken 7th May: Got impatient and Phoned CO to check if more info is required, no information given other than standard line "3-4months processing time due to backlog of applications". 15 May: email from CO stating that the 309 was approved. No additional information or interview was requested. 9th April - sent Spouse visa application via registered mail from Ireland (We frontloaded with meds & police checks (no form 80).) 14th April - application received in London 15th April - money taken out of account 20th April - received photos back in the mail 5th May - rang Aus House, as we've had no confirmation of receipt (supposed to confirm within 3 weeks of receipt of application). The lovely lady said our application was with a case officer and we should hear something soon! it was actually approved on 16th April - we just never received the email to say so Defacto App sent 2nd March 09, C/O contact 18th March 09, VISA GRANTED!! 20th March 09 Sent the app on 26th Feb, 09 Visa granted 19th March 09 Date lodged: 9th November 2008 Case Officer Allocated: 18th November 2008 Sent Form 80, medicals & police certificate; 15th Dec 2008 VISA GRANTED: 19th January 2009 309 Visa sent 17/10/08, Email from CO 3/11, more info requested 13/11, sent back 28/11, phone ints 12/12 & 05/01, VISA GRANTED 09/01/09! Spouse Visa Application posted 8/11/08 Meds done 8/12/08 Visa granted 15/12/08 Lodged application 12th September 2008, C/O replied 14th Sept 09, Telephone interview 16th September Visa granted 19th September 2009 June 11th 2008 - Sent off visa application! June 18th 2008 - Request for further docs & form 80 July 2nd 2008 - Granted Spouse Visa! Defacto visa submitted 21.05.08 frontloaded Police checks Payment taken 22.05.08 Meds done 23.05.08 VISA GRANTED 17.06.08 application sent 14/04/08, payment taken 16/04/08, CO assigned 21/04/08, police & meds requested 21/04/08, police cert sent 06/05/08, meds sent 15/05/08, VISA GRANTED 21/05/08 Cheers!

Hi guys, I've got a question regarding a question on this application form: Question 55 - What is your current relationship with your sponsor? Married, de facto or engaged. Now, I am applying for a de facto partner visa and (having lived together for 18 months) should I state we are de facto from when we lived together? We are also engaged - does this 'trump' de facto? Do I tick both de facto and engaged? Cheers all for any help you can provide.

Hi all, I am just finishing my 820 Partner Visa application and need help on a couple of things: 1. On form 47SP Q81 re Which countries have I lived in for more than 12 months in total over 10 years? I have now spent over a year in Australia on holiday and my PMV visa but at various addressess. Do holidays count as living here and should I put that? 2. On form 80 Q21 re personal contacts in Australia? Do I list all friends, work colleagues and my partner's family or just 2 specific ones? Any help greatly appreciated!! Also, any tips on evidence and length of statements?? Thanks

hi all , new poster here. I am a dual national British born, Australian naturalised and passport holder. We live in Belfast. i wish to take my wife with me to australia, i have read through the panel of doctors, there is no one based in Northern Ireland !! Does this means that i have to travel to mainland UK to get the necessary reports ??? Does anyone know can i go to a doctor in Dublin (ROI) instead, as this would be less hassle and less of a cost. What kind of cost would i expect to pay in Dublin or mainland UK ? Thanks in Advance S

Hi All We are in the process of applying for the partner visa 47sp. I am an Aussie citizen who has been living in the UK for past 10 years and have married a British girl.We have a 2yr old that was born in Britain but will shortly be an Aussie Citizen and have an Aussie passport. Do we need to add her to the application form and will my wife and daughter still need the police and health checks if my 2 yr old can enter on an Aussie passport

Hi We are filling in our application form and wondered if any one is around if we are feeling a wee bit lost filling in the form. Should I be filling in the form (aussie wife) or Scottish Husband. When talking about dependant children...is this if they are pommy babies or if I sort them out as Aussies by descent do we need to include them on the form??? There is a question about amount of assests preparing to bring ino Australia. Now we are planning to come on our arses. We are arriving on our arses I am not selling our UK properties although I am selling my Aussie properties to fund a business for ourselves . I am worried about what should be filled in on the application....I do not want us turned back.... SsECONDLY, ON q 38 do you have any children, well we have 2 but I willl be filling in form s to make them aussie citizens.... Lost lost lost...

Hi everyone, I was just looking into getting my husbands Health examination done for his 47SP. Ive found the Medical and Radiology Clinic in Maidenhead Berkshire. Has anyone used them? I was just wondering if they were good and if your experience was straight forward or not? I'm planning on front loading his app in the hope that it's all done and the process won't take too long. Actually it's mainly so that once it's all done and sent off I can forget about it and carry on with the rest of the planning process. Many thanks AC

Hi there, I am currently filling in the 47SP and am stumped already! In part D Q38 is asks about 'Your children' We have two children who will be coming with us. One already has Citizenship by descent and the other one I am going to be applying for as well. So when it asks if they are 'Migrating with you' do I put Yes - as they will be? I'm sure this is the case, although the form is only for my husband. So by putting that will it be making it all confusing? Arghhh......... I wasn't expecting to be confused already!!! AC

Hi, Im currently trying to complete form 47SP and have a couple of queries about a few of the questions I was hoping someone might be able to help me with: Question 9 – Should I just list my last visit to Australia, or all of my previous visits? Question 32 – How exact does the value of the value, goods and assets need to be? Is a rough estimation acceptable? Question 69 – I am married, so should the date for this question be the date of my marriage or the date we first started living together and so entered into a de facto relationship? Question 81 - Is it the end of the world if I can't remember every single country I have ever visited in the last 10 years? And how serious is it if I don't get the dates exactly spot on? Thanks for your help

Im going through my application form, and im at the section of all the countries i have visited in the last ten years. In have been on alot of holidays in europe and are unsure of the exact dates that i went, can i just put the year or do they need to know exact dates thanks x

im really unsure on what to put here, do i need to put my working holiday visa details in there and do i leave the departure date blank as i havent left. Also my mum is a permanant resident of australia so do i need to put her details on there to thanks in advance x

hi everyone~ its me again and i need urgent advice on the following question please~~ i helped my husband to fill in 47SP form to apply for spouse visa. we submitted the application forms last friday. however, i just realised that we made mistakes with 2 questions.. 1. question 58, the previous marriage date was incorrectly entered (carelessly) it should be 2004, but we entered 1994 by mistake. 2. question 80, the last question, if my husband served in the army before. the answer should have been yes since it is compulsory for men to serve in the army in taiwan. however, we entered "no" carelessly. my question is, how do we correct these 2 answers? should we contact the case officer and re-submit a new 47SP form? or should we submit a statement to correct those 2 answers with explianation? thank you~:notworthy:

hi everyone~ i am helping my husband to fill in form47sp, and still have a question, and hope you can guide me through.. thank you~ My husband is applying spouse visa on the ground of marriage. Question 75, 76, 77, 78, don't seem to apply to our situation. Should we just leave them blank? Or say no to all these questions? --------------- Q 75 Did you enter Australia as the holder of a Prospective Marriage visa and marry your sponsor? Q. 76 If you are in a de facto or fiancé(e) relationship, are you related to your partner or fiancé(e) by blood, marriage or adoption? Q. 77 Has the relationship ceased? Q. 78 Has family violence occurred? ---------------------- thank you~ :notworthy:

hi everyone, my husband is applying spouse visa, and he is filling the form 47sp. here is the question 9 : "Have you or any dependent family members (migrating with you or not) previously been to Australia, held or currently hold a visa for travel to Australia?" my husband has not been to australia before, but he has a ETA visa (visitor visa) already, and there is no visa label on the passport. so, in this question, should we answer "yes" or "no"? and if answered yes, what is the visa number we should provide? thank you~ :notworthy:

Hey all, I am currently filling out the various forms for our 309/100 spouse visa and am a bit stuck on question 79 on form 47SP: "Have you ever had or currently have tuberculosis or any other serious disease (including mental illness), condition or disability?" Back in 2009 I saw a GP a couple of times and was diagnosed with very mild depression for which I was prescribed a low dose of Prozac - I think the course of treatment lasted about 6 months. I had no time off of work for this, saw no mental health workers, nor was I hospitalised at any point. I feel absolutely fine now and think this was just down to a slight low point in my life that in hindsight I think I could have got through without the drugs. Obviously I will declare this as required on any forms relating to my medical (to be undertaken soon) but does this need to be declared in answer to the above question on form 47SP? As this was very mild depression I would have thought that this doesn't count as a "serious disease" - however, based on the wording of the question, is any type of mental illness classed as serious? If unsure I think I'll just go down the 'declare everything' route but just wanted to get some opinions in the meantime. Thanks in advance!

Hi, we are in the process of applying for a spouse visa. We have sent in our application and we are waiting to have our medical done. My wife is currently pregnant so its not advised she has the xray. Im due in oz in april and the baby is not due til October. Can they still grant our visa if my wife doesnt have the xray? I have to start my new job the beggining of May so i really need to go. What are our options? We originally planned for my wife to come over once visa is granted and we would give birth to our child in Australia. Please help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Question 21 it asks for your country of current residence. But doesn't specify which type of residence it's referring to. Does it want residency for tax purposes (Australia in my case as I'm on 457) or ordinary residence (which I think would be the UK since I'm not PR here yet)? thanks, RockDr (feeling a little :arghh:)

Hi all, Sorry but we are a little stuck / confused regarding question 9 in form 47SP (partner visa) The question asks if you have previously been to Australia, held or currently hold a visa for travel to Australia. I went to Australia with my partner Dec 2009 . The visa I obtained was done by the travel agent and called an ETA - holiday visa valid for 3 months I think. I was only there for 2 weeks... The part I'm stuck on is it asks for a visa label number or a visa grant number. I have a copy of the electronic visa that the agent sent via email but no where on there can I see any numbers or 13 digit grant number... I can send the actual copy of the travel documents with my form 47sp but should I worry about not having the number to fill in the box?? I contacted the travel agent and she couldnt help... Sorry but does anyone have any ideas or suggestions... Cheers

We are in the process of applying for a spouse/partner visa. I am an Aussie living in the Uk and my wife is British. On the form we need to add our 2yr old to the visa. If i was to apply for her to become an Australian Citizen would i still need to add her to visa or would she be able to enter as an Aussie citizen?

Hi All I am an Australian who has been living in the UK for the past 10 years. I have been married to British girl fr 7 years and have a 2 yr old daughter. We are planning on moving to Australia soon and i wanted to check about the financial side of things. On the form it asks for my pay slips which is no problem as im full time employed. Do i need to prove i will have a job etc when we move to Australia? Woud savings be sufficent evedince i can supprt my family? Finally, if we have been married for 7 years, have a daughter, own a house and both full time employed, should our visa be straight forward? Many thanks

hi there slightyly confused at what this question includes? in 2002 whilst on my year holiday work visa i broke my hand and required a small operation, Being English this was done for free? does this count a as benefit?? through Medicare? any clues? thanks

Hi all, I'm after some advice, I'm about to lodge my 47SP visa, and having had a look through some threads on here could you clear up a couple of questions for me please? 1. Do I put it into a folder - holepunched and in dividers or just in a stack of paper? 2. Is there any benefit to dropping it into the High Commission myself or is posting it just as good? 3. My partner has left all his tax documentation in a storage unit in Australia, has anyone else had a similar problem and how have the overcome it? 4. How much did the medical cost? If anyone can answer any/all the questions above I'd be so grateful...starting to stress about it now! Thank you Jenni

Hi all, I am just going through form 47SP in great detail. I am unsure of a few of the questions: 1. No. 80. Is a warning/Section 5 classed as a conviction/offence? 2. Our son, age 6, is mentioned on the form. He is not migrating as he is a Citizen-but do i include any info on him, such as photo, birth certificate etc... and do we put his UK passport details on form (it's now expired though) 3. On page 24, it states at the top If you are applying for a Partner Visa, you must also provide the following documents with your application: If you are applying on Marriage grounds: Marriage certificate. I assume this means you are applying as an already Married partner? I am assuming that it's just my husband on the form as it's only him that needs a visa, the rest of us are Citizens, although we have named my son on the form-he is coming with us but he is not classed as migrating because he is already a citizen, the same with our other 2 grown up children (19 and 21). Also, q. 32 Not sure what figure to put as not made any calculations yet, is it ok to assume a rough estimate and do you have to prove what you are taking? Cheers. Any help greatly appreciated.:biggrin:

I am a newbie. I am British, my wife is Australian, we have been together for 8 years, married for 4 years and now have two children (both have Australian citizenship by descent and Australian passports). We live in the UK. We are emigrating to Oz next year (2011), assuming I get a spouse visa. I am currently researching the 47SP form and don't think I need an agent to assist as our situation is straight-forward. But I do have a few questions which I would appreciate some assistance with: Q9 on 47SP asks if I or any dependents (whether migrating with me or not) have previously visited Australia and if so to provide travel visa details. I can put in the details for myself, however, my children have visited Australia but because they have citizenship by descent and Oz passports they have not needed visas - do I need to declare these trips for my children, if so do I just leave the travel visa boxes blank? Q27 on 47SP asks for address for 2nd stage (permanent) visa process. What is best address to give? I could give my parents-in-law's address in Queensland and then change it once we have emigrated to Oz and have our own house. Would that make sense, or just leave it blank? Q38 on 47SP asks about my children. One of the points asks "[Are your children] migrating with you?" and then asks for their passport details if they are migrating. How do I answer this - yes or no? My children are emigrating with my wife and I but because they are already Australian citizens they do not need residents visas and hence do not need to be considered on my visa application form. Should I tick "yes" and supply passport details which will identify them as Australian passport holders? This is a tricky one. Finally - what UK police checks can I/should I request and how do I do that - do I just go into my local UK police station and ask? Also where on the 47SP do they request that police checks are carried out? Is this something that is requested once my application is received? Is this also the case for medical checks? I know there are a few questions here but any assistance & experience of the above would be really appreciated. regards, Tristan