LauraF Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hi everyone, Me and my fiancé have been together for 3 years, most of that time being physically together. So far we've been apart for 4 months and it feels like an eternity, so I was just wondering if anyone has any personal experience of how long my visa will take to process? The London office states that it takes between 5 and 6 months but I'm hoping it will be sooner because we're a 'straight forward' case or something (is there such a thing??) We've lived together before both in Australia and England and have sent proof of this with the application, also 3 people have declared our relationship and I sent photographs of us together. The application has been sent and my additional health and criminal background check have just come back to me fine - so from this stage when they receive the final documentation of the CRB check in the post, does anyone know how long it may take to approve? I really can't wait another 6 months, that's far too long! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 IF you had been together for 3 years - why did you apply for PMV - because you had been together 3 years you may have gotten PR straight away?? Partner visas have a 12 month relationship requirement - PMV state you must have met in person at least once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraF Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 I'm not sure, I don't recall as it was months ago we started looking into the process. I do know that we looked into both kinds of visa and there was a problem with meeting the requirements and documentation with the spousal/partner one... but now you have me worried, so you're implying we shouldn't have applied for this one? Well surely if we have been together for 3 years that may speed the process up then? ... I'm just looking for a time frame? Either way - both visas are given the same processing time on both the Australian site and London office site http://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/5.0.htm and http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/immi_processing_times.html ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susieB Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hi Laura, I've also sent off my Prospective Marriage Visa. The day after they received it (30th May), i was asked to get a police check and have a medical. Police check came back clear and medical was sent to DIAC on 18th June. I'm still waiting and haven't heard anything from them. So, we're both in the same boat. When did you send yours off? It will be interesting to see who get's theirs first. Good luck to you.:biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Laura, I've replied to your post on the Poms in Adelaide site, but in case you haven't seen it I've posted the message again below. "Hi, I'm afraid 5 to 6 months really does mean 5 to 6 months. I applied for my spouse visa last November and we've been married nine years and have two children and it still took about 5 months for the visa to come through. I think it's to do with being on a waiting list rathr than the time taken to actually process the visa, so the amount of time stated is the amount of time it takes." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraF Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hi Laura,I've also sent off my Prospective Marriage Visa. The day after they received it (30th May), i was asked to get a police check and have a medical. Police check came back clear and medical was sent to DIAC on 18th June. I'm still waiting and haven't heard anything from them. So, we're both in the same boat. When did you send yours off? It will be interesting to see who get's theirs first. Good luck to you.:biggrin: I sent the visa application off on 14th June and was later prompted to get a CRB and medical check which I organised immediately. I had my health check last Wednesday and the CRB arrived today so I'll post that to the London office tomorrow. This waiting game and the stress of application has really started to send me mad, on top of that I've just finished my degree so I have absolutely no routine to my day at all and am quickly becoming depressed. My fiancé has told me a story of someone he knows from Malaysia who was much much younger than his bride, barely knew each other then got his PMV approved in only 3 weeks. So if ours really does take months... That is not good news NicF, although the visa is slightly different as yours was partner/spousal... although now I'm confused as I thought lebourvellec suggested partner visas get approved "straight away." So much confusion, the things you'll do for love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hi, I beleive the partner, spouse and prospective marriage visas are all part of the same "pot" and there is a limit to the number of visas that can be issued so there is a waiting list to get your visa. I beleive the visas are approved or rejected almost immediately but because of the limit and the waiting list they don't actually issue the visa until you get to the front of thr queue as it were. Sorry, not what you wanted to here I know. I don't know anything about other visas or anything, but is there no way you could go and visit your fiance while you wait for your visa to be issued? You would have to leave Austrlia to get your visa issued, but providing you keep your case officer informed and have the appropriate visa I believe you could visit Australia now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraF Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 Unfortunately it's not possible to go over there to see him on a holiday visa in the mean time. Simply because of the cost of a return flight, after paying for the visa and the medicals etc, we are both absolutely skint and as I've just graduated I've got no job here, so no income. This is a dear do! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicF Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Laura you have my sympathy. My OH has left for Aus already and me and the kids are going in a couple of weeks. He's only been gone less than a week and I'm really missing him and feel like I've had my right arm cut off. Can't imagine what it must be like for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I didnt say that it would have been approved straight away - I said you would have gotten PR straight away if you was able to prove that you had been together for 3 years. If you had spoken to a Registered Migration Agent before you applied they would have told you to apply for the partner visa. It is not that your visa wont be granted - but the requirements of your visa is to marry and apply for the partner visa within 9 months. It will then take time for your Partner visa to be granted and you have to pay another Visa Application Charge. PMV and Partner visas take about the same time to be processed. Once all your documents are met you have to wait in a que as there a certian number of visas that are granted each month, due to planning levels of Partner visas each year. If you had read through booklet 1 and taken professional advice you would have saved yourself alot of work and extra costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraF Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 Thanks Nic. Ah lebourvellec I didn't realise what you meant by PR I thought that was a shortening for Partner visa. We read the booklets and decided on this visa, I'm aware about the 9 month requirement etc, we have already set a date anyway (valentines day next year) So that's not a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliedec Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 I applied beginning of March ... met all visa requirements ... but have to wait till mid August to finalise ....Came as a shock to me too ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggwise Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Hi, PMV here too! I haven't seen my OH since he left to go back to Oz on the 15th Jan! It's been a long wait...but we are nearly there! I was originally told early august approval by my CO, but looking at other posts over the last few weeks I thnik it's more likely to be end of august/beginning of september. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraF Posted July 3, 2012 Author Share Posted July 3, 2012 We will all be in desperate need of one hell of a party once we're approved and get over there, I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GeorgeD Posted July 3, 2012 Share Posted July 3, 2012 Thanks Nic. Ah lebourvellec I didn't realise what you meant by PR I thought that was a shortening for Partner visa. We read the booklets and decided on this visa, I'm aware about the 9 month requirement etc, we have already set a date anyway (valentines day next year) So that's not a problem Remember the "9 month requirement" isn't 9 months to get married then you get residency...it's 9 months to get married and then apply all over again for the Spouse Visa and pay the associated fee for it. The PMV ends 9 months after it is granted. At that point you need to either leave Oz, apply for another visa to remain in Oz or apply for another visa to re-enter Oz if you are offshore when it expires. And there really is no way to speed up any of the applications I'm afriad, they almost always take the exact amount of time they publish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraF Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 Yes we're aware of having to apply again once the 9 months is up, what a pain! I'm now worried because of this thread that we might have been eligible for the spousal 309 because we've been together for 3 years and have lived together. We did read all the literature at the time in booklet one but it looked like we wouldn't have nearly enough documentation. Much stronger documentation is required for spousal 309 than PMV 300 so we decided to go with PMV so we wouldn't get rejected. Priority right now is just to be together! We didn't have any evidence of "setting up a household together" and absolutely no shared financial bills - since we lived with each other at our parents places and had very little evidence of a 'de facto' relationship. With the 300 PMV - all we sent to prove our relationship were declarations from people of our relationship and bank statements showing overlap of address.... that would not have been enough for a 309 spousal visa right? or is it worth asking my case officer? I'm not even sure whether it can be "swapped" at this point anyway but I suppose I'd like the absolute ease of mind that we did the right thing!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 If you have paid the application fee - you wont be able to change it now. Declerations that you lived together by your parents likely would have been accepted. Joint bank accounts, savings or bank accounts at the same address,, correspondance at same address, showing transfer of money between each others accounts, both on same car insurance documents, wills, named as benificery on SuperAnnuation, booking/deposit details for your wedding, travel itinerys, phone bills/emails of how you kept in touch when apart. Some people can get that Partner visas when they have never lived together, although more difficult but they show valid reason, why they are living apart - work etc. Look through booklet 1 pages 39-41 as you will need to get this information for the Partner Visa , being married only waivers the 12 month relationship requirement. If you can prove that you have been together over 3 years for your Partner visa application you should hopefully get PR straight away. As usually you will get a TR visa for 2 years before you can get PR. PR visa is better - and because you have spent alot of time in Australia over the last few years you could be eligible for citizenship sooner - at the requirements is that you have to be PR 1 year before you can apply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraF Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 If it definitely can't be changed now then there is no point looking into it right now and worrying myself about 'what ifs' So hypothetically, declarations of living together from parents could have been provided but I think that is all. We lived together the last time for 15 months so phone call statements before that date of our contact are long gone, we'd only have emails from 2009. We don't have a joint bank account or insurance documents, no wills, not paid for wedding yet and didn't save travel itineraries. So... looks like we wouldn't have much documentation for 'de facto' /spousal anyway. It is good to know about the temporary/permanent thing though ... I suppose there is a chance in future we could gather some evidence up to make the spousal PR, but by the looks of things the lack of evidence that made us go for the PMV 300 rather than Spousal 300 might knock back my chances of getting PR in a year also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 It would be best if you start sorting out these things now i.e joint accounts etc as you will need them for the next stage - just getting married will not be enough you need to show your relationship is genuine and continuing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jubjub87 Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Hi everyone, Me and my fiancé have been together for 3 years, most of that time being physically together. So far we've been apart for 4 months and it feels like an eternity, so I was just wondering if anyone has any personal experience of how long my visa will take to process? The London office states that it takes between 5 and 6 months but I'm hoping it will be sooner because we're a 'straight forward' case or something (is there such a thing??) We've lived together before both in Australia and England and have sent proof of this with the application, also 3 people have declared our relationship and I sent photographs of us together. The application has been sent and my additional health and criminal background check have just come back to me fine - so from this stage when they receive the final documentation of the CRB check in the post, does anyone know how long it may take to approve? I really can't wait another 6 months, that's far too long! Hi laura, I know what you mean!! ive been apart from my fiance for over 3 months and we only put the application in june 12th so a long wait for us to! and im broke like you are, no job and ran out of savings. it just sucks!! im just trying to look for a job so that i can save enough money to go back on a tourist visa, and the other part to that is that cause i was there for 2 years and left april 1st, i have to be out of the country about 6 months before i can go back in so i definitely have atleast another 3 months to wait before i can go back and that will have been 6 months without each other. its tough on the relationship and it definitely tests it!! just hoping that it all works out in the end and i get to go home to my partner!! keep in touch and let me know if you hear anything...hopefully we get granted around the same time and soon!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraF Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 Ah jubjub87 we seem to be in exactly the same situation, not only relationship and visa wise but job and money wise also! I've just graduated so have no job or savings, I would also love to go and see him on a tourist visa before the 6 months processing time but like you can't afford it unless I get a job soon. I put my application in on the 18th so they should get approved around the same time. Where about do you live at the moment and where are you moving to? Yes lebourvellec thanks it would be a good idea for us to start doing those things soon knowing how difficult it can be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jubjub87 Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 Ah jubjub87 we seem to be in exactly the same situation, not only relationship and visa wise but job and money wise also! I've just graduated so have no job or savings, I would also love to go and see him on a tourist visa before the 6 months processing time but like you can't afford it unless I get a job soon. I put my application in on the 18th so they should get approved around the same time. Where about do you live at the moment and where are you moving to? Yes lebourvellec thanks it would be a good idea for us to start doing those things soon knowing how difficult it can be! Hey laura! yep...same crappy situation! i just keep thinking it could be worse! I am currently in Leicester living with my brother and his family, and i feel like im putting on them at this stage so hoping to get a job soon. its bloody hard though! have a second interview request for care work which ive never done before so hopefully will go ok, then i can start saving and just know that i am heading over in 12 weeks. But everything seems to change all of the time and nothing has gone to plan so i just dont know anymore! Also...heading back to good old melbourne! its home at this stage! and being back in england is a bit miserable...just cant wait to go home and see my man!! i miss melbourne so much! where abouts are you and where are you heading to? I received my police reports and pictures back in the post 2 days after i got a CO who by the way is AB. Who is yours? anyway...thats meant to be a really good thing and apparently after that, its just a matter of waiting! its bloody draaaaaaging already though! Especially with us having no jobs..it really is depressing sitting around all day, having no money and being away from our partners. grrrrr!:arghh: ha!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraF Posted July 4, 2012 Author Share Posted July 4, 2012 jubjub87, A second interview means it's looking good for you then! Definitely it's further than most job seekers have gotten at the moment and means there's real interest in you, even if you don't get it which I hope you will, it means your application and CV is making you stand out. It is true... no matter how bad it is, it could always be worse we'll just need to keep trying to convince ourselves of that. I've not even managed to get an interview so far, just rejections or no replies. I'm just looking for any sort of retail work rather than the job I just got my degree in because it's money I'm looking for right now rather than a career. I'm in Manchester and will be heading off to Adelaide, which also feels more like home to me than my actual home. Being back in England, and alone, is completely miserable I could only tolerate it when my fiancé was here with me. I'm also living with my mother who I feel I put upon by being here which isn't a nice feeling. AB is also my CO, haha! I wonder whether he's the only person who deals with this visa then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susieB Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 My CO is a woman......LG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GeorgeD Posted July 4, 2012 Share Posted July 4, 2012 If it definitely can't be changed now then there is no point looking into it right now and worrying myself about 'what ifs' So hypothetically, declarations of living together from parents could have been provided but I think that is all. We lived together the last time for 15 months so phone call statements before that date of our contact are long gone, we'd only have emails from 2009. We don't have a joint bank account or insurance documents, no wills, not paid for wedding yet and didn't save travel itineraries. So... looks like we wouldn't have much documentation for 'de facto' /spousal anyway. It is good to know about the temporary/permanent thing though ... I suppose there is a chance in future we could gather some evidence up to make the spousal PR, but by the looks of things the lack of evidence that made us go for the PMV 300 rather than Spousal 300 might knock back my chances of getting PR in a year also. The only difference between a defacto and married spouse visa is that for the defacto visa DIAC require you to have been in a relationship (not necessarily have lived together) for 12 months prior to application. You still need to provide exactly the same evidence you are in a genuine and continuing relationship when applying once you are married. Having been on the PMV makes absolutely no difference to the criteria you are assessed against. if you don't have much evidence right now, start getting it! Get a joint account. If you are emmebrs of any clubs or a gym or something, get joint memberships, etc. get wills done. You might not have a penny to your name, but get a will done anyway saying you want your partner to have that photo fram one of you bought the other (it's a legal document setting out how you intend to provide for your partner in the event of death...why would a real couple want their partner not to be provided for, or at elast ensure they are entitled to something of great sentimental value?) There are lots and lots of things you can do to get a really strong case for the next phase. Yes, you could've saved yourself a small fortune and did it 9 months quicker by applying for the Spouse Visa rather than the PMV first time round...but this time you really have no excuse to not have the evidence...you have a while to collect it. And remember, if you are married you don't need to prove you have been together for any set period of time in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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