MJM89 Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 Hi there, My wife (Australian) and I (British) are currently in the process of applying for the 309/100 partner visa, have been given a case officer, and are hoping to have that granted by around June/July next year (going by the 9 month time frame). We had however hoped to be able to move to Aus sooner than that, around the start of Feb, so we could be there to celebrate our first wedding anniversary with her family at the start if March. With this in mind, I found myself needing another visa to fill that time frame. I've already used my opportunity for a working holiday visa, which expires this December, and was told by two different people on the Australian High Commission helpline (which I've now read isn't the most reliable source of information), that my other option would be to enter with the E600 visitor visa, and when there to continue with a bridging visa if necessary until the partner visa is granted (I understand that I must inform my case officer of my plans to go to Australia while the spouse visa is being processed and leave the country temporarily for that to happen). After applying for the E600 I have recieved an email which states: "The Visitor (subclass 600) Tourist stream is designed for those intending a genuine visit to Australia for tourism, NOT for people seeking to remain in Australia or to facilitate entry to lodge, or await the decision of a spouse visa. " Now the bold and caps locked 'not' seems to be pretty serious about telling me I shouldn't be going about applying this way, but it then goes on to tell me what further evidence I need to provide (a lot of these visa related emails seem incredibly unspecific, like a template with any irrelevant parts omitted, which seems an annoyingly vague way of going about things). All the further evidence involves proving I can support myself for a visit to Australia for however long, a travel itinerary, etc. Obviously I don't have any particular travel plans there at the moment as that isn't my reason for going and I don't really have enough in my bank account at the minute that will prove sufficient funds (all our savings are in my wife's account). As it stands it seems my only options are to act like I'm visiting for tourism, somehow providing any proof I need and borderline lying about my situation to get the E600 (not ideal), or give up, waste the application fee and find another visa option (of which I'm not sure there is one). If I'd have known that we'd end up applying for multiple visas and that immigration can be so incredibly vague I would have started the process with a migration agent, but figuring it would leave me a few thousand more out of pocket decided not to! Any help anybody can give would be massively appreciated. Sorry for the wall of text! Matt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rupert Posted November 6, 2013 Share Posted November 6, 2013 A migration agent would not have been able to get the partner visa any quicker. I think you have summed up the situation quite well above, although you forgot the option about just waiting for your visa. We all had to wait for our visa, I never really understand why people apply and then make plans to move sometime before they are likely to have their visa. BTW as you applied offshore, there will never be a bridging visa in your case. I have never spent or celebrated a wedding anniversary with my in laws yet, usually just something we celebrate together. :biggrin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie121 Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Rupert could agree more! Im one of the mad people...its balls situation..definetly not ideal. Oh life! MJM89 just wondering what option did you go with? Did you find a visa? Thanks for the heads up on the e600 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 If you have lodged an offshore partner visa application there is no Bridging Visa available - you'd have to apply for the partner visa onshore to be eligible for a BV. Best regards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Collett Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 PS. "The Visitor (subclass 600) Tourist stream is designed for those intending a genuine visit to Australia for tourism, NOT for people seeking to remain in Australia or to facilitate entry to lodge, or await the decision of a spouse visa. " If the DIBP would get its act together and process partner visa applications in a more agreeable timeframe there wouldn't be a need for applicants to consider using an eVisitor (or similar) and applying onshore ... DIBP Canberra please note! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJM89 Posted November 8, 2013 Author Share Posted November 8, 2013 Thanks all for the replies so far. Rupert could agree more! Im one of the mad people...its balls situation..definetly not ideal. Oh life! MJM89 just wondering what option did you go with? Did you find a visa? Thanks for the heads up on the e600 Well after another call to the Australian High Commission, it appears that the problem may be that I applied for the 12 month E600, which generally requires more proof of travel plans and general tourism stuff. They told me I may be able to have it changed to the 6 month version and not require all of this but that it's down to the case officer. Have emailed them explaining the situation and am waiting to hear back. In an ideal world we would have just applied for the original partner visa earlier and none of this would be a problem, but the whole process took a lot longer than we originally thought (entirely my fault I'm aware). Also, I thought it may be the case that you can not get a bridging visa if you have applied offshore, so thanks all for confirming that. Hopefully we're able to just get this 6 month E600 starting from Feb and that should take us through to when the partner visa is (hopefully) granted around June/July. Any more advice would be greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollegeGirl Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 PS. "The Visitor (subclass 600) Tourist stream is designed for those intending a genuine visit to Australia for tourism, NOT for people seeking to remain in Australia or to facilitate entry to lodge, or await the decision of a spouse visa. " If the DIBP would get its act together and process partner visa applications in a more agreeable timeframe there wouldn't be a need for applicants to consider using an eVisitor (or similar) and applying onshore ... DIBP Canberra please note! Amen to that! My fiance and I have been kept apart for 13 months now... first because his ENS 186, which when he applied was quoted at taking six weeks, took six months instead to be processed because of an influx of applications due to a rule change. And now next week it will be seven months that we've been waiting for a PMV 300 out of DC with no end in sight. (I understand 8-9 months is typical for London, but for DC it was 4-5 months for PMVs just earlier this year). We are so tired of being apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrussell Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 A migration agent would not have been able to get the partner visa any quicker. A migration agent might have suggested applying for a visitor visa and then for a partner visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie121 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 Amen to that! My fiance and I have been kept apart for 13 months now... first because his ENS 186, which when he applied was quoted at taking six weeks, took six months instead to be processed because of an influx of applications due to a rule change. And now next week it will be seven months that we've been waiting for a PMV 300 out of DC with no end in sight. (I understand 8-9 months is typical for London, but for DC it was 4-5 months for PMVs just earlier this year). We are so tired of being apart. aww CollegeGirl this is rubbish! I really feel for you. the whole situation is stressful and long. I really hope you hear something out of DC soon. Once it is granted are you ready to fly out asap? I bet you cant wait. Keeping my fingers crossed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ukgirl Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 A migration agent would not have been able to get the partner visa any quicker. I think you have summed up the situation quite well above, although you forgot the option about just waiting for your visa. We all had to wait for our visa, I never really understand why people apply and then make plans to move sometime before they are likely to have their visa. BTW as you applied offshore, there will never be a bridging visa in your case. I have never spent or celebrated a wedding anniversary with my in laws yet, usually just something we celebrate together. :biggrin: That's a bit of a crappy reply, everybody's situation is different. Oh how I would love to have the privilege to just be able to wait with my fiancé somewhere until it is granted, we're looking at being separated for a long time if I can't get a tourist visa whilst waiting for the 309 to process. Don't comment if you don't understand. Waiting for a visa to process such as this is a very anxious time. Our future together is in their hands maybe you've forgotten what that feels like. MJM89 I would love to hear how you got on applying for a tourist visa. I'm scared about applying for the wrong one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 MJM89 I would love to hear how you got on applying for a tourist visa. I'm scared about applying for the wrong one The OP stated they had applied for the wrong tourist visa. They went for the 12 month one which requires a lot more evidence etc. Had the OP applied for the standard 3 month tourist visa I doubt it would have been such an issue as the requirements and rules for it are different. However, it does mean going offshore at the end of 3 months and then coming back in. But that is something you just have to deal with if you choose to go to Aus before an off shore partner visa grant is made. Lots of people do this and it's pretty straightforward. Just inform CO in advance of applying for it, get it granted first before booking a flight, just in case it's declined for some reason. Fwiw, a bit of long distance relationship isn't that much of an issue IMHO. If you can't wait offshore together and the Aus partner has to return to Aus before an offshore application is granted either an on shore application should have been considered or you just suck it up and either head to Aus on a tourist visa and deal with what that will entail or you remain off shore till visa grant and then head to Aus. Lots of us have had to make that decision one way or the other when deciding which visa route to go down and for some of us our relationships coped perfectly well with long distance for a while also. 3 months, 6 months, it's not that big a time apart in the grand scheme of things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollegeGirl Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 A year feels like an awfully long time, though - I can tell you that from experience. I agree with what you wrote mostly, snifter, but you said "an onshore application should have been considered." The problem is, if you're one of those couples who want to do absolutely everything on the up-and-up and above-board, you can't just decide to apply onshore unless you're lucky enough to qualify for something other than a tourist visa (which most people aren't). My fiance and I pondered the idea of me going down to Oz, us getting married (we were already engaged), and then applying for a spouse visa, but we found out that tourist visas were not for that purpose, and that the type of visa DIBP intended for people in our situation was the Prospective Marriage Visa, and we wanted to do things the right way. A year later (8 months on the PMV wait, four extra months wait for his 186 due to a landslide of applications at the time of his applying) and we are REALLY finding ourselves wishing we were one of those lucky couples who take a holiday together in Aus and THEN decide to stay. It just seems so unfair that something as subjective as your mindset when you travel to Aus on a tourist visa matters as to whether you are technically permitted to then apply onshore or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie121 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Everyone should be a little bit more compasionate and understanding to other people and their situations. Every relationship and every situation is different. You dont know what might be going on in idividual peoples lives...perhaps something has happened which makes them not want a long distance relationship. Lets no judge people for the choices they make. The advice is fantastic and very helpful tho! Everyone who is going throught this has difficult decisons to make and we are all doing our best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 We all had to wait for our visa, I never really understand why people apply and then make plans to move sometime before they are likely to have their visa. Indeed we did. And I remember this being one of the slowest and most stressful times of my life - and I was lucky enough to apply when the turnaround was 3 months. IMO there is no justification for limiting numbers of partner visas and applying the limit through waiting times because Australians should have the right to marry whomever they like and to live with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie121 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 That's a bit of a crappy reply, everybody's situation is different. Oh how I would love to have the privilege to just be able to wait with my fiancé somewhere until it is granted, we're looking at being separated for a long time if I can't get a tourist visa whilst waiting for the 309 to process. Don't comment if you don't understand. Waiting for a visa to process such as this is a very anxious time. Our future together is in their hands maybe you've forgotten what that feels like. MJM89 I would love to hear how you got on applying for a tourist visa. I'm scared about applying for the wrong one Ukgirl I applied for the ETA tourist visa. I applied online, got a answer straight away. Flew to OZ on a one way ticket and didn't have to explain myself at the airport. It lasts for a year you just have to fly offshore every 3 months while waiting for PMV. When i had been here 3 months i emailed my C.O and flew to NZ for a couple of days. My fiancé and I decided we didn't want to be apart for personal reasons too. Hope that helps and good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ukgirl Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Hi Newbie that is helpful. Just to get this straight though if I apply for the ETA Tourist visa I can stay for a maximum of 3 months at a time but then I have to leave but when I return to Aus I can start a new 3 months without having to apply again as long as it's in that 12 month window? Sorry to sound stupid I just want to be sure on it. I also worry about being questioned if I keep returning as I've already done a years tourist visa 6 months ago and just before that I was on a 2 year WHV. I heard that if you get denied into the country it automatically cancels your current application and that would be a disaster. Snifter.... I don't want to have a long distance relationship with my fiancé, our relationship would cope fine if we had to but we just don't want to and that's that, so we will do what we can to stay together. Comments like "suck it up" are not really what we are on this website for. I'm personally on here to talk to people going through the same thing and to swap advice. Like I keep saying on here everybody's situation can be really different. You cannot compare what your situation was to what everybody elses is now. Also we couldn't apply onshore it was not our choice, how I wish it could have been an option as life would be so much simpler. This is a very anxious time for anybody going through this please try and remember that. Our future is in their hands so it's easy to get annoyed at negative opinions or comments especially from people who has had theirs granted a while ago but thank you to everybody that has something useful to say and to everybody going through it I hope it all gets sorted as swiftly as possible because it is unsettling that your future with your partner is in somebody else's hands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie121 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Hi Newbie that is helpful.Just to get this straight though if I apply for the ETA Tourist visa I can stay for a maximum of 3 months at a time but then I have to leave but when I return to Aus I can start a new 3 months without having to apply again as long as it's in that 12 month window? Sorry to sound stupid I just want to be sure on it. I also worry about being questioned if I keep returning as I've already done a years tourist visa 6 months ago and just before that I was on a 2 year WHV. I heard that if you get denied into the country it automatically cancels your current application and that would be a disaster. No worries! Yeah that's it. When you return back onshore it's a fresh 3 months and you don't have to re apply. I flew to NZ and even when I got to immigration there they were really nice and understood I was on a visa run. Apparently it's very common and again no questions asked when I flew back into Melbourne. I also came to OZ on a tourist visa a year ago too when we came for a holiday and to see if we liked the country. No probs. I think there was a little charge for the ETA online not much though and I got a answer straight away. Completely understand your situation and you don't have to explain yourself to anyone! This forum is great for advice. If your like me I had absolutely no idea about this process and visas. But i mostly came on here to meet people going through the same thing and to know I'm not the only mad person getting confused and checking my email every day!!! When did you apply? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ramot Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 I'm not commenting about this visa or the wait for this visa, but want to mention what happened to a friend of mine who was on the 12 month visa. She was in her 60's, no threat to anyone with a daughter in NZ and Oz. she spent 3 months at a time in Oz with side trips to NZ. She broke none of the conditions of the visa, but had visited Oz over the years on 3 month visas, but not annually. however on her last re-entry for 3 months to Oz, (Sydney) she was hauled out of the immigration queue, put initionally in a room on her own. Then interrogated as to her real reason to be in OZ, her passport was taken away while she had to prove where she had visited as a tourist!! She is well travelled has lived overseas and no shrinking violet, but she was very shaken by the ordeal. Her passport was eventually returned after well over an hour with no explanation of why she was questioned when she had done nothing wrong. So just wanting to pre-warn posters that immigration does sometimes question people's motives, and hope no-one minds my imput. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie121 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Gosh that's awful!! what a horrid thing to happen. I've had a similar thing happen to a friend entering another country. It definitely happens. I guess you've just got to be prepared and deal with it if it does! Glad your friend was ok in the end! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ukgirl Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Ah Ramot That's terrible, good to know though I'll be sure to be armed with any info that I think they might ask for. Newbie that explains everything that I needed to know. I shall go for that visa. We applied beginning of October in Auckland so processing times and case officers are probably different to the majority that applied in London. Wishing that we had applied there now as the waiting time appears to be shorter although somebody on here told me the other day that they applied in Auckland this year and was also told 12 months the same as us for their processing time but had it unexpectedly granted within 10 weeks, so maybe we'll be lucky although I think we've just passed the 10 week mark now. Do you know if they always ask for police check and medical certificate? Not that it's a problem just wondered if it was a random thing or an everybody thing. We got told over the phone that we had been assigned a case officer but on our second phone call to them we were told that we actually hadn't and that I should call back in 3 days and request a case officer if I've not received an email by then which I hadn't so when I called up a third time the lady said that I could not request a case officer over the phone and that I must email. So I've written an email asking what is going on and we're just waiting for a reply now. We need to add additional evidence and inform them that we will be travelling to Aus. Checking emails all the time is no fun. Are you one of the ones to be granted soon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ukgirl Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 I also know an Australian that entered the UK with her british boyfriend and she was taken in for questioning and denied entry because they believed she would out stay her visa because of her relationship with a Brit. She was sent back to France. Even when my fiance came with me to the UK they saw that we had different passports but were in a relationship so I was told to be quiet whilst they asked my fiancé some questions, that happened twice. We said that maybe in future it might be easier to go though separately as not to cause anything in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie121 Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Ah Ramot That's terrible, good to know though I'll be sure to be armed with any info that I think they might ask for. Newbie that explains everything that I needed to know. I shall go for that visa. We applied beginning of October in Auckland so processing times and case officers are probably different to the majority that applied in London. Wishing that we had applied there now as the waiting time appears to be shorter although somebody on here told me the other day that they applied in Auckland this year and was also told 12 months the same as us for their processing time but had it unexpectedly granted within 10 weeks, so maybe we'll be lucky although I think we've just passed the 10 week mark now. Do you know if they always ask for police check and medical certificate? Not that it's a problem just wondered if it was a random thing or an everybody thing. We got told over the phone that we had been assigned a case officer but on our second phone call to them we were told that we actually hadn't and that I should call back in 3 days and request a case officer if I've not received an email by then which I hadn't so when I called up a third time the lady said that I could not request a case officer over the phone and that I must email. So I've written an email asking what is going on and we're just waiting for a reply now. We need to add additional evidence and inform them that we will be travelling to Aus. Checking emails all the time is no fun. Are you one of the ones to be granted soon? Hi ukgirl! It's definitely hard trying to figure out what the best route is to take because none of us have done it before! Looking back now i actually wish id come here on a WHV and then applied onshore. But there's no point in looking back, just know you made the best decision you could at the time and keep moving forward as best you can!! in the end we will get there I think everyone has to do a medical and police as far as i know. I waited to be told to do one by my C.O and that was about 3 months into the process. I was travelling at the time and had mine done in Singapore. Sounds like you've had a stressful time with being assigned a case officer. Have you herd back yet? I sure do check my email every day haha (sad i know) I have just made it to 7 months so I'm hoping to get a grant around the 8 month mark. Hoping for New Year! Where are you moving to in OZ? are you going to go for the ETA tourist too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ukgirl Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Yeah thanks to your advice I'm looking into the ETA tourist visa. We're looking at moving to the outskirts of Brisbane. This whole thing is annoying. You pay a heap of money over then you don't hear anything or just different things that don't make sense! We paid after July when the prices went up as well. No not heard anything back. Emailed almost a week ago now and nothing. I need to inform them that we'll at least be in Australia for a bit and I have a birth certificate to give them as well as a couple of other things. You're so lucky that you are near the end. You should get yours granted any day now judging by all the other people on here. When you contact your case officer do they get back to you quite quickly if you have a question? Where in Aus are you going to be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newbie121 Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Im in Melbourne, got here 1st September! Trust me it's not been a easy visa journey for me too. But you make the best choices you can at the time. I totally know where you are coming from, it really is frustrating! when i was buying my flight and sorting my ETA visa from Asia I kept hoping that there was a chance my visa would come through! I honestly though the whole 8-9 months was the embassy covering their backs for more complicated cases. I defo should of looked this site up at the start! Its super stressful and I know what you mean about the money. I've been out of work now for 6 months and I don't even want to think about how much this whole thing has cost. Its all totally mad! With the C.O i had some difficulties at the beginning where I wasn't getting her emails with the whole ' don't contact your c.o they will contact you thing' it was a month before we figured it out! Once that was sorted they did get back to me quite quickly before the looooooong quiet wait once they have everything they need. It's just a matter of time and eventually it has to run out!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ukgirl Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Ah we've spent a whole heap of money too I'd also not want to add it all up. Finally heard back yesterday. They ignored every question that I asked and just wrote that they could confirm that we do not have a case officer yet which I already knew. I want to know who we are to inform about change of address and being in Australia etc. I guess she didn't read my whole email! I'll give them until January. I know we're not meant to bother them but at the end of the day its their rules that we're supposed to inform them of changes etc and they're not being very helpful with it. Not much is going to happen now over the Christmas period anyway. You're so close now Newbie! I'd be checking my email every 5 minutes if I was at your stage now :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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