colinelektro Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I will soon be applying for a Prospective Marriage Visa (subclass 300) to marry my Australian girlfriend. Thanks to this forum, I now appreciate that it will typically take 8-9 months for the visa to be granted, so we will bear this in mind when booking the wedding date. We plan to settle and live in Australia permanently and will be applying for the Temporary Partner visa (subclass 820), and in due course, the Permanent Partner Visa (subclass 801). am very unclear though when I may import my personal effects into Australia. Obviously, I cannot do this on the Visitor Visa, which I currently have. But.... Can I import my belongings once I have entered Australia on my PMV? Or do I have to wait until I have married and applied for my Temporary Partner Visa (820)? If the latter, do I have to wait until my Partner Visa is actually GRANTED until importing my personal effects, or may I import my belongings as soon as the Visa application has been made (bearing in mind it might take several months before the visa is granted). Any personal experiences of this and advice would be most welcome. At the moment I am in a quandrary, trying to anticipate how much storage time I should arrange before my stuff can leave the UK. Many thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 If you're living together in the uk already, why can't the effects be sent with your girlfriends signature on the bottom of the paperwork? If you're not living together, ring up Aussie customs/immigration and ask them............. ETA - It's amazing what twenty seconds on Google can do. http://www.customs.gov.au/site/page5889.asp There is a contact button at the top of the page......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chloe Emerson Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 The waiting time has been increased for new applicants it's 10-14 months now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmjg Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 The waiting time has been increased for new applicants it's 10-14 months now Ouch, that's a long wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chloe Emerson Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Ouch, that's a long wait! I know. I was so glad when my case officer said only new Applicants. Feel so sorry for the new ones with this increased processing time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Be aware the processing times have increased recently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinelektro Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Thanks. Yep - Have already tried that. Unfortunately, their reply was very vague and as clear as mud - telling me I cannot move my stuff on a Visitor Visa - YES, I already know that. I've emailed them again and asked for clarification. Hopefully I will get a clearer answer next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinelektro Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 10-14 months!!!! OMG We are already waiting for her divorce to be finalised, as it is! At this rate we are going to be getting married in Summer 2016!!!! Surely I am not expected to keep all my stuff in storage in England that long? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 As has been said, if your partner is already living with you and you are shipping your home contents (as in its both of yours belongings and you are moving as a couple), it can be shipped with their signature as they are an Aus passport holder. I don't see the issue. Even if a chunk of the belongings are 'yours', if you are a couple shipping contents, its a joint thing IYKWIM. Its fine the Aus PP holder sign the paperwork. When we moved over, although I had a PR visa, my Aus hubby did all the shipping paperwork and signed off on it all to ship for our house contents. We felt it was just easier that way. Lots of the stuff being shipped was 'mine', clothes, books, ornaments etc, but of course, ours as a couple if you follow. ETA - I read of lots of PMV's grants and have never once read of someone on a PMV saying they could not ship their belongings over, in fact, its never been mentioned anywhere that I can recall. Hopefully someone who has applied for a PMV and gone to Aus can clarify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quinkla Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I imported all my stuff as unaccompanied personal effects on a PMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollegeGirl Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I can confirm you don't have to wait for the grant. I (stupidly) didn't know you couldn't ship your items over on a visitor visa, and my shipping company didn't tell me, so I went ahead and booked the shipper, had them come pack and start moving my stuff (by sea), and went on my merry way. Fortunately my PMV got granted and I didn't end up coming over on the ETA I'd planned to use, but it wasn't until my stuff was almost here that the shipper asked for my passport and evidence of my visa type. It was then I realized... holy crud, if I'd held a visitor visa, would this have been a problem?! DERP. I know quite a bit about partner visas... but it's amazing how little pieces of info (like not being able to ship personal effects on a visitor visa) completely escape your notice! So anyway... yes, I booked items to be shipped before my PMV was granted, and received them after my PMV was granted (and before I married) and there was no problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 I can confirm you don't have to wait for the grant. I (stupidly) didn't know you couldn't ship your items over on a visitor visa, and my shipping company didn't tell me, so I went ahead and booked the shipper, had them come pack and start moving my stuff (by sea), and went on my merry way. Fortunately my PMV got granted and I didn't end up coming over on the ETA I'd planned to use, but it wasn't until my stuff was almost here that the shipper asked for my passport and evidence of my visa type. It was then I realized... holy crud, if I'd held a visitor visa, would this have been a problem?! DERP. I know quite a bit about partner visas... but it's amazing how little pieces of info (like not being able to ship personal effects on a visitor visa) completely escape your notice! So anyway... yes, I booked items to be shipped before my PMV was granted, and received them after my PMV was granted (and before I married) and there was no problem. Good it worked out for you. When we had shipped round for quotes every single company asked about did I have my visa and if so, what type. All wanted visa proof in place before shipping (this was from the UK). They seemed pretty on the ball. All were ok it being done in hubbys name and Aus passport and without my visa therefore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CollegeGirl Posted August 19, 2014 Share Posted August 19, 2014 There was a LOT my shipping company didn't tell me up front... they did a great job with the items, but we didn't find out about certain charges until it got here, and it really could have been disastrous for us if my items had arrived and I'd only held an ETA! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinelektro Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 As has been said, if your partner is already living with you and you are shipping your home contents (as in its both of yours belongings and you are moving as a couple), it can be shipped with their signature as they are an Aus passport holder. I don't see the issue. Even if a chunk of the belongings are 'yours', if you are a couple shipping contents, its a joint thing IYKWIM. Its fine the Aus PP holder sign the paperwork. ETA - I read of lots of PMV's grants and have never once read of someone on a PMV saying they could not ship their belongings over, in fact, its never been mentioned anywhere that I can recall. Hopefully someone who has applied for a PMV and gone to Aus can clarify. Unfortunately, my girlfriend is living in Australia, so it is just my own personal effects that need to be imported. One of the reasons I'm so confused is that a shipping company has told me I need to be in posession of a Temporary Partner Visa before shipping my stuff. Others have said I can do it on a PMV. Australian Customs have not yet clarified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinelektro Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 I can confirm you don't have to wait for the grant. I (stupidly) didn't know you couldn't ship your items over on a visitor visa, and my shipping company didn't tell me, so I went ahead and booked the shipper, had them come pack and start moving my stuff (by sea), and went on my merry way. Fortunately my PMV got granted and I didn't end up coming over on the ETA I'd planned to use, but it wasn't until my stuff was almost here that the shipper asked for my passport and evidence of my visa type. It was then I realized... holy crud, if I'd held a visitor visa, would this have been a problem?! DERP. I know quite a bit about partner visas... but it's amazing how little pieces of info (like not being able to ship personal effects on a visitor visa) completely escape your notice! So anyway... yes, I booked items to be shipped before my PMV was granted, and received them after my PMV was granted (and before I married) and there was no problem. Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, I agree - some shipping companies tell you very little about which visas are required. I too VERY NEARLY booked my shipping on my ETA. It was only after seeing that Australian Customs site that I realised the potential dangers! So, it seems I can indeed import my belongings on a PMV? That would be very reassuring if true. It means I can make the shipping arrangements in the UK before joining my partner in Australia. If I understand you correctly, you are saying I can actually import my stuff before the PMV is actually granted, providing the PMV application is in process? Somehow Australian Customs will be aware that the PMV application is in the system? Although on reflection, I will probably wait until the PMV is granted before shipping my stuff, then join my girlfriend in Australia while my personal possesions are en-route. I wish Australian Customs would hurry up and reply to me and clarify this for me 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colinelektro Posted August 20, 2014 Author Share Posted August 20, 2014 I have heard again this morning from Australian Customs. They STILL have not clarified the issue for me. They have told me yet again that I cannot import my stuff on a Visitor Visa (YES - I already told you I knew that!), and that I must wait until I have been granted a 'Spouse Visa'. I need absolute clarity on this, so I have now emailed them for the THIRD time. Does 'Spouse Visa' mean a PMV (subclass 300), a Temporary Partner visa, or what?!!! Seems from the replies on here, I can do it on a PMV. Would be nice if Customs could confirm that for me in no uncertain terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 20, 2014 Share Posted August 20, 2014 I think you are fine on a PMV if others have done so without issue. They say not on a tourist visa. They have not said not in a PMV. I'd go with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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