Resident Return Visa subclass 157

[Guest KerrieNSW]

I'm a dual citizen and my partner is here on a permanent Australian residency visa. We started the application process five years ago and validated his visa about four years ago, arriving permanently at the end of May this year.

 

Unexpectedly, he may need to return to the UK for a visit in the near future as his mother has cancer. It appears that the only way he can do this is on a 157 visa, which according to the Department of Immigration requires paperwork explaining his connection with Australia (among other things) and takes two to three weeks to be issued, then only lasts for three months from the date of issue. Not very convenient under the circumstances (flights can't really be booked until he has he visa and he may not be able to wait for a few weeks).

 

Anyone have any experience of this situation? Any chance the visa can be issued more quickly on compassionate grounds?

 

Would appreciate your advice, thanks.

[rammygirl]

I would think they would issue a 1year RRV as although not spent two out of five years you should easily be able to prove ties to Aus.

 

You can can I think go directly to local immigration office and apply they will then issue faster if not immediately.

[Guest KerrieNSW]

Thanks. We complete on the purchase of a new house in December, so hopefully that would also help to prove his intent to stay, although a phone call today indicated he had to go the three-month visa route. We're near Byron and not sure where the nearest immigration office is but will give that a try.

[Ozmaniac]

I think if you go together to an immigration office, he may get a pleasant surprise. Most importantly, he has an Australian partner who lives here. If he has a job, take a letter from his employer, take the house contract and anything else that may show his personal and other ties to Australia. Only guessing, but I'd say he has a reasonably good chance of getting a 1 year 155 RRV and may even walk out of the office with it in hand. Info provided on the phone is notoriously unreliable, particularly when it's about something like an RRV which has such subjective rules for anything other than the 5 year visa.

[Guest KerrieNSW]

Thanks for the suggestion. Will update you when we have visited an office, which may not be until Christmas as his mum is waiting for an operation with the NHS.