mintpro Posted March 5, 2015 Share Posted March 5, 2015 Hi all, I have applied for a 461 visa with my NZ partner :eek:. My question is has anyone applied for a 461 visa recently and what the time frame is on the application? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozmaniac Posted March 6, 2015 Share Posted March 6, 2015 About 4 months ago, an acquaintance of mine was granted a 461 in 8 weeks but she applied in Australia. Should be much the same if applied for in NZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mintpro Posted March 6, 2015 Author Share Posted March 6, 2015 I'm hoping so. I was abit shocked when she said 3-6 months as I would've thought the immi website would be up to date. Thanks for replying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash0z Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Hi I submitted my onshore application (decision ready) for 461 visa on 6th March 2015 and amazingly I got my visa on 26th March 2015. I am from a high risk country. I thought it would take 3-6 months but I got it within three weeks. I have no idea when a visa officer was assigned for my case and also the visa case officer never contacted me. Last week I just received a registered post and I thought probably it's something to do with my bridging visa but when I saw the visa grant letter, I was surprised! I am really impressed with nz family relationship visa processing centre. If a complete application is submitted along with all the necessary papers including police checks, medical and health insurance (if there is no reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia) then I think the applications is processed really quickly. Best of luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mintpro Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 Wow that was quick. Mine is definitely not taking 3 weeks. They have had my application since the end of January and I have heard nothing yet. I applied for it in New Zealand. Do you know if they send it through to Australia for processing or do they process them in the country you submitted the paperwork? All the paperwork was submitted with my application I made sure of that. Fingers crossed it comes soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash0z Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 As far as I know the application is processed in the same country where you submit it, in your case it should be NZ. Maybe, in NZ the pressure is more compared to Australia. Did you mention ''THIS APPLICATION IS DECISION READY'' in your cover letter? I have seen that those who mentioned this line in their applications got their visa quickly. Don't worry too much. It should be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMay24 Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 "Decision ready" is an obsolete process whereby registered Migration Agents were able to assert that they had ensured the application contained all the required information for processing the visa. Since they basically were putting their professional backing on it, it allowed those applications to be given preferential treatment and processed more quickly. They've gotten rid of Decision Ready processing, so all applications are now simply processed in the order they are received. Having an inexperienced applicant assert the application as decision ready wouldn't necessarily mean it is in fact a complete application, so DIBP may still ask for further information and documents which would slow the process down as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mintpro Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 MaggieMay I'm glad that process is gone. A bit unfair to those that decide to do the paperwork themselves. I just went onto the immi site to look up processing times again and they have revised them to just 2 months from a low risk country. They have my application since 27th January, I really hope it comes through soon or even just an update. This waiting with no contact is a bit stressful! I'd hate to have a PR visa in now, those people must have no hair left by the end of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdninnz Posted October 4, 2016 Share Posted October 4, 2016 Hi mintro. In the end how long did it take for your 461 to be processed in AKL? I just submitted mine (Oct-2016) and im getting a bit worried re: processing time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mintpro Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 Hi, it was terrible. Mine came through in early August in the end. The immigration website was way off the mark with the times. I ended up moving to Aus cause we had flights booked and everything, which we probably shouldn't have done but we thought we'd left plenty of time to be approved or a request for more information. I needed to head out of Australia when they had made my decision so I ended up a few days back in NZ and then enter Aus on my 461. I do hope your application gets processed a lot quicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdninnz Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 Wow 7 months! Did you have any issues entering Australia on an ETA/Visitors visa while the 461 offshore was processed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mintpro Posted October 5, 2016 Author Share Posted October 5, 2016 yeah I know, believe me I went grey during it all. I ended up getting a working holiday visa to give me a year in Aus and the ability to get a bit of work. The visitors visa is only 3 months and i'm nearly sure you have to show proof of a return flight. I also ended up hiring an immigration lawyer to give me bit of advice as there was no way to contact immigration. He was the one who suggested the working holiday visa. He got in contact with immigration to give me an update, either way I had no issues getting in at all. The only issue was since I submitted my application outside of Aus, I needed to be outside when they gave me the decision. I got an email to say a decision was ready, had 24 hours to leave the country and once I left within a few hours I got an email to say it was approved and came back in on my 461, so I just went to NZ for the weekend. To be honest we've just gone through PR and the PR application was so much easier than the 461! Bare in mind though, this was over a year ago for me, it might not be the case now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdninnz Posted October 5, 2016 Share Posted October 5, 2016 That's unreal. I might explore the working holiday visa then. The biggest issue is that my partner is interviewing for roles now in Aus and i dont want to be stuck here in NZ for the next 6-7 months on my own. From what Ive been hearing it sounds like not much has changed in regards to 461 processing times in AKL. Thanks so much for your help - I feel like i now have something to work with even though its not ideal. Are you able to PM me the immigration lawyer that you used? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mintpro Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 It's a good stop gap but a lot of people don't like you on that visa if you are looking for work, many even question the 461 to be honest as it's not a common visa. I hope things have changed, I based my application on the processing times on the website and gave them 3 months before I had to leave. I thought it was plenty. My fingers and toes are crossed for you. Unfortunately he isn't an immi lawyer anymore cause I was hoping he would help me out with my PR but I never got a reply back and when I searched immi's website for his details he wasn't registered anymore. There are a few lawyers on this forum and a few sign in and help people too. Start a new thread if you like requesting a good immi advisor, you'll get loads of help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdninnz Posted November 29, 2016 Share Posted November 29, 2016 Cool thanks for that. Did you have to advise immigration/ttservices that you had a working holiday visa granted and that you would be in Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mintpro Posted December 3, 2016 Author Share Posted December 3, 2016 I filled out the form as normal but the lawyer I had, sent it in. I don't know if he did anything different than me just applying for it normally. Just be careful though once they make a decision about your 461 visa you need to leave the country as soon as possible for them to approve it because you applied for the visa outside of australia. They don't let you know if its a yes or no until you leave, then you get an email within 2 working days to let you know. Prices for flights etc could be expensive just as a warning. Are they taking forever with your application too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdninnz Posted December 6, 2016 Share Posted December 6, 2016 OK cool thanks. I called last week, late Nov, and was told May is currently being processed. So from that I assume its about 7 months processing time on average. The website said 3 months, when I applied in person they said 3-6 months. I applied on October so im preparing myself for April or May at this stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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