Is it really a 15-23 month wait for a marriage visa or has anybody been granted it sooner?

[SheldonMeldrew]

Hi, me again, my Aussie girlfriend wants us to marry, we have no proof that we lived together (before she left England to look after her cancer stricken father) although a helpful moderator on here says registering our relationship in NSW will help us get around that. My vocation isn't on the SOL so a partner/marriage visa looks our best bet (I'm 38) and I've heard some people get their visa within a few months of applying, has anybody here had a partner/marriage visa granted in such a short space of time? 

[Danny842003]

I got my marriage visa about 2 years ago and thankfully the waiting times were not that long. But it took to the day the 9 months they were estimating to issue it. 

 

I would be surprised if you can just get around the waiting times. I'm fairly certain it's an artificial bottleneck placed in the system to control the numbers coming in to the country rather than actual processing time. 

[Kezzles]

friend in work got hers after 10 months last weekend!

[Guest]

A PMV is applied for off shore and requires far less evidence etc than the partner visa. Current turnaround seems to be quicker than he given timeframe of 10-14 months. Iirc it could be down to 6-9 months but that's not a given.

If you are going to struggle to meet the relationship requirements for the partner visa this is probably your best option and hopefully it'll come through within 6 months or so.  Check out our partner visa thread  to see current wait times from members. Keep in mind once your visa is granted you will have 9 months in which to marry. Then you have to apply for the partner visa after this. 

[Danny842003]

On 20/04/2017 at 13:27, snifter said:

A PMV is applied for off shore and requires far less evidence etc than the partner visa. Current turnaround seems to be quicker than he given timeframe of 10-14 months. Iirc it could be down to 6-9 months but that's not a given.

If you are going to struggle to meet the relationship requirements for the partner visa this is probably your best option and hopefully it'll come through within 6 months or so.  Check out our partner visa thread  to see current wait times from members. Keep in mind once you arrive in Aus you will have 9 months in which to marry. Then you have to apply for the partner visa after this. 

 

Is this correct? I arrived on a PMV and I thought it was 9 months from date of issue not arrival. 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Danny842003 said:

 

Is this correct? I arrived on a PMV and I thought it was 9 months from date of issue not arrival. 

It isn't. I stand corrected  

I think I knew that but worded it badly when writing and got it mixed up. I should have said 9 months in which to marry, not from entering Aus. I've just amended my original post accordingly  

 

[TheWayOfThePony]

PMVs have been processed quickly in London recently. Ours (and others') took about 3 months and like you we did not have proof of living together (joint rent/bills etc), but we are constantly in contact and visiting each other so can prove a continuous and genuine relationship.

Of course as it is an offshore visa it means living apart from your fiancée for most of the process (you can visit each other on a tourist visa, so no working rights, 3 months stay at a time etc).

[newjez]

Can't you apply for a partner visa onshore.

[Guest]

15 hours ago, newjez said:

Can't you apply for a partner visa onshore.

You can.

But if you don't meet the de facto requirements and/or cannot provide evidence of it seems a big risk and a lot of money could be wasted. 

The OP was asking about a PMV which is a different visa. If they got this they would then marry within 9 months and then lodge an onshore partner visa application.