300 - Prospective Marriage visa query

[spangle 1]

I know the pain and frustration of the wait combined with the no news then some progress followed by scary news followed by nothing then amazing news! Basically it's a hard but well trodden road and all you can do is follow others and hope that your journey gets you to the same destination; the ability to have a future with the one you found love with despite the distance.

[CEP]

There’s a bit of me dreading going through it all again for the next part!

its been hard enough doing it from here without trying to settle into life in a new country at the same time lol!!

[spangle 1]

I must admit it is harder this time to stay motivated and focus on the next part, because essentially we have what we wanted and are still just enjoying the novelty of ordinary domestic life together instead of being literally half a world apart! I'm also very aware that the time is ticking away on the pmv though so I need to get serious with it now.

[TheWayOfThePony]

Congratulations on your 300 application @HibiscusDreams! here's to hoping it will be processed swiftly    it's such a massive hurdle to get over (all that paperwoooork) that it's very strange to go back to a life of not obsessively going through old emails and photos  

@spangle 1 and @CEP don't fret toooo much about the 820 - it's just a question of updating what you've sent for your 300. I basically sent the same core documents (proofs of ID, evidence of continuous relationship etc), all I did was to add new stat decs from witnesses, new statements from us, and evidence that we :
- got married (e.g. wedding pictures, bills from the venue and the celebrant., and official wedding certificate; tip: apply for the certificate as soon as you get that ring on, it can take a few weeks for the Register to have it ready)
- live together and share costs of living (tenancy agreement, bills, bank statements with annotations pointing out who buys what etc.).

I was dreading it too, but in the end it took a lot less time and effort than the PMV. If you've managed that 300 - you can definitely do that 820!

Added bonus: an application for a 820 following a PMV usually gets processed quicker than direct-to-820 applications  (Mine got granted in four months; a British friend who went directly for the 820 had to wait for over a year)

 

[spangle 1]

TheWayOfThePony, thanks for the hints and tips!  I hadn't thought about using receipts from the wedding itself as evidence so that's brilliant! Our celebrant was really on the ball and we got our certificate a few days after the wedding so all ok there...interesting about the visa processing times, I'd actually noticed that from posts on here too hopefully ours will go through as quick 

[HibiscusDreams]

8 hours ago, TheWayOfThePony said:

Congratulations on your 300 application @HibiscusDreams! here's to hoping it will be processed swiftly    it's such a massive hurdle to get over (all that paperwoooork) that it's very strange to go back to a life of not obsessively going through old emails and photos  

@spangle 1 and @CEP don't fret toooo much about the 820 - it's just a question of updating what you've sent for your 300. I basically sent the same core documents (proofs of ID, evidence of continuous relationship etc), all I did was to add new stat decs from witnesses, new statements from us, and evidence that we :
- got married (e.g. wedding pictures, bills from the venue and the celebrant., and official wedding certificate; tip: apply for the certificate as soon as you get that ring on, it can take a few weeks for the Register to have it ready)
- live together and share costs of living (tenancy agreement, bills, bank statements with annotations pointing out who buys what etc.).

I was dreading it too, but in the end it took a lot less time and effort than the PMV. If you've managed that 300 - you can definitely do that 820!

Added bonus: an application for a 820 following a PMV usually gets processed quicker than direct-to-820 applications  (Mine got granted in four months; a British friend who went directly for the 820 had to wait for over a year)

 

That's good to know. I so don't want to have to jump through all these hoops again. It's been horrible. It's really the thought of my s/o and our life together at the end of it that has made it doable - totally worth it for her :)

 

[Basanta Uprety]

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Edited August 7, 2018 by Basanta Uprety

[Nikisha]

@Noodlejaffa I lodged mine in April 2017 got correspondence mid Jan 2018 for NOIM submitted that 7 days later. Then got correspondence 6 weeks later to say they didn't receive the documents. Resent documents 2 days later I got my grant notice via email.

[HibiscusDreams]

My departure day looms closer! No news on visa yet but I do have flight and everything booked so just wanted to check if the following is an option? I'm pretty sure it is (spoke to the immi enquiry line as was told yes, but thought it is always wise to cross ref with real world experiences)

Flight is Nov 6, Wedding is Feb 16 - Is it OK to:

* Fly out as scheduled on an E-visitor visa

* If my PPM still hasn't been processed by start of Feb (when 90 days are nearly up) fly over to NZ, spend a few days in Auckland (or welly.... Welly is a fun little place) then re-enter. This would be a few weeks before my wedding. 

* Straight after the wedding, apply to convert my PPM application to a partner visa.

If this is permitted, will the Bridging visa have the permissions of a partner visa (i.e. allow me to get a job, enroll in medicare and all the usual guff) or will it lump me on a de-facto e-visitor status?

Alternatively, if while I am there on the e-visitor, and the PPM is approved before Feb, can I fly out to NZ and re-enter straight away (well, after say 2-3 days, not literally immediately) under full PPM rules? Again I have been told this is OK by immi, but would appreciate real-world knowledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Nikisha]

34 minutes ago, HibiscusDreams said:

Alternatively, if while I am there on the e-visitor, and the PPM is approved before Feb, can I fly out to NZ and re-enter straight away (well, after say 2-3 days, not literally immediately) under full PPM rules? Again I have been told this is OK by immi, but would appreciate real-world experience

In reference to your alternate, does the granting of your PMV knock out the tourist e-visa?

In my experience once it was granted (the PMV) They gave me an initial entry date. So maybe keep a close eye on that one when your visa is granted so you know as to when u may re-enter

[HibiscusDreams]

4 hours ago, Nikisha said:

In reference to your alternate, does the granting of your PMV knock out the tourist e-visa?

In my experience once it was granted (the PMV) They gave me an initial entry date. So maybe keep a close eye on that one when your visa is granted so you know as to when u may re-enter

My impression from immi was that it wouldn't "knock out" the visa someone is currently using, unless you leave and re-enter, thus activating the new visa?

[Nikisha]

Ahhh sounds familiar. It makes sense.  I however can't comment on the first portion of ur post. 

[Noodlejaffa]

My immigration agent told me last week that if my PMV is granted it would cancel out my current eVisitor visa (presumably upon entry so as to activate).

HibiscusDreams you sound super organised with everything! We’re due to marry in January 2019 and it’s dawned on me it’s not that far away  Just can’t bring myself to plan til we know about PMV.

[Laura_hj]

On 04/09/2018 at 04:29, Noodlejaffa said:

We’re due to marry in January 2019 and it’s dawned on me it’s not that far away  Just can’t bring myself to plan til we know about PMV.

Same with us, end of January...the date looms closer! I am moving anyway in December whether it be on my PMV or eVisitor, but really hoping we don’t have to postpone the Melbourne wedding. We have another two weddings in China then Scotland organised so it may have a knock on effect. Fingers crossed for everyone! 

[HibiscusDreams]

7 hours ago, Laura_hj said:

Same with us, end of January...the date looms closer! I am moving anyway in December whether it be on my PMV or eVisitor, but really hoping we don’t have to postpone the Melbourne wedding. We have another two weddings in China then Scotland organised so it may have a knock on effect. Fingers crossed for everyone! 

Best of luck, Laura! From my understanding of the rules, you shouldn't have to postpone in either case. If you get carried before the PMV is approved, you can convert the application straight to a partner visa application :) - Not an agent so obviously double check it with immi, but I'm fairly sure that is an option - and definitely preferable to postponing the big day!

[HibiscusDreams]

7 hours ago, Laura_hj said:

Same with us, end of January...the date looms closer! I am moving anyway in December whether it be on my PMV or eVisitor, but really hoping we don’t have to postpone the Melbourne wedding. We have another two weddings in China then Scotland organised so it may have a knock on effect. Fingers crossed for everyone! 

Hope you've got a frequent flier card! ^_^ 

[spangle 1]

On 04/09/2018 at 06:29, Noodlejaffa said:

My immigration agent told me last week that if my PMV is granted it would cancel out my current eVisitor visa (presumably upon entry so as to activate).

HibiscusDreams you sound super organised with everything! We’re due to marry in January 2019 and it’s dawned on me it’s not that far away  Just can’t bring myself to plan til we know about PMV.

Just reading your post Noodlejaffa, and everyone who is still waiting, and I feel your pain! I'm sure it will be little consolation but I was in exactly the same position as you this time last year...in fact we had already had to change our wedding date early on as the processing times changed dramatically just before we applied. Really I guess I wanted to say...hang in there! it does happen...my pmv 300 was granted in UK in January; 5 months and 10 days after lodging and we were finally married on 16th June in a lovely ceremony which (like you) I couldn't even bear to plan for until the last minute, because I thought I might jinx the outcome! 

Take heart everyone my thoughts are with you all - don't forget to keep posting the updates it's good to hear how everyone is managing  xx

[Laura_hj]

22 hours ago, HibiscusDreams said:

Hope you've got a frequent flier card! ^_^ 

Our whole relationship has been a frequent flier card

[Laura_hj]

22 hours ago, HibiscusDreams said:

Best of luck, Laura! From my understanding of the rules, you shouldn't have to postpone in either case. If you get carried before the PMV is approved, you can convert the application straight to a partner visa application - Not an agent so obviously double check it with immi, but I'm fairly sure that is an option - and definitely preferable to postponing the big day!

Thank you!!!!

[Noodlejaffa]

14 minutes ago, Laura_hj said:

Our whole relationship has been a frequent flier card

 I know the feeling! 

[Nikisha]

@spangle 1wow 5months...you are definitely 1 of the lucky ones.

Has your stage 2 been complete? Is your current PMV visa still valid or did you get the BVA?

Edited September 6, 2018 by Nikisha
Spelling

[spangle 1]

22 minutes ago, Nikisha said:

@spangle 1wow 5months...you are definitely 1 of the lucky ones.

Has your stage 2 been complete? Is your current PMV visa still valid or did you get the BVA?

Still on my pmv at the moment and trying to stay motivated with the stage 2 forms but finding it tough going 

Edited September 6, 2018 by spangle 1

[HibiscusDreams]

6 minutes ago, spangle 1 said:

Still on my pmv at the moment and trying to stay motivated with the stage 2 forms but finding it tough going 

Yeah, I think it's hard to find anything to do with immi "motivating" - still 5 months is incredible. Hoping some of your luck rubs off on me!

[spangle 1]

1 minute ago, HibiscusDreams said:

Yeah, I think it's hard to find anything to do with immi "motivating" - still 5 months is incredible. Hoping some of your luck rubs off on me!

Hoping so too, fingers crossed for everyone waiting. As for the stage 2 I'm sure it's just not having that same sense of urgency that does for it really 

[HibiscusDreams]

OK all, so maybe advice, or maybe just some comfort needed here lol - not sure which, but I'm a bit worried. I spoke to the Immi enquiry line yesterday asking how bridging visas would work in case my PMV hasn't been processed by the time of my wedding, so in other words how I'd bridge from an eVisitor to the 309 Partner Visa. Immi informed me that I couldn't apply to convert the application from 300 to 309 whilst inside Australia, and that I'd have to leave Australia after the wedding, and apply from another country and wait for it to be approved. 

Obviously this scares me a lot. Not only because the idea of potentially being seperated from my parnter for another 2 years potentially feels me with dread and depression, but also because this goes against completely what my understanding of how the process works.

Looking up the Bridging Visas online, I found this: Bridging Visa C (class 030) - https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/030- - which covers the bridge from an non-substantive to a substantive visa, which would seem to cover exactly this sort of issue.

So, am I missing something here, or is this a viable solution to my (potential/feared - if the PMV isn't granted in time) problem? Also, can the application for a PMV be converted within Australia or not? I understand an application for a 309 can't be made fresh whilst in Australia, but does this still apply for converting an existing application (for PMV) that was indeed made outside the country? If it does have to made outside Australia, can I still apply for the BVC?

For the first time in this process, I really do feel out of my depth and that I'm just being toyed with by Immi for their amusement