Timeline on 309/100 via applied for in London

[lepea]

@Almat

we did! Currently in quarantine at the Marriott in Brisbane! 12 days to go! 
 

@Bjv002 huge congratulations! 

[Almat]

@lepea oh wow that’s amazing!!!! I’ve booked my flight for New Year’s Eve - eeek!!! Travelling with the children solo and hubbie to follow in March. Also to Brisbane. Where are you moving to?. How exciting for you. So pleased you made it! Xx

[kimboslice]

4 hours ago, Almat said:

@lepea oh wow that’s amazing!!!! I’ve booked my flight for New Year’s Eve - eeek!!! Travelling with the children solo and hubbie to follow in March. Also to Brisbane. Where are you moving to?. How exciting for you. So pleased you made it! Xx

Who are you flying with, we were due to fly with emirates on the 29th December into Brisbane and the flight was cancelled yesterday , hope you have better luck

[Almat]

@kimboslice oh no !!!! We’re flying Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong 31/12/20 at 22:00. Honestly everyday I have this sick anxiety feeling in my tummy so worried we’re going to get cancelled or bumped etc. I’m sorry to hear about your emirates flight. There’s availability showing with Cathay Pacific on my flight. Take a look x

[Bjv002]

22 minutes ago, Almat said:

@kimboslice oh no !!!! We’re flying Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong 31/12/20 at 22:00. Honestly everyday I have this sick anxiety feeling in my tummy so worried we’re going to get cancelled or bumped etc. I’m sorry to hear about your emirates flight. There’s availability showing with Cathay Pacific on my flight. Take a look x

Did you book direct or via third party? We want to book third party as it’s a lot cheaper but we’re worried any changes or flights being bumped if we’ll be affected booking it third party? It’s just so much money on top of the quarantine costs, but I believe we can pay them off via a payment plan?

[kimboslice]

28 minutes ago, Almat said:

@kimboslice oh no !!!! We’re flying Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong 31/12/20 at 22:00. Honestly everyday I have this sick anxiety feeling in my tummy so worried we’re going to get cancelled or bumped etc. I’m sorry to hear about your emirates flight. There’s availability showing with Cathay Pacific on my flight. Take a look x

I will take a look thanks.

[Almat]

Hi @kimboslice I would recommend ONLY going directly. My mum is a travel agent and she said third party bookings are never a good idea especially in current times.

[Almat]

Sorry the message above was for @Bjv002 / sorry getting confused! 

[lepea]

On 15/09/2020 at 11:56, Almat said:

@lepea oh wow that’s amazing!!!! I’ve booked my flight for New Year’s Eve - eeek!!! Travelling with the children solo and hubbie to follow in March. Also to Brisbane. Where are you moving to?. How exciting for you. So pleased you made it! Xx

The government have said they are going to increase the caps so I hope that’s good news for your flight. 
Pack lots of toys/activities for quarantine - do you have family in Brisbane that drop stuff off? 
We are going to be living in Redcliffe for a while until we decide where we want to live permanently. 

[JEN9316]

On 14/09/2020 at 17:41, Bjv002 said:

Can’t believe I’m actually writing this but our partner visa has just been approved  
 

Timeline-

Lodged- Jan 2020

RFI- Feb 2020

Approval 309- Sept 2020

We had to apply for an exemption as my partners visa is expiring here soon so have to leave after that date, I’m so thankful and relived!

Thanks everyone for your support and guidance this forum has been a great help.

Congrats on your good news. Can I ask if this was applied for from the UK?

[Bjv002]

1 minute ago, JEN9316 said:

Congrats on your good news. Can I ask if this was applied for from the UK?

Yes it was our processing office was London

[JEN9316]

Hi All

I am hoping someone might be able to put my mind at ease over a few things - this group has been very helpful for me to date reading other posts - so, thanks in advance!

Apologies for the long post.

Background:

I am Australian and the sponsor of my de-facto. 

- We applied May 19 from the UK 309 partner visa and 'Application received' the same day

- RFI in Feb 20 for medical etc and this was uploaded in March 20

- RFI in Mar re military discharge cert (which we had to wait months for, hence needing to be asked for it) and we uploaded 6 Mar 20

- 'Application in Progress' 27 May 20 and we have not heard anything more.

-------------------------

Questions:

1) we have been de-facto for 4 years, however my partner is still technically married as his divorce has stalled due to Covid (and needed to be separated for 2 years before being able to apply). Immi haven't asked for info on this and we have been open about it from the application. Has anyone had any issues with this - ie: a divorce hasn't been finalized (but shown to be in progress) and this has stalled the approval? Our de-facto relationship is very solid and we provided circa 70 docs and there have been no RFI in relation to our relationship.

2) I am obviously the sponsor for my partner, and we noted down that I am to receive correspondence for the updates - so I have been getting the emails for RFI etc. I read a couple of posts above whereby people said they were logging into their own Immi account (ie the sponsor) and seeing a different status. When I log in to mine there is absolutely nothing, not even an application. But from memory we did my supporting application for sponsorship through my partners immi account - not both. Is this the case with others - or have I completely ballsed this up and missed something? 

3) Final question! We are considering applying for a 600 from the UK as its only AUD145 and thought best to have just in case. Hypothetically speaking, if access was granted and we moved to Aus - would my partner still be able to work remotely for this UK company and continue to be paid in the UK and do his normal UK job? I assume once the 309 was approved then he would just exit the country and reenter on the 309 (assuming that covid has died down enough for this to happen) and would then be able to be employed by a Australian company?

Thanks in advance for your help - its very much appreciated!

Good luck to all with your own approvals etc!

Jenna

[JEN9316]

37 minutes ago, Bjv002 said:

Yes it was our processing office was London

Thanks... a bit of a odd question, but how do you know its being processed in London. Logging on to our account it doesnt state where its being processed and no emails have been given with any of the RFI's? 

[moominfillyjonk]

2 hours ago, JEN9316 said:

Hi All

I am hoping someone might be able to put my mind at ease over a few things - this group has been very helpful for me to date reading other posts - so, thanks in advance!

Apologies for the long post.

Background:

I am Australian and the sponsor of my de-facto. 

- We applied May 19 from the UK 309 partner visa and 'Application received' the same day

- RFI in Feb 20 for medical etc and this was uploaded in March 20

- RFI in Mar re military discharge cert (which we had to wait months for, hence needing to be asked for it) and we uploaded 6 Mar 20

- 'Application in Progress' 27 May 20 and we have not heard anything more.

-------------------------

Questions:

1) we have been de-facto for 4 years, however my partner is still technically married as his divorce has stalled due to Covid (and needed to be separated for 2 years before being able to apply). Immi haven't asked for info on this and we have been open about it from the application. Has anyone had any issues with this - ie: a divorce hasn't been finalized (but shown to be in progress) and this has stalled the approval? Our de-facto relationship is very solid and we provided circa 70 docs and there have been no RFI in relation to our relationship.

2) I am obviously the sponsor for my partner, and we noted down that I am to receive correspondence for the updates - so I have been getting the emails for RFI etc. I read a couple of posts above whereby people said they were logging into their own Immi account (ie the sponsor) and seeing a different status. When I log in to mine there is absolutely nothing, not even an application. But from memory we did my supporting application for sponsorship through my partners immi account - not both. Is this the case with others - or have I completely ballsed this up and missed something? 

3) Final question! We are considering applying for a 600 from the UK as its only AUD145 and thought best to have just in case. Hypothetically speaking, if access was granted and we moved to Aus - would my partner still be able to work remotely for this UK company and continue to be paid in the UK and do his normal UK job? I assume once the 309 was approved then he would just exit the country and reenter on the 309 (assuming that covid has died down enough for this to happen) and would then be able to be employed by a Australian company?

Thanks in advance for your help - its very much appreciated!

Good luck to all with your own approvals etc!

Jenna

Hi - I can't comment on 1 or 2. We applied last year and had an RFI in March and nothing since either, just sat waiting! 

We are deliberating just going out with me on a 600. We thought potentially I could keep working remotely for my UK job! I had a google and it looks like you need to get confirmaiton of a few things. First you have to check with the company you work for if they are happy for you to do that. I read that at some point when does your 'holiday' not become a holiday and you are actually working from another country, and as a results there come be some tax implications to watch out for - you could end up paying tax in the UK and Australia. 

By no means an expert this is just something I read! I work for a university and there are staff working abroad atm but this is like 2-3 months max and obv weird times. Basically I'd speak to the company he works for and do some other research.

 

Good luck.

[Almat]

17 hours ago, lepea said:

The government have said they are going to increase the caps so I hope that’s good news for your flight. 
Pack lots of toys/activities for quarantine - do you have family in Brisbane that drop stuff off? 
We are going to be living in Redcliffe for a while until we decide where we want to live permanently. 

@lepea thanks for the advice! not looking forward to quarantine. Wish you all the best for your future  x

[JEN9316]

Hi All

For those who are waiting on 309's (and its been a long wait, and over the past few days its been pushed back to Sept 21 - so an extra 6 months from earlier in the month    ) - is there anyone who has applied for the 600?

If so, have you done this direct through Immi account ? Or started from afresh? I assume via Immi 309 account, but thought it was worth asking the question.

Also, some folk have said that that from the UK they can see that its being processed from London - but I cant seem to find anywhere that states an email address, location etc.

Any guidance would be helpful before we go down the 600 route as backup for early next year. Hoping the 309 comes through before then - but with things changing by the day there is no comfort.

As always, thanks in advance. So many folk in limbo now - which is horrible, but this forum is super helpful - so, thanks!

Jen

 

[JEN9316]

On 17/09/2020 at 14:23, moominfillyjonk said:

Hi - I can't comment on 1 or 2. We applied last year and had an RFI in March and nothing since either, just sat waiting! 

We are deliberating just going out with me on a 600. We thought potentially I could keep working remotely for my UK job! I had a google and it looks like you need to get confirmaiton of a few things. First you have to check with the company you work for if they are happy for you to do that. I read that at some point when does your 'holiday' not become a holiday and you are actually working from another country, and as a results there come be some tax implications to watch out for - you could end up paying tax in the UK and Australia. 

By no means an expert this is just something I read! I work for a university and there are staff working abroad atm but this is like 2-3 months max and obv weird times. Basically I'd speak to the company he works for and do some other research.

 

Good luck.

Thanks for the response

A lot of my day to day work covers global mobility and I agree with what you are saying, and you are right  - less than 3 months is generally okay, it just gets very complicated when the end date isn't known. But there is a lot of complicated factors in-between that can result in dual tax. We are looking to just apply for the 600 (which still takes 3-4 months) and see if we need it) - I am just a bit confused if it helps with the 309, or just pushes the 309 into another line and we go back down the approval line. Its all very confusing.

[Almat]

Hi there. My partner visa still says ‘received’ no progress made (applied March 2020). I applied for a 600 visa in early September and a week later applied for the exemption. Two days later both were granted. Flight booked for 31/12/20. Happy to help with any questions that need answering 

[Shaggylom]

On 15/09/2020 at 18:37, Bjv002 said:

Did you book direct or via third party? We want to book third party as it’s a lot cheaper but we’re worried any changes or flights being bumped if we’ll be affected booking it third party? It’s just so much money on top of the quarantine costs, but I believe we can pay them off via a payment plan?

you can pay off the hotel quarantine with a payment plan. we saw that option when we left our hotel in Sydney last month

[Shaggylom]

On 23/09/2020 at 06:17, JEN9316 said:

Hi All

For those who are waiting on 309's (and its been a long wait, and over the past few days its been pushed back to Sept 21 - so an extra 6 months from earlier in the month    ) - is there anyone who has applied for the 600?

If so, have you done this direct through Immi account ? Or started from afresh? I assume via Immi 309 account, but thought it was worth asking the question.

Also, some folk have said that that from the UK they can see that its being processed from London - but I cant seem to find anywhere that states an email address, location etc.

Any guidance would be helpful before we go down the 600 route as backup for early next year. Hoping the 309 comes through before then - but with things changing by the day there is no comfort.

As always, thanks in advance. So many folk in limbo now - which is horrible, but this forum is super helpful - so, thanks!

Jen

 

We applied for the travel exemption and put my 309 visa details in it. We went through an agent for the 309 but we then applied for the 600 ourselves and then had the agent reach out to immigration to let them know we had applied for the 600 and had purchases flights in August (with proof) and we were granted our 309 within 12 hours.  

[TrudiStrange]

Hi everyone,

Hope it’s ok if I join? We’re just about to start this process, any advice gratefully received.

I’m Australian, husband is British, 1 child who I need to sort out dual citizenship for (doing that now).

We have been together in the U.K. for 12 years, married for 10, so hopefully things will be straight forward??

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

1 hour ago, TrudiStrange said:

Hi everyone,

Hope it’s ok if I join? We’re just about to start this process, any advice gratefully received.

I’m Australian, husband is British, 1 child who I need to sort out dual citizenship for (doing that now).

We have been together in the U.K. for 12 years, married for 10, so hopefully things will be straight forward??

 

I'm in a similar position and have been doing a lot of research over the past few months, aided by the good folks here also.

Yes it should be straightforward, so long as there isn't a criminal history or medical problems, it's just a matter of going through the process........but there is a LOT of process!

[TrudiStrange]

Have you managed to make a start? Any advice?

[GRS]

On 02/10/2020 at 16:00, TrudiStrange said:

Hi everyone,

Hope it’s ok if I join? We’re just about to start this process, any advice gratefully received.

I’m Australian, husband is British, 1 child who I need to sort out dual citizenship for (doing that now).

We have been together in the U.K. for 12 years, married for 10, so hopefully things will be straight forward??

 

Just start by download the applicant and sponsor forms and start slowing working through them.

Start collecting the  supporting evidence and drop into a folders for Joint Finances, Household, Social and Nature of Commitment. If you google you will find lots of examples of what to include in each category. There are some useful lists online of type of evidence - very useful to make a list and just start working through it bit by bit.

Get scans of permanent info (passports/ID docs, marriage certs, birth certificates etc). Photos across the 12 years with both of you AND other people, noting when where and who. Take snapshots of your social media with both of you (inc dates). Flights/holiday bookings with all names on there.  Rental agreements/mortgages, Utilities in both names, childcare arrangements , joint accounts/financing, etc. Snapshots of a few messages (with date) about mundane household things eg "pick this up from the shop before you pick up the kids" etc etc. 

Just keep in mind you can only upload 100 documents in each the applicant and sponsors immiaccount - No need to go overboard with evidence but just have enough spanning your entire relationship. Less can be more. Keep space should you get an Request for Further Info later on (so put all photos etc into one document etc).

Start writing your relationship statement detailing history of your relationship in your words and include comments about the four categories above. It can help focus the evidence you collect.

Start asking people to do their statutory declarations - that is often the thing that can drag as you may need to chase people a few times.

Leave the medical and police checks until later as they are only valid for 12 months.

Good luck!

[TrudiStrange]

Thank you so much, I hadn’t even considered the evidence part. We’re pretty slack with photos and hardly ever went on holiday but I’m sure we have enough mundane stuff to evidence things! 

I will download the forms and get a checklist together.