Timeline on 309/100 via applied for in London

[bicek]

1 hour ago, DUBtoBNE said:

To answer the above question, I don't recall ever being asked to prove citizenship of the kids. I did upload their birth certs and their mum is Australian, so I suppose it is implied.

I got my 309/100 double grant last week. My visa was issued from Berlin, even though I expected it to come from London. I contacted DFAT to ask for priority as I am travelling in December to relocate in time for eldest child starting school in January. My child has a place already in school and my employer were willing to relocate me also.

I applied in February 2020 with all my police checks but due to Covid I only got my medical in July. We've been together since 2009, cohabiting since 2010, relocated to Ireland together 2011, engaged 2012, bought a house 2013, married 2014, first child 2015, second child 2018. I lived in Aus for 3 years from 2008 to 2011 initially on a 417 WHV visa then after 6 months a 457 visa.

Congrats on getting yours through! Can I ask, how did you organise a school place already when you don't yet live there? I had thought that would be very tricky with school catchment areas and needing a physical address sorted before being able to apply? Or is it not like over here in the UK...? There is probably somewhere else on the forum I should be asking this (newbie alert, will check now...)

[DUBtoBNE]

We might have used my wife's parent's address, but we were out of catchment regardless. She did all of the legwork on this particular item!

Edited November 10, 2020 by DUBtoBNE

[bicek]

22 minutes ago, DUBtoBNE said:

I'm not a MARA, and my experience is only my own but I can't see them reviewing a straightforward and presumably low risk (you're been together 12+ years and have a family together) to that level of detail.

I hope you're right. Yes we do have a very straightforward case (I think) although we have done this without a migration agent and have found the process to be somewhat confusing and a little stress inducing! It's very anti-climatic after submitting everything and then hearing nothing at all for months on end, but I understand this is just how it goes. 

Yes I figured having another child together is surely further evidence that our relationship is continuing...! 

[bicek]

2 minutes ago, DUBtoBNE said:

We might have used my wife's parent's address, but we were out of catchment regardless. She did all of the legwork on this particular item!

Oh I see, that makes sense. We will be migrating to the opposite side of Australia to where most of my family are based, so we can't use that trick unfortunately!

[martymarty5436425]

32 minutes ago, bicek said:

Hey,

Just to say that we were really surprised with how quickly the citizenship by descent applications were processed for my kids last year. We submitted it on a Friday and they were approved the following Monday! You just need to put the work in getting all the documents and information together. Hard to say if they are working as quickly now but it seems that processing times are starting to look more typical now after the blip at the start of the covid pandemic. 

These requests are also being held up based solely on my own experience.  My daughter's application was submitted in May and we still await any update or status change.  

[martymarty5436425]

48 minutes ago, bicek said:

Hey everyone,

My husband applied for the 309 visa back in March 2020 and we front loaded everything apart from the health check and police checks. We are organising the health check now as this got sidelined due to the first lockdown here in the UK. We have been together since 2008 and have two children together. Both of our kids have citizenship by descent and Aussie passports, so on my husbands form we were able to put that no family members were migrating with him.

HOWEVER..

So our situation is sort of unique in that we are now expecting another child in the middle of this process, and they will be due to be born next year. Obviously we won't have had their citizenship by descent/aussie passport sorted until after they're born! Does this complicate matters with the visa still being processed? Does anyone have any suggestions for how we should proceed on this? I am hoping the visa is approved in the next few months (which seems to be the pattern judging by other people posting - roughy 12 months for processing at the London office). The last thing I would want is for the visa to be rejected on a technicality that we are now expecting another child who wouldn't be classed as Australian yet. 

Not so unique: we are in exactly the same boat...  Congratulations!

We're stumped as to what to do.  We don't really want to add our new little one to my visa application, as we'd rather she got straight citizenship instead of a 309/100 (although I'm making assumptions there is a practical difference).  

Our current thinking as a backup is to apply for a long tourist visa for them and then get the citizenship sorted out when we're already in Australia, as it'll surely be easier to do when there and potentially possible to do in person with evidence etc.  Again, I'm making assumptions re this and need to look into it further.  

[bicek]

15 minutes ago, martymarty5436425 said:

These requests are also being held up based solely on my own experience.  My daughter's application was submitted in May and we still await any update or status change.  

Did you apply for this online or on paper? Sorry to hear they have slowed right down - I hope you hear back soon. 

 

1 minute ago, martymarty5436425 said:

Not so unique: we are in exactly the same boat...  Congratulations!

We're stumped as to what to do.  We don't really want to add our new little one to my visa application, as we'd rather she got straight citizenship instead of a 309/100 (although I'm making assumptions there is a practical difference).  

Our current thinking as a backup is to apply for a long tourist visa for them and then get the citizenship sorted out when we're already in Australia, as it'll surely be easier to do when there and potentially possible to do in person with evidence etc.  Again, I'm making assumptions re this and need to look into it further.  

Oh wow! Congrats to you to! I did just find an interesting thread about this on another part of the forum and it looks like these are some options

Either:
1. apply for citizenship by descent and get aussie passport before you travel to Aus
2. apply for citizenship by descent and they travel on UK passport into Aus. Show documents at border and then apply for their Australian passport once there.
3. apply for a visitor visa and travel exemption at the same time. Apply for their descent and passport once in Aus.

I just hope those options are all suitable when considering we are in the midst of applying for the partner visa!

Found some info here: 

 

[martymarty5436425]

1 minute ago, bicek said:

Did you apply for this online or on paper? Sorry to hear they have slowed right down - I hope you hear back soon. 

We applied online and everything uploaded on the day.  The challenge with doing it quickly would be providing the identity evidence, as ID is required that confirms name with a recent photo.  We used our daughter's UK passport for this.

8 minutes ago, bicek said:

Either:
1. apply for citizenship by descent and get aussie passport before you travel to Aus
2. apply for citizenship by descent and they travel on UK passport into Aus. Show documents at border and then apply for their Australian passport once there.
3. apply for a visitor visa and travel exemption at the same time. Apply for their descent and passport once in Aus.

Thanks for sharing this and the link.  Lots to absorb.  Option three looks attractive as there are no lead times and perhaps we can have some local control (i.e. go and see someone in person to get the situation resolved). 

 

10 minutes ago, bicek said:

I just hope those options are all suitable when considering we are in the midst of applying for the partner visa!

Exactly!  The lack of any idea of timing is the real challenge, otherwise a plan could be formed!  

[bicek]

7 minutes ago, martymarty5436425 said:

Not so unique: we are in exactly the same boat...  Congratulations!

We're stumped as to what to do.  We don't really want to add our new little one to my visa application, as we'd rather she got straight citizenship instead of a 309/100 (although I'm making assumptions there is a practical difference).  

Our current thinking as a backup is to apply for a long tourist visa for them and then get the citizenship sorted out when we're already in Australia, as it'll surely be easier to do when there and potentially possible to do in person with evidence etc.  Again, I'm making assumptions re this and need to look into it further.  

Also from what I understand, attaching a kid migrating to your 309 application is more costly isn't it? And I think it slows it down from what I have read elsewhere, although could be wrong on this.

I am hoping to sort citizenship by descent as soon as they are born. Not reassuring to hear it is taking a while for those to be processed though, so may consider the visitor visa/travel exemption if we are forced to.

[martymarty5436425]

4 minutes ago, bicek said:

I am hoping to sort citizenship by descent as soon as they are born. Not reassuring to hear it is taking a while for those to be processed though, so may consider the visitor visa/travel exemption if we are forced to.

Hopefully I've just been unlucky and your case flies through!  I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[Almat]

Hi everyone - so many of you have provided invaluable advice on my journey and I just want to say thank you.

Today I cried with relief as my 100 and 109 was granted!

I wrote a letter to the embassy in London on the 22nd October so this must have helped as I only submitted my application in March so that means 8 months it took to grant.

Have faith and hope guys, my timeline was nowhere near the 17-25 months quoted on the immi site. KEEP GOING, DON'T GIVE UP! And maybe a badgering letter like mine might help! Within this I highlighted that I had been issued a 600 visa and exemption and I was concerned that if my partner visa was issued whilst I was in Australia I wouldn't be able to leave in order for it to be granted due to covid restrictions. Common sense prevailed it would seem! xx

 

[Almat]

4 hours ago, martymarty5436425 said:

Not so unique: we are in exactly the same boat...  Congratulations!

We're stumped as to what to do.  We don't really want to add our new little one to my visa application, as we'd rather she got straight citizenship instead of a 309/100 (although I'm making assumptions there is a practical difference).  

Our current thinking as a backup is to apply for a long tourist visa for them and then get the citizenship sorted out when we're already in Australia, as it'll surely be easier to do when there and potentially possible to do in person with evidence etc.  Again, I'm making assumptions re this and need to look into it further.  

I would of thought you carry on as you are as the baby isn't even born yet... then apply for citizenship by descent when baby is born. Although if you're planning on moving after the baby is born you'll need to be on the ball with applying for the CBD 

 

[Almat]

5 hours ago, bicek said:

Congrats on getting yours through! Can I ask, how did you organise a school place already when you don't yet live there? I had thought that would be very tricky with school catchment areas and needing a physical address sorted before being able to apply? Or is it not like over here in the UK...? There is probably somewhere else on the forum I should be asking this (newbie alert, will check now...)

Hi @bicek jumping in here just to let you know we have our children’s name down for a private school with no Oz address (we’re still in London) and also a state school. The state school doesn’t have a catchment so that’s a relief but if it did then I would have provided my temporary air Bnb that we’ve secured for our arrival that happens to be 5 mins from the school. Maybe that’s an option for you if your having catchment issues 

[ainzlondon79]

1 hour ago, Almat said:

Hi everyone - so many of you have provided invaluable advice on my journey and I just want to say thank you.

Today I cried with relief as my 100 and 109 was granted!

I wrote a letter to the embassy in London on the 22nd October so this must have helped as I only submitted my application in March so that means 8 months it took to grant.

Have faith and hope guys, my timeline was nowhere near the 17-25 months quoted on the immi site. KEEP GOING, DON'T GIVE UP! And maybe a badgering letter like mine might help! Within this I highlighted that I had been issued a 600 visa and exemption and I was concerned that if my partner visa was issued whilst I was in Australia I wouldn't be able to leave in order for it to be granted due to covid restrictions. Common sense prevailed it would seem! xx

 

congratulations @Almat that's fantastic news!  So good to see some 2020 applications coming through (even if you had to send them a letter). We're considering applying for the 600+exemption soon just to have as a back option too, can I ask how long it took for 600 to come through after you applied for that?

 

 

[Almat]

37 minutes ago, ainzlondon79 said:

congratulations @Almat that's fantastic news!  So good to see some 2020 applications coming through (even if you had to send them a letter). We're considering applying for the 600+exemption soon just to have as a back option too, can I ask how long it took for 600 to come through after you applied for that?

 

 

Hi @ainzlondon79 I applied for the 600 and heard nothing so a week later applied for the exemption and then both were granted within 48  hours (in September) x

[lepea]

@Almat

congratulations! Can I ask what address or email address you used to write to the London embassy? I think I need to get writing to them - 14 months and I’ve no heard anything yet. 

[Almat]

Yes do @lepea! It obviously helped my end. I didn’t it think it would to be honest... I highlighted how easy my case was (not dissimilar to you - 17 years together, 2 kids etc). But also highlighted how would I be able to leave Oz for my visa to be granted if they didn’t grant it before My planned departure on the 31st December... with COVID restrictions I wouldn’t be able to leave Oz. I too was granted a 600/exemption in September. Anyway here’s the address:

Department of Home Affairs
Australian High Commission
Strand
London
WC2B 4LA

Which part of Oz are you heading too? Keep me

posted - fingers are crossed for you! 

[moominfillyjonk]

@Almat - on the exemption application do you have to provide evidence of flight boking or airline tickets? We are now looking to go out in February 2020 even if my 100 partner doesn't come through on a 600 and exemption. I am reluctant though to book flights now as have heard and read about lots being cancelled, might do this in December or January and hopefully things have improved a bit by then. Remind me how long your 600 took to be granted and how long your exemption took to be approved. If it takes 3 months then I am going to def start looking into this in the next few weeks. 

 

Congrats on your visa coming through! 

 

Also has anyone had any expierience with the health check. I had mine done prob way too eagerly in September 2019, no visa approved yet and now wondering if I will have to have another one! 

[Maddy86]

I had my visa granted today (309/100). applied in March 2020, front loaded as much as possible and uploaded police checks/did medical in July.

Cannot believe it, we were planning to spend tonight adding more to the application (we did the 40sp form rather than through an online account so were planning to do this tonight), but no need now! 

[Anais_V]

Perhaps a silly question, but when responding to an RFI from the department, do we just upload the requested information and then...wait? In our case, they wanted updated Aussie police checks as both mine and my partner's were about to expire. Not sure if uploading the new ones  under the "character" heading will trigger the CO to look at our application again, or is there another way to prompt some action?

Thanks in advance for your insights!

[ainzlondon79]

14 hours ago, Maddy86 said:

I had my visa granted today (309/100). applied in March 2020, front loaded as much as possible and uploaded police checks/did medical in July.

Cannot believe it, we were planning to spend tonight adding more to the application (we did the 40sp form rather than through an online account so were planning to do this tonight), but no need now! 

 This is fantastic news! Congratulations @Maddy86 please keep us posted with your next steps, finding flights etc. as for those of us still waiting it would be really helpful to know what happens after the 309/100’s are granted

[ptb88]

Hi everyone.

just wanted to share our good news that we had a 309 granted today from the London office. DOL: 31st December 2019 

We have been apart since Feb 2020 as I relocated back home to Australia for a job and my partner stayed here. Due to COVID-19 we were looking to apply for a 600 and exemption to see each other. We actually got a migration agent to look at our case and contact the London office. Within two days of that contact our visa was granted. 
 

Just wanted to share the news as this forum has been such a huge help for us during every step of this.

 

[moominfillyjonk]

39 minutes ago, ptb88 said:

Hi everyone.

just wanted to share our good news that we had a 309 granted today from the London office. DOL: 31st December 2019 

We have been apart since Feb 2020 as I relocated back home to Australia for a job and my partner stayed here. Due to COVID-19 we were looking to apply for a 600 and exemption to see each other. We actually got a migration agent to look at our case and contact the London office. Within two days of that contact our visa was granted. 
 

Just wanted to share the news as this forum has been such a huge help for us during every step of this.

 

Whoa congrats @ptb88! Do you mind me asking which agent you used and if it cost a lot to get them to follow up for you? Please message me if you prefer. We’ve been waiting since July 2019

[bicek]

On 10/11/2020 at 16:50, Almat said:

Hi @bicek jumping in here just to let you know we have our children’s name down for a private school with no Oz address (we’re still in London) and also a state school. The state school doesn’t have a catchment so that’s a relief but if it did then I would have provided my temporary air Bnb that we’ve secured for our arrival that happens to be 5 mins from the school. Maybe that’s an option for you if your having catchment issues 

Hi! Thanks so much for your input. I guess it really matters on the exact location and catchment sizes on whether that's an option. We will have to see I guess. But I will definitely explore this as an option as we would love to feel confident in having that bit sorted before we go. 

Congrats on getting your visa granted! When are you planning to head over?

[Almat]

On 11/11/2020 at 14:10, moominfillyjonk said:

@Almat - on the exemption application do you have to provide evidence of flight boking or airline tickets? We are now looking to go out in February 2020 even if my 100 partner doesn't come through on a 600 and exemption. I am reluctant though to book flights now as have heard and read about lots being cancelled, might do this in December or January and hopefully things have improved a bit by then. Remind me how long your 600 took to be granted and how long your exemption took to be approved. If it takes 3 months then I am going to def start looking into this in the next few weeks. 

 

Congrats on your visa coming through! 

 

Also has anyone had any expierience with the health check. I had mine done prob way too eagerly in September 2019, no visa approved yet and now wondering if I will have to have another one! 

Hi @moominfillyjonk I highly refined writing to them (see address above). I truly believe this got the ball rolling my end. 
 

in terms of 600 I applied, didn’t hear anything for a while then submitted my exemption and both granted within 48 hours back in September. I would apply for both now. I didn’t provide any flight details as I didn’t have a flight booked. I put my planned travel date, which changed anyway. Crack on if I were you!