Overseas Based Partner Visa - Sub Class?

[Fazor]

Hi,

Can you good people advise what is the accepted course of application for me (Ireland based Oz citizen) and my partner for 14 years (Uk citizen) to apply for a Partner Visa in Oz?

Is it frowned upon for her to travel with me on a tourist visa and apply while in the Oz? Or apply from the Uk / Ireland?

My concern is the time the application takes from overseas as I am looking at returning Aug 2024. 

Also what sub class visa should we be looking at?

Thanks for your time in replying.

[Marisawright]

We've had an agent say that applications from the UK are being processed very fast currently, so I'd go ahead and apply now. 

A spouse visa application isn't hard to do yourself, but it is very complicated and requires a ridiculous amount of proof.   The fees are too high to risk rejection for a minor mistake or missing documents, so I'd recommend engaging a migration agent to make sure every i is dotted and t crossed.  

[Alan Collett]

I'd apply offshore.

Here are some examples of processing times for partner visa clients of ours who are ex-UK:

Hope this helps.

[Fazor]

Hi thank you for your time in replying.

In my scenario which would be the correct visa for my partner? 

Can you recommend a immigration agent? 

[Alan Collett]

6 minutes ago, Fazor said:

Hi thank you for your time in replying.

< snip >

Can you recommend a immigration agent? 

Yes, I can.

Me!

Feel able to send an email.

Best regards.

[Jon the Hat]

2 hours ago, Fazor said:

Hi thank you for your time in replying.

In my scenario which would be the correct visa for my partner? 

Can you recommend a immigration agent? 

There is a single application for the 309/100, and if you have been together long enough - as you have - then you get the 100 straight away.  If not then there is a second step after 2 years.

[InnerVoice]

5 hours ago, Marisawright said:

A spouse visa application isn't hard to do yourself, but it is very complicated and requires a ridiculous amount of proof.

Having done one myself I would say they're both hard and complicated. Let's put it this way, if I ever get divorced and remarried I'll not be doing another!

[Jon the Hat]

41 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

Having done one myself I would say they're both hard and complicated. Let's put it this way, if I ever get divorced and remarried I'll not be doing another!

I don't think it is that hard, many people do it without help.  What it is time consuming, but then you have to gather the evidence whether you use an agent or not.

[Alan Collett]

Just now, Jon the Hat said:

I don't think it is that hard, many people do it without help.  What it is time consuming, but then you have to gather the evidence whether you use an agent or not.

How do you know what evidence to gather?

How many partner visa applications have you lodged previously?

Lodging with the support of an experienced advisor improves the likelihood of getting it right and securing the visa outcome you want, in the timeline that suits your circumstances (eg if you want to migrate to Australia by a date in the not too distant future).

Onwards!

 

[Jon the Hat]

Just now, Alan Collett said:

How do you know what evidence to gather?

How many partner visa applications have you lodged previously?

Lodging with the support of an experienced advisor improves the likelihood of getting it right and securing the visa outcome you want, in the timeline that suits your circumstances (eg if you want to migrate to Australia by a date in the not too distant future).

Onwards!

I have a 100% success rate in a situation similar to the OP - long relationship, from the UK, plenty of evidence.

There is plenty of content on the evidence required on the IMMI site, and forum such as this are very helpful.  I posted a list of what I provided at one point.

I don't doubt the reassurance of using a professional, or the need for the expertise when you have a difficult case or anything borderline around health or criminality for example.  If you have a simple case though, there are plenty of people who have successfully done it, and I don't recall reading many who failed.

[InnerVoice]

39 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

I don't think it is that hard, many people do it without help.  What it is time consuming, but then you have to gather the evidence whether you use an agent or not.

 

35 minutes ago, Alan Collett said:

How do you know what evidence to gather?

How many partner visa applications have you lodged previously?

Lodging with the support of an experienced advisor improves the likelihood of getting it right and securing the visa outcome you want, in the timeline that suits your circumstances (eg if you want to migrate to Australia by a date in the not too distant future).

Onwards!

It's not hard as in 'rocket science hard' but I remember there being a number of questions which I found quite ambiguous, and back then there was nowhere near as much information online as there is these days. In fact I don't think it was possible to submit the application online because I remember completing all the paper forms. I paid for a consultation with an RMA to establish what evidence was required and he was very helpful. He even showed me one of his completed applications and he had a tonne of evidence compared with mine, but then you can't just make up stuff so I had to roll with what I had - and fortunately it was enough.

[Jon the Hat]

2 minutes ago, InnerVoice said:

 

It's not hard as in 'rocket science hard' but I remember there being a number of questions which I found quite ambiguous, and back then there was nowhere near as much information online as there is these days. In fact I don't think it was possible to submit the application online because I remember completing all the paper forms. I paid for a consultation with an RMA to establish what evidence was required and he was very helpful. He even showed me one of his completed applications and he had a tonne of evidence compared with mine, but then you can't just make up stuff so I had to roll with what I had - and fortunately it was enough.

The advantage of the online application is there are effectively folders in the portal in which to submit your evidence which I think makes it a lot easier - You can setup the same folders on your PC and get all the scanned docs together.  Nothing needs to be certified these days, just good quality scans which you can do on a recent phone easily enough.

[Philip]

Personally with a 7 month deadline I would use an agent, because I would want to get it right the first time. My deadline was about 11 months but at the time I didn't realise UK applications were being processed so quickly, I thought it would take at least 6 months.

[Alan Collett]

35 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

 snip > ... and I don't recall reading many who failed.

I doubt those who have been refused a visa are letting it be known on a forum ...

Best regards.

[InnerVoice]

22 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

The advantage of the online application is there are effectively folders in the portal in which to submit your evidence which I think makes it a lot easier - You can setup the same folders on your PC and get all the scanned docs together.  Nothing needs to be certified these days, just good quality scans which you can do on a recent phone easily enough.

That's exactly what I did for my wife's citizenship application and it was so much easier, not to mention no longer having to queue down at the shopping centre to get a JP to sign everything. Come to think of it I haven't seen too many of them around recently - maybe now everything's online it's made them redundant!

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Alan Collett said:

I'd apply offshore.

Here are some examples of processing times for partner visa clients of ours who are ex-UK:

Hope this helps.

That last one is mine. Even with Alan's team help it is still a lot of work. You have lengthy statements to write and lots of documentation to gather. We calculated that we spent 60 hours + on our application and that was with their help enabling us to focus on what was needed in the application, rather than what we may have thought was needed if left to do it independently.

I can happily recommend Alan's team if you do choose to go with an agent.

Edited January 11, 2024 by bluequay

[InnerVoice]

58 minutes ago, bluequay said:

That last one is mine. Even with Alan's team help it is still a lot of work. You have lengthy statements to write and lots of documentation to gather. We calculated that we spent 60 hours + on our application and that was with their help enabling us to focus on what was needed in the application, rather than what we may have thought was needed if left to do it independently.

I can happily recommend Alan's team if you do choose to go with an agent.

I remember the statements now you mention it. Mine was easy but my wife couldn't read or write English at the time, so I wrote hers too. It was obvious it was written by me, so to make it more authentic she copied what I'd written. It only took us 10 or 15 attempts to get something legible! I'd forgotten all about it, but that's probably the reason why.

[Jon the Hat]

1 hour ago, bluequay said:

That last one is mine. Even with Alan's team help it is still a lot of work. You have lengthy statements to write and lots of documentation to gather. We calculated that we spent 60 hours + on our application and that was with their help enabling us to focus on what was needed in the application, rather than what we may have thought was needed if left to do it independently.

I can happily recommend Alan's team if you do choose to go with an agent.

I have no doubt he is a fantastic choice - he is certainly extremely helpful on here and deserves a lot of credit for that.  For many people using an agent is the right thing to do to help get it right or to just not stress about it for 5-6 months. I just wanted to make the point that is it not always a requirement.

[FirstWorldProblems]

12 hours ago, Marisawright said:

We've had an agent say that applications from the UK are being processed very fast currently, so I'd go ahead and apply now. 

A spouse visa application isn't hard to do yourself, but it is very complicated and requires a ridiculous amount of proof.   The fees are too high to risk rejection for a minor mistake or missing documents, so I'd recommend engaging a migration agent to make sure every i is dotted and t crossed.  

Here's how I did it.  It was right for me but might not be right for you.

- engaged a migration agent for upfront advise - super helpful, made me aware of things I previously wasn't and helped me make decisions on timing, approach and undoubtedly avoided some delays down the line

- submitted offshore a fully loaded, very comprehensive application.   As a former project manager I tend to build a plan around things like this and keep track of my time - it was 65 hours (of which 7 were by my sponsor wife).

- there were zero questions and the application was approved 6 weeks after submission (timeline in my footer)

Mine was a simple case.  Over 20 years of marriage, unbroken co-habitation, shared finances and a couple of kids together.

[bonanza]

15 hours ago, Alan Collett said:

How do you know what evidence to gather?

How many partner visa applications have you lodged previously?

Lodging with the support of an experienced advisor improves the likelihood of getting it right and securing the visa outcome you want, in the timeline that suits your circumstances (eg if you want to migrate to Australia by a date in the not too distant future).

Onwards!

 

My partner and I (he Aussie/Brit and me Brit) used Alan's team in the UK and the points he makes here are spot on. I am an experienced professional person and would normally consider myself as pretty competent at preparing and writing detailed documentation,  but am glad we went down the route (and expense) of using an agent . Go Matilda were really helpful in showing us how to evidence our case as strongly as possible, in the most succinct and well structured way. The experience we were able to draw on as to what the authorities were looking for, and what to include vs leave out was very valuable as some of the evidence might otherwise have been a bit lightweight in some areas. I received a temp 309 visa in April 2016  followed by  a permanent 100 visa in June 2018.

[bonanza]

On 11/01/2024 at 09:20, Jon the Hat said:

I have no doubt he is a fantastic choice - he is certainly extremely helpful on here and deserves a lot of credit for that.  For many people using an agent is the right thing to do to help get it right or to just not stress about it for 5-6 months. I just wanted to make the point that is it not always a requirement.

I just want to add that the OP may well be able to DIY a successful application especially if their history is straightforward, but at least a preliminary chat with an experienced migration agent could help clarify whether using an agent might be beneficial, or not. In my case my parther and I were in a long distance relationship so not so easy to evidence the de facto bit and that's where the help paid off.

[Raul Senise]

On 11/01/2024 at 17:02, Jon the Hat said:

I have a 100% success rate

Best comment ever 

[Jon the Hat]

8 hours ago, Raul Senise said:

Best comment ever 

I was pretty proud of it myself

[Mcguinnessp1968]

Hi thank you for your time in replying.
In my scenario which would be the correct visa for my partner? 
Can you recommend a immigration agent? 

I can vouch for Alan and go Matilda. They are excellent
It’s a complicated application and with the visa charges you want to make sure you get it right
In the scheme of things I didn’t find Alan’s fees that expensive. I absolutely recommend them