Tourist visa before partner visa

[riggsy]

Hi All 

I am an Australian citizen (currently living in the UK) I have 2 children (18 and 15) who I will be applying for citizenship by descent etc but I wanted to know if we could enter Australia with the wife being on a tourist visa? Reason I am thinking is I wanted her to have some time over there to decide if she could settle there before I apply for her partners visa?

Just didnt want to apply in the UK and then her get there and not actually feel like she could make the move permanent 

Thanks 

[Marisawright]

Yes, you can enter Australia with her on a tourist visa, then apply for a partner visa once you're living here.  She'll get a bridging visa which will allow her to stay.

Normally I'd say, don't do it, because she won't be allowed to work on the tourist visa -- can she afford to be out of work for six months or more?   But I can see why you want to go that way, because a partner visa is expensive. 

Do I get the feeling that the wife's not at all keen,  you've been nagging her to get back to Perth for years and she's finally buckled?  Because if that's the case, then I'd say forget the whole idea, because it'll cost you a big chunk of your savings to move to Perth and it'll just be money thrown away -- she won't stay.

[paulhand]

10 hours ago, Marisawright said:

can she afford to be out of work for six months or more?

… three months as far as the visa is concerned.