SUMMARY: Spouse Visa Processing times OFFSHORE-UK. Please add your Stats.

[Guest guest72634]

Does the same apply to certified copies of birth certificates etc? do they need to be witnessed?

Applying whilst resident in England.

 

Birth certificates and other official documents need to be certified. I didn't have any letters from family and friends certified and my Fiancé who is in Australia didn't get the letters certified either. My CO hasn't come back to me, so i assume all is ok. I paid £10 to get all my official documents certified by my local solicitor. only took a few minutes.

[Anna333]

no joy yet Anna?

 

No not yet...

 

I haven't been in touch with my CO at all apart from confirming receipt of all additional documentation requested on 20th March. I do wonder if it pays to pester them a bit!

 

I don't want to bug him but I would love to get the visa through closer to the 5 month stage than 6...

 

And congrats to all of those recently granted.

[SarahRob198]

So we booked our flights today and emailed the CO confirming these dates to give her a date in which the visa needs to be granted by Hooray, not it definitely feels real

[Guest wardie77]

No not yet...

 

I haven't been in touch with my CO at all apart from confirming receipt of all additional documentation requested on 20th March. I do wonder if it pays to pester them a bit!

 

I don't want to bug him but I would love to get the visa through closer to the 5 month stage than 6...

 

And congrats to all of those recently granted.

 

Hi Anna, We have the same CO and I would suggest emailing/ calling him. He is very nice and should be able to help move things a long.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

[Guest ScOz]

Congrats!!!!! Well done, I bet your pleased its over. I'm hoping you screamed just enough to make your throat dry and then you would have to have a few beers/wines to cool it down, lol.

 

 

 

Just got my visa! Exactly 5 months and 1 day from when payment was taken.

 

Absolutely elated! Saying.g goodbye to ohs family as I read the email on my phone! Went from tears to screams! Ha ha!

 

Woooooooohoooooo!

[Guest ScOz]

Just got my visa!!

Well done. Another huge step closer to your dream - not many more huge ones left! x

Edited July 19, 2012 by ScOz
typo

[Donnapow33]

Well done. Another huge step closer to your dream - not many more huge ones left! x

 

Thank you, u should get urs any day now

[Guest pinkgibbon]

Hi,

 

I have been reading this forum for a while but thought I would let you know what my case officer VF sent me today.

 

Processing times have extended to between 6 - 8 months from date of application lodgement due to a smaller amount of visa places being offered in the current Australian financial year.

 

My stats are:

App lodged: 20/4/2012

Meds done a few days later

told had verything they needed on 25/5/2012.

and now it seems I may be lucky to be Oz in time for Christmas.

 

Lets hope it doesn't take anywhere near this long.

[DaveS]

Hi PinkGibbon,

 

What visa type are you on?

 

Thanks,

Dave

 

Hi,

 

I have been reading this forum for a while but thought I would let you know what my case officer VF sent me today.

 

Processing times have extended to between 6 - 8 months from date of application lodgement due to a smaller amount of visa places being offered in the current Australian financial year.

 

My stats are:

App lodged: 20/4/2012

Meds done a few days later

told had verything they needed on 25/5/2012.

and now it seems I may be lucky to be Oz in time for Christmas.

 

Lets hope it doesn't take anywhere near this long.

[Guest pinkgibbon]

Sorry should have said I'm going for 100

[DaveS]

Sorry should have said I'm going for 100

 

 

This is rather earth shattering for me. I quit my job this week, the house is on the rental market next week and my flights are in 7 weeks.

 

To cry or to email my CO.. Hmm

[DaveS]

Email fired away to my poor old CO. (AB) He will probably grant me early just to get me out of his hair

[Anna333]

Hi Anna, We have the same CO and I would suggest emailing/ calling him. He is very nice and should be able to help move things a long.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

Thanks for the push wardie, I've just emailed him now. Fingers crossed for some positive news soon!

[wakeboard1980]

Email them mate and let them know about your flight, they may just tell you to email again a couple fo weeks before and they will grant it. It has happened before.

[Anna333]

Hi,

 

I have been reading this forum for a while but thought I would let you know what my case officer VF sent me today.

 

Processing times have extended to between 6 - 8 months from date of application lodgement due to a smaller amount of visa places being offered in the current Australian financial year.

 

My stats are:

App lodged: 20/4/2012

Meds done a few days later

told had verything they needed on 25/5/2012.

and now it seems I may be lucky to be Oz in time for Christmas.

 

Lets hope it doesn't take anywhere near this long.

 

Oh nooo! We're planning to leave in Sept so I guess if it's up to 7 months then we'll be ok but 8 months is taking the biscuit... hoping to hear back from my CO (AB) soon with some positive news.

[Guest niknak78]

My CO (LC) emailed me on Tuesday to say my meds were clear, all info needed and its 5-6 months from date of application, flights booked to Bali on 6th December for 2 weeks, lets hope that its not too much longer, although a couple more weeks in Bali wont hurt

[Guest MrsWooky]

That's a bit naughty, if the increase in waiting time due to smaller number of visas being allocated. Spouse visas, as far as I am aware are not capped or queued. I know other types of visas are but not spouse. Saying that, I'm sure, like all government departments everywhere, they have "targets" and slowly down the granting of visas will reduce the number granted within a financial year. Hopefully it shouldn't affect us but I know so many others on here have their lives on hold and/or are living apart and it must be absolutely devastating to have this kind of news sprung on them :sad:. I've checked the immigation website and the processing times for offshore partner visas (low risk) is still 5-6 months.

[Anika]

Hi,

 

I have been reading this forum for a while but thought I would let you know what my case officer VF sent me today.

 

Processing times have extended to between 6 - 8 months from date of application lodgement due to a smaller amount of visa places being offered in the current Australian financial year.

 

My stats are:

App lodged: 20/4/2012

Meds done a few days later

told had verything they needed on 25/5/2012.

and now it seems I may be lucky to be Oz in time for Christmas.

 

Lets hope it doesn't take anywhere near this long.

 

Silly question maybe but would this affect the 309 as well because that's what I'm going for. I'm thinking of e-mailing my CO (MC) after work tonight and asking if I'm still on track to get my visa in the next 4 weeks, can't bear the thought that it might take longer now.

[DaveS]

That's a bit naughty, if the increase in waiting time due to smaller number of visas being allocated. Spouse visas, as far as I am aware are not capped or queued. I know other types of visas are but not spouse. Saying that, I'm sure, like all government departments everywhere, they have "targets" and slowly down the granting of visas will reduce the number granted within a financial year. Hopefully it shouldn't affect us but I know so many others on here have their lives on hold and/or are living apart and it must be absolutely devastating to have this kind of news sprung on them :sad:. I've checked the immigation website and the processing times for offshore partner visas (low risk) is still 5-6 months.

 

 

I went through the same thought process. Resulted in me pestering CO - shall update upon reply

[Guest pinkgibbon]

Hopefully my CO is wrong and everyone will still get there visas on the 5 month mark.

[Guest wardie77]

That's a bit naughty, if the increase in waiting time due to smaller number of visas being allocated. Spouse visas, as far as I am aware are not capped or queued. I know other types of visas are but not spouse. Saying that, I'm sure, like all government departments everywhere, they have "targets" and slowly down the granting of visas will reduce the number granted within a financial year. Hopefully it shouldn't affect us but I know so many others on here have their lives on hold and/or are living apart and it must be absolutely devastating to have this kind of news sprung on them :sad:. I've checked the immigation website and the processing times for offshore partner visas (low risk) is still 5-6 months.

 

I have an email from my CO today to say it is still 5-6 months

[DaveS]

Hopefully my CO is wrong and everyone will still get there visas on the 5 month mark.

 

Working 'Dave nutjob' theories:

 

1) Your CO is not granting for a period of time (absent from work for whatever reason)

2) the Spouse Visa - 100 has been increased to 6-8 months but not the 309

3) People who applied after March 19th only are affected by change in time

 

More theories whizzing around!

 

Apologies for being selfish

 

Dave

[wakeboard1980]

That's a bit naughty, if the increase in waiting time due to smaller number of visas being allocated. Spouse visas, as far as I am aware are not capped or queued. I know other types of visas are but not spouse. Saying that, I'm sure, like all government departments everywhere, they have "targets" and slowly down the granting of visas will reduce the number granted within a financial year. Hopefully it shouldn't affect us but I know so many others on here have their lives on hold and/or are living apart and it must be absolutely devastating to have this kind of news sprung on them :sad:. I've checked the immigation website and the processing times for offshore partner visas (low risk) is still 5-6 months.

 

As far as I'm aware you are right in saying they are not capped, but at the start of each financial year they do set targets I believe for the different family visas. And as you said they just adjust the waiting times to suit. When we applied in March 2010 we were told 3-4 months, then others were told 6 months just after us. I had a mates wife who applied at the start of 2010 and got it in 3. My wifes took 4 months and a couple of days.

[DaveS]

Thanks for posting that Wardie. Yet to hear back myself from AB.

 

Any reason you were in touch with him? Did you react to this post as well?

 

I wonder if our CO's are PIO members! ;-)

 

 

Dave

[shellsparkles]

Thanks for posting that Wardie. Yet to hear back myself from AB.

 

Any reason you were in touch with him? Did you react to this post as well?

 

I wonder if our CO's are PIO members! ;-)

 

 

Dave

 

 

They prob are having fun at working trying to work out who we are !!!