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

[shellsparkles]

Hmmmm pub.........

[Guest Xley88]

Hey guys just a quick question, my partner and i have currently been apart for 2 and a half months me being in england and her in australia and are looking to lodge our application for the spouse visa offshore in two weeks or so we've been living together previously for one and a half years, just wondering if it will be a problem to lodge the application not being living together for the 3 months prior to sending off the application???

[landr]

SV on annual leave?!

 

ARGH! I asked my boyfriend to just send an email today asking if it was still looking likely that it would be granted mid august and he got an auto-reply saying she is on annual leave until the 20th :shocked:

 

Sad times!

[Guest GeorgeD]

SV on annual leave?!

 

ARGH! I asked my boyfriend to just send an email today asking if it was still looking likely that it would be granted mid august and he got an auto-reply saying she is on annual leave until the 20th :shocked:

 

Sad times!

 

Try phoning...this has happened in the past and other COs have told people when visas will be granted when the usual CO has been on holiday. If they have the information they will tell you, they don't keep it a secret. If they don't know then they can't be more specific other than advising you of the usual lead time. They probably have targets to meet with the time it takes to process applications, so if they are supposed to take 6 months and your CO being on leave means it would slip over the normal SLA, they are probably glad you called to point out they would be missing their own processing time. I doubt they get any incentive to do things quicker than the published processing time though as they don't want to go getting people's hopes up either!

[landr]

I'll phone them today!

 

Thanks!

[LauraF]

Hey guys just a quick question, my partner and i have currently been apart for 2 and a half months me being in england and her in australia and are looking to lodge our application for the spouse visa offshore in two weeks or so we've been living together previously for one and a half years, just wondering if it will be a problem to lodge the application not being living together for the 3 months prior to sending off the application???

 

Me and my fiancé had been living together for 1 and a half years in England (Also for a year before that in Aus.) We applied for the visa after spending just over 3 months apart because he had to go home to study. There has been no problems with it and I've been told they have all the necessary information. Just make sure you mention in your declaration why you are currently apart (ie job/study/visa problems) and it should be absolutely fine, especially if you've already lived together for that long!

[jameslfc]

Welcome to PIO James. The current waiting times for new applicants seem to be 6-8 months from some other posters on here. I applied in March and my CO keeps confirming 5-6 months. The DIAC website also states 5-6 months as current processing times, although subject to change.

Good luck with your application and all I can say is get it in as soon as you can!

 

Thanks! We're getting married in September and aiming to move over around a year from then, so that timeframe is no problem. We're both itching to go over so no doubt i'll be looking at how to apply the day we get back from honeymoon.

[Guest wardie77]

All very quiet on the visa grant front this week.... anyone had any good news they want to share???

[Guest ScOz]

:laugh:Just been told that my visa is ready to be granted and that I have to go offshore for it to be finalised......YEE HAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:biglaugh:

 

My C/O is on leave until 20 August and I was gutted but I waited a few days (where I attacked my keyboard like a demented woodpecker) then telephoned another C/O and asked for an update. He told me that he would send me an e-mail and that I had 28 days to sort out leaving Australia. Within the hour, the e-mail was in my in box!!!!!!

 

The long process is just about over.........only a little holiday to round it off and I'm sorted!! Ya dancer!

 

Good luck everyone, hang in there, it apparently does eventually really happen. x:biggrin:

[maisem]

Hey guys just a quick question, my partner and i have currently been apart for 2 and a half months me being in england and her in australia and are looking to lodge our application for the spouse visa offshore in two weeks or so we've been living together previously for one and a half years, just wondering if it will be a problem to lodge the application not being living together for the 3 months prior to sending off the application???

 

 

We havn't lived together since May 2011 as we were in separate countries hasn't been a problem for our visa application.

[Anna333]

I haven't been that bad!!! :-)

I think it has been 15 emails, no calls as yet but I will be putting in my first call on the 26th August at the 5 month mark.

 

Ha ha, and I was feeling bad for emailing him for my second ever time last week to follow up a week after the 5 month mark had passed! The first email was to confirm he had everything he required. Didn't have anything as of Wednesday, on holidays now so can't check till Thursday - glad that I can't watch the post like a hawk for a week anyway!

[Guest Xley88]

Me and my fiancé had been living together for 1 and a half years in England (Also for a year before that in Aus.) We applied for the visa after spending just over 3 months apart because he had to go home to study. There has been no problems with it and I've been told they have all the necessary information. Just make sure you mention in your declaration why you are currently apart (ie job/study/visa problems) and it should be absolutely fine, especially if you've already lived together for that long!

 

 

thanks for the help one more question do the stat decs written by me and my partner need to be certified or can we just sign and date them?

[juliedec]

I just signed and dated ....had no problems....

[Guest Xley88]

I just signed and dated ....had no problems....

 

Thats great, thanks for the help so nervous about the whole thing worrying if i'm forgetting anything important. Fingers crossed theres no problems once its sent off!

[mng75]

Hello, I suppose rather than just reading everyone else's stories I should jump in with ours.

 

I'm the Aussie in the relationship and we've just (June 29th) lodged our 309/100 visa application. We've been married 7 years and have 2 children.

 

We were assigned a CO the following Friday (so one week). MT is our CO. My husband has had his medical and police check and both were fine and have been sent off. MT has confirmed that she doesn't need anything else from us, but it's still a 5-6 month wait.

 

I'm hoping given all the 5 month stories I've seen that we're at that end, not at the 8-9 month end. We'd like to be in Australia in January so that our eldest can start school in February (we're organising her enrolment at the moment).

 

Good luck to all the other applicants!

[DaveS]

All sounds rather organise Mng75!

 

Welcome to the queue.

[BENS0N]

Had some bad news. Am flying out on the 8th August and was hoping my visa would of been processed before i flew as it would allow me double the baggage allowance with singapore airlines, in addition to saving me the cost of exiting Australia for 3 days to validate the visa (applied 23rd march). Just phoned my CO and was told that it wont be close to being granted by the 8th and the times for processing has now moved to more like 7-8 months (for new applications) due to a reduced number of visa applications in the financial year and therefore causing a backlog of exisitng visa applications. I know i was optimistic when booking my flight as it would of been less than 5 months but as my partner moved back in April i needed to go out as soon as possible. Just gutted i cant start my life properly and start looking for jobs and will be still looking out for 'that' email.

 

Just about to apply for my tourist visa now. :mad:

 

Just wanted to keep you all up to date and wishing you all the luck with the process. I will continue to update my status and even write about how i am settling in over in Aus, the cost of flights to NZ and the ease of the process (well i wont have anything else to do til i get my visa).

[DaveS]

Sorry to hear that Bens0n. So do you expect yours within 6 months still? or are you now looking at 8?

[BENS0N]

They still reckon within the 6 months but as i was asking about the tourist e-visitor she said it would be granted before the 3 months on it is up!!!! said i have to leave country fro 3 days. tried the old havent got a job, need to get work soon, expense of leaving country fro three days, shipping costs for extra baggage i cant take on plane. Didnt work just said there is a queue of existing applications they are working through.

[DaveS]

Worth a shot.

 

I quit my job & booked my flights as well - so in a similar spot. Though I left a bit more time. Just hope they grant at 5 months and not 6...............

 

Dave

[Guest pinkgibbon]

I don't really understand how new applicants are being advised 5-6 months but people chasing up there visas are being told up to 8 months. I guess it just a case of waiting and seeing when it comes through.

Edited July 30, 2012 by pinkgibbon

[Guest guest72634]

Just received this email from VF.

 

"Processing times have extended to between 6 - 8 months from date of application lodgement"

 

I have arranged to go out in Sept which was going to give me 2 months on a e-visitor. Now I might have to wait up to 3 more months. So 5 months without a job. Not happy. If my e-visitor runs out before my visa is granted I will have to leave the country twice.

[Guest wardie77]

Just received this email from VF.

 

"Processing times have extended to between 6 - 8 months from date of application lodgement"

 

I have arranged to go out in Sept which was going to give me 2 months on a e-visitor. Now I might have to wait up to 3 more months. So 5 months without a job. Not happy. If my e-visitor runs out before my visa is granted I will have to leave the country twice.

 

Just out of interest, when did you lodge your application?

 

I had an email for my CO (AB) last week still stating the 5-6 month wait. I applied in March so just wondering if it depends on when your application was received...

[Guest ciaram]

Just out of interest, when did you lodge your application?

 

I had an email for my CO (AB) last week still stating the 5-6 month wait. I applied in March so just wondering if it depends on when your application was received...

 

Hi Wardie,

 

I applied Feb 29th, CO assigned March 2nd, and my CO told me today he should have my visa processed by the end of this week. I think you're okay, I think this 6-8 months applies to later applicants only, ie; since the end of the AUS financial year

Edited July 30, 2012 by ciaram

[maisem]

according to the spreadsheet k17 submitted 29/5, so im now worried since i applied 25/5