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

[Guest yugoj]

Our CO has told us to call him mid October for visa decision! :eek:but do you also get an email confirming decision or is the answer only given over the phone?

 

Thanks

Emma

 

I'm wondering if he is going to let me know that they've decided to put us "Oldies' back on the 4 month track. As you know, my 4 months is up next week and I'm a bit sceptical as to whether, following that meeting, they are going to process all older applications in 4 months or just the ones they happen to have spoken to on the phone.

I don't want to hassle him too much but the only way I got the 5/6 mth email was to ask for it. I'm wondering whether to mail again saying I've 'heard' that they've decided to process all applications sent before the ruling back at the 4 mth waiting time, therefore would I be able to get a decision next week?

 

Maybe I'll just wait until just after my 4 mths and 'enquire' then.

 

Sorry - more of a 'thoughts out loud' post than any questions or help for anyone!

[Guest triksta]

Has anyone experienced any issues with the Australian Federal Police checks... we have been waiting 7 weeks now... can never get through to them on the phone and the email enquiry form on their website will not send.. grrrr... getting increasingly frustrated with them!!!! :arghh:

[Guest The Mandreks]

Has anyone experienced any issues with the Australian Federal Police checks... we have been waiting 7 weeks now... can never get through to them on the phone and the email enquiry form on their website will not send.. grrrr... getting increasingly frustrated with them!!!! :arghh:

 

 

Hello! We have only just recently done ours and they were super fast I have to say! It took less than 2.5 weeks and that was including the postage times from UK to OZ and back again! I never contacted them, so I have no advice to give on their phonelines or email system. I would keep trying them though! They may not have received it?

[Guest triksta]

Thanks Mandreks!!!! I am guessing that they haven't got it then.... grrrr...... funnily enough we had to do a bank transfer as we are in UK and there is no way of tracking if they cashed the cheque.....

So I guess we are going have t start again...... :realmad:

[Hettybetty]

Hi

 

Well that's the interview under our belts and it was easy peasy! Our CO was lovely and made us feel very relaxed about everything.

 

He said that he was scoring us for a subclass 100 and to give him a call mid oct for the outcome but that everything was looking good!

 

He also said that there had been a meeting today and that people who had applied before all the recent announcements would still be looking at 4 months which is great news for us all!

 

Yipee!

:jiggy:

 

Emmaroo well done regarding your interview :-)! Good news too that they are going back to the 4 months timescale. I don't know what to do now. I have been looking into getting a tourist visa after hearing the 5-6 months news last week but if we are back onto the four month timescale, oww... :chatterbox:

PMV received by AH 15th June

CO contacted us 25th June

Spoke to CO on 4th August he said we were looking at end of October...

[Guest aussiedubai]

Date of Application: 12 May 2010

Visa Type: Married on 5 April

Police/Medicals: Front Loaded

Application Place: Dubai Counsulate, applied via VFS counter

Nationality: Indian (always lived in dubai, me obv aussie, born in dubai)

SLA: They said 8-10 months all the time and even in email.

Date CO Assigned: Dont know, for general first email, with no contact or name. Even when we called only once they said there is no CO, just a team here who look into them

 

Date Visa Granted: 09/08/2010 (via email, no phone interview also, only one call confirming my wifey has not lived in india for more than 12 months... thats all they asked.... still over phone gave no estimate...)

 

=========================================

 

touchwood with Gods grace we got it in time. this was so so hard to wait and i totally understand everyones pain.

 

couple of points, we tried everything to be as complete, accurate as possible. plus we also organised all documents in right way, used post it notes,

included 2-3 emails for every month, my phone bills, print out showing our sms, photos of our enagement, other pics, we had a small wedding so even included photos of that. We did honestly clearly mention in our letters, we had small wedding on 5 April, but a bigger family celebration is in end of June.

 

we were very nervous about having a small wedding, but as my wife used to work in same building as Australian Counsulate in dubai, Bur juman office tower. we could not lie one bit. Clearly mentioned small wedding, followed by another big celebration.

 

included 20 photos, showing our big enagement in Nov 2009, out many many couple pics, few group pics and few marriage pics in April 2010.

 

***** SLA *****

 

we were told 8-10 months for dubai, being Indian could have also applied via India where they say 3-4 months. to keep simple and clear, we applied via dubai only.

 

the VFS people are really dont know much and not helpful in our experience, even when their office was empty...

 

on intial enquiry, someone in Dubai Counsulate reception mentioned, that it takes 8-10 months in most cases. but she said, if everything is correct/police clearance etc front loaded. i know CO will not just wait for 8 months.

 

that was our only hope. and with gods grace we got it.

 

sorry for the long post, as there is no no information about cases/experience from dubai. so was sharing my experience.

 

all the best to everyone...

 

thanks for this forum and other forum, for all the help..

 

:-)....

 

my wifey, will go for stamping today.

[Guest triksta]

Wow, glad you got it through so quickly!!!!!! Great news!!! :biggrin:

[Guest Tupe]

Received an e-mail response this afternoon from my CO confirming that he has all the necessary information to be able to make a decision on my application and to contact him w/c 25th October.

 

So it definitely looks like applications received before the latest immigration directive are back on the 4 month processing timeframe.

 

Good news - thanks Australian HC! Christmas in Oz is back on!!

[Guest MadChicken]

Good luck Yugoj! for the 13th im keeping my fingers crossed for you mate. Would be so unfair for your application to be effected from these changes as your app was so far into the processing times before the changes.

 

Looks like you will be the next to get through Yugoj,,All eyes on you mate

 

And to everyone out there still waiting,,, KEEP YA CHINS UP!! We will all get there in the end.

 

My app recieved 28th april,, Roll on the 28th Aug!! i think??:hug:

[Guest yugoj]

ooh - I feel under pressure now!

I promise that as soon as I get that email I will be straight onto this thread to let you all know. But I'm not sure it'll be this Fri - maybe they'll leave it to next week instead.

 

We'll see....

[Guest Tupe]

ooh - I feel under pressure now!

I promise that as soon as I get that email I will be straight onto this thread to let you all know. But I'm not sure it'll be this Fri - maybe they'll leave it to next week instead.

 

We'll see....

 

Based on some of the correspondance from various COs in recent weeks including mine it seems that they want us to contact them around the decision date rather than the other way round. I reckon you could give them a call now - who knows perhaps they'll grant it there and then.

[wakeboard1980]

Based on some of the correspondance from various COs in recent weeks including mine it seems that they want us to contact them around the decision date rather than the other way round. I reckon you could give them a call now - who knows perhaps they'll grant it there and then.

 

My missus chased her CO 2 weeks ago cause it was 4 months and 2 days and she was way over when she said she would approve it. She phoned my missus back to make sure she wasnt in Aus and sent the email through approving the visa within 1/2 hr.

 

I say if they have given you an indication of when your visas will be approved the surely chase them up.

 

Hopefully you guys on here with the 4 month timeframe just round the corner get your visas soon

[Guest yugoj]

Thanks Wakeboard.

The thing is that the last word I had from my CO was that it's now 5-6 mth wait and to contact him in Oct. I would have to say something like 'I've read on the forums that it's back to 4mth wait' and ask if mine can be approved within the original timeframe.

 

Maybe I'll do that next week (4 mths and a few days after application). I guess I've got nothing to lose.

[Hettybetty]

Thanks Wakeboard.

The thing is that the last word I had from my CO was that it's now 5-6 mth wait and to contact him in Oct. I would have to say something like 'I've read on the forums that it's back to 4mth wait' and ask if mine can be approved within the original timeframe.

 

Maybe I'll do that next week (4 mths and a few days after application). I guess I've got nothing to lose.

 

 

Fingers and toes crossed for you Yugoj!! :-) :biggrin:

[Guest triksta]

Well after all my moaning and whining our Oz Police Check came through 7.5 weeks later... hmmm.. the 15 day turnaround seems to be loosely used!!!!!! Stress levels decreasing... now just hope we can get christmas in Oz!!! :wideeyed:

[Guest Nando65]

Hi there

 

Can I ask all of you, when lodging your defacto visa for oz, did you pre-lodge your medicals and police clearances in the UK with your applications or after? Also did you use a MARA migration agent, to do the paperwork??

 

Thanks so much for your time. We have lodged our visa at last, and payment has been taken, just waiting to hear back. My partner is an Aussie and wants to go home so I am looking forward to our new start in the sun!! I wish you all the very best as we know how the waiting can be a strain, but would appreciate your replies. thank you

[TheOptimist]

Hi there

 

Can I ask all of you, when lodging your defacto visa for oz, did you pre-lodge your medicals and police clearances in the UK with your applications or after? Also did you use a MARA migration agent, to do the paperwork??

 

Thanks so much for your time. We have lodged our visa at last, and payment has been taken, just waiting to hear back. My partner is an Aussie and wants to go home so I am looking forward to our new start in the sun!! I wish you all the very best as we know how the waiting can be a strain, but would appreciate your replies. thank you

 

Hi Nando65,

 

I think all of the things you mention are optional. Lots of people I gather use agents and lots do the paperwork themslelves. I couldn't afford to use an agent so I did it myself and whilst everyone's circumstances are different, I found following the guidance fairly straightforward (albeit a bit daunting!).

 

As for top loaded MEDS/Police checks, I top loaded my app with my Police check, but not the MEDS as after paying for the app I couldn't afford the MEDS in the same month. My medical is on Monday - eeek!

 

Good luck with it all - you must be relieved you've submitted the application. I felt a massive sense of relief when I finally lodged mine. Now its just a case of waiting patiently!

[emmaroo]

Hi there

 

Can I ask all of you, when lodging your defacto visa for oz, did you pre-lodge your medicals and police clearances in the UK with your applications or after? Also did you use a MARA migration agent, to do the paperwork??

 

Thanks so much for your time. We have lodged our visa at last, and payment has been taken, just waiting to hear back. My partner is an Aussie and wants to go home so I am looking forward to our new start in the sun!! I wish you all the very best as we know how the waiting can be a strain, but would appreciate your replies. thank you

 

We did it ourselves and we frontloaded police checks and medicals!

 

:wubclub:

[Guest SteEyns]

Yeah same as Emmaroo, filled in the app/collated the paper work ourselves, had my medical a few weeks before sending off the application and sent the Police check in with it..

 

If there's anything wrong with the app - ie the form, or missing paperwork, the Case Officers seem fairly good in telling you what else they need.

[Guest]

Just to be contrary :: I used a MARA agent (Go Matilda! - who are fab) and didn't front load my police check or my medical. I now proudly have a subclass 100 visa. )

[maybeamy]

Good grief, I am not so quietly going insane now, please somebody post they have had their visa granted, to give the rest of us some hope!!!

 

It's been way too quiet for way too long.

 

OK, back to the corner to rock some more.

[MicheleW]

It is extremely quiet on the visa front at the moment, unfortunately we probably won't hear until early October (if they go back to the 3-4 month processing for us).

 

At least we have stuff to keep us busy as we are actually leaving the UK on the 30th August (BAA strike not withstanding) and so we are currently in full pack up mode. Our current plan is to spend 6 weeks driving across the US and then in mid October look at flying across to Australia. If the visa still hasn't come through by then we will just wear out our welcome with the relatives in California.

 

I hope yours comes through soon maybeamy.

[Guest yugoj]

I just got an email from my CO (after sending him one this morning reminding him that today is my 4 month day).

 

I have been granted the permanent partner visa (subclass 100).

 

Whoo hooo!!! :biggrin:

 

(not even been able to tell my OH or anyone yet but wanted to post on here as I feel that we're all in this together so you all deserve to be the first to know!)

 

I'll stay on here for a while (just like Peach has) as I've found all the info on PIO so useful and the support amazing so I want to give a bit back if I can.

 

Thanks guys for everything and good luck with your visas. It seems to be the rule is - wait until 4 months to the date of your application, contact your CO at that point then, if everything is fine, he should grant your visa that day!

 

:jiggy:

[MicheleW]

Absolutely fantastic news yugoj. :biggrin:

[Guest SteEyns]

Excellent news Yugoy - and good to know they are still processing them in the month period..

 

The clock is ticking for me now - 11th Sept is 4 months