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

[wakeboard1980]

Hello all,

I'm a new member and have also submitted a de-facto spouse off-shore visa 309/100 and so wanted to add my stats so far.

 

Brief Background:

I'm english & my partner is Australian. We met travelling in America in 2008. He came UK, Christmas 2008 to visit. I went out to Australia for 1 yr working holiday 7th July 2009 to live with him after completing my degree in UK. Late June 2010 I came back to UK and submitted FRONT LOADED visa application. Partner came over for holiday for August 2010 and we got engaged.

 

Application arrived Australia House: 29th June 2010

Assigned CO: 8th July 2010 - they requested a further certified copy of my birth certificate

Birth Certificate arrived AH: 12th July 2010

Contacted CO to advise of engagement: 18th August 2010

 

Now still waiting ....:unsure:

I presume processing starts from when your assigned CO but who knows, all is very confusing!

 

 

welcome, good luck and congratulations on your engagement

[Hettybetty]

Hello all,

I'm a new member and have also submitted a de-facto spouse off-shore visa 309/100 and so wanted to add my stats so far.

 

Brief Background:

I'm english & my partner is Australian. We met travelling in America in 2008. He came UK, Christmas 2008 to visit. I went out to Australia for 1 yr working holiday 7th July 2009 to live with him after completing my degree in UK. Late June 2010 I came back to UK and submitted FRONT LOADED visa application. Partner came over for holiday for August 2010 and we got engaged.

 

Application arrived Australia House: 29th June 2010

Assigned CO: 8th July 2010 - they requested a further certified copy of my birth certificate

Birth Certificate arrived AH: 12th July 2010

Contacted CO to advise of engagement: 18th August 2010

 

Now still waiting ....:unsure:

I presume processing starts from when your assigned CO but who knows, all is very confusing!

 

 

Congratulations on your engagement :biggrin: and good luck with your visa appilication. Hopefully it won't be long until you are together again to enjoy your engagement time.

[Hettybetty]

Easy tiger...sounds like you were some sort of fugitive!

 

 

Well that's perfect...I'M AN AUSTRALIAN TAX PAYER!!! !

 

 

Crazy!!!

[Guest GeorgeD]

Crazy!!!

 

Yup...that's what the visa process does to you...

[sharonp53]

Hey, I am with you, it is very unbalanced. We own an Australian company, started at the end of our old UK company's tax year on advice from accountants in Australia and the UK. But, because it has taken so long to get our visas we have not been able to pay ourselves wages, because as soon as we do my husband will be treated as an Australian tax resident.

 

Seems fair you may say, yes but we will pay tax but without the tax threshold (we would be entitled to when onshore) and of course we are not able to benefit from any services. So, we would both be paying huge levels of tax (Oh and we cannot claim the tax-free threshold retrospectively when we get there, if we have paid ourselves offshore) for no benefit, and worse than that to a country in which my husband has no right to be - or more particularly - to work.

 

It is all so frustrating, and to be honest - confusing. So, the result is we have not been able to pay ourselves now for nearly 5 months, instead of the two-three months we anticipated. Hey ho!, hopefully not too much longer now - PLEASE!

 

The joys of falling in love with a non-resident, blimey, it is as well I adore him...lol. :wub:

 

 

 

Easy tiger...sounds like you were some sort of fugitive!

 

 

Well that's perfect...I'M AN AUSTRALIAN TAX PAYER!!! Well, I have an Australian Tax File Number even as an offshore non-resident because my wife had been claiming some sort of benefit in Oz as a single parent...she notified Centrelink she got married and they stopped all benefits until I got a TFN so they could assess me. OK, I haven't earned a penny in Oz so haven't paid any tax, but the Taxman knows me! Isn't it great how one Government department can stop paying you money instantly based on a single phone call, but a different one takes months to make a decision even when you pay them and give them 100+ pages of documentation!

[Guest mdkmilly]

Hi All

 

I haven't posted much on here but I have been following everyone's timelines with baited breath so felt I should share our details as well!

 

We have just been granted our Partner Visa - 4 months to the day they took payment. :biggrin:

 

6/05 - Application lodged (fully front loaded with meds and police clearance)

7/05 - Payment taken

10/05 - CO assigned (& no further info required)

7/09 - visa granted!

 

Good luck to everyone still waiting!

[Guest sweet tooth]

Hi All

 

I haven't posted much on here but I have been following everyone's timelines with baited breath so felt I should share our details as well!

 

We have just been granted our Partner Visa - 4 months to the day they took payment. :biggrin:

 

6/05 - Application lodged (fully front loaded with meds and police clearance)

7/05 - Payment taken

10/05 - CO assigned (& no further info required)

7/09 - visa granted!

 

Good luck to everyone still waiting!

Thanks mdkmilly for your post and biggest congratulations to you! Your post is useful to hear. So it seems from your case that a start date is taken from when your application arrives at Australia House and is lodged rather than when your CO is assigned.

I paid with a bankers draft so the money was taken out immediately so I assume payment went through on the day the application was lodged.

 

best of luck with your future plans x

[wakeboard1980]

Congrats

[Guest GeorgeD]

7/09 - visa granted!

 

Good luck to everyone still waiting!

Congratulations, that's great news...and perfect encouragement to the rest of us still playing the waiting game!!

[Guest Peer]

Hi mdkmilly,

How did they contract you to tell you about your visa? was it by post? email? Phone?

My fee was taken from me on the 7th May - hoping mine comes through soon (today!)

[Guest Peer]

Also - congratulations

[Guest mdkmilly]

Hi mdkmilly,

How did they contract you to tell you about your visa? was it by post? email? Phone?

My fee was taken from me on the 7th May - hoping mine comes through soon (today!)

 

 

They emailed this morning - but from memory I'm sure you had to select a method of preferred communication on the forms when you submitted so they will presumably contact you according to what you asked for.

 

Also, forgot to mention - I left a voicemail for my CO on Friday just saying that it was coming up to 4 months and was there any update. No phone call back but then we got the email this morning. We've tried not to hassle our CO (it obviously takes however long it takes!) but I figured a friendly reminder at the 4 month mark isn't being too pushy... :wink:

[Guest Peer]

I think I will wait to see if I have post when I get home but phone CO tomorrow to ask

[Guest SteEyns]

Congrats mdkmilly!

 

Hopefully should be hearing myself this week then...

[Guest sunnibee]

Congratulations Mdkmilly! Ditto re SteEyns I'm waiting for this friday for positive news...: )) xxx

[TheOptimist]

Hi All

 

I haven't posted much on here but I have been following everyone's timelines with baited breath so felt I should share our details as well!

 

We have just been granted our Partner Visa - 4 months to the day they took payment. :biggrin:

 

6/05 - Application lodged (fully front loaded with meds and police clearance)

7/05 - Payment taken

10/05 - CO assigned (& no further info required)

7/09 - visa granted!

 

Good luck to everyone still waiting!

 

That's great, you must be so happy! I am dreaming of the day I get that email....:yes:

:hug:

[Guest CatMac]

Hello there

 

A quick question for all you experts! I was asked for some additional information and duly sent it off - should I receive confirmation they received it within 10 days - it does mention something about this on the email I received but i wasn't sure if it was referring to the initial application or not.

 

Should I email him to confirm he received it?

 

I don't want to be a nip!

 

Thanks

[wakeboard1980]

When we had to send off my missus's police check we sent n email father about 2 weeks to make sure her co got it and if she wanted anything more to which she said she had all the in for she needed.

[Guest GeorgeD]

Hello there

 

A quick question for all you experts! I was asked for some additional information and duly sent it off - should I receive confirmation they received it within 10 days - it does mention something about this on the email I received but i wasn't sure if it was referring to the initial application or not.

 

Should I email him to confirm he received it?

 

I don't want to be a nip!

 

Thanks

 

It took me 4 emails over a month and then finally a letter by recorded delivery to get my CO to confirm she had received more evidence I had posted. The letter also had more evidence (a tenancy agreement we had just signed) so I advised in the letter that if I didn't hear back about the previous evidence, I would need to send it all again as I couldn't be sure it had been received. I got a reply after that.

 

My CO replied to say she had everything and no further evidence was required. I didn't bang on about Service Level Agreements not being met for replies, etc, I wasn't too fussed when she replied, I was just worried that she hadn't received my info...for example, people have reported medicals and Police checks going missing in Australia House. I think it's fair of you to request confirmation it was received by your CO...even recorded delivery just means it got to the building, but your CO might never see it as we are all only human and some things fall between the cracks in large organisations (and even small ones to be fair!)

[KayJ]

Hey guys,

I'm new to the forum but having been following your posts for sometime. I felt it only fair I share our details;

6th June – front loaded application for temp spouse visa lodged in person @ Australia House

9th June - CO assigned. Email stated that no further info was required and processing time was 3-4 months

7th September – I emailed our CO to find out how the application was going and received an undeliverable email. Obviously a little concerned I decided to call her direct dial and received a voice message stating that she no longer worked at Australia House and was directed to another CO. Spoke to a very friendly guy who informed that he had picked up my original CO’s cases but hadn’t looked at and nor was aware of my case (thank god I called!!) Apparently notes on our file stated that we have met the requirements, but due to the current hold on visa grants I have to contact him again in Oct as there is nothing he can do until the 4 month mark. He also said that although he could not say for definite, it was very likely our application would be granted then provided there are no further changes to immigration rules.

We have flights booked for November 21st, so I guess all we can do now is sit tight and keep our fingers tightly crossed – I will keep you all posted…

[emmaroo]

Hey guys,

 

I'm new to the forum but having been following your posts for sometime. I felt it only fair I share our details;

 

6th June – front loaded application for temp spouse visa lodged in person @ Australia House

9th June - CO assigned. Email stated that no further info was required and processing time was 3-4 months

7th September – I emailed our CO to find out how the application was going and received an undeliverable email. Obviously a little concerned I decided to call her direct dial and received a voice message stating that she no longer worked at Australia House and was directed to another CO. Spoke to a very friendly guy who informed that he had picked up my original CO’s cases but hadn’t looked at and nor was aware of my case (thank god I called!!) Apparently notes on our file stated that we have met the requirements, but due to the current hold on visa grants I have to contact him again in Oct as there is nothing he can do until the 4 month mark. He also said that although he could not say for definite, it was very likely our application would be granted then provided there are no further changes to immigration rules.

 

We have flights booked for November 21st, so I guess all we can do now is sit tight and keep our fingers tightly crossed – I will keep you all posted…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi

 

Welcome to PIO!

 

We were told exactly the same as you. What are your case officer's initials?

 

Emma

[Guest sweet tooth]

Hello there

 

A quick question for all you experts! I was asked for some additional information and duly sent it off - should I receive confirmation they received it within 10 days - it does mention something about this on the email I received but i wasn't sure if it was referring to the initial application or not.

 

Should I email him to confirm he received it?

 

I don't want to be a nip!

 

Thanks

 

I was asked to provide another certified copy of my birth certificate when my CO was assigned and sent it off asap. I emailed the CO to say it was on its way and they replied a few days later to say they had received it so I don't see any harm in just checking with them, just as someone else said if things are sent my recorded delivery it only means it gets to the door not actually to the CO.

[KayJ]

Hey there,

 

Originally MN and now JF? It's so frustrating... if I hadn't have called our file could have potentially 'got lost' in the pile as the new CO was not aware of our case at all.

 

Keep me posted on your progress as our applications are days apart. fingers crossed hey!

[emmaroo]

Hey there,

 

Originally MN and now JF? It's so frustrating... if I hadn't have called our file could have potentially 'got lost' in the pile as the new CO was not aware of our case at all.

 

Keep me posted on your progress as our applications are days apart. fingers crossed hey!

 

Not the same as ours! They must all say pretty much the same to people!. Our case officer told us to call him mid october and he should be able to give us his decision!

 

You must be so frustrated with them loosing your application, hopefully you should hear at the 4 month mark.

 

Where you heading for in Oz?

[KayJ]

Not the same as ours! They must all say pretty much the same to people!. Our case officer told us to call him mid october and he should be able to give us his decision!

 

You must be so frustrated with them loosing your application, hopefully you should hear at the 4 month mark.

 

Where you heading for in Oz?

 

 

The whole process is frustrating, there's so much uncertainty... it wears me our just thinking about it! We're heading to Perth, as my finace is originally from there. He's been over in the London with me for 6 years now, so it's only fair we head back and hey I'm not complaining How about you?

 

I'm just praying that it doesn't get to 4 month mark and then we get the dreaded '5-6month processing' message.