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

[Peach]

Thanks Peach, so it is possible then that I wouldn't need to come the whole way back to the UK and it could be as simple as popping across to NZ?

 

Thanks

 

It is possible, but I'm not 100% about the NZ aspect though I've read the suggestion many times... GeorgeD wrote more about it here: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/93690-going-hols-oz-whilst-visa-being-processed.html#post843249

[Guest GeorgeD]

It is possible, but I'm not 100% about the NZ aspect though I've read the suggestion many times... GeorgeD wrote more about it here: http://www.pomsinoz.com/forum/migration-issues/93690-going-hols-oz-whilst-visa-being-processed.html#post843249

 

I agree with Peach about being able to enter Australia on a tourist visa whilst a Partner Visa Application is being processed. My own investigations suggested this to be the case, and I am also happy to report that I have done it (went for 2 months and returned to the UK to sit out the visa approval.) Just tell your CO when you are entering Oz as they will need new contact details for you plus they can't issue the visa if you are there.

 

As for going to NZ, I don't honestly know. I would assume it is OK as the status of being on or offshore relates to being in or out of Australia...I haven't seen any requirement to be somewhere specific. People have been saying that the visa is now issued electronically which means a short trip (a day!) may suffice. On the other hand, if you want your actual passport evidenced you will need to take it or send it somewhere. If you were in the UK you would post it to Australia House, London. You would then get an endorsement physically put in your passport. This makes no difference at the Australian Border, as Immigration will be able to see your status anyway, but it may be handy to have for prospective employers, landlords, banks, etc who ask for proof of your status, especially as the electronic version is quite new and they are used to people showing their passport. With this in mind, I honestly don't know if you can do it in NZ...and if you can, how do you do it...in person, or do you need to go to NZ, post your passport to the Oz Embassy there and hope it gets posted back to you some time soon! Don't know. each Embassy/High Commission will have it's own rules/procedures/timescales about endorsing the visa in person, by post, etc, so you would need to check how the Embassy in NZ, or anywhere else for that matter, does it.

 

If you did go to NZ, I'd allow a bit of time to go as well, you don't want return flights booked and then there is a hold up/issue with time differences/public holidays in the UK you forgot about, etc, when your CO in London doesn't issue the visa during your planned window, and you end up returning on the tourist visa! It just means you'll have to do it all over again.

[Guest mands247]

Hi... just thought i would let you all know that we have had my husband's Partner Visa granted... yesterday!

 

time line goes like this

 

Application Submitted: 12th May

Case Officer (C/O) Email: 14th May

Visa Granted: 14th September

 

So exactly 4 months to the day from submission! We front loaded the application with Police check and meds... we then had to supply additinal information as my husband had a slight blemish on his police check.. nothing serious.. however we had to supply a supporting statement and fill on form 80... long unnecessary process.. as over half the form is for details already submitted!

 

We have been married just over one year.. have two kids and have been going back and forth to Oz since we have been together.... 6 years... so the app. was pretty straight forward in terms of our circumstances...

 

We contacted our case officer a few times to check process... he was great and got back to us in good time... he also advised that there was a 3-4 month wait.. and the second time we got in touch he basically said the visa was approved however could not be released until 14th Sept... I guess they have quantities each month to reach.

 

He does not need to send his passport in... apprently his passport details have been updated electronically.. he has until 29th April 2011 to valadate... however we are there in 10 weeks for reccie.. :biggrin:

 

Good luck to all.. and see you on the other side!

[sharonp53]

Congratulations, that was speedy!

 

Now like us it's the getting there bit! We have our tickets now, so we know it's real...

 

Have fun and I hope it all goes well for you. :biggrin:

 

Hi... just thought i would let you all know that we have had my husband's Partner Visa granted... yesterday!

 

time line goes like this

 

Application Submitted: 12th May

Case Officer (C/O) Email: 14th May

Visa Granted: 14th September

 

So exactly 4 months to the day from submission! We front loaded the application with Police check and meds... we then had to supply additinal information as my husband had a slight blemish on his police check.. nothing serious.. however we had to supply a supporting statement and fill on form 80... long unnecessary process.. as over half the form is for details already submitted!

 

We have been married just over one year.. have two kids and have been going back and forth to Oz since we have been together.... 6 years... so the app. was pretty straight forward in terms of our circumstances...

 

We contacted our case officer a few times to check process... he was great and got back to us in good time... he also advised that there was a 3-4 month wait.. and the second time we got in touch he basically said the visa was approved however could not be released until 14th Sept... I guess they have quantities each month to reach.

 

He does not need to send his passport in... apprently his passport details have been updated electronically.. he has until 29th April 2011 to valadate... however we are there in 10 weeks for reccie.. :biggrin:

 

Good luck to all.. and see you on the other side!

[Guest GeorgeD]

Hi... just thought i would let you all know that we have had my husband's Partner Visa granted... yesterday!

 

time line goes like this

 

Application Submitted: 12th May

Case Officer (C/O) Email: 14th May

Visa Granted: 14th September

 

So exactly 4 months to the day from submission!

 

Congratulations!!!

 

It's also fantastic news to see they are sticking to the 4 months processing time (for most people) pre-July...gives the rest of us all hope (I'm 4 months on Saturday!)

 

Well done, and all the best with the move!!

[sharonp53]

Fingers crossed for you. I will wait to hear next week. We are travelling back from Italy this weekend and will be mainly out of touch until Wednesday, but I will be excited to hear all the news then. :hug:

 

Congratulations!!!

 

It's also fantastic news to see they are sticking to the 4 months processing time (for most people) pre-July...gives the rest of us all hope (I'm 4 months on Saturday!)

 

Well done, and all the best with the move!!

[fourmonkeys]

To those who have had the visa issued could I just ask whether you received a letter or phone call to confrim that the visa had been granted, many thanks

[Peach]

To those who have had the visa issued could I just ask whether you received a letter or phone call to confrim that the visa had been granted, many thanks

 

On your application form (if I remember) you are asked if you mind AH contacting you by email or fax. I'm pretty certain if you say you don't mind you'll get an email, otherwise they'll write you a letter.

[Guest SteEyns]

Hi mands247 - congratulations you must be chuffed!

 

When I saw you had got yours, I was thinking to myself, well my application went in on the 11th May, surely it must be ready. Anyway I emailed my CO, a bit more forcefully this time, and 20 mins later - an email confirming my Subclass 100 visa - get in there! :biggrin:

 

My timeline for those interested:

 

8th May - application set off front loaded recorded delivery

11th May - confirmation of case no and CO assignment. Request for more information

10th June - query of one question from CO

18th July - I emailed CO about our application - said 3-4 months, early Sept hopefully

6th Sept - Emailed CO asking how things were going...?

8th Sept - CO said should be done by the end of next week

15th Sept - got impatient and emailed again - VISA GRANTED!

 

Such a relief. It does make me wonder if it was ready and I just needed to me more hasslesome, especially once it got to 4 months. I wasn't going to email until Friday, but am so glad I did now.

 

Got our flights booked for the end of Nov to Perth, now just need to do all the other stuff.

 

Good luck to all those whose 4 months waiting periods are coming up, contact your CO as soon as if you don't hear anything. As for those waiting for 5-6 months, I hope the time flys by as best it can.!

 

SteEyns

[sharonp53]

Congratulations!!!!

 

How fantastic.....enjoy the celebrations.

 

 

 

 

Hi mands247 - congratulations you must be chuffed!

 

When I saw you had got yours, I was thinking to myself, well my application went in on the 11th May, surely it must be ready. Anyway I emailed my CO, a bit more forcefully this time, and 20 mins later - an email confirming my Subclass 100 visa - get in there! :biggrin:

 

My timeline for those interested:

 

8th May - application set off front loaded recorded delivery

11th May - confirmation of case no and CO assignment. Request for more information

10th June - query of one question from CO

18th July - I emailed CO about our application - said 3-4 months, early Sept hopefully

6th Sept - Emailed CO asking how things were going...?

8th Sept - CO said should be done by the end of next week

15th Sept - got impatient and emailed again - VISA GRANTED!

 

Such a relief. It does make me wonder if it was ready and I just needed to me more hasslesome, especially once it got to 4 months. I wasn't going to email until Friday, but am so glad I did now.

 

Got our flights booked for the end of Nov to Perth, now just need to do all the other stuff.

 

Good luck to all those whose 4 months waiting periods are coming up, contact your CO as soon as if you don't hear anything. As for those waiting for 5-6 months, I hope the time flys by as best it can.!

 

SteEyns

[Guest GeorgeD]

15th Sept - got impatient and emailed again - VISA GRANTED!

 

 

Superb! It's a veritable avalanche of visa approvals right now...They better keep this pace up for the rest of this week and all of next!!!

 

Congratulations!

[Guest SteEyns]

Good luck for this weekend George - are you going to email your CO on friday?

[Guest GeorgeD]

I'm actually toying with making a call just that little bit early...tomorrow! Means if she needs 24 hours to do something she can do it on Friday and I can celebrate over the weekend! Strictly speaking, Saturday is 4 months so if it is next week then that's really no tragedy either.

 

You do realise she'll probably tell me they have lost all the paperwork or there's zero chance of me getting a visa this side of Christmas! I also haven't discounted the possibility of the visa being declined, although the last email I sent a month ago asking if she needed any further evidence was met with the short succinct reply "all required documentation has been provided." Maybe because they are 100% sure we don't meet the criteria there's nothing else they need! I do, however, think that if there was any issue that they would've requested an interview, which they haven't, so fingers crossed.

 

I don't worry much do I???

 

Still, it's great to see other people getting theirs approved, there was a while there where there was a deafening silence on the approved visa side of things. I hope it's a good sign for everyone.

[Guest SteEyns]

I think until I got the email this afternoon there is always the thought in the back of your mind about you not getting it.

 

Once they told me they had all the documentation I kept thinking to myself well if there is a problem surely they wouldn't make you wait 4 months to be told NO!

 

Also if you mail them tomorrow the worst that could happen is they say next week - like they did with me.

 

When I emailed this afternoon I had the email back confirming 15 minutes later - which makes me think they do wait until the 4 month and then perhaps just wait for you? I dunno but either way that visa was ready for me, and if I hadn't emailed my CO until Friday I doubt I would have heard until then.

 

Good luck!

[Guest moodybird]

my timeline slightly updated

Visa application received by Australian house 07/09/10

c/o assigned 13/09/10 aknowledged payment and more info requested- meds/ Australian police check

Medical booked 20/09/10 Australia police check sent in the post today

 

Congratulations to everyone who have recently had visas granted and good luck to everyone who is playing the waiting game like moi

[tloring]

Got case officer assigned today, 4 working days after application received - so pretty pleased with that timing. But I am interested in what you guys think of the following:

 

 

I've applied for Partner Visa Subclass 309, i.e. the temporary visa. I sent a lot of information & evidence with the application about my relationship with my wife over the last 8 years (last 4 years married). C/O has requested more evidence of our 'long term relationship', specifically mortgage statements, bank accounts and/or utility bills in joint names between Sept 2008 and Dec 2009. The c/o's email says this is required to "assess whether you meet the definition of being in a 'long term relationship' with your current sponsor (and so may be eligible for the grant of a permanent visa, rather than a temporary visa)".

I am not sure whether this is good news, i.e. he might be looking at processing this application as a Subclass 100 which would avoid applying for permanent visa within the two years of a Subclass 309 being granted. Or whether I just didn't submit enough evidence with the application. And also why the focus on Sept 2008 to Dec 2009?

 

Any thoughts or similar experiences?

[TheOptimist]

Might it be that those periods you mention are slightly lacking in evidence on the relationship requirement? Perhaps they are thinking that you may be immediately eligible for the permanent visa, which is great news I would think!

[Guest SteEyns]

Yeah sounds like you have a long enough relationship to get the permanent visa.

 

Must just be that in that period you have mentioned there aren't enough docs with the application?

[Hettybetty]

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!

 

 

Thanks again for letting us know about MN leaving. I phoned today to tell my new co about a change of addy and spoke to my newy. He isn't the same as yours, they must have split us up. It feels much better knowing he has my file though :jiggy:! Ta.

[Hettybetty]

Good luck for Friday George, whooooppppeeeeee moment coming up. :jiggy:

[tloring]

Might it be that those periods you mention are slightly lacking in evidence on the relationship requirement? Perhaps they are thinking that you may be immediately eligible for the permanent visa, which is great news I would think!

 

Living up to your username:biggrin:. I am generally optimistic about things (I need to be to counter my wife's half empty glass), so I think this is an encouraging communication from the c/o.

 

Thanks for reply.

[TheOptimist]

Living up to your username:biggrin:. I am generally optimistic about things (I need to be to counter my wife's half empty glass), so I think this is an encouraging communication from the c/o.

 

Thanks for reply.

 

I generally aim to remain optimistic, though I have to say that DIAC have over the months tested this attribute I try to maintain:laugh:

 

Hope you find that this is good news for you.

[Guest yugoj]

Got case officer assigned today, 4 working days after application received - so pretty pleased with that timing. But I am interested in what you guys think of the following:

 

I've applied for Partner Visa Subclass 309, i.e. the temporary visa. I sent a lot of information & evidence with the application about my relationship with my wife over the last 8 years (last 4 years married). C/O has requested more evidence of our 'long term relationship', specifically mortgage statements, bank accounts and/or utility bills in joint names between Sept 2008 and Dec 2009. The c/o's email says this is required to "assess whether you meet the definition of being in a 'long term relationship' with your current sponsor (and so may be eligible for the grant of a permanent visa, rather than a temporary visa)".

I am not sure whether this is good news, i.e. he might be looking at processing this application as a Subclass 100 which would avoid applying for permanent visa within the two years of a Subclass 309 being granted. Or whether I just didn't submit enough evidence with the application. And also why the focus on Sept 2008 to Dec 2009?

 

Any thoughts or similar experiences?

 

 

Hi

 

The exact same thing happened to us. I applied for the temporary visa and supplied information showing my partner and i have been together for nearly 5 years and lived together for most of them but only have evidence of living together for 3 years.

He said that if we supplied a bit more information (i.e. all the months of joint bank statements rather than just a selection) then we could be put forward for the permanent visa.

 

The main thing was that he needed one piece of evidence from every month we were living together. e.g. utility bills are only quarterly and only account for the month in which they were issued rather than the month of bills they covered. Once we had that info we were put forward for permanent visa and got it granted 4 months to the day!

 

Sounds like you're going straight for the permanent visa. :biggrin:

[sharonp53]

Hi

 

You are in a great position, they did this with us. It was a similar situation as your own and my husband has since been granted his Subclass 100.

 

It is so easy to be scared when new things happen, the fear of being turned down is always, no matter how unreasonably, there. Celebrate this and get the needed paperwork and look forward to getting you visa grant.

 

Good luck and try to chill and practice becoming an Aussie, you will soon be one. :hug:

 

Got case officer assigned today, 4 working days after application received - so pretty pleased with that timing. But I am interested in what you guys think of the following:

 

I've applied for Partner Visa Subclass 309, i.e. the temporary visa. I sent a lot of information & evidence with the application about my relationship with my wife over the last 8 years (last 4 years married). C/O has requested more evidence of our 'long term relationship', specifically mortgage statements, bank accounts and/or utility bills in joint names between Sept 2008 and Dec 2009. The c/o's email says this is required to "assess whether you meet the definition of being in a 'long term relationship' with your current sponsor (and so may be eligible for the grant of a permanent visa, rather than a temporary visa)".

I am not sure whether this is good news, i.e. he might be looking at processing this application as a Subclass 100 which would avoid applying for permanent visa within the two years of a Subclass 309 being granted. Or whether I just didn't submit enough evidence with the application. And also why the focus on Sept 2008 to Dec 2009?

 

Any thoughts or similar experiences?

[Guest Thamby]

Hi

 

arrived in oz

 

Not 1 question easy peasy.

 

:biggrin:

 

waiting for my grant date and will pick up visa offshore

 

Hi There

 

Interested in your comment above. We had thought about doing similar, applying for the partner visa here and then heading out to Oz to await the visa being granted but we weren't sure this was possible? Don't supppose you have any other info on this?

 

Otherwise happy travels and all the best.

 

Thanks