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

[Guest COOKIE50]

Got the Visa now to sell this Dam house. :frown:

[JoandJon]

Awwww goodluck cookie

[pts]

My case officer is DP. He seems to process spouse visas in 4 months. I think it helped that my spouse visa was very straight forward. 15 years in a de facto relationship,as long as I passed medical and character checks then there was no need to wait to grant visa.

Good luck with your visa

[Angie333]

Got the Visa now to sell this Dam house. :frown:

 

Congratulations and good luck with selling the house! Put mine on the market the other week! :biggrin:

[Angie333]

My visa was pretty straight forward.In a de facto relationship for 17 years,so as long as my medical and criminal records were fine I was confident. I say if all your application is in and they don't require any more info then after 3 months has passed its worth asking for an update. By the way my CO has initials DP

 

 

Congratulations and good luck with the move. I feel real lucky that I've got DP as my CO too. :biggrin:

[Guest COOKIE50]

Congratulations and good luck with selling the house! Put mine on the market the other week! :biggrin:

Thanks Angie, Hope you get it sold soon not a good market just now. Good luck in your big move to Oz :biggrin:

[Angie333]

Thanks Angie, Hope you get it sold soon not a good market just now. Good luck in your big move to Oz :biggrin:

 

Thanks Cookie,

 

I know what you mean ... but gotta think positive! Fingers crossed we'll both get a sale and be on our way soon as. What part of Oz are you off too?

:biggrin:

[Guest COOKIE50]

Thanks Cookie,

 

I know what you mean ... but gotta think positive! Fingers crossed we'll both get a sale and be on our way soon as. What part of Oz are you off too?

:biggrin:

 

Off to Queensland my Daughter lives there and it is were my OH was born, How about you? we are hopeing to go in January 2012.

[Guest Mr Ausie]

I was just wondering if anyone could shed any light on this for me. We're at around 3 1/2 months now since lodging our Visa. As we're near to 4 months, we decided to drop a line to our CO, WP, for an update and this was our response:

 

Thank you for your email. Your application is due to be finalised anytime between 2 November to 2 December 2011. We will try to finalise the application earlier than the given timeframe but could not make any guarantees at this point.

 

Has anyone had this response. I know its the standard 5-6 month, but I was wondering if anyone had this, but still got their visa before the 5-6 months quoted. It seems that most people at the moment are around 4 months which is what we're hoping for, but wondered if anyone had any advise or feedback to give.

Thanks

[Peemacgee]

Hi mr Aussie, we had wp and she will always say that to you. But took us just over 4 months

[Guest Mr Ausie]

Hi mr Aussie, we had wp and she will always say that to you. But took us just over 4 months

 

Thanks. That puts our mind at ease. We check our emails everyday, try not to but its impossible :wacko:!!!!

[jomac]

Hi All,

Just an update for the timeline and stats...

Had my Aussie Temporary residency granted and activated this week.

Was notified by my C/O in early August that the visa was ready to be granted, but as I was in Australia already on a tourist visa, I was expected to leave for at least 3 working days as my initial application was made offshore. Arranged a short trip to NZ, the day I arrived in NZ, received an email from my C/O to say the visa was ready and gave me my visa number and explained I am now free to travel to and from Oz when I like.

I found the whole process to be pain free and very smooth and relatively simple - we did it all ourselves, no agent. We have been lucky with our C/O and even luckier that he allowed me to remain in Oz with my husband on a tourist visa since May (had to do a quick flit to Fiji in August at the 3 month stage, but no hardship there!) The fact I had to leave twice has been very expensive, but we factored that into our budget and were fortunate the timing for my visa trips was during low season. The whole process took just 5 months. We are now settling into life on the Gold Coast and expecting a new addition to the family next year

Good luck to all!

[martinandbianca]

Cheers for that jomac. I'm off on my tourist visa in 2 weeks so it's good to know it was all ok. I'm clutching at straws that our co will take pity on us and grant before I leave but probably won't happen. I wish it was quicker though, I've now lost out on 2 jobs I could have had because they couldn't wait indefinitly for me to get my visa. Even a date might have done. And as we get closer to Xmas job prospects lessen.

[jomac]

Cheers for that jomac. I'm off on my tourist visa in 2 weeks so it's good to know it was all ok. I'm clutching at straws that our co will take pity on us and grant before I leave but probably won't happen. I wish it was quicker though, I've now lost out on 2 jobs I could have had because they couldn't wait indefinitly for me to get my visa. Even a date might have done. And as we get closer to Xmas job prospects lessen.

 

 

Hi Martinandbianca,

Yes it is hard to not know. I asked my CO if he was able to grant it in August so I would only have to leave the country once, but he sent a standard reply that processing times are currently 5-6 months and he would advise me when it was time to grant my visa. Sods law, the day I got back from Fiji I was emailed to say my visa was ready to be granted and I had to leave the country! If I had booked my Fiji visa trip a week later we would have only left once. I wouldn't even try to think about jobs just yet, I applied for a few before my visa was granted and didn't even get a response. A few other Brits here on the GC feel they are 3rd in line to the Aussie and then Kiwi job applicants, so it's a bit hard. Good luck with your applications :smile:

[martinandbianca]

I haven't really applied for any yet. They came to me through contacts. Just frustrating that I could walk straight in, have a job and start paying lots of tax onto the system. Instead due to very slow processing times I get to lie on the beach every day for the next 2 months. Actually that sounds ok really. :-)

[Guest Mr Ausie]

Hi

 

I was wondering if there is anyone who can recommend a company for shipping our stuff to Melbourne from London. We dont have a lot of stuff, only 6 or so boxes. Finding it hard to get a company that we know or have had recommended so we know our stuff will arrive safely.

If anyone has any recommendations they would be greatly received!!

[Guest Chesterbelle]

Hi

 

I was wondering if there is anyone who can recommend a company for shipping our stuff to Melbourne from London. We dont have a lot of stuff, only 6 or so boxes. Finding it hard to get a company that we know or have had recommended so we know our stuff will arrive safely.

If anyone has any recommendations they would be greatly received!!

 

 

I would recommend John Mason - we have our things in storage already with them and the service has been brilliant so far. Obviously i hope things go as smoothly at the other end but the way they pack pre-emots and eliminates mamy problems!

 

They get very good feedabck on here but also a family member who works in shipping suggested them. We are shipping the bulk of our things (filling only half a container) and air-freighting a final box with laptops etc.

 

Hope this helps

[martinandbianca]

Hi

 

I was wondering if there is anyone who can recommend a company for shipping our stuff to Melbourne from London. We dont have a lot of stuff, only 6 or so boxes. Finding it hard to get a company that we know or have had recommended so we know our stuff will arrive safely.

If anyone has any recommendations they would be greatly received!!

 

I'm using transglobalexpress to send 4 boxes. They quoted me £210 using UPS. Should take 5 days. This was cheaper than any of the shipping companies. Beware of some shipping companies. They charge an extra fortune to handle your goods at tge other side.

[jomac]

Hi

 

I was wondering if there is anyone who can recommend a company for shipping our stuff to Melbourne from London. We dont have a lot of stuff, only 6 or so boxes. Finding it hard to get a company that we know or have had recommended so we know our stuff will arrive safely.

If anyone has any recommendations they would be greatly received!!

 

Hiya,

I used Anglo Pacific, mainly because they are based near to where we were in London and they were convenient for me to pick up boxes as and when I needed them.

They charged approx 600 pounds for 14 boxes to be taken door to door (West London - Gold Coast). Shipping time will be 2 months and I expect mine to be delivered in October - hopefully with everything in one piece!

[nellandged]

Hi,

We used Seven Seas, £400 for 10 boxes, a bike and a guitar.....they left a couple of weeks ago, due in Sydney in November....here's hoping they arrive!

[Guest COOKIE50]

Hi

 

I was wondering if there is anyone who can recommend a company for shipping our stuff to Melbourne from London. We dont have a lot of stuff, only 6 or so boxes. Finding it hard to get a company that we know or have had recommended so we know our stuff will arrive safely.

If anyone has any recommendations they would be greatly received!!

 

Hi Useing Anglo Pacific £1000 for 100cf, from Glasgow to Maryborough Queensland. It is in a groupage container and can take up to 12 weeks to get there. Hope this is of some help, there is a Anglo Pacific in London. :biggrin:

[pinup]

Hi all,

 

Anyone know if people are eligible for the 'living away from home allowance' if on a partner visa?

 

Cheers

[Guest Tassy]

Hi All,

Just an update for the timeline and stats...

Had my Aussie Temporary residency granted and activated this week.

Was notified by my C/O in early August that the visa was ready to be granted, but as I was in Australia already on a tourist visa, I was expected to leave for at least 3 working days as my initial application was made offshore. Arranged a short trip to NZ, the day I arrived in NZ, received an email from my C/O to say the visa was ready and gave me my visa number and explained I am now free to travel to and from Oz when I like.

I found the whole process to be pain free and very smooth and relatively simple - we did it all ourselves, no agent. We have been lucky with our C/O and even luckier that he allowed me to remain in Oz with my husband on a tourist visa since May (had to do a quick flit to Fiji in August at the 3 month stage, but no hardship there!) The fact I had to leave twice has been very expensive, but we factored that into our budget and were fortunate the timing for my visa trips was during low season. The whole process took just 5 months. We are now settling into life on the Gold Coast and expecting a new addition to the family next year

Good luck to all!

 

Hi Jomac, I was wondering if the email you received from your co stated the date you had to leave Oz by and the date you had to return? My partners co has informed her by email that it is due to be finalized around the 24th Nov. My OH is here in Oz now on an ETA and want to know if we will get any warning before so we can book a flight to NZ to be there on the approval date. Also does anyone know if she will have to be out of the country for 3 buisness days or just 3 days? Many thanx:biggrin:

[Guest MM2Melb]

Hi all,

 

Anyone know if people are eligible for the 'living away from home allowance' if on a partner visa?

 

Cheers

 

No, you are definitely not eligible for it. That tax allowance is to cover costs of temporary situation and technically living away from your permanent home, but partner visa is a migration visa based on a permanent relationship and move. You are treated as a perm resident on the partner visa so have to pay normal tax but have a much safer situation legally and are eligible for the rights of residents re education, Medicare, social security etc (exact entitlements might depend slightly on whether you initially get a temp resident visa for 2 years, but essentially the visas arec v similar).

[pinup]

No, you are definitely not eligible for it. That tax allowance is to cover costs of temporary situation and technically living away from your permanent home, but partner visa is a migration visa based on a permanent relationship and move. You are treated as a perm resident on the partner visa so have to pay normal tax but have a much safer situation legally and are eligible for the rights of residents re education, Medicare, social security etc (exact entitlements might depend slightly on whether you initially get a temp resident visa for 2 years, but essentially the visas arec v similar).

 

Ahhh, I see. Thanks for that MM2Melb, someone mentioned it to me and thought I may be eligible while/if on the pmv. I know a few people who've been out in oz on work visas and it sounds like a great scheme, but as you say I'd trade that for the more secure situation of migrant status!