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

[ashabree]

Got our visa granted today!! Just under 5 months.. 4 months and 25 days to be exact! So happy to be getting the ball rolling now!

 

Congratulations! Brilliant news, especially before Christmas.

[ashabree]

Hi @koalakate & @carahunter4 - quick question (if you don't mind me asking), how much info/docs have you uploaded already? Just want to see if we've done the right thing. Thank you!

[koalakate]

We uploaded a lot of evidence. We saw a website/bloggers who had recently been through the process and were successfully awarded their visa after 6 months. We decided we would try and find similar types of evidence as used by them.

Social evidence included: 4 weddings we've attended, lots of holidays (abroad, camping trips, music festivals etc) and family gatherings, facebook posts, photos, email correspondence showing proof of hotels, flights, etc. We also included 3 stat decs from friends/family.

Financial evidence: Joint responsibility for house, utility bills, council tax, insurance. We do not have a joint account, as we both use our apps to transfer money to each other, when needed. We simply made a statement about that and provided lots of annotated bank statements.

Commitment: Engagement proof, party etc and our wedding certificate, photos, honeymoon. Relationship statement explaining how we run our house, commitment to each other and plans for our future.

We wrote a statement for each area in an attempt to explain our evidence to make it easier for our CO to understand, hopefully. It took us ages.

 

Three months today and still waiting. We have been together for 2 and half years and married for 8 months! I have a 15 year old son who has just received his Australian passport in the post this week. My husband is the applicant and assume we will get the 309, although not sure, as we both obviously now care for my child. Perhaps we will be assessed for the 100 (not sure when the Australian child is a step child)?

 

Really, really can not wait to hear anything; medical, more evidence, there's a long wait... I don't think we will be awarded our visa in 5 months.

 

 

 

 

Hi @koalakate & @carahunter4 - quick question (if you don't mind me asking), how much info/docs have you uploaded already? Just want to see if we've done the right thing. Thank you! ?

[koalakate]

PS: I'm on another forum and there were lots of grants awarded yesterday (three) and all applied the end of June. Any July applicants? Have you had your CO? I know August applicants are still waiting.

[carahunter4]

Hi,

 

I had loads of social evidence prepared but I called Australia House for advice and they said not to send all that as we had enough evidence to prove we are a couple.

 

I sent: Marriage certificate, joint mortgage statement, Joint account statement, statements from two friends describing how long they had known us (a friend each) and how they had watched our relationship blossom and they both came to our wedding and socialise with us etc), a statement each describing how we met, how our relationship developed, what our future plans are. We described some other bits like responsibilities in the home on the main form when applying. We added two photo's, one of us with all our family at our wedding and one with a group of friends. We sent the usual stuff, birth certificates, passports and passport photo's. I also had to include my decree nisi from my divorce.

 

We met 3 years ago but I put down the 'official' date of being together as Dec 14 as that's when we moved in together. We got married September 2015. We are both born and bred British but my husband was just completing his visa when we got together so it was too late to think about adding me on then so that's why we have to do it this way.

 

I really hope our application is OK. I also had to explain that I had a visa with my previous husband but it expired a couple of years ago because I broke it off with him and so didn't move over there. I didn't have my old passport or visa number but I'm hoping they will be able to find the info ok if needed. I'm a bit worried about this but others have suggested this could actually go in my favour if I've been accepted before. We couldn't find the number of my husbands visa either but Australia House advised that they would be able to look that up electronically without a problem.

 

I'm just going to be glad when they ask me to submit my medicals and police checks so I know it's just a formality after that. But I've accepted that I'm unlikely to hear before Christmas.

 

I'm sure you and @koalakate will hear soon

 

ps we also added a copy of passports of the friends that gave statements as suggested by Australia House. They also advised us not to certify anything as we scanned in original copies of everything.

 

Hi @koalakate & @carahunter4 - quick question (if you don't mind me asking), how much info/docs have you uploaded already? Just want to see if we've done the right thing. Thank you!

Edited November 18, 2016 by carahunter4
adding missed info

[koalakate]

Yes, I worry too as I haven't lived in Australia since I was a child. I am a citizen, have a passport and my son got his passport etc but I still have a small niggling doubt they might say my citizenship has been revoked or something along those lines and I'm not a valid sponsor.

 

What visa does your husband have?

 

 

Hi,

 

I had loads of social evidence prepared but I called Australia House for advice and they said not to send all that as we had enough evidence to prove we are a couple.

 

I sent: Marriage certificate, joint mortgage statement, Joint account statement, statements from two friends describing how long they had known us (a friend each) and how they had watched our relationship blossom and they both came to our wedding and socialise with us etc), a statement each describing how we met, how our relationship developed, what our future plans are. We described some other bits like responsibilities in the home on the main form when applying. We added two photo's, one of us with all our family at our wedding and one with a group of friends. We sent the usual stuff, birth certificates, passports and passport photo's. I also had to include my decree nisi from my divorce.

 

We met 3 years ago but I put down the 'official' date of being together as Dec 14 as that's when we moved in together. We got married September 2015. We are both born and bred British but my husband was just completing his visa when we got together so it was too late to think about adding me on then so that's why we have to do it this way.

 

I really hope our application is OK. I also had to explain that I had a visa with my previous husband but it expired a couple of years ago because I broke it off with him and so didn't move over there. I didn't have my old passport or visa number but I'm hoping they will be able to find the info ok if needed. I'm a bit worried about this but others have suggested this could actually go in my favour if I've been accepted before. We couldn't find the number of my husbands visa either but Australia House advised that they would be able to look that up electronically without a problem.

 

I'm just going to be glad when they ask me to submit my medicals and police checks so I know it's just a formality after that. But I've accepted that I'm unlikely to hear before Christmas.

 

I'm sure you and @koalakate will hear soon

 

ps we also added a copy of passports of the friends that gave statements as suggested by Australia House. They also advised us not to certify anything as we scanned in original copies of everything.

[Guest]

We uploaded a lot of evidence. We saw a website/bloggers who had recently been through the process and were successfully awarded their visa after 6 months. We decided we would try and find similar types of evidence as used by them.

Social evidence included: 4 weddings we've attended, lots of holidays (abroad, camping trips, music festivals etc) and family gatherings, facebook posts, photos, email correspondence showing proof of hotels, flights, etc. We also included 3 stat decs from friends/family.

Financial evidence: Joint responsibility for house, utility bills, council tax, insurance. We do not have a joint account, as we both use our apps to transfer money to each other, when needed. We simply made a statement about that and provided lots of annotated bank statements.

Commitment: Engagement proof, party etc and our wedding certificate, photos, honeymoon. Relationship statement explaining how we run our house, commitment to each other and plans for our future.

We wrote a statement for each area in an attempt to explain our evidence to make it easier for our CO to understand, hopefully. It took us ages.

 

Three months today and still waiting. We have been together for 2 and half years and married for 8 months! I have a 15 year old son who has just received his Australian passport in the post this week. My husband is the applicant and assume we will get the 309, although not sure, as we both obviously now care for my child. Perhaps we will be assessed for the 100 (not sure when the Australian child is a step child)?

 

Really, really can not wait to hear anything; medical, more evidence, there's a long wait... I don't think we will be awarded our visa in 5 months.

 

Submitting masses doesn't speed up your grant timeframe. It will vary depending on the case, the CO and grants that can be made. If anything the CO has to sift through the wheat from the chaff to check over the application.

 

You probably overdid it re the social aspect and the FB, emails and so on. They really don't want FB conversations or posts. They also don't want masses of photos and stuff like that. Half a dozen is plenty. What they really want is the official documented evidence showing you as couple. So things like bills naming you both or one of you but at the same address, wills, life insurance policy, money between accounts or a joint account, names on lease or mortgage, those sorts of things are vital to an application. Yes the social aspect is important but a couple of holiday bookings or flights together and a wedding invite or two. that sort of thing, would probably be sufficient there.

 

Grants do seem to be coming through quicker these days so it could well be you'll get a grant sooner rather than later but some people are still waiting 9 or 10 months for a grant. There is no way of knowing how quickly each case will be dealt with and the old waiting game can drag on. Hopefully its not too long for you now

[Jordan01]

Hi Everyone.

Just a quick update. Our daughter is staying behind in the UK to finish her schooling and joining us at the end of June.

We handed in our resignations, booked our flights for Christmas Day and have managed to secure a fully furnished rental property right across the road from our sons school.....all within 5 days :jiggy:now just left with the mammoth task of selling all of our furniture.

We will keep you updated.

Many thanks to all who have shared our journey so far and given us great advice.

[Alycat]

Wow so great you secured a rental already! How did you organise that? Was it privately via Gumtree? I heard that its not easy to secure a rental from abroad.

[Jordan01]

Wow so great you secured a rental already! How did you organise that? Was it privately via Gumtree? I heard that its not easy to secure a rental from abroad.

 

Hi Alycat

 

We saw the property on a reputable real estate website, emailed them and offered 6 months rent upfront......The landlord jumped at the offer!

Received the documents via email, signed everything and returned by email.

[Alycat]

@Jordan01

Ah! Thats an idea! I know people say not to rent from just looking at the photos but a lot of the houses we are looking at are fairly new builds (homes are about 10 years old or less) so I'm guessing they can't be too far off the photos perhaps..?!

 

Did you sign a 6 month lease or 12 if you don't mind me asking?

Edited November 19, 2016 by Alycat

[Guest]

@Jordan01

Ah! Thats an idea! I know people say not to rent from just looking at the photos but a lot of the houses we are looking at are fairly new builds (homes are about 10 years old or less) so I'm guessing they can't be too far off the photos perhaps..?!

 

Did you sign a 6 month lease or 12 if you don't mind me asking?

 

FWIW lots of real estate agents won't rent to you if you are still overseas. Even less likely if they have people locally queuing up to rent their properties. A few do do this but its not the norm. Many rentals get snapped up depending on the area and the pace of the market there. Depending on where you are looking, you may find it ok to rent from overseas, you may not have a sniff at one. Check out real estate website for rentals in the area you are looking at and see how quickly they are moving and who the agents are and get in touch. I know around us many rentals don't even make it to the first open as they are let before that even comes round a few days after its listed online or they don't even make it online (one friend got one that way as she had contacted the agent every day for weeks to keep on top of things and hopefully snag a house that was decent so she had a viewing and said yes. Another thought she had secured a house this way only to find out the landlord had chosen to rent to someone they knew and didn't bother to inform the letting agent). Agents may have people lined up or someone gets in and perhaps offers more bond or rent to secure the house. The ones that do hang around till the opens tend to be the crappier more run down houses but even they get let pretty quick, usually within a week or two.

 

Consider also that even a newer property may have issues. And yes, they can be different from the photos, even with the day to day wear or the state of the appliances can change over a few years. Often new builds here are shoddily built and pretty small floor space wise compared to older houses. Unless of course you are renting one of the mansion type places, then you get so much floor space its almost silly. Many new builds in built up areas around here are the long thing type as they can't go up to two stories as its all single storey around them. So where one house stood, 3 or 4 skinny attached ones are now in its place. It means a long walk down a corridor to get to the living space as bedrooms at the front and side. Parking can be an issue as often there is only one parking space per house and so the roads are beginning to get clogged up with peoples second cars and visitors like we found happened in the UK for many years. We looked at a few like this and I was very underwhelmed with the finish but then this was for buying to live in. If we'd been buying to rent out then I'd not have cared so much as they get a high rental price. Then things like location, access to the facilities you need, being able to actually see the street in the current day and not from google street view in 2014 or something can go a long way. There is a lot to be said to being on the ground and able to view and check everything out if renting a house for 12 months. Lease breaks can be hard to get out of and cost money so you want to get the rental right.

 

We started off with family for a little while but had also had a plan in place to rent a short term holiday let if need be, found our feet and then stayed 7 months in the area as we thought we'd like to buy around there in the longer term. 4 months in and we were set it wasn't for us and so moved further out away from the metropolitan area and bought a lovely house tucked away in a quiet street.

[Guest241083]

..........just a heads up for when your ready to rent....

..........have your paperwork ready...!

..........some ask for 100 point ID now....

.........get photo copies

..........proof of income or savings.....

..........usually the bond is 4 weeks rent plus two weeks in advance.....

...........do ask about car parking....

..........as often 1 allocated garage/carport /space is all there is in high density areas

..........and some have found having to park a second vehicle streets away

[kopar99]

Hi everyone, I've kept track of this thread for a while but never posted. Just wanted to update as applied on 23rd June and received grant through earlier this week, so a bit under 5 months! Went straight to 100, wife is the Australian citizen, we've been married for 2.5 years with an 18 month old child.

 

We're looking to move around June 2017 to Brisbane so now trying to get our heads around everything that needs to be sorted!

 

Thanks to everyone that has provided updates and advise - has been a real help in getting an idea on grant times etc. whilst we've been waiting. Good luck to everyone who has applied and is waiting to hear!

[carahunter4]

@koalakate my husband has a skilled visa subclass 190 which is a permanent residence visa, we validated it on our honeymoon October 2015 (just within the one year timeframe). We really need to move before October 2017 to fulfil his 2 year resident return visa requirements (to carry on going in and out of the country freely after the initial 5 years of grant). However, we'd actually love to move out sooner if possible, any time from May.

 

I've had a look on the high risk thread and they are saying that even with interviews they are getting their visa's through in about 8-9 months. So I think even if there's a bit of a backlog at the moment they should still come in quicker than that. A migration agent advised on another thread that 309's are being granted in about 6 months. Most people seem to get their visa's roughly about 2 months after they upload medicals & police checks so I think you're still on track at the moment. If they are concerned about anything or need more info then they will contact you so no news is good news. I'm sure you will be fine but if something needs dealing with then it will just take slightly longer to sort.

 

Have you been checking your immi online account to see if there's any sign your account has been accessed? I'm curious as to whether it shows up if a case officer starts looking into our files.

 

 

Yes, I worry too as I haven't lived in Australia since I was a child. I am a citizen, have a passport and my son got his passport etc but I still have a small niggling doubt they might say my citizenship has been revoked or something along those lines and I'm not a valid sponsor.

 

What visa does your husband have?

[carahunter4]

Thanks for the update. Congratulations and good luck with the move.

 

Hi everyone, I've kept track of this thread for a while but never posted. Just wanted to update as applied on 23rd June and received grant through earlier this week, so a bit under 5 months! Went straight to 100, wife is the Australian citizen, we've been married for 2.5 years with an 18 month old child.

 

We're looking to move around June 2017 to Brisbane so now trying to get our heads around everything that needs to be sorted!

 

Thanks to everyone that has provided updates and advise - has been a real help in getting an idea on grant times etc. whilst we've been waiting. Good luck to everyone who has applied and is waiting to hear!

[Jordan01]

@Jordan01

Ah! Thats an idea! I know people say not to rent from just looking at the photos but a lot of the houses we are looking at are fairly new builds (homes are about 10 years old or less) so I'm guessing they can't be too far off the photos perhaps..?!

 

Did you sign a 6 month lease or 12 if you don't mind me asking?

 

Hi Alycat

 

We signed a 12 month lease but with payment of the first 6 months upfront.

 

Good luck to all

[Aprilfool]

Hi Everyone.

Just a quick update. Our daughter is staying behind in the UK to finish her schooling and joining us at the end of June.

We handed in our resignations, booked our flights for Christmas Day and have managed to secure a fully furnished rental property right across the road from our sons school.....all within 5 days :jiggy:now just left with the mammoth task of selling all of our furniture.

We will keep you updated.

Many thanks to all who have shared our journey so far and given us great advice.

 

Hi I hope you don't mind me asking but what schooling level is your daughter at? We can't move until 1st July next year due to various commitments here in the U.K. I've just got back from a quick trip to Brisbane to sort a few things out, I spoke to schools whilst I was there and they were very keen for my son to be there to start the school year in Feb. However he completes his GCSE's here in June. I am hoping he can have some of the work credited towards his grades in Australia but the school I spoke to seem to think the credits might not be enough to cover the full semester he will miss. It's left me in quite a Dilemma with him. My feeling now is that I want him to finish his GCSE's after all the hard work he's put in, plus if ever wants to come back here he has them. If he needs to do some extra work at the end of grade 12 in Brisbane to get a good OP then so be it.

Interested in other people's situations with older kids?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Guest denebiebe]

This thread has given me faith that my husband's visa might come through quickly...once we apply, anyway. I'm taking him on a 1 year tourist visa in January (moving to Brisvegas), and haven't yet got his spouse visa application in...:eek:...we're nearly there though. We've been together 14 years, married nearly 9 years and have 2 kids, so imagine we're pretty low risk.

 

Any thoughts about whether it's better to apply online or by paper? A friend told my husband online didn't work so he's been pursuing the paper version and all that entails, but it certainly doesn't read like there's any problems with the online system from this thread. Any tips gratefully accepted. :hug:

[koalakate]

We check our account fairly regularly and have noticed no changes or amendments.

 

I asked if any July applicants had heard anything on the other forum and one person applied July 24th and had contact from CO (medical) in September. I think August applicants should hear soon!

 

 

@koalakate my husband has a skilled visa subclass 190 which is a permanent residence visa, we validated it on our honeymoon October 2015 (just within the one year timeframe). We really need to move before October 2017 to fulfil his 2 year resident return visa requirements (to carry on going in and out of the country freely after the initial 5 years of grant). However, we'd actually love to move out sooner if possible, any time from May.

 

I've had a look on the high risk thread and they are saying that even with interviews they are getting their visa's through in about 8-9 months. So I think even if there's a bit of a backlog at the moment they should still come in quicker than that. A migration agent advised on another thread that 309's are being granted in about 6 months. Most people seem to get their visa's roughly about 2 months after they upload medicals & police checks so I think you're still on track at the moment. If they are concerned about anything or need more info then they will contact you so no news is good news. I'm sure you will be fine but if something needs dealing with then it will just take slightly longer to sort.

 

Have you been checking your immi online account to see if there's any sign your account has been accessed? I'm curious as to whether it shows up if a case officer starts looking into our files.

Edited November 21, 2016 by koalakate

[koalakate]

Apply online. It's easy!

 

This thread has given me faith that my husband's visa might come through quickly...once we apply, anyway. I'm taking him on a 1 year tourist visa in January (moving to Brisvegas), and haven't yet got his spouse visa application in...:eek:...we're nearly there though. We've been together 14 years, married nearly 9 years and have 2 kids, so imagine we're pretty low risk.

 

Any thoughts about whether it's better to apply online or by paper? A friend told my husband online didn't work so he's been pursuing the paper version and all that entails, but it certainly doesn't read like there's any problems with the online system from this thread. Any tips gratefully accepted. :hug:

[koalakate]

My son will finish his GCSEs next summer too (June 2017). We plan to move to Oz immediately after this. I was going to get him to start Year 12 (equivalent) in the January. I know he will be a year behind but in the grand scheme of things I don't think it will matter. I'm hoping he can end the academic year July 2017-Dec with his peers so he can move up together with them in January. I want July-Dec to be a settling period for him; new friends, choosing the right college, options etc. He knows he will need to continue with Maths/English and will not have quite as much choice as he would here continuing with A Levels.

I also want my son to complete his GCSES. They work so hard for them.

 

 

Hi I hope you don't mind me asking but what schooling level is your daughter at? We can't move until 1st July next year due to various commitments here in the U.K. I've just got back from a quick trip to Brisbane to sort a few things out, I spoke to schools whilst I was there and they were very keen for my son to be there to start the school year in Feb. However he completes his GCSE's here in June. I am hoping he can have some of the work credited towards his grades in Australia but the school I spoke to seem to think the credits might not be enough to cover the full semester he will miss. It's left me in quite a Dilemma with him. My feeling now is that I want him to finish his GCSE's after all the hard work he's put in, plus if ever wants to come back here he has them. If he needs to do some extra work at the end of grade 12 in Brisbane to get a good OP then so be it.

Interested in other people's situations with older kids?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited November 21, 2016 by koalakate

[koalakate]

What do you mean by 100 point ID, if you don't mind me asking? Thank you

..........just a heads up for when your ready to rent....

..........have your paperwork ready...!

..........some ask for 100 point ID now....

.........get photo copies

..........proof of income or savings.....

..........usually the bond is 4 weeks rent plus two weeks in advance.....

...........do ask about car parking....

..........as often 1 allocated garage/carport /space is all there is in high density areas

..........and some have found having to park a second vehicle streets away

[Guest]

Hi I hope you don't mind me asking but what schooling level is your daughter at? We can't move until 1st July next year due to various commitments here in the U.K. I've just got back from a quick trip to Brisbane to sort a few things out, I spoke to schools whilst I was there and they were very keen for my son to be there to start the school year in Feb. However he completes his GCSE's here in June. I am hoping he can have some of the work credited towards his grades in Australia but the school I spoke to seem to think the credits might not be enough to cover the full semester he will miss. It's left me in quite a Dilemma with him. My feeling now is that I want him to finish his GCSE's after all the hard work he's put in, plus if ever wants to come back here he has them. If he needs to do some extra work at the end of grade 12 in Brisbane to get a good OP then so be it.

Interested in other people's situations with older kids?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I think you might do well to post and ask this in Education to gain more readers than just those of the partner visa thread. Many more have migrated with kids of an older age than just those with an Aus spouse and they could be able to give you valuable feedback and their experiences

[Guest]

What do you mean by 100 point ID, if you don't mind me asking? Thank you

 

https://www.instantchecks.com.au/100points.aspx

 

You will need to meet the 100 points to gain things like a bank account, lease, drivers licence and other things.