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

[ashabree]

@ashabree I saw someone a while ago get a visa grant the day after their medicals were uploaded.

 

This is just a guess but it seems that each case officer works differently. Some seem to request medicals early on and some seem to ask for them towards the end of the visa grant. I would imagine each case officer gets allocated visa applications and the time varies as to how long it takes them to work through them. They might have a complicated one just in front of you that they are dealing with. I'm sure your visa won't take too much longer especially if you are getting the medicals done next week.

@koalakate has had her medicals requested, I think it was early last week.

 

 

Thank you you so much for your kind and supportive words. It's nice to be able to share the experience with other lovely people!

[Uhtred]

Someone on another forum applied offshore from India just received an email. Below is an a few paragraphs -

 

 

'Each year the Australian Government sets the overall migration program as part of the Budget process and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (the Department) has a responsibility to ensure that the number of visas granted overall and within each visa category are in accordance with agreed planning levels. As the Department currently receives more applications than there are places available in the family stream of the migration program, processing times around the world, including at the New Delhi office, have increased.

 

While we aim to process 75 percent of the cases within our service standard of 12 months, actual processing times vary depending on a range of factors, including individual circumstances, the complexity of each case and high volume of applications received during peak periods.'

 

 

I mean hopefully this is a generic email sent to applicant in India but is slightly concerning if there has been an influx of applications and there is a quota they work too.

 

I know there were some queries recently over the Aus Embassy website changing their waiting times from 5 to 9 months so this could also explain that.

Edited January 19, 2017 by Uhtred

[carahunter4]

Yes people get a visa refused. Usually for failing to meet the criteria required. If the CO requires more evidence to make a descison they do ask for it and you get a period of time to submit it. I know of a few couples who hadn't met the de facto requirement (ie had not been together long enough before lodging or who lived apart and didn't have solid enough evidence to support a de facto claim) but honestly, if you are a genuine couple living together and sharing a life together and have submitted proper evidence to support that I'd try not to worry overly.

 

Thanks

 

We are ok on the criteria as we have been married since Sept 15 and have had a mortgage together since April 15 as well as a joint account, we provided statements from us and friends etc. I spoke to Australia House and they advised me on what to send. The only things that slightly concern me are 1) My husband who is my sponsor is British and has never lived in Australia but has a permanent residence visa to move there, we hadn't been together long enough to think about adding me before he got it so that's why I'm doing the partner visa now. 2) I had a permanent visa to live there with my ex husband but it expired because I divorced him instead of moving. We have explained all of this on the application and our covering notes so hopefully it will be acceptable to them. If it's just about proving we are a couple then we will be fine.

[koalakate]

Yes we had the request through a week ago. We will upload this asap and will let you know when we hear anymore. Feeling quite calm about it all now we've had the request for the medical etc. We are moving the end of June but travelling around Asia for a couple of months beforehand.in response to ashabree

Applied: August 18th Medical request: Jan 12th

Edited January 19, 2017 by koalakate

[jacquiandpaul]

Yes we had the request through a week ago. We will upload this asap and will let you know when we hear anymore. Feeling quite calm about it all now we've had the request for the medical etc. We are moving the end of June but travelling around Asia for a couple of months beforehand.in response to ashabree

Applied: August 18th Medical request: Jan 12th

Hi koalakate. Good news you got your email for you medical. Is your application a straight forward one?

 

We are 3 months in and haven't yet done medical and police check.

 

Good to know we may be in for a 2 month wait for the email for them.

 

Hopefully they will grant you soon after the medical.

 

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[Guest]

Thanks

 

We are ok on the criteria as we have been married since Sept 15 and have had a mortgage together since April 15 as well as a joint account, we provided statements from us and friends etc. I spoke to Australia House and they advised me on what to send. The only things that slightly concern me are 1) My husband who is my sponsor is British and has never lived in Australia but has a permanent residence visa to move there, we hadn't been together long enough to think about adding me before he got it so that's why I'm doing the partner visa now. 2) I had a permanent visa to live there with my ex husband but it expired because I divorced him instead of moving. We have explained all of this on the application and our covering notes so hopefully it will be acceptable to them. If it's just about proving we are a couple then we will be fine.

 

There are refusals for other reasons I would expect, I've only heard of those sorts of cases I mentioned above though. I'd try not to worry overly. You've explained everything about why you didn't use your previous visa and so on, disclosed everything and submitted all your other evidence. Now its lodged there is nothing more to be done apart from wait to see if your CO requires anything further and await the decision. The partner visa is 95% a waiting game tbh and while its not nice, it is what it is and nothing much can be done.

[Guest]

Someone on another forum applied offshore from India just received an email. Below is an a few paragraphs -

 

'Each year the Australian Government sets the overall migration program as part of the Budget process and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (the Department) has a responsibility to ensure that the number of visas granted overall and within each visa category are in accordance with agreed planning levels. As the Department currently receives more applications than there are places available in the family stream of the migration program, processing times around the world, including at the New Delhi office, have increased.

 

While we aim to process 75 percent of the cases within our service standard of 12 months, actual processing times vary depending on a range of factors, including individual circumstances, the complexity of each case and high volume of applications received during peak periods.'

 

 

I mean hopefully this is a generic email sent to applicant in India but is slightly concerning if there has been an influx of applications and there is a quota they work too.

 

I know there were some queries recently over the Aus Embassy website changing their waiting times from 5 to 9 months so this could also explain that.

 

There is often an influx of applications in the UK also, usually before the price hikes twice a year. People rush to get their applications lodged in case the visa price jumps another $1,000 or something silly. The quota thing, it gets mentioned on and off over the years but IIRC there is no actual cap on the number of applications made but perhaps they can only grant X amount per year, month or week or some such is what they mean. Either way, I'd not take too much from an email that is for an applicant who lodged in India and is there awaiting a decision.

 

There is no way to really know where you visa application is at until a decision is made. Its just how it is. No amount of asking or emailing is going to get them to tell you its all going well, you have nothing to worry about and your visa will be granted early or around a date. So many times over the years on here I've seen people trying to second guess and worrying over someone getting a grant ahead of them or not hearing from a CO but there is no one set way about it and no case is the same. As I said a bit earlier, its important to just focus on your own application and not look at others around you who lodged around the same time and compare or question why they got their visa granted already and you have not. That could happen 20 times over before you get your visa granted, it might not happen once or twice. It can drive you a bit bonkers to keep stressing over it, so try not to.

 

From the Gov website re partner visas and it sheds some light on the queueing process and how the applications work in it. You can also read about capping there

 

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Brin/Fami/Capping-and-queuing

 

Fact sheet - Processing priorities for family stream migration

 

​The Australian Government has established processing priorities for applicants who apply to migrate under the family stream migration.

Family stream migration includes partner, child, parent and other family visa categories. The main requirement for family stream visas is the sponsorship of the family member applying.

Priority given to family stream visas

 

Applications for family stream visas are prioritised depending on which visa you apply for. The following are examples of the priorities given to various visa categories.

For primary applicants of an Australian sponsor, priority is given in the following order:

 

 

• partner or child

• orphan relatives

• contributory parents.

 

Priority is then given to those applying for carers, parent visas, remaining relative and aged dependent relative visas.

Within each Family stream visa category, applicants sponsored by a permanent visa holder who entered Australia as an illegal maritime arrival (IMA) are given the lowest processing priority.

Compelling and compassionate circumstances

 

If you are applying for a partner or a child visa, your application might be prioritised where you can demonstrate compelling and compassionate circumstances. In such cases, you will need to make a request for priority processing with the visa office where your application is being processed and provide evidence to support your claims.

Note:

 

 

• there is no guarantee that your application will be given a higher priority as other applicants might have equally or more compelling and compassionate circumstances

• priority processing can only be given to applications for the temporary (first stage) partner visa, subclasses 309 or 820. It cannot be applied to processing of your permanent (second stage) visa, subclasses 100 or 801.

 

Applications for a contributory parent visa are not currently subject to queuing. Therefore your application will not be allocated a queue date.

Within the non-contributory parent and other family category, applications are assessed against the core criteria for the relevant visa in lodgement date order. Based on the date this assessment is completed, applications are then assigned a queue date and placed into a queue. Your visa application will then be considered for final processing in queue date order when places are available in the migration programme.

There is no discretion to consider compelling and compassionate circumstances in processing contributory parent visa application or allocating or adjusting queue dates for parent, carer, remaining relative or aged dependent relative visa applications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[carahunter4]

There are refusals for other reasons I would expect, I've only heard of those sorts of cases I mentioned above though. I'd try not to worry overly. You've explained everything about why you didn't use your previous visa and so on, disclosed everything and submitted all your other evidence. Now its lodged there is nothing more to be done apart from wait to see if your CO requires anything further and await the decision. The partner visa is 95% a waiting game tbh and while its not nice, it is what it is and nothing much can be done.

 

Thanks Snifter for the time you take to give us advice. The criteria is to prove that we are a genuine couple which we can so I'm sure we haven't got anything to worry about. January & Feb are crap months which isn't helping but I shall go back to distraction tactics to take my mind off it and be grateful for everything I've got in life :-)

[SimplyRhi]

I was wondering if anyone can comment on the VISA type on their referral letter for health examination. Does it say 309 or 100?

[jacquiandpaul]

I was wondering if anyone can comment on the VISA type on their referral letter for health examination. Does it say 309 or 100?

Hi, we haven't had our referral letter yet. We applied on the 18th October. I hope it's soon.

 

Did it say on your letter 309 or 100, I have heard that the number is on the letter

 

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[SimplyRhi]

Hi, we haven't had our referral letter yet. We applied on the 18th October. I hope it's soon.

 

Did it say on your letter 309 or 100, I have heard that the number is on the letter

 

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It said on our letter 100 - but was wondering if that was standard for all ....

 

We just printed off the health referral letter off immiaccount - we hadn't had a request yet...

[ashabree]

Hey everyone - just wanted to let you know that we got the email asking my husband to go for his health examination and the police check today. I am so relieved!

[SimplyRhi]

Hey everyone - just wanted to let you know that we got the email asking my husband to go for his health examination and the police check today. I am so relieved!

 

Fantastic news!! Wont take long now hopefully! :-)

[ashabree]

Fantastic news!! Wont take long now hopefully! :-)

 

Thank you!

[carahunter4]

Hey everyone - just wanted to let you know that we got the email asking my husband to go for his health examination and the police check today. I am so relieved!

 

Yipee! That's such fab news!! Stay in touch :smile:

[koalakate]

Great news!!

Thank you!

[jacquiandpaul]

Hey everyone - just wanted to let you know that we got the email asking my husband to go for his health examination and the police check today. I am so relieved!

Fantastic news ashabree. Looks like we are in for a 2 month wait.

 

 

 

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[jacquiandpaul]

It said on our letter 100 - but was wondering if that was standard for all ....

 

We just printed off the health referral letter off immiaccount - we hadn't had a request yet...

Am I missing something. Where do you find the health referral letter?

 

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[koalakate]

I think the one on immiaccount says 100 for all. However, we have had the request email and on the headed letter it sates Temp 309 visa so assume we will get that one? What did yours say ashabree?

It said on our letter 100 - but was wondering if that was standard for all ....

 

We just printed off the health referral letter off immiaccount - we hadn't had a request yet...

[SimplyRhi]

Am I missing something. Where do you find the health referral letter?

 

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When you are in Immiaccount within the application section, there is an option for "health declaration" where the option for "attach document" is... once you fill in the health declaration questions it gives you a referral letter to take to your appointment.

[koalakate]

Yes but once you get the email request you get another letter from your CO, along with other information on how to complete the checks, etc.

[jacquiandpaul]

When you are in Immiaccount within the application section, there is an option for "health declaration" where the option for "attach document" is... once you fill in the health declaration questions it gives you a referral letter to take to your appointment.

Yes I see that, it says view health assessment, when I click on that it says examinations required and then there is a link saying organise health examinations?

 

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[SimplyRhi]

Yes I see that, it says view health assessment, when I click on that it says examinations required and then there is a link saying organise health examinations?

 

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Thats the place...Thats what we clicked to get the referral letter.

 

The only risk of getting the medical done was the risk of expiry - so decided to go for it anyway as 2 months in now.

[jacquiandpaul]

Thats the place...Thats what we clicked to get the referral letter.

 

The only risk of getting the medical done was the risk of expiry - so decided to go for it anyway as 2 months in now.

So when you clicked on organise Health examinations. Did it take you through to a page with yes/no questions? We are 3 months in haven't heard anything.

 

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[SimplyRhi]

So when you clicked on organise Health examinations. Did it take you through to a page with yes/no questions? We are 3 months in haven't heard anything.

 

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It did - Yes/no declarations and then the referral letter was immediate after that. :-)