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

[nava24]

Been a while since I've been on. We arrived in Melbourne 16th June.  We have settled in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, daughter in school as of last week for start of Term 3 and we found our house and got keys 3/7.  Both husband and I started work this week so we have packed a lot into our short time here. We are loving life here and so happy to have made the move. Things would be sweeter if we had our container which suffered delays leaving the UK for no apparent reason but that's been the only glitch!  Good luck to all those waiting on grants, and congrats to those recently granted!! 

Good to hear all is well!

????

[Jen56johns]

Hi! Just popping in too.  We arrived in Melbourne on the 30th of May.

Tried to get all the big things done before I started work - buying a car, sorting out Medicare etc.  Some advice - make sure you do your research about what you need to take as evidence to set up your Medicare accounts.  As I was the Australian, I needed evidence I had quit my job in the UK and was returning permanently.  So I took my P60.  Hubby just needed to show his visa.  Get your joint bank account set up before you go into Medicare and take the letter from the bank with you.  Go first thing in the morning or you could wait for hours.  Also, if you have a child and intend on claiming family benefits or child care rebate, ask to get your Centrelink account set-up while you're in the same office or you'll end up going back again to prove your ID.  That's the best bit of advice I can offer you all.

And I can relate to Beffers.  It took 4 weeks to the day after the ship arrived for us to receive our stuff.  We were simply waiting for the quarantine period to pass and them the customs inspection!  The ship arrived on time too.

So glad to be here.  We even took our boy up to the snow today.  Who would have thought we'd have to take him to Oz to see his first snow!?

Good luck to everyone.  I hope your grants are speedy!

[lewnee]

Lodged subclass 309 Feb 2015

Granted October 2015

Arrived in Australia December 2015

Lodged subclass 100 Feb 2017

Patiently waiting... driving us insane. 

Application on Immi account states not allocated, is this normal? We applied before changes within this years 2017 budget which took affect july 2017.. 

[nava24]

Lodged subclass 309 Feb 2015
Granted October 2015
Arrived in Australia December 2015
Lodged subclass 100 Feb 2017
Patiently waiting... driving us insane. 
Application on Immi account states not allocated, is this normal? We applied before changes within this years 2017 budget which took affect july 2017.. 

As far as i am aware, your subclass 100 can be granted up to 2 years later. Hence why it also costs so much!

????

[Nemesis]

2 hours ago, nava24 said:

As far as i am aware, your subclass 100 can be granted up to 2 years later. Hence why it also costs so much!

????
 

Yep the timeline for a decision on the PR stage gets longer and longer. Expect 18 months at least, anything less is a bonus. 

[TP1]

On 06/08/2017 at 22:38, lewnee said:

Application on Immi account states not allocated, is this normal? 

Yes, mine said not allocated for nearly 12 months before i got an email saying they were processing.   After that took a few weeks ( about a year in total).  This was back in March this year.  Hope this helps.

Ps. Tried ringing them initially after five months and was told perfectly normal, just wait ...

Edited August 10, 2017 by TP1

[Lever40]

Just thought Id drop by since its been a while from I was on here. We arrived in Oz yesterday morning after spending about 3 weeks touring through the south east of the Republic of Ireland and about 2 weeks in Northern Ireland with my family before flying out of Dublin on Wednesday night, spend a day in Dubai ( Loved it and would recommend) and arrived here on Saturday morning! Next step is to change over my license, sort out the bank accounts in uk and oz and to start looking at rentals! Start back to the shop I used to work in when I was last in Oz! 

[TheWayOfThePony]

On 13/08/2017 at 13:43, Lever40 said:

Just thought Id drop by since its been a while from I was on here. We arrived in Oz yesterday morning after spending about 3 weeks touring through the south east of the Republic of Ireland and about 2 weeks in Northern Ireland with my family before flying out of Dublin on Wednesday night, spend a day in Dubai ( Loved it and would recommend) and arrived here on Saturday morning! Next step is to change over my license, sort out the bank accounts in uk and oz and to start looking at rentals! Start back to the shop I used to work in when I was last in Oz! 

Great news! after all the paperwork to leave the UK there's another bunch to get through to settle in Oz huh.. so many admin hurdles but we'll all get through ?

[Beffers]

On 13/08/2017 at 22:43, Lever40 said:

Just thought Id drop by since its been a while from I was on here. We arrived in Oz yesterday morning after spending about 3 weeks touring through the south east of the Republic of Ireland and about 2 weeks in Northern Ireland with my family before flying out of Dublin on Wednesday night, spend a day in Dubai ( Loved it and would recommend) and arrived here on Saturday morning! Next step is to change over my license, sort out the bank accounts in uk and oz and to start looking at rentals! Start back to the shop I used to work in when I was last in Oz! 

Welcome!!!! Hope you get settled in well and slot back into Aussie life!! I must msg you with my Aussie cell. Am sure Jess is pleased to be back on home soil!! Good luck!! Our container finally arrives at our rental tomorrow. I'm so excited!!! 

Edited August 16, 2017 by Beffers

[Lever40]

20 hours ago, Beffers said:

Welcome!!!! Hope you get settled in well and slot back into Aussie life!! I must msg you with my Aussie cell. Am sure Jess is pleased to be back on home soil!! Good luck!! Our container finally arrives at our rental tomorrow. I'm so excited!!! 

Thanks!! Think mine arrives September 14th about a month earlier than expected! Yeah she is, made the leaving part much easier! 

[TheWayOfThePony]

Congrats on you settlers! Glad to hear containers arrive at destination with no problem save quarantine delays

I've booked my flight, we found a place. Three weeks to go! Still so much to do here, and much to come, and am now experiencing everything with a "this is the last time I see that person/place" thought at the back of my head, but I'm so excited! 

[Lever40]

On 8/19/2017 at 17:24, TheWayOfThePony said:

Congrats on you settlers! Glad to hear containers arrive at destination with no problem save quarantine delays

I've booked my flight, we found a place. Three weeks to go! Still so much to do here, and much to come, and am now experiencing everything with a "this is the last time I see that person/place" thought at the back of my head, but I'm so excited! 

Its a good feeling when you have the flight booked!! When do you arrive in Oz? 

We've got our new joint bank account set up, applied for my Vic licence and Medicare card too.

[TheWayOfThePony]

6 hours ago, Lever40 said:

Its a good feeling when you have the flight booked!! When do you arrive in Oz? 

We've got our new joint bank account set up, applied for my Vic licence and Medicare card too.

Ooh you get access to Medicare! I thought you could only apply for it after the 820, but perhaps things are different for UK/Commonwealth citizens.

Congrats on those milestones anyway! You're making really good progress in settling in

I'm leaving on Sept 8th... sooo close now!

[Lever40]

21 minutes ago, TheWayOfThePony said:

Ooh you get access to Medicare! I thought you could only apply for it after the 820, but perhaps things are different for UK/Commonwealth citizens.

Congrats on those milestones anyway! You're making really good progress in settling in

I'm leaving on Sept 8th... sooo close now!

Its reciprocal medicare, basically an agreement between uk and Oz, still get a card but not full cover until I apply for the partner visa

[Angelpie]

On 09/07/2017 at 09:43, LaddermanUS said:

Very envious of all you guys getting grants   My visa app was placed end of Feb, medicals and police checks done by end of March but I have a court order which has too be registered in Australia before i can get a grant.   I had a leave to remove case awarded in my favour in Jan this year in the UK court (permission to relocate with my two children) but as part of the order I have to have a mirror order in Australia.  So its taking quite some time. .  I am also moving to Melbourne (how come everyone seems to be moving to Melb ??) 

Hi I have to do this- I didn't know you had to do it before the grant though? If you have any tips on how I do this process as we are about to lodge shortly fingers crossed , hope yours gets sorted soon xx????

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Angelpie said:

Hi I have to do this- I didn't know you had to do it before the grant though? If you have any tips on how I do this process as we are about to lodge shortly fingers crossed , hope yours gets sorted soon xx????

I would not expect them to grant a visa until it was in place. 

Good luck with it all

[TheWayOfThePony]

2 hours ago, Lever40 said:

Its reciprocal medicare, basically an agreement between uk and Oz, still get a card but not full cover until I apply for the partner visa

Ahh yes that's what I figured, thanks. Kinda wakes me wish I had taken British citizenship like I was thinking a few years ago, but that can't be helped now

[Angelpie]

4 hours ago, snifter said:

I would not expect them to grant a visa until it was in place. 

Good luck with it all

I've got the uk one sorted - it was court ordered because my ex wouldn't communicate with court or Cafcass or my solicitor- he fired his own solicitor after the first court date ? Then again he was the same when we got divorced, no idea how to submit it to an Australian court without being their to do it and qualify being in the country? Have you submitted it in oz? Xx

Edited August 25, 2017 by Angelpie

[Katiebobbles]

Hi All, 

Long time stalker but new poster. My husband and I are looking to apply for the 309/100 to arrive in Oz in Sept/Oct 2019 - we are locked in on Mortgage and cars until then. However with all these new spouse rules in place we were wondering if it was worth applying before January to avoid the extra cost and hassle of the sponsorship checks. 

Therefore I wondered if my understanding was correct and could someone let me know either way: Could I apply in say December this year, thus avoiding the new rules, lets say I have medicals and police checks in January 2018 and am lucky enough to go straight to a 100 in February. Therefore i would need to enter before January 2019 .

However could i literally arrive before this date, have my passport validated and then leave a few days later? If so would I then be able to move at the  end of 2019 without any issue to the visa?

Would this be different if i get a 309 grant instead of a 100? (I should go straight to a 100 as together 7 years, married 4 and have a son, can prove all this also, but i never say never!!) 

Thanks in advance for any help you can give. xox

[Nemesis]

1 hour ago, Katiebobbles said:

Hi All, 

Long time stalker but new poster. My husband and I are looking to apply for the 309/100 to arrive in Oz in Sept/Oct 2019 - we are locked in on Mortgage and cars until then. However with all these new spouse rules in place we were wondering if it was worth applying before January to avoid the extra cost and hassle of the sponsorship checks. 

Therefore I wondered if my understanding was correct and could someone let me know either way: Could I apply in say December this year, thus avoiding the new rules, lets say I have medicals and police checks in January 2018 and am lucky enough to go straight to a 100 in February. Therefore i would need to enter before January 2019 .

However could i literally arrive before this date, have my passport validated and then leave a few days later? If so would I then be able to move at the  end of 2019 without any issue to the visa?

Would this be different if i get a 309 grant instead of a 100? (I should go straight to a 100 as together 7 years, married 4 and have a son, can prove all this also, but i never say never!!) 

Thanks in advance for any help you can give. xox

hen you say 'all these new spouse visa rules' what changes are you worried about?

And if you have been together 7 years you will get a 100 strightaway. 

[Katiebobbles]

It isn't if we would get one its how much extra and what extra we will have to submit to qualify. I am referring to the new "sponsorship requirement" we would have to complete before being able to lodge the 309/100.
I am more concerned about how much they may charge for this new hoop.... hence why we are trying to apply before it comes in. It was deferred from this July but i fear it may come in with the January rounds so i am just trying to understand my options.

Sent from my SM-A310F using PomsinOz mobile app

[Katiebobbles]

Btw thanks for confirming it would be straight to 100.... i thought so but nice to know for sure

Sent from my SM-A310F using PomsinOz mobile app

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Katiebobbles said:

It isn't if we would get one its how much extra and what extra we will have to submit to qualify. I am referring to the new "sponsorship requirement" we would have to complete before being able to lodge the 309/100.
I am more concerned about how much they may charge for this new hoop.... hence why we are trying to apply before it comes in. It was deferred from this July but i fear it may come in with the January rounds so i am just trying to understand my options.

 

Nothing to stop you applying well in advance, although you would have to validate/make first entry into Aus within a certainframe of the visa being granted. Some make a validation trip and return to the UK for a while before moving, others simply validate when they move (within that set period). 

 

[Katiebobbles]

Hi Snifter. That is fab and is exactly what we needed to know. Therefore the option to apply and validate the visa but move later is there..... now just to start scanning 7 years of our life together! Fun! Will be back in touch when i start the process and have stats, but for now loads of luck to all going through the process x

 

[unzippy]

Query.

Has anyone changed passports after the visa had been granted, but before you left for Aus?

Like a dickhead I've managed to ship my passport in the container 

A new one arrive in 7 days - do I need to tell the IMMI people?  Flights too I guess?

Cheers!