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

[Tulip]

Eeeee congrats Littlekitty that is fantastic news!

[LGannon]

Hello PomsinOz.

 

Will be submitting an application for a 309 partner visa in the next few weeks and it's great to read some people are going through the same process at the same time. It's taken a while to get everything together but one or two more docs certified and it will be good to go.

 

My girl ( Australian ) and I ( British ) met in Sydney and moved to London back in Feb 2011, we have lived together for over 2 years here, registered our relationship before we moved here and have plenty of evidence to show that we have been together as defacto for the last few years and can't wait to head back to Australia once we have the right visa. 8-9 months from now I suppose.

 

I've heard I can drop the application in at Australia House in person and pay the fees there, does anyone know if thats correct? Also i'm not sure if I need to get the passport photographs certified to be a true likeness, any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you may have.

 

Hi Joe! Im submitting in the next 2 weeks!!!

Likewise im just waiting on 2 more docs. I weighed it the other day 2.6 kilos!! U do have to post it. Speaking to the post office it will cost about £13 special delivery.

I am trying to find the correct processing times! I have always checked the immi website and currently for offshore low risk partner visa it is showing 5 months!! But yet if u call u always get the 8-9 quota unless u have been assigned a case officer. The immi website had shown 8 and 9 months since october but ive only seen a change in the last few weeks! Fingers crossed as ive been like a hawk for the past 12months lol and the same happened last year!!!

[LGannon]

here i am reading the forum, thinking.... Cmonnn 2 weeks lets do this!!!!!

So it's fiance's birthday yesterday so we had nice relaxing day, i took the afternoon off work, we had cake etc.... Didnt check his emails cos we were taking it easy.......

Go in there today.... And there it is!!!! The email to tell him to goo offshore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

We are so so excited to go offshore and get the decision, but we also need to work out some cheap flights to go to bali/malaysia in the coming week or two - there's a public holiday next week so flights are very pricey! We just want to go today!!!!!

 

 

congratulations!!!!

[LGannon]

Hello PomsinOz.

 

Will be submitting an application for a 309 partner visa in the next few weeks and it's great to read some people are going through the same process at the same time. It's taken a while to get everything together but one or two more docs certified and it will be good to go.

 

My girl ( Australian ) and I ( British ) met in Sydney and moved to London back in Feb 2011, we have lived together for over 2 years here, registered our relationship before we moved here and have plenty of evidence to show that we have been together as defacto for the last few years and can't wait to head back to Australia once we have the right visa. 8-9 months from now I suppose.

 

I've heard I can drop the application in at Australia House in person and pay the fees there, does anyone know if thats correct? Also i'm not sure if I need to get the passport photographs certified to be a true likeness, any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance for any help you may have.

 

 

Heres the link Joe

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/5.0.htm

 

If anyone can tell us otherwise Id be VERY GREATFUL!

[SkippyChick11]

Heres the link Joe

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/5.0.htm

 

If anyone can tell us otherwise Id be VERY GREATFUL!

 

Hi LGannon!

 

From what I understood (and I may well be wrong), Aus House (or immi) review processing times at the end of the Aus financial year and changes to processing time usually take place from July 1.

 

Assume 9 months for processing and you won't be disappointed!

 

Good luck!

[Tulip]

I can only say that my CO has told me 8-9 months, offshore from the UK. x

[LUMAINOZ]

Visa Granted!!!! So happy right now! Good luck to everyone in your new lives down under, it's definitely worth the wait x

[BritChickx]

congrats to those who have had visa grants!

[littlekitty]

...You got a 7mth grant?!!!???

 

Like 7 months and 2 weeks - looks like we wont be going offshore for about 2 weeks, so it will probably be exactly an 8 month grant!

If we could go tomorrow (fiance wants me to come and I need to let my boss know!) then yes, it would be a 7 and a half month grant! SO so excited, wish we could go today!!!

[littlekitty]

Visa Granted!!!! So happy right now! Good luck to everyone in your new lives down under, it's definitely worth the wait x

 

CONGRATS LUMAINOZ! I was waiting for your grant haha.... Now I just need to get me and my fiance's butts offshore so we can finally say 'visa granted'!!! Keep your eyes peeled September applicants!

[hotspur1]

Congrats to all those who have had their visa grant. Just a quick question about it, did you recieve an email just from your CO with all the details? if so what was the main content of the email. i.e IED? etc?

[Tulip]

I got an email at the beginning of the process. It was three documents. One was an FAQ, one was a request for more evidence (OH's birth certificate), and one was client service information. The request letter told me everything I needed to know, including HAP number.

[kirkhoffmann]

Well it must be the month of handing them out just got my email through been granted and its the subclass 100.

Just been jumping about the place, Perth here we come:biggrin:

[OzNic22]

Hi guys, we submitted our application in early Feb and have to wait until atleast 8th May to get medicals done (for partner, I'm the Aussie). We have already done this visa process from within Australia however withdrew the application just before they granted the permanent residencey (big regret, don't ask) that visa request took 11 days in total for them to grant the temporary - can't believe how much longer it is from over here. We had a daughter together then which I think helped it go through quicky and now we have 2 daughters and another 8 years together so I am hoping that it doesn't take the estimated 8-9 months! Has anyone else who has kids together applied and received a faster approval?

​Nic

[littlekitty]

Well it must be the month of handing them out just got my email through been granted and its the subclass 100.

Just been jumping about the place, Perth here we come:biggrin:

 

Woohoo Kirkhoffmann! How exciting, and a bit early too!

We are off to Asia in 2 weeks to receive the grant - needed to clear the last-minute leave with work! My boss knows all about the 'going offshore' situation and she was also shocked that it's happening early!

[kirkhoffmann]

Yeah we are very excited. Flights booked for June 20th and can't wait to arrive in Perth out daughter is very excited and that gives us just enough time for my wife who is pregnant again to fly so our next one who is due August to be a wee ozzy baby. Hope you enjoy Asia I'm sure you will have a ball especially knowing when you come back it will be on the visa you been waiting on. Yeah it was early for us really thought it was gonna be June to be honest. Really happy.

 

Oznic22 we are married have one kid and another one on the way, I don't think that has anything to do with early grant, as its a family based visa all personal circumstances are important, I'm sure I read that somewhere. But certainly not gonna complain with my time period of grant. Good luck though

[OzNic22]

Yeah we are very excited. Flights booked for June 20th and can't wait to arrive in Perth out daughter is very excited and that gives us just enough time for my wife who is pregnant again to fly so our next one who is due August to be a wee ozzy baby. Hope you enjoy Asia I'm sure you will have a ball especially knowing when you come back it will be on the visa you been waiting on. Yeah it was early for us really thought it was gonna be June to be honest. Really happy.

 

Oznic22 we are married have one kid and another one on the way, I don't think that has anything to do with early grant, as its a family based visa all personal circumstances are important, I'm sure I read that somewhere. But certainly not gonna complain with my time period of grant. Good luck though

 

Congratulations on getting your approval - the timing sounds perfect for you! I have decided to go on ahead with our children while my partner waits for his visa to be approved (he has been working away for the past 18mths so we rarely see him anyway) so that we can start getting settled - I have booked our flights for the 21st May!

 

I think having children does help speed things up as the last time we applied (Defacto Spouse visa) the case officer phoned me a couple of days after she received the application as I had forgotten to include 1 page and she said that it is obvious that we are a genuine relationship and she would approve the application as soon as I emailed her the other page - we had only been living together at that stage for 11 months but because we had our daughter we could apply earlier than the 12mth requirement. Obviously they are not going to pick up our application ahead of the ones in front but apart from the character checks & medicals the most important thing that they are looking for is proof that you are in fact a genuine relationship, when our application gets to the top of the pile they can see all the T's are crossed & I's are dotted and that we have two children together they won't need to go looking through to see if there is any evidence to doubt our relationship.

[SkippyChick11]

Obviously they are not going to pick up our application ahead of the ones in front but apart from the character checks & medicals the most important thing that they are looking for is proof that you are in fact a genuine relationship, when our application gets to the top of the pile they can see all the T's are crossed & I's are dotted and that we have two children together they won't need to go looking through to see if there is any evidence to doubt our relationship.

 

Hi OzNic!

Unfortunately I don't think being in a long-standing relationship with kids make any difference to processing times. There are PIO members who have been in the same situation as you and have had to wait (and in some cases are still waiting for) the full processing period (currently 8-9 months).

With regards to how Aus House seem to process the applications; they seem to go through the application upon receipt and get in touch if they need any further information, then wait for the police and medical checks to come through after 3 months of submission, and then your application just sits in the pile until your time comes around.

I hope I haven't sounded harsh with regards to your circumstances, but I just don't want you to get your hopes up.

Onshore and offshore processes are completely separate and the procedures for offshore processing seem to be a little different depending on where you submit to (ie UK or Canada etc).

 

Anyway best of luck with your upcoming move! I'm sure your OH's visa will come through just fine, albeit a bit more slowly than anticipated!

 

Cheers!

​Amanda

[Tulip]

I'm afraid I don't think there's any evidence that having kids speeds it up, the likelihood is that 8-9 months quoted is how long it will take. Another forum member who applied just a month before you has a child and is married, hers has taken the same amount of time as mine has (I also applied early Feb). I know how you feel, you do tend to think 'Well maybe I'll get lucky!' but unfortunately it's the same process for everyone. I'm having my medical next month, but I checked with my CO about whether I need to give her anything else after that as we want to go out early. She said that I meet all the requirements for my visa and she's just waiting for my medical and police check. This doesn't mean she'll grant it early, just that I can relax and know I will be ok to go out early and know I'll get my visa! Which is a HUGE relief!

 

​Good luck, will be cool to go along with someone else who's a Feb applicant!

[OzNic22]

I'm afraid I don't think there's any evidence that having kids speeds it up, the likelihood is that 8-9 months quoted is how long it will take. Another forum member who applied just a month before you has a child and is married, hers has taken the same amount of time as mine has (I also applied early Feb). I know how you feel, you do tend to think 'Well maybe I'll get lucky!' but unfortunately it's the same process for everyone. I'm having my medical next month, but I checked with my CO about whether I need to give her anything else after that as we want to go out early. She said that I meet all the requirements for my visa and she's just waiting for my medical and police check. This doesn't mean she'll grant it early, just that I can relax and know I will be ok to go out early and know I'll get my visa! Which is a HUGE relief!

 

​Good luck, will be cool to go along with someone else who's a Feb applicant!

 

Hi OzNic!

Unfortunately I don't think being in a long-standing relationship with kids make any difference to processing times. There are PIO members who have been in the same situation as you and have had to wait (and in some cases are still waiting for) the full processing period (currently 8-9 months).

With regards to how Aus House seem to process the applications; they seem to go through the application upon receipt and get in touch if they need any further information, then wait for the police and medical checks to come through after 3 months of submission, and then your application just sits in the pile until your time comes around.

I hope I haven't sounded harsh with regards to your circumstances, but I just don't want you to get your hopes up.

Onshore and offshore processes are completely separate and the procedures for offshore processing seem to be a little different depending on where you submit to (ie UK or Canada etc).

 

Anyway best of luck with your upcoming move! I'm sure your OH's visa will come through just fine, albeit a bit more slowly than anticipated!

 

Cheers!

​Amanda

 

Hi Amanda & Tulip, I think that we are just going to have to disagree on this although I just want to point out that I don't think it's getting lucky and I'm not saying that everyone's application with kids will go through quicker than someone without. When I applied the last time (within Australia) it took 11 days from the day that they received our application to the date that it received final approval however I have friends who had applied without children (not at the same time as me) whose applications took 3 or 4 months and I put the difference in processing time down to having a child together being strong evidence of a genuine relationship. Couples that have no children however have been in long term relationships owning joint assets is also strong evidence but couples that have only been together for a year or two will probably be looked into more and therefore take longer to approve.

Tulip that's great news that you meet all requirements and I believe that depending on your case officers work load you won't have long to wait after your medical results and police checks come through for approval.

 

I wish you all the best of luck!

 

Nicky

[SkippyChick11]

Hey Nicky,

 

No bother at all!

 

Just keep in mind that onshore applications (which your previous one, was) and offshore applications (which your current application is) are processed completely differently.

 

If you go back in this thread a little and look at the posts by "Snifter", she seems to be in a similar situation to yourself with kids et.al.

​

Best of luck with it!

[Nikocs]

Medicals booked finally... Can't wait to get it out of the road and get a confirmation that everything is OK.....

[Tulip]

Wooo! I'm also looking forward to my medical next month Nickos, can't wait to get the all clear and 'Yes I have everything I need, you'll get your visa.' email.

[Tulip]

Thanks Nicky, my case was straight forward, been married a year and no kids, didn't have to provide very much evidence and only had a birth certificate to send on as further evidence. Obviously it would be really lovely to get it granted early but offshore times predict 8-9 months so I'm just going to stick to that as my time line and feel comforted that I know when it will come through. Just need to organise everything else instead now haha! I so wish I'd applied a year ago when it was 3 month waiting time but sadly times have moved up (as well as price of visas!) and it seems everyone has to wait 8-9 months, think LittleKitty got hers in 7 1/2 though which is fab!

 

Good luck, do hope it's sooner for you but I'm afraid off shore times are pretty specific. Snifter has a child and has been married a few years, hers is taking the same amount of time. x

[Nikocs]

My case is straight forward as well. We have been together for nearly 7 years and been married for 2 years. CO said I am qualified for the permanent visa, I hope it means if my medicals are fine I am good to go. Just getting everything sorted now. My medicals are also booked for the 13 of May :biggrin:.