Guest soopheh Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Hi guys, another question from me.. Still have a few months before my boyfriend and I have done our 12 months living together (end of Sep '11), but wanting to get organised as soon as possible. So I know about all the bits and pieces of 'evidence' etc that we can provide. Do we send all our supporting documents WITH our application at the end of September? Or are we requested to send them at a later date once we have a Case Officer? How about Police Checks and Medical Examinations - do we send them in with the application or after? Are these essential for every application or will we be asked to do them if needed? I understand that these are valid for 12 months (correct me if I'm wrong!), so if they are essential, can we just do them now to get them our of the way so we're ready when it comes to applying? ALSO how soon can we get stat decs and all that good stuff? Would love someone to dumb-down the whole process for me (i.e., what we submit with application, when we would get CO, what gets submitted later). Just want to get as much organised as we can in advance. Mostly so we can keep our money organised as it's gonna be a big job to save up enough for us, but also just so we're not rushing around in the last couple of weeks before we have to apply. Also a massive THANKS. :biggrin: This is my third post in just a few days, but this forum has been hugely helpful already, and we're right at the beginning of our journey. Seems like I'm spending all day every day browsing this forum, but I've definitely learnt a lot or helpful stuff in the last week or so, so thanks! :wubclub: Sophie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hels Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Yes you do need Mede and police checks doing. I started to prep my application 2 months before I could submit it, I have a box full over paperwork, pics, joint anything, cards etc etc totalling 2.4 kg I ordered this in year and month orderr I wrote my application out, as did my husband, we got every cert, got 4 state decs, font loaded police checks and meds, I did these about a month before we were due to apply. I posted it all recorded delivery and incl a saw and received it all back sighing 2 days as they scan it all and take out what they need. I ordered it as per the check list, I did not staple etc as they ask you not to They took the money, I got a co 2 weeks later, after 3 months I chased and was told one more month, I got it on that date they said. I then went to London and got the visa label and off I went to oz Meds and police checks are valid for a year so you can front load them if you want, the process isnt hard but takes a while and can be tricky at times, but if you take your time, it'll be fine. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest soopheh Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Excellent, thanks for that. Will probably get my police and medical checks out of the way then. So how about the authorised doctors that I can get to do my med exam. Does anyone have a link or a list of the doctors in Aus (QLD) that can do it? Also, does it matter what country it was done in (onshore/offshore?) as we are 90% sure we will apply onshore. But if I got my examinations done here in Aus and then decided to go home to UK and apply offshore, would I need to get it all done again or could I use my Aussie ones? Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hels Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 I don't know about onshore as I know that takes long to get the visa. There is a spouse visa thread and there is a link to panel docs on the otherwise it's included sighing the application pack, just takes abit of wading around the site to get the info. I think current offshore processings times are about 6-9 months but I believe it's costs more and takes longer when applied onshore. My uk police check took 2 weeks to come in and I booked my meds 2 weeks in advance I think police checks are required for anywhere you've lived in for over a year, but I again that's included within the forms and partner visa booklet Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest soopheh Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Thanks again. Yeah, I am aware that applying onshore is more expensive and generally more time consuming, but to be honest, flying back home to do it will work out more expensive when you consider the flight costs. I'll have a look at that spouse visa thread and see if I can dig out the link to the panel doctors - thanks for that. One last question (I think!). I was aware that I need a police check for each country I've been in for 12 months. If I get my police checks sorted out in advance, it will be before I've spent 12 months in Australia (will be exactly 12 months when I apply). Still okay to get my police check early? Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hels Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Now that's a tricky one, and I don't know , but I'd expect they may want a police check for oz as when you submit you will have been here a year, prob best to get one for everywhere you've livedfor a year Oh just apply and wait for the info to be requested can't fail then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llessur Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Oh man, my advice is do as much preparation now as possible! I thought I had it all highly organised and that, once the date came I would be able to get the app in within a couple of weeks. Well, that date came and went over a month ago and we're still messing around with stat decs and the last few bits of preparation in order to send it off. It's the small bits that seem to take so much time - and putting it all together, even though I thought I generally had it all together, can take sooooo much longer than expected. But then maybe I'm not as organised as I thought I was.... :wink: The only bit I wasn't sure about, and I'm still not, is whether it's OK to get the stat decs done, signed and dated before your 12 month period is up. I have a hunch it is fine but I didn't want to risk it so waited until the 12 month date arrived before asking people to fill them out. If someone can confirm it's OK to get these done before the 12 months is up then you should definitely do it. Should streamline things massively when the time finally comes to apply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Do be aware that they are quoting 6-9 months for the onshore processing times, so if you don't want to have to redo the meds and police check, best to leave it until less than three months before you're going to apply. Everything else you can start to do now. And yes you need an Australian police check. I'm pretty sure it is OK to get the stat decs done before the 12months are up (I did), since if the CO wants to know more about things since the stat decs were written, they can contact the people directly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest soopheh Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Perfect, thanks so much guys. It will be 3 months until application date at the end of this month, so I guess I will start getting everything together early July. (How far in advance would the medicals need to be booked in Brisbane, anyone know?) Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 don't know about Brisbane, but in Adelaide I could get an appointment the same week. Have a look on the Medibank site to see when the next appointments are https://visamedicals.medibankhealth.com.au/elma/iam/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest soopheh Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Great, thanks for being such a help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest emmblebee Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Hi Spoopheh, I agree, I'd do as much as possible as soon as possible - if only for your own sanity! I did my 820 back in 2009 and found starting really daunting. The immig' website was pretty unhelpful about what they expected to see and I'd read somewhere not to send folders or sleeves etc. and just couldn't fathom how on earth to categorise all this paper! In the end I used a ring binder with 6 sections: - Applications: 47sp & 40sp - Identity documents: applicant & sponsor - Financial information: sponsor - "Evidence of genuine & continuing relationship" further categorised with little tabs: * Stat dec's from myself & my partner * Evidence of shared accomodation, including periods of travel (certified passport stamps) * Evidence of joint finances * Evidence of jointly addressed correspondence * Photographs (dated, in chronological order) * Evidence of joint travel (inc. flights & hotel bookings) * Evidence of early & continued communication (we found some early, dated emails) - Statutory Declarations (from friends & family) - Health & character references. It sounds a bit complicated, but once I could tackle each section at a time, it made a lot more sense. And it was a lot easier for our poor pharmacist too, who only had to endure me turning up weekly with armfuls of paper to certify, rather than bombarding him with an entire tree in one hit. I put literally everything in, even Christmas cards and wedding invitations addressed to us both. Probably overkill, but I didn't want to leave any doubt that our relationship was genuine! Re.the Stat Dec's, I made a long list of people from both the UK and Australia, banking that half probably wouldn't get round to doing it. I'd def advise getting on to these sooner rather than later. I found it easier to tailor them to everyone, rather than bulk emailing: working out how long they'd each known us and suggesting specific things/events they may like to mention, so people didn't all say the same thing. Some people will be delighted to take the time and construct their own wonderful piece. Others will be full of good intentions but can't quite decide what they want to say, and will eventually just rehash what you write! I don't suggest you write it for them, but if they're going to the trouble of getting a passport copy certified, complete a form and posting it back to you, it should be as easy as possible! We got about 20 in the end, completely unnecessary, but thorough! I think I started 3 months before, although the first 6 weeks of that really were dithering and fretting if I'm honest! Get onto your medical and police checks early. Even though you can send them in later, I think it makes sense to present a complete application in the beginning. I'm not sure what other people do, but when I went in to lodge it, the officer was really impressed with the organisation. Make it as easy as possible for them to read (no plastic sleeves they have to remove things from) and they're sure to love you : ) Mine took 5 months to come through but come through it did, with no requests for additional info and no interview. I just have to tackle stage 2 now....! Best of luck, Em Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llessur Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Oh, not sure if you've seen it but this link's got some pretty helpful info it it: http://www.gotmyvisa.co.uk/2009/09/useful-email.html Especially the bit below: How Should I Put My Application Together? Please do not make complex collations of your application papers. We waste a lot of time (and risk injury to life and limb) deconstructing applications which have been extensively stapled or artfully put together in complex folders with indexes, dividers and tabs. Do not use plastic inserts. Please leave the papers, loosely divided by slide-on paper clips if you feel it is absolutely necessary, in a simple stack. Application form on the top; sponsorship form next; key personal documents next (birth and marriage certificates etc); formal statutory declarations next; and other supporting documents last. Please do not send us video tapes or photograph albums. If you would like to support your claims with photographs, please choose a representative selection and make a photocopy. Please do not send us phone cards at all as they can tell us nothing. If you wish to send examples of correspondence, please be very selective and send copies only. And also this bit about what does, and doesn't, need to be certified (might save you a bit of time and money): Do I send Originals or Copies of my Documents? We require originals of character clearances only. You should provide certified/notarised copies of key documents such as birth, marriage and divorce certificates. In all other cases provide simple photocopies of supporting documents such as rental agreements, bank statements, insurance documents and the like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest soopheh Posted June 3, 2011 Share Posted June 3, 2011 Wow, don't know what I would do without all your help! Thanks so much guys. Genuinely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.