Partner Visas

[Cynless in Seattle]

Looking at the Aussie Immigration website, it looks like you can apply for a partner visa while overseas, move to Oz while it's processing then make a quick trip out of the country when its approved so it can be granted. Can anyone tell me if that's true? Sure would be nice not to have to wait around here for Immigration to do their thing, but seems too good to be true.

[tanya]

i believe thats true. if you apply offshore, you have to be offshore for the visa to be activated. a lot of americans go to either new zealand or bali.
try http://yanksdownunder.net/index/ heaps of americans on there have made the move to australia with their australian partners.

[Cynless in Seattle]

Thanks Tanya. I forgot about Yanks Down Under.

[bellebird]

My hubby had a previous work visa so he came in on that and he applied for PR from here. It was a fairly painless process compared to me moving to the US.

[J&JP]

Hi Cyn - I am pretty sure that is how it works. If you go and join Yanks Down Under and ask, you will get some great info. I guess the only caveat would be that your husband would not be able to work or get Medicare while waiting for his visa.

When are you guys thinking of moving back? Where in Oz will you live?

Good luck!

[Sharon]

Hey Cyn - I am so far behind the news! When are you guys planning to move back? D and I are moving back in November this year and I cant wait - just begining the partner visa process now (got distracted by an 8 week visit from my Mum).

Yes, you can apply offshore and be in Australia during processing - but you have to be offshore when they approve it (and yes, a few people on YDU have done this).

[Ginnie]

Wow, I'm behind the times, too. When are you moving, Cyn?

[Sharon]

BTW it only takes 3-4 months to get an offshore visa approved by the embassy in Washington DC (vs up to a year onshore). If you guys arent moving till the end of the year you have plenty of time.

The biggest delay right now is the FBI Criminal History (Background) Check - its currently taking about 8-12 weeks.

Here's my estimated timeline for an offshore partner visa:
Apply for FBI check mid-April 2012
Start getting Stat Decs from family and friends in Oz mid-April 2012
Submit partner visa appliation early June 2012 (probably including FBI and Medical frontloaded)
Estimated approval date end October 2012
Move November 2012

You have to be outside of Australia when the offshore visa is approved and you have 12 months from the date of the criminal check or medical examine (whichever comes first) to enter Australia.

So I'm estimating that the earliest we can go is the end of October and the latest would be April 2013.

[Sharon]

Oh and the fee is quite a bit cheaper if you apply from the US rather than wait till you get to Australia - about $2000 vs $3000 IIR.

[Cynless in Seattle]

Thanks Sharon. We decided to do the visa crap from this side of the pond. Sounds like we should do the FBI check before anything else. All we have done so far is talk to our vet about what we need to do to get Coulee ready for the move...

[Sharon]

Thanks Sharon. We decided to do the visa crap from this side of the pond. Sounds like we should do the FBI check before anything else. All we have done so far is talk to our vet about what we need to do to get Coulee ready for the move...

We sent an FBI background check request in around mid-April and they charged the credit card mid-May - I've heard the results are usually back within two weeks of the credit card charge - so they may be a bit quicker at the moment. You can send your application in without the FBI check - just add a note that it has been requested and will be forwarded once it is received - they are aware of the delays in getting the background checks done.

We've lagged so much on the application itself (partly because we needed info from D's family - and since they dont know we are applying it was hard to dig out the info!) that we will probably have the background check back before we submit.

On the vet front - let me know if you have any questions. We had Gordo's titre test done on April 17 and sent to the Kansas State University Rabies Lab. I had to do a lot of hand holding with my vet to make sure she got it right. My vet is a Government Approved Vet (or whatever the term is) which basically means they have to be USDA accredited. Call the USDA in your state to confirm your vet is USDA accredited. The USDA wont provide names of vets who are accredited (something silly about not endorsing a private entity????) but if you call with a name they will let you know if they are accredited and give you their accreditation/license number.

We just got word that the test was successful and I am waiting for the titre test/FAVN test/RNATT official results so I can send them to the USDA for endorsement (along with a copy of the most recent rabies vaccine certificate). THEN I can apply for an import permit from AQIS.

One of the hardest things for me has been working out the different terminology between countries!

Good luck! Let me know if I can help in any way.

[Tash]

FBI check took I think 13 weeks for us.............. so get a jump on all that.

[Sharon]

FBI check took I think 13 weeks for us.............. so get a jump on all that.

Tash - how long did the actual application for a visa take? I remember Matt had to wait and come a little bit after you.

I'm still procrastinating on the app (I think I'm going overboard with the proof of "genuine and continuing" relationship as we are de facto) and hope to have it sent in mid-June with a plan to move mid-November (5 months) but I think I might be cutting it a bit fine!

[Tash]

Hey! I should have noted this, but we think the last week of March we sent of the FBI check We included a note, that we really wanted to have it by June 8th. We ended up getting mid July. The State check was fast, it was the other one that took about 13 weeks.

Per a conversation we had with immigration. We submitted Matt's immigration and the girls citizenship at the same time together. That way they could see what we were doing. The only things that were missing from Matt's app were the FBI and the medical [you have to wait for instructions for that] We sent this in on June 29th -- The girls citizenship was lodged on June 30th, and on July 5th I received an email saying the girls citizenship had been approved, and instructions on how to get the certificates. June 30th, the bank account was debited for Matt's visa and the girls citizenship. This worked out well, as the price went up July 1st.

On July 14th Matt received an email confirming that his application for migration has been received. In that email it states that the FBI is taking 13-16 weeks. It also lists where to get medical from. I would suggest waiting to get the medical after you submit, so that you have a case number and officer. [which will be stated in the conformation email] because, when Matt got his medical done, they asked if he had a case number and officer, and I just wonder if that speeds things along? I don't know.
By the end of July, we had sent the FBI, the 888 forms and the medical had been sent in.
Oct 21 we were asked to send both the girls notarized birth certificates {which they already had} but we were able to get them in the mail that same day. Oct. 25 email confirming approval. Matt came out mid Dec.

sorry so long winded!

[Cynless in Seattle]

We've been going back and forth on a lot of things and now are thinking we are going to do the visa for Ron when we get to Oz. Reading the YDU forums it looks like Aussie Immigration are a lot easier to work with than the US equivalent (no idea what they call themselves at the moment). Nice to have the choice of doing the paperwork at either end.

[Sharon]

We've been going back and forth on a lot of things and now are thinking we are going to do the visa for Ron when we get to Oz. Reading the YDU forums it looks like Aussie Immigration are a lot easier to work with than the US equivalent (no idea what they call themselves at the moment). Nice to have the choice of doing the paperwork at either end.

Hey Cyn - what is your reason for waiting till you get to Oz to apply?

I'm definitely a proponent of doing the visa application before you leave for Oz for the following reasons:

Cost - lodging outside of Australia costs AU$1995, lodging within Australia AU$2,960 (not sure if this includes medicals in Oz though) and since we have a guaranteed income here it just seems easier than having to fork out the money if we dont have jobs
Time - process takes 3-5 months via the Australian Embassy in Washington DC and a case officer is assigned within weeks. From what I can tell on YDU it can take a year if done from within Australia (although immi.gov says the wait times are the same 6-8 months).
Convenience - with a visa you qualify for medicare and other residents rights straight away. Since you have been married more than 3 years you will qualify for a Permanent Resident Visa and bypass the temporary - which means Ron will be able to get jobs easier (I've heard some anecdotal info about employers shying away from "temporary" residents and those on bridging visas) and if he wants to study he will pay resident rates
Access to info - you will need FBI checks (valid for one year from date of issue) and state background checks from the US, you have all the paperwork you need here now, if you do it in Oz you will have to remember to take everything you need with you (and if my experience is normal that will be a lot of paper)

Just my 2 cents.

We are THIS close to lodging D's visa app - got the FBI letter last week (took only 7 weeks - which is quick) and hope to get the state background check this Friday - and if so we will be sending the application off to DC!

We are on track to move in mid-November as long as there isnt a hiccup with the application.

[Cynless in Seattle]

Hey Cyn - what is your reason for waiting till you get to Oz to apply?.

Basically I just don't have what it takes to get the application together on this end Sharon. When we get to Oz we will be staying with my Dad so won't have a huge amount of expenses and I will be able to pick up some work with family or friends. Hubby hasn't worked since the car accidents over 3 years ago so him not being allowed to work in Oz is no biggie.

Who knows though, maybe I'll get it together enough to have everything we need and file before we leave. Either way we are planning to be back in Oz in January 2013.

[Sharon]

BTW it only takes 3-4 months to get an offshore visa approved by the embassy in Washington DC (vs up to a year onshore). If you guys arent moving till the end of the year you have plenty of time.

The biggest delay right now is the FBI Criminal History (Background) Check - its currently taking about 8-12 weeks.

Here's my estimated timeline for an offshore partner visa:
Apply for FBI check mid-April 2012
Start getting Stat Decs from family and friends in Oz mid-April 2012
Submit partner visa appliation early June 2012 (probably including FBI and Medical frontloaded)
Estimated approval date end October 2012
Move November 2012

You have to be outside of Australia when the offshore visa is approved and you have 12 months from the date of the criminal check or medical examine (whichever comes first) to enter Australia.

So I'm estimating that the earliest we can go is the end of October and the latest would be April 2013.

I thought I was way behind schedule but I guess not.

We got the FBI check back last week (only took 7 weeks not 12) so we applied for the CA state background last weekend (should only take a week), the application (all two inches off it!) is nearly done, a few docs to get notarized, passport photos this weekend, make a copy of the whole thing and hopefully have it in the mail on Monday June 11!

We will see!

[Sinn]

I thought I was way behind schedule but I guess not.

We got the FBI check back last week (only took 7 weeks not 12) so we applied for the CA state background last weekend (should only take a week), the application (all two inches off it!) is nearly done, a few docs to get notarized, passport photos this weekend, make a copy of the whole thing and hopefully have it in the mail on Monday June 11!

We will see!

Good luck Sharon :)

[Cynless in Seattle]

Sounds like you are right on track Sharon! That is great!

[bellebird]

Sharon I am not sure you actually get to bypass the temporary visa. We were already here and hubby was on his work visa, but were married for over three years and had two kids when hubby applied. From everything we read we thought he got to bypass the temporary visa but we were told that everyone gets it. You just dont have to pay for the permanent visa on top of it if you meet the criteria. You are right about the jobs situation. Hubby applied for a prison job and at interview they said they would check his visa and because it was temporary he wasn't eligible. It was a very easy process and we weren't in a hurry so we applied in April 2010 and he had his visa by June 2010 on the day we left for the US again for holidays. Our case manager was in the Darwin office and she was great and delivered on all promises on time. In April he got the paperwork for the permanent visa and sent it off. We had it back by May.