Prospective Marriage Visa For Australia

[smacko]

Hi guys,

Being 23 most of my friends are single and partying, or with their high school gf's.... so i dont really have anyone else to relate to whos going through this type of relationship and life change... i just wanta get our future together started and be as happy as we both think we will be. So thanks for taking the time to read this and my last post.

My girlfriend was granted a TS (12month ME) and will be arriving for a 2 week holiday in march. (would be good if she could stay longer, but needs to return to her job (which at this point with both want her to keep). Anyways the trip will be to meet my family and friends and see what life is like in Melbourne and for her to try and decide if she could live here (gona be pretty hard to decide in such a short time, but i guess its better then nothing).

Anyways, our next step is to go for a Prospective Marriage Visa, as we have thought it through and there really isn't another option (she doesn't want to holiday here (either to i) for 12months ME, then apply for de-facto, and i dont want her working illegally).

We have talked about marriage and it is something with both want, only due to the visa options this will happen sooner then we planned.

We will have all we need to submit a strong application (as our relationship is very genuine, we talk on the phone for at least an 1hr a day) but i'm just got a few questions and need some advice.

1. Prospective Marriage Visa has to be applied for while she is in BKK correct? (shame she can't some here for 3months first and have it approved here).

2. I would like my gf to arrive (with PMV) in about 8months time, i've read the process takes 4-6months, once the visa is granted does she need to arrive in AUS within a certain time frame?

3. Should she have any documents translated (eg id card, passport, birth cert etc) in BKK, then we can get them certed by my local JP. just thinking of things we can do while she's here, so they has less to do at her end once she returns. Or can you just photocopy id and passport and JP them, and only need to translate birth cert?

4. Can we open a joint bank account with her on a TS? (will call my bank today) would this be something worth doing for the application?

5. Now the letter about how we met, how much detail needs to go into that? i wrote a stat dec for the TS stating we were introduced to by a mutual friend and the date. (do i need to state the area and place that we met?). Unfortunately we are both no longer friends with this person so we wont be asking her for a letter. I'm not sure if that will effect the application.. we will have stat decs from my family/friends/work colleges/my doctor and friends/family on her side.

6. Can her friends/family just write letters and sign them? or do they need to be certed like the stat decs i'll get?

7. Can my gf write a stat dec about our relationship and have it JP'd here instead of in thailand (even though we will be applying some months later?)

8. Do i need to refer to my gf as my fiancée when i write about her? i haven't got down on my knee and asked her to marry me, but we have talked about it to great lengths and if everything goes well with obviously be married within the 9months period.

9. Can anyone think of any other paper work we should prepare while she is in OZ to help the process?

10. Any other hints or advice you can give to help with the application?

Thanks again guys

[the scouser]

Topic title edited to identify the country for which the visa is to be sought.

Scouse.

[gburns57au]

1. Prospective Marriage Visa has to be applied for while she is in BKK correct? (shame she can't some here for 3months first and have it approved here).

Basically yes, There is a ruling that states that a more substantive visa will not be granted while a tourist visa is in force. To me that means that she cant apply for a spouse visa while she is here, as it seems to me that it is only in force when she is here. The ruling is also that she must be in the country of application when the visa is granted.

2. I would like my gf to arrive (with PMV) in about 8months time, i've read the process takes 4-6months, once the visa is granted does she need to arrive in AUS within a certain time frame?

We have in recent times seen visas issued within a 6 week period, I would suggest that this would be a complete and quality application. Yes she will need to arrive prior to the date set by the Embassy, this can vary according to the application date and the grant date.

3. Should she have any documents translated (eg id card, passport, birth cert etc) in BKK, then we can get them certed by my local JP. just thinking of things we can do while she's here, so they has less to do at her end once she returns. Or can you just photocopy id and passport and JP them, and only need to translate birth cert?

All documents must be certified copies and all Thai documents must be translated to English. How you do this is up to you. There have been threads here previously on the certification of documents.

4. Can we open a joint bank account with her on a TS? (will call my bank today) would this be something worth doing for the application?

This is up to your bank....with mine I opened a CC account in my name and made her an additional card holder...the bank merely needed to open a file for her.

5. Now the letter about how we met, how much detail needs to go into that? i wrote a stat dec for the TS stating we were introduced to by a mutual friend and the date. (do i need to state the area and place that we met?). Unfortunately we are both no longer friends with this person so we wont be asking her for a letter. I'm not sure if that will effect the application.. we will have stat decs from my family/friends/work colleges/my doctor and friends/family on her side.

A lot of this information is asked for on the forms...you will need to do 2 applications, one for her and one for yourself as a sponsor. Go into as much detail as required

6. Can her friends/family just write letters and sign them? or do they need to be certed like the stat decs i'll get?

Some conjecture on this, the forms and the partner migration booklet gives the minimum requirements, suggest you read them both. I would suggest a Stat Dec where possible as it is a legal document...others say that a letter is sufficient... but always meet the minimum requirements.

7. Can my gf write a stat dec about our relationship and have it JP'd here instead of in thailand (even though we will be applying some months later?)

I dont see why not, as long as it is in English or a translation will be required....any more than 12 months old and I would probably make a new one.

8. Do i need to refer to my gf as my fiancée when i write about her? i haven't got down on my knee and asked her to marry me, but we have talked about it to great lengths and if everything goes well with obviously be married within the 9months period.

I dont think it matters how you address this, but I always refer to my girl as "the applicant"

9. Can anyone think of any other paper work we should prepare while she is in OZ to help the process?

There are some thing that she will have to there...other things you maybe able to do and send them to her with your completed 40SP form and supporting docs...

10. Any other hints or advice you can give to help with the application?

Yes....a quality application will beat a quantity application....For instance you dont need to submit years and years of phone bills detailing every single call....submit a comprehensive representation of the phone calls. You dont need to give them every photo you have but rather a reasonable sample of pics taken over time.

Try to ensure that you have covered all the bases before you submit the applications. And dont tell even little porkies to the Embassy

Thanks again guys

No Wuckers...

[pgs]

Smacko,

We went though this not too long back & found it MUCH easier to do it all through Oz Embassy BKK. Where do you plan to marry - AU or TH?

If you marry in TH, apply there during a visit to TH, it will save you heaps. There are a number of 'official translators' around Silom Rd & Sathon Tai Rd (where the embassy is). Bear in mind you will only have mornings to do this.

You will need to keep any:

boarding passes

letters / emails (hit reply & print showing dates & addresses)

phone cards

phone bills showing calls to TH

Photos of you together - pref with date on. Write the location on the back.

All of the papers you need are on the dima site (http://www.immi.gov.au/). We were told to expect it to take 2 years from when we applied, so were surprised when it was done in 9 months. Have her get a new passport in TH before getting the visa put in.

Replacement TH passports for her are cheaper to do when she visits home than to have done here (by about 1/2).

If Aust Citizenship is on your agenda for later, consider that she may have to relinquish any house / land or sign 1/2 over to a family member.

To make things a bit quicker for you at AU end, be sure to have phone / electric / gas bills in both names as you will need to show later that she is living with you. Bank account can be opened with her name when she has the residency visa. If it is done during the first 6 weeks in AU, she will only need a passport for ID. After 6 weeks she will need the full 100 points of ID, so get in early.

Not sure about VIC, but in NSW residents that don't drive can get an ID card from the RTA (Passport & POA). This is far better than having to carry the passport around.

Letters: we had letters done by friends and signed by a JP.

If your lady lives near BKK, she could go to the embassy & get the details or call them

37 South Sathorn Road, Bangkok - Telephone: 02 344 6300 - Fax: 02 344 6593

Any bags & mobile phones are left with security, so avoid carrying what is not essential.

If we can be of any further help, please email. I promise not to bite. ;-)

My wife is asking where in TH your lady is from.

[pgs]

forgot to mention - even though you're filling in the forms and paying for it all, the Embassy doesn't have to give you any info - only to the visa recipriant. Very frustrating when they talk Thai between themselves, she can't properly explain what's happening & the emabassy staff don't have to.

[gburns57au]

Smacko,

We went though this not too long back & found it MUCH easier to do it all through Oz Embassy BKK. Where do you plan to marry - AU or TH?

All of the papers you need are on the dima site (http://www.immi.gov.au/). We were told to expect it to take 2 years from when we applied, so were surprised when it was done in 9 months. Have her get a new passport in TH before getting the visa put in.

If Aust Citizenship is on your agenda for later, consider that she may have to relinquish any house / land or sign 1/2 over to a family member.

Some things that I would contest and it indicates that not too long back was further than you realise....

It is advised by the Embassy that all visa applications should be done through the VFS office near Surasat BTS station. (more than 1 year now.)

Any property owned by the wife prior to marriage she can keep, If she retains her Thai citizenship...she needs to keep her Thai passport for this...She can purchase further properties. (this is at least 2 years ago)

It has been a long time since I heard of any application taking 9 months unless there was a problem with the application....it was generally accepted that an application for a spouse visa or a PSV would take between 3 and 4.5 months...this has now changed and reports given to this board suggest that 6 weeks to 2 months would be the guide for a good application. (this was in the last 6 months)

[smacko]

pgs:

as i'm going for a prospective marriage visa, i'm planning on marrying in australia. if i have to be married either way, then it may aswell be after 9months in australia so we at least have SOME time to live to together and see how it all works.

my gf is from just outside of bkk, about 15mins past Don Mueang on the expressway.

thanks for all the tips

i dont have old boarding passes, but for the TS i just got all the pages in my passport with stamps photostac. which i will do again and mention in my letter.

btw, She will be applying from BKK and i'll be in Melbourne during the process.. i dont plan to visit thailand again before she has the visa granted.

gburns57au:

Maybe at some point we will be returning to thailand.. so i would like her to have the option to buy property in her own country (maybe we might retire there who knows?)

So do i have this correct;

if she gets PR and retain her thai passport she can still buy property?

if she gets aus citizenship, she will loose her thai citizenship??

Thanks for the heads up on the possible time frames...

I guess i need to have a good think about whens the right time to put in the application.. after she holidays here, i will need about 6months to get ready for her return.. plan to rent my apartment and find somewhere else for us to live, and maybe return to my folks place for a few months between to help save some extra dollars.

Does anyone know for sure, how long after the visa is granted, she will be required to enter australia? i guess i will need to contact the embassy about that..

For all the additional info do provide in the application (cert copies of this and that, proof of relationship.. what the best way to present it... for the TS i just made cover pages that explained what the info was. for. i think thats a good enough way??

thanks guys.

[pgs]

The Oz embassy in BKK doesn't take credit card or cash - she'll have to front up with a bank cheque for the full amount. I think it's about 3 months from issue to the last date of dirst entry to AU.

AU Citizenship should cost her Thai citizenship & lose the passport. There are apparently underhand ways around this, but I'm not sure of the consequenses if/when caught - can't imagine they'll be fun.

Rules change all the time. In Thailand, you're at the whim of the person you see.

[Mighty Mouse]

Regarding dual citizenship, read this link.

[gburns57au]

The Oz embassy in BKK doesn't take credit card or cash - she'll have to front up with a bank cheque for the full amount. I think it's about 3 months from issue to the last date of dirst entry to AU.

AU Citizenship should cost her Thai citizenship & lose the passport. There are apparently underhand ways around this, but I'm not sure of the consequenses if/when caught - can't imagine they'll be fun.

Rules change all the time. In Thailand, you're at the whim of the person you see.

The VFS office will provide you with a bank cheque for the visa fee...a service charge of about 428 baht (I think) can be accepted in cash if the correct amount is tendered.

From what we have been able to work out here and this is not iron clad...the time for entry into Oz is 12 months from the lodgement date...if it takes 3 months for approval then you have 9 months left for her to come here from the date of grant.

After reading MM's link...it would appear that She would not lose her Thai citizen status or passport if she becomes an Oz citizen. This is in line with what I have said before...as long as she maintains her Thai Passport she can enter Thailand as a Thai citizen....not illegal and done by many people. My mate does it on his UK passport all the time.

[gburns57au]

gburns57au:

Maybe at some point we will be returning to thailand.. so i would like her to have the option to buy property in her own country (maybe we might retire there who knows?)

So do i have this correct;

if she gets PR and retain her thai passport she can still buy property?

if she gets aus citizenship, she will loose her thai citizenship??

She can retain her Thai citizenship if she becomes an Oz Citizen

Thanks for the heads up on the possible time frames...

I guess i need to have a good think about whens the right time to put in the application.. after she holidays here, i will need about 6months to get ready for her return.. plan to rent my apartment and find somewhere else for us to live, and maybe return to my folks place for a few months between to help save some extra dollars.

Does anyone know for sure, how long after the visa is granted, she will be required to enter australia? i guess i will need to contact the embassy about that..

I mentioned this in another post

For all the additional info do provide in the application (cert copies of this and that, proof of relationship.. what the best way to present it... for the TS i just made cover pages that explained what the info was. for. i think thats a good enough way??

What they dont want is a lever arch file with pages in individual plastic covers...

a loose leaf file is great..even a couple of large envelopes would suffice.

What I would do is keep relevent pages together in whatever way you choose to lodge it....Her papers and documents separate from yours, finance separate from personal papers. etc...Stat decs together. Cover pages are not necessary but you could use dividers and have those little stick-ons with the relevant info on them. However in the end it is upto you how you present it....what is more important is the content.

thanks guys.

[smacko]

From what we have been able to work out here and this is not iron clad...the time for entry into Oz is 12 months from the lodgement date...if it takes 3 months for approval then you have 9 months left for her to come here from the date of grant.

okay. so i guess i need to be setup and ready for her arrival at the time the visa is granted as the 9month clock is ticking.. okay.. so we'll apply for the visa about 3months before i'm ready for her to land.. sounds about right going what everyone has said.

thanks again

[aussiebob]

Can also pay visa application fee at nearest immigration office ( City or Dandenong). Keep white copy of receipt and attach pink copy to 40SP form

[smacko]

good news, my girlfriend is no longer happy with her job and will be quitting before arriving in Australia.

so now her 2 week holiday has changed to 6 weeks! which will give her a much better opportunity to decide on whether she wants to make the permeant move to Australia..

I'm very happy about it