Processing Time For Spouse Visa To Australia.

[david96]

Anyone know the processing time for a spouse visa to Australia? This would be based on time from when the application is submitted to when the visa is issued and that all paperwork is correct and she passes all interviews,in other words you "get it right the first time"

"Those who fail to plan plan to fail"

[wozza]

David

Make an appointment at the Embassy when you have everything in place in your application rather than using the visa centre

Then you can lodge the application as the same time she has the interview

In my case recently and in at least one other i know of it was granted in 24 hours (Last month)

I was prepared for a 3 month wait which was has been the norm for spouse visas but if you have every detail covered who knows?

Good luck

[david96]

Thanks for the info,any problem getting an appointment with the Embassy, Iwas of the impression that allvisa applications had to go through VFS.

[Mighty Mouse]

Ensure that she has had her medical check up and obtained her police clearance before submitting your papers.

From what other posters have said, you can hand over all your papers at the interview. If your application is strong and does not require any follow up inquiries, you may be fortunate enough to have the application approved within 24 hours.

[gburns57au]

Get your paperwork together and complete....get you Meds And Police done...then call the Embassy and ask for an interview....from what we have heard you can lodge everything at the interview and you will get a quick decision,

You can still go the old way if you feel that suits you better...the time span for this seems to have dropped from 4.5 months down to about 6 weeks.

[Momo8]

Spouse visa

If you are married to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, or have been in a defacto relationship (common law) with one for at least 12 months, you may be eligible for immigration by obtaining a Spouse Visa to Australia. Your spouse may sponsor you for a period of two years. After this, if the relationship is still genuine and continuing, you may be eligible for permanent residence.

Requirements

In order to be eligible for a spouse visa to Australia, you must fulfill the following requirements:

You and your spouse have a commitment to a shared life as husband and wife, whether or not you are legally married, to the exclusion of all others.

Your relationship is genuine and continuing.

You and your spouse live together, or don't live separately and apart on a permanent basis.

Unless you are legally married, you must have been in a spouse relationship for the last 12 months, which usually involves showing that you have lived together during this period

Generally, you both need to be aged 18 or over.

You must pass health and character criteria.

Spouse visa

If you are married to an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, or have been in a defacto relationship (common law) with one for at least 12 months, you may be eligible for immigration by obtaining a Spouse Visa to Australia. Your spouse may sponsor you for a period of two years. After this, if the relationship is still genuine and continuing, you may be eligible for permanent residence.

More information on www.immi.gov.au "The Department of Immigration and Citizenship'

Correct me if I'm wrong but I assume this is what you are applying for David and not a "spouse tourist/visa". The "spouse visa" process for immigration takes a long time to process around 10 months! I've never heard on anyone getting one in 24 hours or a few days! 10 months is what it took to obtain a 'spouse visa' for my husband a very long drawn out,frustrating and expensive process.

There is no 'new way' to obtaining this visa.You fill in the necessary forms,pay the fees and the case officer will contact you.Keep the pressure on them and keep a record of all telephone conversations,e-mails,interviews.

Edited February 7, 2007 by Momo8

[aussiestyle1983]

Less than 24 hours for my wife.

Applied on a Monday afternoon at the Embassy without an interview.

Phone call recieved and visa approved Tuesday morning.

[Momo8]

Totally amazing! Are we talking spouse immigration here?

[Momo8]

Partner Visa Options

If you are outside Australia

Partners of Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or eligible New Zealand citizens may apply to enter and/or remain permanently in Australia. Partners include:

people intending to get married

married (de jure) partners

de facto partners

interdependent partners (including those in a same sex relationship).

Spouse Temporary Visa (Subclass 309) and Permanent Visa (Subclass 100)

For people from overseas to enter and stay in Australia with their partner, who must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. If two years after you apply the spousal relationship is ongoing, a permanent visa may be granted.

Prospective Marriage Visa (Subclass 300)

For people from overseas to enter Australia, marry their fiance(e), who must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. Once married, holders of this visa can then apply to remain permanently in Australia.

Interdependency Temporary Visa (Subclass 310) and Permanent Visa (Subclass 110)

For people from overseas to enter and stay in Australia with their partner, who must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. If two years after you apply, the interdependent relationship is ongoing, a permanent visa may be granted. This visa is generally for people in a same sex relationship.

[wozza]

I've never heard on anyone getting one in 24 hours or a few days!

Well Momo

As I said in My previous post My wife got hers within 24 hours and Aussiestyle even quicker

Times have changed

[Momo8]

Wozza and Aussiestyle congratulations then, but just clarify if this is an immigration visa for temporary/permanent residence status or is this a family visit type visa. The name of the department has recently changed but from my experience and from others as well all in the last two years it TOOK A BLOODY LONG TIME!

I wonder if nationality has anything to do with it? My husband is Chinese and friends with Chinese partners also went through the v-e-r-y long process.Having children together and being married for a reasonable amout of time did not speed up the process.

[wozza]

Spouse Temporary Visa (Subclass 309) and Permanent Visa (Subclass 100)

For people from overseas to enter and stay in Australia with their partner, who must be an Australian citizen, Australian permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen. If two years after you apply the spousal relationship is ongoing, a permanent visa may be granted.

Above is the visa that we applied for

All cases are different Momo but they have speeded up the process at the Bangkok Embassy

[aussiestyle1983]

This was a spouse visa lodged afew months ago an the Oz Embassy in Bangkok.

Now my wife can enter Australia any time she likes and live and work there permanently, as long as she follows the rules of the visa it will lead to PR and citizenship one day.

My advice:

Lodge at the Embassy, dont waste your time at the VFS building.

Only lodge a complete application.

Include all the possible evidence of relationship items you can get.

When you give your application to your case officer, show them respect.

So if your relationship is genuine and you lodge a complete and convincing application and show resepct to your case officer, they will apprieciate it and most likely approve the visa quicker to they can move onto the next case. By not giving all the required doccuments, it will take alot longer and your application will be slowed down. If you lodge at the embassy, you and your partner can see your case officer and they will be able to see the two of you together and answer your questions, an interview may not even be required, but if you lodge at the VFS, you will have alot of un-answered questions and you will most likely need to go to the embassy for an interview at a later date anyway.

Good Luck.

[wozza]

Very sound advise from Aussiestyle

Good luck David with your application

[Momo8]

Mmmmmmmmmmmm well we applied in Shanghai and friends went to Beijing to get it and was around a ten month wait.Must be China.Good to know they have speeded up the process in the last two years though,it was fast becoming a case of "Australia! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME".

[smacko]

can you apply for the Prospective Marriage Visa at the Embassy or does it have to go through to VFS?

[Mighty Mouse]

can you apply for the Prospective Marriage Visa at the Embassy or does it have to go through to VFS?

Click here for visa application lodging alternatives.

[david96]

The Australian Embassy website states "Migration visas 3 months"

To me this would indicate the max processing time depending on how complex the application was (for example children from a previous relationship) which in case of my wife does not apply.

[gburns57au]

Smacko.....applying for a prospective spouse visa and a spouse visa is exactly the same.

David96.... The Embassy site used to say 9 months and they were being done in four and a half months.....Now it says 3 months ???

Of course an incomplete or even a poor quality application will take a longer time.

[aussiestyle1983]

3 months is the average waiting time you should expect. If you lodeg a complete application that you have put alot of effort into and is well presented, it might take less that 3 months.

[david96]

Thankyou for all the info. The main reason one asked is that I will be in Thailand for 2 months this time so I can make sure the application forms are correctly filled in and all the correct documentation is supplied.

I do not want so called "migration agents" to be involved as they can cause cosiderable problems. This is where a lot of the delays originate.