Planned Marriage In Oz

[jwnchu66]

I will address this specifically for Bronco, as he's from Oz.

I wanted to address topics addressed in various threads, in one place. So apologies, if I'm repeating some things.

My Plan: My GF and I have been in a relationship for over 4 years now. Mostly long distance with regular visits by me to LOS. She has also visited Oz twice, 3 month visa issued each time. Have photos with family, friends and doctor's receipt of her time here.

Now we are serious about her settiling here. So I plan to bring her to Oz on another tourist visa of 3 months. Get married ASAP at the registry. Submit application thereafter to DIMA to get her PR. I believe I understand all the requirements about documentation, police and medical checks, etc.

Current Situation or History:

I financially support her with a monthly salary into her bank account. Have copies of EFT.

She got a bank loan and has since bought a house. Monthly mortgage payments.

Has a car, which is almost paid off this year. Also monthly repayments.

She was a BG when we met. But she has since been legitimate in jobs such as running a clothing stall with her family; she has most recently worked in an office job for several months, but has no document from employer. Has since left.

Now works in a family friends beauty salon. Friend will provide letter of employment if asked. Her brother-in-law (an expat Scot), is also willing to provide document of employment for her, but it is in bar/pub? I question how this may be viewed by DIMA.

GF will stay with my mother and I. The house is in Mum's name. Should I at least look at transferring this into my name? Or will a statement from my mother, suffice for place of abode?

Questions:

1. Is this a legitimate/legal thing to do? Obviously, when applying for the tourist visa in LOS, the reason is for another holiday..

I'm worried that you'd mentioned in another reply of DIMA frowning on this.

2. I also expect that if this were done and my, by now, 'wife' does not get her application approved before 3 months is up, she may have to go back to LOS. Is there any issues that she may face in trying to re-enter? Also what bureaucratic process does she need to go through in LOS to come back, assuming PR is eventually approved.

3. A longer term question - on the property she owns in LOS. This will be our retirement abode. I will service the debt, once she's in Oz. Is it advisable for her to keep her name, as in the Thai passport, ID card. Will there be issues with the property in future, if she chooses to take my name. I do not expect her to relinquish Thai citizenship, if not required to do so; and if it would make it easier to own and maintiain property in LOS.

What is your advice? I realise the risk that I have, in not having legal ownership of this house. I may consider establishing a private company to transfer the title, so that I have a t least some stake.

Thank you in advance for your advice.

[minbari73]

I will address this specifically for Bronco, as he's from Oz.

I ain't he, but I was in a similar situation with my TGF, now TW

I wanted to address topics addressed in various threads, in one place. So apologies, if I'm repeating some things.

My Plan: My GF and I have been in a relationship for over 4 years now. Mostly long distance with regular visits by me to LOS. She has also visited Oz twice, 3 month visa issued each time. Have photos with family, friends and doctor's receipt of her time here.

A third visitor visa may be difficult, possible though

Now we are serious about her settiling here. So I plan to bring her to Oz on another tourist visa of 3 months. Get married ASAP at the registry.

get photos! Our case worker especially wanted to see them

Submit application thereafter to DIMA to get her PR. I believe I understand all the requirements about documentation, police and medical checks, etc.

Any reason you aren't doing the prospective marriage visa ? If she is in LOS atm this would be a good way to go. You would of course have to send her the documentation.

Current Situation or History:

I financially support her with a monthly salary into her bank account. Have copies of EFT.

Good, keep them! Keep everything !

She got a bank loan and has since bought a house. Monthly mortgage payments.

Has a car, which is almost paid off this year. Also monthly repayments.

She was a BG when we met. But she has since been legitimate in jobs such as running a clothing stall with her family; she has most recently worked in an office job for several months, but has no document from employer. Has since left.

Now works in a family friends beauty salon. Friend will provide letter of employment if asked. Her brother-in-law (an expat Scot), is also willing to provide document of employment for her, but it is in bar/pub? I question how this may be viewed by DIMA.

Don't lie, but try to get as many statements from her previous employers as possible, translated to english - you don't have to mention the BG experience - just get to mention she was a cleaner or something The fact that she owns property, held you in good stead in getting her visitor visas all those times, meaning she had good reason to return -

GF will stay with my mother and I. The house is in Mum's name. Should I at least look at transferring this into my name? Or will a statement from my mother, suffice for place of abode?

When doing our PMV Statements from both parents were good in the eyes of our case worker at DIMIA - being in a similar situation to you

Questions:

1. Is this a legitimate/legal thing to do? Obviously, when applying for the tourist visa in LOS, the reason is for another holiday..

I'm worried that you'd mentioned in another reply of DIMA frowning on this.

2. I also expect that if this were done and my, by now, 'wife' does not get her application approved before 3 months is up, she may have to go back to LOS. Is there any issues that she may face in trying to re-enter? Also what bureaucratic process does she need to go through in LOS to come back, assuming PR is eventually approved.

That is why prospective marriage visa is good, gives 9 months to marry

3. A longer term question - on the property she owns in LOS. This will be our retirement abode. I will service the debt, once she's in Oz. Is it advisable for her to keep her name, as in the Thai passport, ID card. Will there be issues with the property in future, if she chooses to take my name.

Very likely, I've heard of this happening, not sure of the current situation

I do not expect her to relinquish Thai citizenship, if not required to do so; and if it would make it easier to own and maintiain property in LOS.

What is your advice? I realise the risk that I have, in not having legal ownership of this house. I may consider establishing a private company to transfer the title, so that I have a t least some stake.

Even then

Thank you in advance for your advice.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[jwnchu66]

I will address this specifically for Bronco, as he's from Oz.

I ain't he, but I was in a similar situation with my TGF, now TW

Thanks for your replies Minbari, further questions below please.

I wanted to address topics addressed in various threads, in one place. So apologies, if I'm repeating some things.

My Plan: My GF and I have been in a relationship for over 4 years now. Mostly long distance with regular visits by me to LOS. She has also visited Oz twice, 3 month visa issued each time. Have photos with family, friends and doctor's receipt of her time here.

A third visitor visa may be difficult, possible though

Is there some regulation that you know, which DIMA would not allow this?

Now we are serious about her settiling here. So I plan to bring her to Oz on another tourist visa of 3 months. Get married ASAP at the registry.

get photos! Our case worker especially wanted to see them

Yes I plan to have plety of pictures of the civil ceremony. Also take pictures everytime we're together.

Submit application thereafter to DIMA to get her PR. I believe I understand all the requirements about documentation, police and medical checks, etc.

Any reason you aren't doing the prospective marriage visa ? If she is in LOS atm this would be a good way to go. You would of course have to send her the documentation.

Main reason, I have been told by another mate who is married to a Thai lady in LOS, that DIMA has annual quotas on the Fiance category. Also I would prefer to be with her, as there are alot of documentation to organise. Bit of a control freak with me..

Current Situation or History:

I financially support her with a monthly salary into her bank account. Have copies of EFT.

Good, keep them! Keep everything !

She got a bank loan and has since bought a house. Monthly mortgage payments.

Has a car, which is almost paid off this year. Also monthly repayments.

She was a BG when we met. But she has since been legitimate in jobs such as running a clothing stall with her family; she has most recently worked in an office job for several months, but has no document from employer. Has since left.

Now works in a family friends beauty salon. Friend will provide letter of employment if asked. Her brother-in-law (an expat Scot), is also willing to provide document of employment for her, but it is in bar/pub? I question how this may be viewed by DIMA.

Don't lie, but try to get as many statements from her previous employers as possible, translated to english - you don't have to mention the BG experience - just get to mention she was a cleaner or something The fact that she owns property, held you in good stead in getting her visitor visas all those times, meaning she had good reason to return -

You misunderstood. The house was only recently bought. So, the fact that a bank would even give her a loan, I guess is a good thing. And yes, from memory, the first time we applied for a tourist visa, she was a nanny for her, now, brother-in-law.

I'm not sure if it would be possible to get a letter of employment from her office job, as she just left it.

GF will stay with my mother and I. The house is in Mum's name. Should I at least look at transferring this into my name? Or will a statement from my mother, suffice for place of abode?

When doing our PMV Statements from both parents were good in the eyes of our case worker at DIMIA - being in a similar situation to you

OK, then so I will draft a letter and get my Mum to sign it.

Questions:

1. Is this a legitimate/legal thing to do? Obviously, when applying for the tourist visa in LOS, the reason is for another holiday..

I'm worried that you'd mentioned in another reply of DIMA frowning on this.

2. I also expect that if this were done and my, by now, 'wife' does not get her application approved before 3 months is up, she may have to go back to LOS. Is there any issues that she may face in trying to re-enter? Also what bureaucratic process does she need to go through in LOS to come back, assuming PR is eventually approved.

That is why prospective marriage visa is good, gives 9 months to marry

3. A longer term question - on the property she owns in LOS. This will be our retirement abode. I will service the debt, once she's in Oz. Is it advisable for her to keep her name, as in the Thai passport, ID card. Will there be issues with the property in future, if she chooses to take my name.

Very likely, I've heard of this happening, not sure of the current situation

I do not expect her to relinquish Thai citizenship, if not required to do so; and if it would make it easier to own and maintiain property in LOS.

What is your advice? I realise the risk that I have, in not having legal ownership of this house. I may consider establishing a private company to transfer the title, so that I have a t least some stake.

Even then

Thank you in advance for your advice.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Pink Mist]

sorry for not replying sooner but work gets in the way of TV sometimes

bari73 makes some good points.

IMHO

A vistor visa is meant to be just that, a genuine visit to Oz, then return, I think the CW would take a dim view if you revealed your plan to get married in Oz and then apply for a spouse visa, effectively another visa would be require for her to stay.

The prospective spouse visa sounds like your best option to me, apply now and plan a visit to coincide with the interview.

The PR takes 2 years to be approved from time of lodgement of application of a spouse visa, I assume that would apply to prospective spouse as well, so the sooner you get it in the sooner it happens.

Changing her name on passport makes no difference to her house ownership status, the laws were changed a while ago to allow this.

If you have any more inquiries post them and I hope to get back quicker next time.

[jwnchu66]

sorry for not replying sooner but work gets in the way of TV sometimes

bari73 makes some good points.

IMHO

A vistor visa is meant to be just that, a genuine visit to Oz, then return, I think the CW would take a dim view if you revealed your plan to get married in Oz and then apply for a spouse visa, effectively another visa would be require for her to stay.

The prospective spouse visa sounds like your best option to me, apply now and plan a visit to coincide with the interview.

The PR takes 2 years to be approved from time of lodgement of application of a spouse visa, I assume that would apply to prospective spouse as well, so the sooner you get it in the sooner it happens.

Changing her name on passport makes no difference to her house ownership status, the laws were changed a while ago to allow this.

If you have any more inquiries post them and I hope to get back quicker next time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Bronco, I'm now convinced about going down the Fiance Visa path. A couple of more questions if I may:

1. Translation and certification of supporting documents in Thailand. The people qualified to do so, are they the same as in Oz - lawyers, doctors, JP, CPA, bank managers?

Also, as far as the translation of these if needed - does this need to be in a specific format, like a stat dec or is it just a literal document, which then gets certified. How many copies of each do you advise to prepare? I have been told by others, have at least 2-3 copies handy.

2. In your experience, which of the above persons did you use? Is one more accessible that another?

3. In providing evidence of relationship, I'm sending photos, financial statements, phone records, stat decs from relations and friends. Apart from stat decs which are certified anyways, do any of the other things need to be?

And if any of the documents are not date stamped, should I write the date and occasion to support these?

4. Also I got a form from this site for the stat decs to use - is it preferable to have these handwritten? I was just going to type up the wording myself and just get people to sign them.

5. Finally I'm going over in October. So how long before then should the application be submitted? Would a month before be adequate? As I need to pre-book the flight, I want to ensure that I timed it to when the interview will take place.

Ahh I'm stressing...bureacracy and so many thing to prepare..

Thanks

[Pink Mist]

The only place you can get a stat dec signed in Los is at the Embassy, you won't find a JP in LOS.

Use an approved translation service a list is available from the embassy.

Don't send your evidence bring it with you to the interview, get your GF to organise an interview for october, if thats when you are coming, we had to wait 3 months for an interview so take that into consideration when applying.

Very important get that book "Partner Migration" available from the link at the head of this topic.