Clarification On Applying For Australian Spouse Visa

[smquinlan]

Hello all,

I've been here in Thailand for about 3 years now and have spent most of that time with my girlfriend, we have a 1 and a half year old daughter together and are planning on moving to Melbourne together in the next 6 months, as I love living here, but working is a drag, (no choice of industry etc.)

Anyway, this is my first post, so if i omit anything, let me know and go easy please!

I was confused reading some of the posts about the applications for spouse visas on this forum, mostly because what I've read on the Dept. of Imm. and Cit. website states that medical and police checks are not to be initially submitted with the application but may be asked for afterward, whereas most of the people posting about their applications speak of submitting reams of documents and photos along with house papers, police and medical checks. Is this merely taking precaution against how long the application will take if more documentation is requested?

I am currently trying to prepare all the documentation I will submit in my application and would appreciate any feedback from previous successful applicants or those currently in the process. Also I would like to know if the interview can be conducted over the telephone? as we live in Chiang Mai and I would rather not go to Bangkok if it can be avoided...

Thank you in advance for your advice,

smquinlan

[Aussietraveller]

Hi,

If you read a lot of the posts here concerning spouse visa applications it will give you a good guide as to what is required.

A police check and medical will be required, so you might as well do these and get the out of the way. A lot of the other documentation that people submit goes to proof of an ongoing relationship. That is where a heap of pictures of things done together and proof of being together comes in handy. Stamps in your passport to show the time you have been in Thailand will also be handy.

My wife did her interview over the phone as we were living in Phuket when we applied. It will depend on your wifes application and her case officer as to what they require.

Good luck

[Samui477]

Hi smquinlan

We went through this process earlier this year, with sepcific regards to the Police check and medical tests you will require them, whether it be now when you submit your application or later on when requested by your case officer/worker.

Once you have obtained the letters and forms from the embasssy - Letter for police check, and forms for medical testing I would suggest you act on these asap to avoid delays later on.

The police check can take anywhere between a week or 2 weeks. My boyfriend applied for his police check on the day we submitted the application and received it two weeks later by mail and actually submitted/handed it to the case worker at his interview in BKK.

With respect to the medical testing the turnaround time is only a couple of days, we made an appointment at one of the specified hospitals in BKK which by chance took place two days before my boyfriends interview at the embassy, at the end of the interview the case worker could confirm that we had submitted all the required documentation (i.e having received the police check and the medical tests which are mailed directly to the embassy on the required forms after the results has been complied) and she contacted us two weeks later to advise that we were successful.

From our experience I would suggest getting as much if not all the requirments complied prior to or at the time you submit your application. We would have been stressing unecessarily I think during those two weeks if we were still waiting for medical results and police checks. But each to their own.

Good luck, and remember there is an invaluable source of information on here !

Edited July 14, 2010 by 7by7
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[smquinlan]

Great, thank you very much for your advice, I will get the checks and gather all the proof of our relationship I can muster!

[ThaiVisaExpress]

Feel free to contact our office if required we have a qualified Australian immigration consultant who offers free advice.

[gburns57au]

Police and medical checks will be required as part of the submitted application. Medical checks will be sent from the hospital to the Embassy, there is a link in the locked section at the front of this section with a link to the hospitals that do them.

Police checks can be picked up from the Police clearance office, sent to the Embassy or sent to your home and you submit it with the application.

Usually if you get the medical done about two weeks before submitting tha application then it will get there about the same time as you submit the application.

Once the embassy receives the first document from you, be that the medical check or the application it starts a clock ticking, that is the eventual entry limit date to Oz for a successful applicant. To explain; If the application is successful and the visa issued, the applicant must enter Oz before the date given on the visa, that date is usually 12 months from the day the Embassy receives the first document.

[smquinlan]

Thanks a lot for your advice, I will keep the community updated as the application proceeds.