Processing Time Aust Partner/Prospective Marriage

[bridge]

I confirmed with a senior case officer at the Australian Embassy today that for offshore partner/prospective marriage visa applications lodged after the 7th of February 2011 standard processing time will be up to 10 months now.

This is not hearsay or rumor, but straight from the horses mouth. Unfortunately prepare for a long wait guys and girls.

Bridge

[VisasPlus]

I can confirm this. We were informed of a minimum 9 - 10 months processing time when we submitted on behalf of a client.

[Berek]

Now what?

[fishhooks]

What Sub Class Visa numbers are affected here?

[bridge]

What Sub Class Visa numbers are affected here?

Unless you know any other offshore partner (s/c 309/100) or prospective marriage (s/c 300) visas, perhaps I am missing something.

[TechnikaIII]

So what are the suggestions - visa options - for my fiance to accompany me to Australia for a couple of weeks in June on a family visit?

[raylo]

So what are the suggestions - visa options - for my fiance to accompany me to Australia for a couple of weeks in June on a family visit?

Tourist would be easiest maybe?? Definitely for them and that is what counts in their world.

They seem to be doing this to see if people have the patience to wait plus as another hurdle to determine genuine cases.

Being bureaucratic they do not start processing until the future date. They do not try and reduce the time.

[TechnikaIII]

Now what?

Because Australian public servants are over paid for what they do, and get such good working conditions, as in hours per day, and week, holidays, sick pay, etc., and are nigh impossible to sack, they can walk around the office as slowly as they like, sideways if they want to, in circles and even backwards. .. we can do nothing.

Thai public servants on the other hand, are horribly under paid, so are open to (wink wink, nudge nudge, say no more ) under the table, to speed their gate, cut corners, and manipulate the priority lists. (providing you can find the right one, ... )

It's as simple as that.

But yes .... Now what?

Edited February 27, 2011 by TechnikaIII

[bridge]

After you lodge a partner visa (including prospective marriage) there is nothing to stop you for applying for a tourist visa during the processing stage of that application. However keep in mind that the partner visa can only be granted whilst the applicant is offshore. Furthermore the applicant may have commitments to attend to in Thailand relating to their partner visa application.

[Berek]

Because Australian public servants are over paid for what they do, and get such good working conditions, as in hours per day, and week, holidays, sick pay, etc., and are nigh impossible to sack, they can walk around the office as slowly as they like, sideways if they want to, in circles and even backwards. .. we can do nothing.

I'm an Oz public servant and I am exactly like you describe

After you lodge a partner visa (including prospective marriage) there is nothing to stop you for applying for a tourist visa during the processing stage of that application. However keep in mind that the partner visa can only be granted whilst the applicant is offshore. Furthermore the applicant may have commitments to attend to in Thailand relating to their partner visa application.

I'm thinking along those lines now. However the missus would have to quit her job (she gets no holidays in her position) which kind of kills the notion of having a reason to return to thailand :-(

[delk]

Hi Gents,

Well my fiancé submitted her visa prospective partner visa application on Jan 27th so I really hope we still get an approximate 3 months processing time. I noticed on the bangkok embassy website you are meant to get a letter 1 week after lodging though and she is yet to receive this.. Is this information also outdated and no longer valid. She lodged via vfs in bangkok if that makes any difference. I filled out the authorised contact form and ok'ed email contact etc but nothing there either.

[TPI]

So what are the suggestions - visa options - for my fiance to accompany me to Australia for a couple of weeks in June on a family visit?

Maaaate! The fact that you have a partner application in cuts no ice in the embassy...If she isn't working then they're going to hit you up for the $15,000 security bond and the female officer dealing with the application will instantly assume that she's a "working girl"! Better to wait until she has her temp marriage visa then there is not so much nonsense!

Remembering that Bkk is a "hardship posting" for Foreign Service junior mandarins so they tend to get pedantic about paperwork and missed telephone calls.

My advice (for what it's worth) is to start on your joint story with many, many photo's and letters of support from Ozy and Thai friends all going back to the year dot! You can't have too much paperwork or photo's!

When my wife and I submitted we handed over 4 x 2 ring binders and continued to include photo's and letters (even after we submitted). The result was that we got approval 13 days after my wife's last interview!

[bridge]

What a load of BS.

[OZinBKK]

What a load of BS.

Concur

[fishhooks]

Unless you know any other offshore partner (s/c 309/100) or prospective marriage (s/c 300) visas, perhaps I am missing something....."Bridge"

Bridge I don't profess to know what Visa Numbers are what......just an ordinary guy (very ordinary) who together with wify applied for a "Spouse Visa" a few years ago.

I do know there is a lot of confusion amongst Thai's as to what is happening with the latest drawn out change and was simply asking for the exact numbers to pass on. No smart "A" question intended nor flippant answer appreciated.........thankyou

[bridge]

Unless you know any other offshore partner (s/c 309/100) or prospective marriage (s/c 300) visas, perhaps I am missing something....."Bridge"

Bridge I don't profess to know what Visa Numbers are what......just an ordinary guy (very ordinary) who together with wify applied for a "Spouse Visa" a few years ago.

I do know there is a lot of confusion amongst Thai's as to what is happening with the latest drawn out change and was simply asking for the exact numbers to pass on. No smart "A" question intended nor flippant answer appreciated.........thankyou

Fair call - my apologies.

Bridge

[Madivad]

dam_n. This is really bad news. We SHOULD have submitted our application when I got here in December but we've been lax and touring the country side. I just got back to Phuket in the last few days. We are officially married in Australia but the last time she got a tourist visa they told her "last one". She's only had two. So now if they can take up to almost a year to approve it, I wonder of they will reconsider the "last one" notice she got last time.

[bridge]

The DIAC website has been updated to reflect the changes:

DIAC Client Service Charter - Standard Processing Times

[Madivad]

I've just come back to this.... What is their thinking? I've just had a look at the link above and found that high and low risk are divided into

LOW:

Brunei

Canada

Hong Kong SAR

Japan

Malaysia

Singapore

South Korea

United States of America

HIGH:

Everywhere else!!! Including Britain!

What are couples who legitimately marry? I'm not talking about the prospective marriage visas, I mean you marry either in Australia or overseas, you are expected to live apart for almost a year? They want these marriages to fail?

[OZEMADE]

I've just come back to this.... What is their thinking? I've just had a look at the link above and found that high and low risk are divided into

LOW:

Brunei

Canada

Hong Kong SAR

Japan

Malaysia

Singapore

South Korea

United States of America

HIGH:

Everywhere else!!! Including Britain!

What are couples who legitimately marry? I'm not talking about the prospective marriage visas, I mean you marry either in Australia or overseas, you are expected to live apart for almost a year? They want these marriages to fail?

I got legally married in Thailand 7 yrs ago and notified the embassy of the marriage. Wife has been to OZ on 3 X 90day tourist Visas and 1 x 12 Mth Multiple entry Tourist visa.

We arrived here in November 2 months before the Multiple visa ran out, I submitted the paperwork with my credit card details for a cost of $2,575-00, I was then told to have her medicals done, paid $303-00 by credit card in Dec.

I was emailed a receipt, then received in the mail other papers with a File No, a Client ID Number and a RID Number?

It also stated that NO stamp would be placed into her Passport as it is now held electronically at the Immigration Office.

It also states that they are processed in chronological order ( the order in which they are received. The PROCESSING TIME at present is 9 months, however it will take longer if some of the documents asked for are not present.

So there you have it boy's. If I can be of any further assistance, by all means ask me.

[delk]

The PROCESSING TIME at present is 9 months, however it will take longer if some of the documents asked for are not present.

When were you told the time was 9 months? Hopefully Feb or later?

My lady put in our application late Jan and really hopeful that the old 3 months applies to us. As previously she has been staying with me on 1x 6 mths tourist visa, then 1x 3 mths tourist visa (we asked for 6) and we had been told no more visitor visa's but if it takes more than half a year that's a bit rich.

[bridge]

The PROCESSING TIME at present is 9 months, however it will take longer if some of the documents asked for are not present.

When were you told the time was 9 months? Hopefully Feb or later?

My lady put in our application late Jan and really hopeful that the old 3 months applies to us. As previously she has been staying with me on 1x 6 mths tourist visa, then 1x 3 mths tourist visa (we asked for 6) and we had been told no more visitor visa's but if it takes more than half a year that's a bit rich.

If the application was received before the 7th of February, your wife will be under the previous standard processing time of 3 months.

[mystwoodcol]

We got our 309 spouse provisional resident visa through late 2010 it took just over 5 months from date of lodgment. I can only second the other OP give them heaps of paper, photos, stories , 888 stat decs. I know what you will go through, we were apart for those 5 months as i had to return to OZ for business commitments.

Good luck I found out it was better for me to step out of the picture and let my wife do all the talking and discussions with the case officer Thai on Thai as I was getting too wound up over the lack of activity

[OZEMADE]

The PROCESSING TIME at present is 9 months, however it will take longer if some of the documents asked for are not present.

When were you told the time was 9 months? Hopefully Feb or later?

My lady put in our application late Jan and really hopeful that the old 3 months applies to us. As previously she has been staying with me on 1x 6 mths tourist visa, then 1x 3 mths tourist visa (we asked for 6) and we had been told no more visitor visa's but if it takes more than half a year that's a bit rich.

If the application was received before the 7th of February, your wife will be under the previous standard processing time of 3 months.

Bearing in mind, I put my paperwork in, in Sydney Australia on the 15th December 20

10 and she had her medical on the 21st December 2010. I was informed in writing by mail and Internet on same date 15th Dec 2010.

Quote. PROCESSING TIME. In order to ensure a fair and equitable outcome to all our clients we process applications in chronological order, that is, in the order in which they are received.

The time taken for a partner Visa application to be processed and for a decision to be made varies. Our average processing time for a partner visa is currently 9 months; however this should be treated as a guide only. when applications are more complex, or where relevant documents are not provided in a timely manner, applications may take longer to finalise.

[jimnok]

To ..Bridge

We loaded applicaton on 20 th January 2011 ...now nearly 2 months , no contact from Au.Embassy .

Is it possible that they dont care about date...We meant you posted that the case before 7 th February 2011 ..they should consider from the old standard ...process about 3 months .

Do you have any idea ?

Thank you ,

[bridge]

To ..Bridge

We loaded applicaton on 20 th January 2011 ...now nearly 2 months , no contact from Au.Embassy .

Is it possible that they dont care about date...We meant you posted that the case before 7 th February 2011 ..they should consider from the old standard ...process about 3 months .

Do you have any idea ?

Thank you ,

Perhaps contact the DIAC office at Australian Embassy, Bangkok (not VFS) on the general contact line (Tel: 02 344 6400) after 2.30pm weekdays and ascertain the following:

1. Date application received/receipted;

2. Application file number;

3. Has a case officer been appointed.

I have a client that lodged her application on the 20/12/10 (with VFS). First notification was last week (03/03/11 @ 11 weeks) that interview would be on the 10/03/11 @ 12 weeks. Letter states: 'Please note that current standard processing time is three months'. However this application was received prior to the 7th of February, 2011.

Bridge

[OZEMADE]

To ..Bridge

We loaded applicaton on 20 th January 2011 ...now nearly 2 months , no contact from Au.Embassy .

Is it possible that they dont care about date...We meant you posted that the case before 7 th February 2011 ..they should consider from the old standard ...process about 3 months .

Do you have any idea ?

Thank you ,

Perhaps contact the DIAC office at Australian Embassy, Bangkok (not VFS) on the general contact line (Tel: 02 344 6400) after 2.30pm weekdays and ascertain the following:

1. Date application received/receipted;

2. Application file number;

3. Has a case officer been appointed.

I have a client that lodged her application on the 20/12/10 (with VFS). First notification was last week (03/03/11 @ 11 weeks) that interview would be on the 10/03/11 @ 12 weeks. Letter states: 'Please note that current standard processing time is three months'. However this application was received prior to the 7th of February, 2011.

Bridge

I contacted the Family Residence here in Sydney last Friday making inquiries re our application. Was informed that a case officer had not been appointed as of yet and that the processing time was 9 to 10 months in Australia, which means that ours will not finalised until Aug/Sept. As we put ours in early December 2010. The Family Residence is where they process the applications for the Dept of Immigration.

I am personally going into the Family Residence on Monday to make enquiries as to what is going on? I will also make inquiries as to the processing time in Thailand for you, they may have an answer as well.

For info contact the Family Residence Administration Team on [email protected] or call the Departments general enquiries line on 131881 Please quote your file No or Client No

God knows how long you would have to hang on the phone.

Stay TUNED.

[OZEMADE]

To ..Bridge

We loaded applicaton on 20 th January 2011 ...now nearly 2 months , no contact from Au.Embassy .

Is it possible that they dont care about date...We meant you posted that the case before 7 th February 2011 ..they should consider from the old standard ...process about 3 months .

Do you have any idea ?

Thank you ,

Perhaps contact the DIAC office at Australian Embassy, Bangkok (not VFS) on the general contact line (Tel: 02 344 6400) after 2.30pm weekdays and ascertain the following:

1. Date application received/receipted;

2. Application file number;

3. Has a case officer been appointed.

I have a client that lodged her application on the 20/12/10 (with VFS). First notification was last week (03/03/11 @ 11 weeks) that interview would be on the 10/03/11 @ 12 weeks. Letter states: 'Please note that current standard processing time is three months'. However this application was received prior to the 7th of February, 2011.

Bridge

I contacted the Family Residence here in Sydney last Friday making inquiries re our application. Was informed that a case officer had not been appointed as of yet and that the processing time was 9 to 10 months in Australia, which means that ours will not finalised until Aug/Sept. As we put ours in early December 2010. The Family Residence is where they process the applications for the Dept of Immigration.

I am personally going into the Family Residence on Monday to make enquiries as to what is going on? I will also make inquiries as to the processing time in Thailand for you, they may have an answer as well.

For info contact the Family Residence Administration Team on [email protected] or call the Departments general enquiries line on 131881 Please quote your file No or Client No

God knows how long you would have to hang on the phone.

Stay TUNED.

Have been into the Family Residence and made Inquiries as stated above.

My application which was put in last Dec 2010 to date has nothing wrong with it.

However it is still being processed and a CASE officer is ONLY allocated if there is something wrong.

I asked was there a problem with the medicals. I was informed they had received the medicals via registered mail, all was OK.

Processing time here in Sydney is between 9 to12 Months, as they have currently 1500 Partner Visa applications to date to be processed.

In all approx 15000 applications for all types of visas, and this does not include the Parramatta branch, as these are from people from all over the world.

I asked about Thailand and was told their application processing format was the same and there processing time was approx 9 to 10 Months at present.

HOPE THIS HELPS.

[jimnok]

First , I have to say thanks to Bridge and Ozemade for reply , much help

Bridge , I have contacted Australian Embassy already from your advice and got name of my case officer . I have talked to her ...she is nice , she said to me i need not to interview and only wait for decision . Then i want to ask you ..whether it sounds good or not . And when i can expect for my result ?

Thank you so much ..

[gburns57au]

First , I have to say thanks to Bridge and Ozemade for reply , much help

Bridge , I have contacted Australian Embassy already from your advice and got name of my case officer . I have talked to her ...she is nice , she said to me i need not to interview and only wait for decision . Then i want to ask you ..whether it sounds good or not . And when i can expect for my result ?

Thank you so much ..

They dont need to interview you......pretty sure that they will interview your partner, after all it is her application.