# Partner Visa Application - how long?



## weekenddreamerz (Oct 14, 2010)

hi to all
Apologies if this question has been heard many times before (and am sure it probably has!) but I'm applying for a Partner Visa to migrate to Australia with my Husband of over 11.5 years, our postal application was received by the Immigration Authorities in London a couple of days ago (I've not undertaken the Police or health checks as yet being that they're only valid for a year or so I'm told).
Upon contacting them today to follow up our application I've been told that the whole process will take 6 months?, Given the length of time we've been married is this length of time for processing normal?, Is there any way it could go thru quicker?, and is there anything we can do to help it along?
Any advice or helpful tips regarding this is most welcome! (apart from recomending a good dose of patience!) Thank you..


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## ozmikal (Oct 3, 2010)

Hi there,

http://www.australiaforum.com/visas-immigration/2054-visa-time-line-family-spouse-applications.html will give you a good overview of what to expect, though check the origin of the applications and the nationality of the applicants involved.

The website of the High Commission gives the same answer you got over the phone: dima_partner - Australian High Commission.

Consider yourself in luck (somewhat). Other countries give a range of 5-10 months, while in Australia I was advised that it could be 6-12 months.

The duration of your marriage is probably not relevant to the processing times, though I do look forward to confirmation of this point from other members.

It seems the only way to "fast-track" an application is to submit it in a complete form! Note that following the grant of the visa, the applicant has (usually) two-three months in which to enter Australia, though that does not mean that the applicant needs to start living there permanently at the time; the partner visa allows for travel in and out of the country.

So if you have just lodged your application, you will probably be flying out to Oz in 8 months' time UNLESS there are delays caused by:
- insufficient documentation
- a drawn-out health check process involving more than the standard tests if there are any medical complications
- the need to augment application documents with further evidentiary material.

Hope it goes smoothly!


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## weekenddreamerz (Oct 14, 2010)

*re: Partner Visa - How long?*

hi there

Thanks for the reply, most helpful. Unfortunately however from looking at one of the links I'm now really quite concerned/worried because not realising I posted off our application in a series of plastic wallets within an outer plastic file (to be neat), I just hope they don't disgard our whole application because of this?, I don't mind if they disgard the plastic wallets & folder tho. Hopefully they'll do the latter? Here's hoping, oh dear.


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Experiences of people as expressed on the timeline and others have shown that there can be significant variation as is stated in the Client Service Charter , there being all manner of internal and external matters that will affect the situation in any given year and from one to the next.

About all you could do to speed up processing is to get your police and health checks done now.
Being neat will not hopefully largely affect your application though some CO support officer may be muttering under their breath as they extract things from the envelopes and put it all together if they do.

If you are desperate to travel earlier, you could apply for an eVisa and travel out and then on the visa being ready to be granted you would just need to take a short trip abroad, to New Zealand, Asia or Fiji etc. so as the visa can be granted.


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## jojobinks (Oct 5, 2010)

Hi i handed in my application onshore back in june.... my partner recieved an e mail last night saying my application had been granted, so 5 months ... hope this helps jo. oh by the way i've been travelling on a eta in between ..


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## Not_sure (Apr 9, 2011)

Wanderer said:


> If you are desperate to travel earlier, you could apply for an eVisa and travel out and then on the visa being ready to be granted you would just need to take a short trip abroad, to New Zealand, Asia or Fiji etc. so as the visa can be granted.


Ah ok, so you don't have to be in the country where you applied when the visa is granted. You just have to be outside of Australia when it's granted.

Well im about to go search for it but what form does the visa take....is it just a number or is something put in your passport?


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## ozmikal (Oct 3, 2010)

The visa is a sticker which is affixed on a passport page by the DIAC officers. Following the grant of the visa, the successful applicant's passport needs to be delivered to the relevant DIAC office by courier. After the visa is stuck inside it, the courier will return the passport to the source address.



Not_sure said:


> Ah ok, so you don't have to be in the country where you applied when the visa is granted. You just have to be outside of Australia when it's granted.
> 
> Well im about to go search for it but what form does the visa take....is it just a number or is something put in your passport?


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## iela (Jan 31, 2012)

hi my husband is a Croatian citizen and I am an Australian citizen married 9 years we have a child we applyed partner Vis 28/04/2011. in Zagreb and Berlin received 16.5.2011.with the forms submitted a certificate of no criminal record 
until 12.12.2011. received a letter from Berlin to perform medical ex. and we have made it 27.12.2011 and now we are still waiting. How long?


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## fstop (Jan 4, 2012)

ozmikal said:


> The visa is a sticker which is affixed on a passport page by the DIAC officers. Following the grant of the visa, the successful applicant's passport needs to be delivered to the relevant DIAC office by courier. After the visa is stuck inside it, the courier will return the passport to the source address.


So, if we lodge our application in Santiago, Chile, then travel to Australia and take a short trip to NZ to begin the partner visa - would we need to courier his passport all the way to Chile and wait for it to arrive back in NZ?


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## isfrustrated (Nov 13, 2011)

Just as an fyi - I can confirm that the charter dates are not correct. I called last week and was told that 820 visa will be 12-13 months now. It appears that they just don't bother to update it.


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## ozmikal (Oct 3, 2010)

That sounds right. The office which approves the application should be the same office that sticks the visa into the passport. However, if you talk to the Santiago people, perhaps they can tell you something different. And don't be so worried about the courier situation. While it might cost a pretty penny, it is quick and simple, and the cost will be well worth it for the right to live in Australia!



fstop said:


> So, if we lodge our application in Santiago, Chile, then travel to Australia and take a short trip to NZ to begin the partner visa - would we need to courier his passport all the way to Chile and wait for it to arrive back in NZ?


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## hezzy (Feb 4, 2011)

well it all depends on the quality and the recent ness of your information in your application 

we applied for the 820/801 back in july last year 2011, 
i spent severla months on the aplication , in a file, with an index and all documents in plastic covers , we basically supllied all our complets docs again as we had for our fiancee visa , but with the new marriage certificate etc , and about 10 full a4 size photos, bank cheque ,, medicals , stat decs , police clearances , 




IMMI recieved it on the 20th july by mail , just 3 days after i posted it , i had the case officer call me , she advised me our bank cheque was $100 short of the new application fee , it seems the visa fee went up on the 1st july , and we had been given incorrect info over the phone ,by an IMMI staff member , i was able to give her our visa card details and pay the extra fee aplication over the phone , 

four hours late rshe called me to advise our application/visa was approved !!!!!!! 

so we had it approved in 4 hours , 

so give them the quality info and it can happen , we arnt special , just spent the time getting the info together properly as they want to see it


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## Bauhn (Oct 27, 2011)

Because you had a PMV 300 visa, all the critical information was already done with that. You did not have to send medical and police checks after a PMV 300 visa was done before.

All they want to see is a marriage certificate after a PMV 300. The rest does not matter.


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## faith555 (Mar 19, 2014)

Hi,

My husband and i got married 8 of march 2014 In bali, we want to appy for the spouse visa , as we have wedding pics, phone bills, emails, and mails as im living in morocco.
He will come to my country next june so i dont know do we have to wait till he come to my place then we will have extra proofs , or we cann apply now and send the extra proofs in june.

Can you help pleaaase.


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## kttykat (Oct 30, 2012)

faith555 said:


> Hi,
> 
> My husband and i got married 8 of march 2014 In bali, we want to appy for the spouse visa , as we have wedding pics, phone bills, emails, and mails as im living in morocco.
> He will come to my country next june so i dont know do we have to wait till he come to my place then we will have extra proofs , or we cann apply now and send the extra proofs in june.
> ...


You should start your own thread, rather than using a two year old thread to post your question.

Kttykat


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