# Girlfriend coming from USA - Work and Holiday / Defacto Partner visa



## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

Hey everyone!

I've been reading a few posts here and thought I should post my own and try to get some advice. I'm an Australian living in Melbourne and my girlfriend is living in the USA. We're in a long-distance relationship, we met online towards the end of 2008 and she has previously come to Australia on a three-month ETA visa (June - September 2009). She is wanting to eventually move here. Soon she is going to try to get a Work and Holiday visa and come here for one year (just getting all the required stuff ready). She doesn't have enough money to meet the $5000 requirement so I'm going to lend her money for that. We'd be living together here.

Would the one year we'll spend together from the Work and Holiday visa be sufficient for the 12 month defacto partner requirement for the partner visa? I was considering trying to make it so that after she's here for the year, when she goes back to the USA I could travel back with her and stay there for a few months (so we're living together longer than 12 months). Would that be a better idea? Due to university and work commitments (I'm doing a one-year fulltime IBL work placement this year, and my final year of university next year), I'm unable to travel to stay with her for a long period of time, but I could try to go during university holidays.

Thanks in advance!


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## aussiegirl (Dec 15, 2009)

Hi Daniel,

It's good that your partner will be coming to Oz so that you can meet the 12 month requirement. I think that period should be enough to cover it, and you wouldn't have to go with her to the US (unless you really want to  ). Or, you could consider going to the US before she comes over and get in a little bit more together time that way?

But, either way, just make sure you set up everything as well as you can once she arrives i.e. joint utilities accounts, joint spending/ savings accounts; both names on the lease; keeping bank statements, cards, invitations, proof of joint travel, photos of you together and with friends/ family etc.

So, read all the relevant info. on partner visas throughly, especially the 'evidence' for the 12-month requirement. If you can show evidence to meet all the criteria, you should have a pretty solid application.


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

The $5000 that is stipulated as a WHV requirement is rarely checked re the 417 visas, though I've seen something on where agencies prepare the 462 for US people, something like a bank certificate is required.
Your girl could look into just doing it herself online and the $5000 does not need to be in cash or a bank deposit, with even a credit account with a suitable limit/balance sufficing and then they'll also take into account that someone has a place to stay, that's if as I say any check is made at all.

I have read of a couple of situations [ here and elsewhere ] putting in a partner visa in the last week of a 12 month stay that has allowed the visa to be considered as aussiegirl indicates,, though in theory such an application could be knocked back.

Unfortunately there is nor real way of knowing whether you would have a successful outcome other than putting in an application and thus I've also seen people take a more cautious route and do something like you're considering, there being a couple of options you may want to consider:
. If your Gf has some skills, she could consider seeking an employer sponsorship visa that would give her extra time with you or could even lead to her being able to apply for a permanent residency visa in her own right.
. Alternately, rather than her go all the way back to the US and you follow her, consider a quick trip to NZ for I've read of people getting quick partner visa application processing there and so if in the last weeks of her 12 months she had the application fully ready, police and health checks done etc., you could both fly over _[ with a return flight booked within her WHV validity period - something she'll need to get into NZ, or otherwise have her book a refundable flight NZ tro Fiji, one to be cancelled once in NZ. ] _.
On arrival, she rings the embassy there to make an appointment and I know of one person who was able to get an appointment for next day and had visa granted same day, not to say it'll always happen so quickly.

When she gets her US police check, she needs both FBI and State police ones.

If it looks like for some reason it'll take a longer time, there'll always be the option of getting an ETA to book a flight back to Oz and then if that was to occur, she need another flight over there to have the visa granted.

Seeing as you're in Melbourne, another much easier option may be for you to get your relationship registered - https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/C...onships~&2=10-Registering+a+relationship~&3=~
You'll find with an overseas passport, she'll need a Vic. Drivers Licence as additional evidence, but if that can be organised with a relationship registration the need for the 12 months relationship is waived though you do still need to provide evidence of a relationship.

So a few options there.


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## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

Thanks, aussiegirl and Wanderer. VERY detailed reply, Wanderer! Much appreciated 



> But, either way, just make sure you set up everything as well as you can once she arrives i.e. joint utilities accounts, joint spending/ savings accounts; both names on the lease; keeping bank statements, cards, invitations, proof of joint travel, photos of you together and with friends/ family etc.


I think we'll be living with my mum as I don't want to move out to my own place just yet. I'm working this year but will be back at uni next year, and so I'm not sure if we'd be able to afford a house and all the other expenses. I might work part-time at the place I'm working now, but in the past I wasn't able to handle both work and uni at the same time, and managed with Youth Allowance payments.

We're definitely getting a joint savings account though, and photos for sure! We're considering starting a blog / vlog (video blog) and using it like a journal, writing stuff that we do in it, and using this as part of the relationship proof. 



> So, read all the relevant info. on partner visas throughly


Will do, I'm planning to go through everything with her when she gets here



> The $5000 that is stipulated as a WHV requirement is rarely checked re the 417 visas, though I've seen something on where agencies prepare the 462 for US people, something like a bank certificate is required.
> Your girl could look into just doing it herself online and the $5000 does not need to be in cash or a bank deposit, with even a credit account with a suitable limit/balance sufficing and then they'll also take into account that someone has a place to stay, that's if as I say any check is made at all.


Well, neither of us have credit cards (nor do we want them, she's already paying off a loan from when she was going to university), so I thought I'd lend her some money just in case they check (she's going to get a copy of a bank statement and send that as part of the visa application too). She's applying for the 462 visa online. She's got the application completed, and is just collecting things like her high school diploma. I believe it needs both parents' birth certificates, and neither of her parents had their birth certificates handy, so they both had to order new copies.



> Alternately, rather than her go all the way back to the US and you follow her, consider a quick trip to NZ


Mmm, that's a good idea. I wanted to visit her friends and family in the USA though, and meet everyone. Anywhere is good though - I've been in Victoria my whole life, and really want to travel. 



> Seeing as you're in Melbourne, another much easier option may be for you to get your relationship registered
> You'll find with an overseas passport, she'll need a Vic. Drivers Licence as additional evidence, but if that can be organised with a relationship registration the need for the 12 months relationship is waived though you do still need to provide evidence of a relationship.


Interesting, I didn't know about that. Thanks for that, will look into it when looking through everything 

I'll definitely look into everything once I've got more time. Currently working on applying for the 462 Work and Holiday Visa, and we'll look through the partner visa stuff once she's here.

Thanks!


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## Mesmerzied (Nov 2, 2009)

Hey Dainel 15.
How did you go with everything? Im in a similar position and am planning the same thing.


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## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

Mesmerzied said:


> Hey Dainel 15.
> How did you go with everything? Im in a similar position and am planning the same thing.


My girlfriend got here about two weeks ago, we're just getting things organised (bank account, Tax File Number, etc.). Haven't really looked at the partner visa stuff yet, we're just relaxing and enjoying being together at the moment


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## Mesmerzied (Nov 2, 2009)

Daniel15 said:


> My girlfriend got here about two weeks ago, we're just getting things organised (bank account, Tax File Number, etc.). Haven't really looked at the partner visa stuff yet, we're just relaxing and enjoying being together at the moment


Great to hear, mine will be getting here in 4 weeks. She will be coming on a WHV and aim to go to a partner Visa from there.

Happy to hear you two are together and enjoying the time together


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## Mike383 (Jul 10, 2010)

Daniel, 

Great to hear your enjoying your time together. My situation is very similar to yours, except fast forward 11 months.
My girlfriend arrived using a working holiday visa and we knew right from the start that we would be applying for a de facto visa 12 months later. 
We're booked in for our interview and application next month, and the only advise I can give is to start the application early. If you do it properly the application is HUGE. Gathering evidence, filling out all the different forms, chasing people up to fill out stat decs, sending away for police checks, finding old birth certificates etc.... is a big task and can get a bit much. 
I started our application about 6 months out. Just got the file ready, started putting printing our photos, sent away for police checks, health checks etc..... 
It made things easier to update the file every month, rather than leave it right to the end. 

Also remember to save some money for the application fee. It costs about $2500 and theres also a few added costs like the health check (about $100-200) and police checks (sometimes $50 each).

Hope this helps and good luck.


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## itsmrsme (Jan 29, 2011)

Mike383 said:


> Daniel,
> 
> Great to hear your enjoying your time together. My situation is very similar to yours, except fast forward 11 months.
> My girlfriend arrived using a working holiday visa and we knew right from the start that we would be applying for a de facto visa 12 months later.
> ...


So, I'm really glad I came across this thread because in the situation I'm in now I'm in the US and my fiance is in QLD. We thought the only route we had (because me as an international student is too expensive, and I will only graduate in May with my Uni degree, so there's no state sponsored job listed for me) was to do the prospective marriage visa... I didn't even realize there was a work and holiday one. Do you think this was better (and cheaper) than doing a PMV?


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## angelamen (Jan 25, 2011)

Mike383 said:


> Daniel,
> 
> Great to hear your enjoying your time together. My situation is very similar to yours, except fast forward 11 months.
> My girlfriend arrived using a working holiday visa and we knew right from the start that we would be applying for a de facto visa 12 months later.
> ...


Hi mike,
just read your story. My husband and I lodged our application for my 820 visa last year in June in Melbourne. We went in and did it in person. I read that you booked an intervew for your applicantion. what exactly is that? Did you mean you made an appointment to lodge the form or an actual intervew right there and then? We've been waiting for 7 months now. Please let me know. Thank you.


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

*For Mrsme*
The 462 will be a lot cheaper initially and you'll have the opportunity to seek work with it obviously and you may even be able to find an employer sponsor though you'll need to check your visa grant confirmation advice as 462s may have restrictions on applying for further skilled visas.
But in any case, you can get close to 12 months together.

There does seem to have been a slight change in wording of the partner visa infornation since this thread was started and they now say you should have at least 12 months together so that may mean to be safe, in the last week of your 462 you book a flight for NZ, Fiji or wherever and on arrival you apply online for an ETA to return as a visitor, you wanting to see more of Australia obviously and then the additional three months of an ETA allows you past the 12 months.

*And for angelamen*
There used to be a possibility of people being able to book a lodgement appointment and an interview of sorts may have taken place but that provision no longer exists.
Some people with good applications do not even get required to do an interview.


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## Mike383 (Jul 10, 2010)

Hi Angelaman

We applied for our visa application in Perth weeks ahead. That was August of last year, so Im not sure when they stopped taking appointments/interviews as Wanderer said.
On the day we applied, they interviewed us both, looked through our application and told us to wait up to 6-8 months.
Our visa was actually approved 2 weeks ago, so it took just over 5 months.

One interesting thing that sped up our application, is we applied to extend my girlfriends employment, as on her current visa you can only work for one employer for 6 months. So whilst waiting for a decision on her defacto application, we sent in the appilcation form to extend her employment around the 4.5 month mark. 
Her case officer rang her 3 days later and said that employment extensions are usually quite hard to process, and she might just approve her visa instead. So that certainly hurried things up for us.


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## angelamen (Jan 25, 2011)

*thanks so much for reply*



Wanderer said:


> *For Mrsme*
> The 462 will be a lot cheaper initially and you'll have the opportunity to seek work with it obviously and you may even be able to find an employer sponsor though you'll need to check your visa grant confirmation advice as 462s may have restrictions on applying for further skilled visas.
> But in any case, you can get close to 12 months together.
> 
> ...


Wanderer, I have read a lot of replies you wrote on this site, they were really useful. My case is a little different from others. I overstayed my visa for 5 years before I met my husband and we applied 820 in melbourne last year in June. We have been together for almost 2 years and married for 8 months. In the checklist that my case officer gave me, there are a lot of things we can't provide. My husband is australian born citizen and is a lot older than me and been married once before. He owned his own house, car, everything, so we don't have anything owned together. I don't work, my husband does shares at home, we live on the farm, so we are together 24-7, which means we don't have phone calls or sms between us, no letters or emails to each other. We do have a joint bank account but never really used it. We do have a lot of photos with friends and his family. 
My concern is are all those going to affect the decision on my visa? We think the most effective way for us is to have an interview with the officer so they know we are real. Do you think our case has a lot of disadvantages? So sorry to use up your time, thank you.
Angela


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## angelamen (Jan 25, 2011)

*thanks so much for reply*



Mike383 said:


> Hi Angelaman
> 
> We applied for our visa application in Perth weeks ahead. That was August of last year, so Im not sure when they stopped taking appointments/interviews as Wanderer said.
> On the day we applied, they interviewed us both, looked through our application and told us to wait up to 6-8 months.
> ...


Hi mike383, thanks for your reply. I have read a few of cases where Perth did accept interview on the day of application. I have been waiting for 7 months now in melbourne, it seems really long and really stressful. Congrats to you guys, that was lucky. Did you guys submitted 2 of 888 forms too?


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

angelamen said:


> Wanderer, I have read a lot of replies you wrote on this site, they were really useful. My case is a little different from others. I overstayed my visa for 5 years before I met my husband and we applied 820 in melbourne last year in June. We have been together for almost 2 years and married for 8 months. In the checklist that my case officer gave me, there are a lot of things we can't provide. My husband is australian born citizen and is a lot older than me and been married once before. He owned his own house, car, everything, so we don't have anything owned together. I don't work, my husband does shares at home, we live on the farm, so we are together 24-7, which means we don't have phone calls or sms between us, no letters or emails to each other. We do have a joint bank account but never really used it. We do have a lot of photos with friends and his family.
> My concern is are all those going to affect the decision on my visa? We think the most effective way for us is to have an interview with the officer so they know we are real. Do you think our case has a lot of disadvantages? So sorry to use up your time, thank you.
> Angela


Just to clarify Angela, when you say you have overstayed a visa you had by five years before you met your husband and now you have applied onshore for the 820, did you in fact leave Australia at some stage and then were granted a visa to return on that did not have a No Further Stay condition that allowed you to apply for the 820?

If so, you can count yourself extremely lucky and if you have just applied for an 820 visa without doing anything about your overstaying, you may be in for a bit of a shock because they could decide to deport you I would have thought.

Your husband being previously married has no real impact on hom being eligible as a sponsor and for a partner visa it'll be a case of you having to provide whatever you can by way of information on you having been together, be it correspondence from anyone or whatever.
But the key thing as I've said is going to be whether you have just ben here illegally or not and were in fact eligible to apply whilst onshore.


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## angelamen (Jan 25, 2011)

Wanderer said:


> Just to clarify Angela, when you say you have overstayed a visa you had by five years before you met your husband and now you have applied onshore for the 820, did you in fact leave Australia at some stage and then were granted a visa to return on that did not have a No Further Stay condition that allowed you to apply for the 820?
> 
> If so, you can count yourself extremely lucky and if you have just applied for an 820 visa without doing anything about your overstaying, you may be in for a bit of a shock because they could decide to deport you I would have thought.
> 
> ...


Thank you for your reply wanderer. As you said, I was being very cautious before I applied 820. I never left the country. My husband went into immigration first to ask what to do with my situation, they told him the only right thing to do is to go there myself and get a bridge visa first in order to be in australia legally. That was what we did and I got a bridge visa E straight away. Then we applied my 820 like anyone else provided that we had to have two 888 forms. My friend told me this change of policy where you can apply parter visa even if you overstayed. But of course you can't have any criminal record previously. 
We tried to find everything we can to prove that we are really together, however I was just worried that they were not enough. My husband is not worried at all because he's confident that we'll be fine, haha. 
Angela


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

I have never been so clear myself Angela on the issuing of Bridging Visas other than the A & B for there does seem to be quite an ammount of information written about the D & E, I to be honest do find a bit difficult to understand.

It nearly seems to some extent that they are saying look, you can infringe on a visa and not leave and we'll grant you a bridging visa which seems very different to the whole purpose of normal visas.
Perhaps, when you went and saw them, they have acknowledged you being married even if for a short time and seeing if they indicated you needed to leave or they deported you, your next step would be to apply for an offshore partner visa, they have in a moment of extraordinary kindness decided to not just let you stay but also apply for the partner visa.
That you have not heard from them since submission of the application is a bit concerning and you say the CO gave you a Checklist, so do you know whether they have actually accepted your application for processing or have they got it on some sort of interim hold to give you a chance to supply what else you can.

Anyway, with whatever occurs, best wishes for a good outcome.


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## angelamen (Jan 25, 2011)

Wanderer said:


> I have never been so clear myself Angela on the issuing of Bridging Visas other than the A & B for there does seem to be quite an ammount of information written about the D & E, I to be honest do find a bit difficult to understand.
> 
> It nearly seems to some extent that they are saying look, you can infringe on a visa and not leave and we'll grant you a bridging visa which seems very different to the whole purpose of normal visas.
> Perhaps, when you went and saw them, they have acknowledged you being married even if for a short time and seeing if they indicated you needed to leave or they deported you, your next step would be to apply for an offshore partner visa, they have in a moment of extraordinary kindness decided to not just let you stay but also apply for the partner visa.
> ...


Thank you Wanderer. The thing is they have accepted my application and my husband has talked to my CO three times now since he first contacted us for additional information. I don't know what's going on and I do have concerns because of my history. Fingers are crossed. You can read it on immi website about people like me can apply onshore. Does age difference affect the outcome of the visa? 
angela


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Age difference shouldn't make a difference but as far as the Immi regulations go, you either have a visa or you don't and to apply on shore you usually need to be on a visa without a No Further Stay condition.
That you had no visa and were in fact illegally in Australia for five years would normally mean that people like you were either deported on apprehension or in a detention centre awaiting deportation.
I expect that the only thing that has saved you from that is that you've gone to Immi yourself and I'll also be very surprised if the BVE was not issued as a step to deportation and I am further surprised that they have taken so long about it.


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## angelamen (Jan 25, 2011)

Wanderer said:


> Age difference shouldn't make a difference but as far as the Immi regulations go, you either have a visa or you don't and to apply on shore you usually need to be on a visa without a No Further Stay condition.
> That you had no visa and were in fact illegally in Australia for five years would normally mean that people like you were either deported on apprehension or in a detention centre awaiting deportation.
> I expect that the only thing that has saved you from that is that you've gone to Immi yourself and I'll also be very surprised if the BVE was not issued as a step to deportation and I am further surprised that they have taken so long about it.


I will let you what happens and what my outcome will be. Thank you.


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## angelamen (Jan 25, 2011)

*820 granted!*



Wanderer said:


> Age difference shouldn't make a difference but as far as the Immi regulations go, you either have a visa or you don't and to apply on shore you usually need to be on a visa without a No Further Stay condition.
> That you had no visa and were in fact illegally in Australia for five years would normally mean that people like you were either deported on apprehension or in a detention centre awaiting deportation.
> I expect that the only thing that has saved you from that is that you've gone to Immi yourself and I'll also be very surprised if the BVE was not issued as a step to deportation and I am further surprised that they have taken so long about it.


Wanderer, just to let you know my v820 got granted yesterday! so happy and thank you for your help. by the way, I am not from India, but China.


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Well, that's great for you Angela and I can only say it is the most generous case I've heard of with Immi, completely astounding seeing as you had overstayed for so long.


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## angelamen (Jan 25, 2011)

Wanderer said:


> Well, that's great for you Angela and I can only say it is the most generous case I've heard of with Immi, completely astounding seeing as you had overstayed for so long.


Thank you Wanderer.


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## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

Wow, lots of replies on this thread since I last visited it!

My girlfriend's going to apply for the partner visa in June this year, so I've got a few more questions.
For the USA police checks, can she get those done before we're in the USA, to save some time? How do we apply for them (mail?)?
Also, since she would have been in Australia for 12 months (on the working holiday visa), does she need to get a police check here as well?


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## aussiegirl (Dec 15, 2009)

Hi Daniel,

Your partner can get the FBI police check by post. Just look on the FBI website for details. She can pay by credit card or money/ postal order. The bothersome part is that she will have to get some fingerprints done on a copy of the FBI fingerprint form they provide on the site. You will have to go to a local police station and pay some kind of fee to have them done professionally.

They take up to 3 months to process, so I would get on top of it now if you want to get your application in ASAP. And yes, she will also have to provide an Australian AFP check since she has been in Australia for 12 months.


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## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

Thanks aussiegirl. My girlfriend went to the local police station and they did the fingerprinting for free. They ended up being a little smudged, but hopefully they're alright! Do we hear back from the FBI if the fingerprints were rejected?


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Daniel15 said:


> Thanks aussiegirl. My girlfriend went to the local police station and they did the fingerprinting for free. They ended up being a little smudged, but hopefully they're alright! Do we hear back from the FBI if the fingerprints were rejected?


If they're not to the standard the FBI require, I'm sure you will hear from them.
Do a search for FBI check and there's a thread which hasn't been up on the first page for a fair while but it had quite a few posts on it, including if I remember correctly some reference to the FBI having a particular card for finger prints.


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## aussiegirl (Dec 15, 2009)

Hi Daniel,

I know a couple of people who had smudgy prints, but it didn't cause a rejection. If they are rejected, FBI sends you a notification by post. 

Also, processing times seem to be quite quick right now, with around 1 month from the date you send it off to the date you get it back. Of course, I can't say for sure, but that's what I've heard from those who've gone through the process recently.


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## ruizjen (Apr 19, 2011)

Hi, 

I live in the States and my boyfriend lives in Australia. I have applied for the Work Holiday Visa which will allow me to stay in Australia for 12 months. I called the embassy to ask how often they put a "No Further Stay" on the visa and she said pretty often. Basically, I would be able to live there for 12 months then I would have to leave Australia for 5-10 months while we apply for the partner visa. Has anyone else had issues with this? Is there a way to get the "No Further Stay" changed? 

Thanks so much!


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## ruizjen (Apr 19, 2011)

Daniel,

Did your girlfriend have No Further Stay on her work holiday visa? If so, were you able to get it changed so she could stay in Australia? I am going through that now. My bf lives in Sydney and I'm trying to move over there to be with him but running into lots of hurdles.

Thanks,
Jen


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## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

> I know a couple of people who had smudgy prints, but it didn't cause a rejection. If they are rejected, FBI sends you a notification by post.
> 
> Also, processing times seem to be quite quick right now, with around 1 month from the date you send it off to the date you get it back. Of course, I can't say for sure, but that's what I've heard from those who've gone through the process recently.


Thanks! The FBI check arrived a few days ago - I guess the fingerprints were fine. We're planning to go to the USA soon (and apply for the partner visa offshore) so we got it sent to her parents in the USA. 



> Did your girlfriend have No Further Stay on her work holiday visa?


No, I don't think she had this condition on her working holiday visa.
However, we're not going to apply for a partner visa here - We're planning on a trip to the USA around the time her visa expires here. We're going to apply while in the USA


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## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

Just submitted our visa application today. Posted via USPS Express Mail, so it should arrive at the Washington office by noon tomorrow. How long does it normally take from when they receive it in the mail to when you hear from them for the first time?


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## aussiegirl (Dec 15, 2009)

That all depends on how many apps. they are going through at the moment. We got a CO the day we handed it in because we could make an appointment and get the interview straight up. Posted applications seem to take up to a month to get a CO, so it could be a little while. Good luck and stay cool for now


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## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

Thanks, hopefully it doesn't take too long!

Thanks to everyone on this forum for all the assistance. I'll keep you guys updated on the progress.


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## caitlyn-laura (Jul 10, 2012)

Hi everyone, I know this thread is quite old but I'm hoping that will work in my favour! My girlfriend is from England and is hoping to go straight from a Working Holiday Visa to a de facto visa. How did you all go with your applications? Did any of you have to leave the country while it was being processed, or were you issued a bridging Visa in the meantime? Thanks!


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## Daniel15 (Apr 14, 2010)

caitlyn-laura said:


> Hi everyone, I know this thread is quite old but I'm hoping that will work in my favour! My girlfriend is from England and is hoping to go straight from a Working Holiday Visa to a de facto visa. How did you all go with your applications? Did any of you have to leave the country while it was being processed, or were you issued a bridging Visa in the meantime? Thanks!


My girlfriend and I left Australia and applied for the de-facto visa in the USA. You could probably apply for it inside Australia, in which case you'd get a bridging visa. As far as I can remember, you need to have been living together for 12 months, so you'd probably have to send in the application on the very last day of the working holiday visa's validity.


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## aussiegirl (Dec 15, 2009)

If you take the onshore de facto application route you have to make sure you're super organised so that you can hand in a complete application as soon as you WHV is up.


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## bma (Sep 28, 2011)

In order to get enough evidence for a partner visa application, there's also a possibility to get a second WHV.
To be eligible, one needs to have completed three months of specified work in regional Australia on the first WHV and be aged between 18 and 30 years.


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## caitlyn-laura (Jul 10, 2012)

aussiegirl said:


> If you take the onshore de facto application route you have to make sure you're super organised so that you can hand in a complete application as soon as you WHV is up.


Hi there! We are looking at doing an onshore application as you said - Laura's WHV I runs out on February 14th 2013 (a Wednesday I think) and we will be applying on the Tuesday February 13th 2013 which will technically be 1 day short of the 12 months needed for the de facto visa. Have you heard of anyone else doing it this way? Do you have any tips on submitting a visa application quickly from Adelaide? I've heard we'll need to send it to Perth or something like that, I expect we'll need super express post.


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## caitlyn-laura (Jul 10, 2012)

bma said:


> In order to get enough evidence for a partner visa application, there's also a possibility to get a second WHV.
> To be eligible, one needs to have completed three months of specified work in regional Australia on the first WHV and be aged between 18 and 30 years.


Hey! Originally we did set out do it that way, simply because we thought we had no other option. The de facto visa requires both people to be 18 for the application to be processed, and since I only turn 18 in September we thought that we wouldn't be eligible since I wouldn't have been 18 for the entire 12 months we had been living together. However, after contacting the department of immigration we were told that I only have to be 18 when we _submit_ the application, and therefore we can still go down the de facto path in order to extend Laura's stay in Australia (and avoid spending 3 months apart whilst Laura lives and works on a farm for the WHV II). Do you have any suggestions for us? This is definitely the way we would like to go about it, now it's just a matter of doing it!


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## caitlyn-laura (Jul 10, 2012)

Daniel15 said:


> My girlfriend and I left Australia and applied for the de-facto visa in the USA. You could probably apply for it inside Australia, in which case you'd get a bridging visa. As far as I can remember, you need to have been living together for 12 months, so you'd probably have to send in the application on the very last day of the working holiday visa's validity.


Hi! Thanks so much for your reply, your application seemed quite similar to mine and Laura's so I was hoping you'd get back to us! From memory, you're both quite a young couple too, right? Did you have any problems to do with your age during the process, or did you not have any noticeable problems? Are there any problems you encountered that you didn't expect to, or anything that you thought was going to be a pain that ended up being perfectly fine? Basically, do you have any hints, tips or tricks from your experience that you could pass on?


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## nighstar (Apr 22, 2010)

caitlyn-laura said:


> Hi there! We are looking at doing an onshore application as you said - Laura's WHV I runs out on February 14th 2013 (a Wednesday I think) and we will be applying on the Tuesday February 13th 2013 which will technically be 1 day short of the 12 months needed for the de facto visa. Have you heard of anyone else doing it this way? Do you have any tips on submitting a visa application quickly from Adelaide? I've heard we'll need to send it to Perth or something like that, I expect we'll need super express post.


As I said in another thread, I applied in person on the very day my visa would expire (exactly one year from entering the country on my visa). I can't say for certain, but I think they will be pretty strict on the "1 year minimum" thing, so applying even a day early sounds risky to me... I would definitely contact Immi (131 881) and ask specifically about whether or not being short a day will hurt your application. If it will, then you need to know if it's the posted-on date or the received-on date that counts as your application date. If you send your application the day before your visa expires via Next Day Service then they actually wouldn't get your application until the 1 year mark which is fine if they go by the date they received it, but if they are go by the date on which you posted the application you will need to use Same Day Delivery in order to not be 1 day short. Make sense?

Just my opinion, though....


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