# Bridging visa A - getting work permission



## Mic2608 (Feb 22, 2011)

Hello everyone
I'm in the process of applying for an onshore spouse visa.Soon I'll be on the Bridging visa A but as I'm here on a tourist visa at the moment I will have the same conditions - no work permission.

I understand that I can apply for temporary working rights while my visa application is being processed based on financial hardship.
I still find it hard to believe that this wouldn't have a negative impact the visa application as the sponsor has to state that he is completely able to support the applicant for 2 years.But apparently the sponsor only has to have an yearly income of 35k to be eligible as a sponsor and if you can proof that you have high spendings you could still apply for working rights based on financial hardship to support the household.

First of all can anyone confirm this?
Has anyone gone through this process and could share his experience?

How do you lodge this application?Form 1005,is it?
What kind of supporting documents do you have to provide with it?
(I assume bank statement showing financial situation- income,rent,bills )

Any help and info is much appreciated!

Cheers


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

You'll find some info and thoughts @ http://www.australiaforum.com/visas-immigration/7085-remove-no-work-condition-bridging-visa.html


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## Mic2608 (Feb 22, 2011)

Thanks for your reply and the link!

I'm still not sure if I understand the definition for when you're eligible to apply for work permission based on financial hardship and if it could have a negative impact on the partner visa application...

My partner just went from a good paid job to being a mature age apprentice.Our rent is average i guess, so are the day-to- day expenses.Our savings are pretty much gone, but if you cut down in going and eating out,shopping etc we can both just live on this money.Apart from that it drives me insane sitting at home, it definitely would help having a second income again.
But it this enough to apply based on 'financial hardship'?

Again,any info is much appreciated!


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## Mic2608 (Feb 22, 2011)

Found another thread dealings with this issue

http://www.australiaforum.com/visas...-work-while-waiting-onshore-partner-visa.html


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## Mic2608 (Feb 22, 2011)

anyone...????


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## rtalwr (Jan 31, 2011)

I'm in the same boat as you. Sitting around waiting is really getting to me and I'm anxious to start working (I applied onshore Sydney in October so it shouldn't be too much longer... I hope). I did go over the 1005 form but it didn't look like I could justify the need to work. I live with my inlaws at the moment and my expenses are minimal so I don't have bills or anything to submit but we are dying to move out and rent a place and be on our own. Then again I do have some pretty major student loans to pay off.

Basically if I could work then we would change our situation to one where we have more expenses and we would be in a financial hardship with only one income. Currently, however, as long as we stay where we are there really is no financial hardship... just mental anxiety.

I don't think this helps you much but I'm frustrated just as you are.


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

The ammount of income that is looked for before someone needs an Assurer of Support is one thing and if Immi feels a person will struggle that is where they'll seek an Assurer of Support.
So seeking additional income is not a crime nor should it be seen as detracting from an application so no harm to be done in applying and the worse that can happen is you get a refusal, it also not being something that is regularly granted.


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## Mic2608 (Feb 22, 2011)

And as usual: Thanks Wanderer!
You really help a lot people here...!

@rtalwr yeah I understand the mental anxiety...!!!!!!!And I have to say it actually does help me a lot getting through this reading that people are going through the same stuff...So thanks for your post!

I'm still not quite sure how financial hardship is defined but I'm going to take my chances and apply for a work permission as soon as I'm on the BVA

I think it pretty tricky to define `financial hardship` anyway as people have different living standards I guess...
My partner and me live of his apprenticeship income (plus he does some extra work on top of that) which is not very high at all,we do house sharing and look at every penny twice but I'm a traveller so used to not having money, or let's say I have been in worse financial situations, so we are getting by ok I think...For people used to a different lifestyle this propably would be a hardship for sure and even though of cause I`d love to live more comfortable I guess it is ok...We all knew what we were getting ourselfes into starting this visa process... (just to be a little smartass here  )
But apart from going mental just sitting at home doing nothing while your life is put on hold I hope that immi acknowledges it that you want to be a participating member of the community etc

But fingers crossed that everything is going to be over soon and we all live happily ever after in Australia.

It hopefully shouldn`t be much longer for you rtalwr so all the best!


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Financial hardship can be loosely defined as it being tight to survive on what income you have so if you have an outline of reasonable expenses and there is limited income, that's essentially what you need to be looking at.
And it being tight because you have a live it up lifestyle will be harder to sell.


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## Mic2608 (Feb 22, 2011)

yes that makes sense...


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## westy1988 (Mar 22, 2011)

Hi mic,

Im in the same boat stuck over in Perth,
Partner has just resumed Uni and is trying to work full time aswell which is obviously having adverse effects on her life and mine as i feel useless,

Let me Know how you get on as i also am unsure as to if it will reflect negatively on the ongoing application!

cheers


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## Mic2608 (Feb 22, 2011)

I plan to lodge everything on Monday so will keep you updated how it goes...

I try to believe that even if the work permission doesn't get granted,it won't have any negative impact on the partner application...

I hope I can talk to someone in person and explain our situation!


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## westy1988 (Mar 22, 2011)

How did it go?


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## rjay777 (Sep 1, 2010)

Just to let everyone know. I am now on a bridging visa A as of April 5th. I really needed to apply for work rights as I have now been here and not able to work for more than 12 months. I filled out the form 1005. Did an excel spreadsheet of my expenses as well as our expenses together. I did a cover letter explaining why I needed work rights and made copies of bills and bank statements for review. I turned in the form on April 11th and on the 13th of April I received a email confirming full work rights. So excited! Just wanted to pass this info along and wish you all good luck.


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## Mic2608 (Feb 22, 2011)

congats!that's great news!


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## Camila (Oct 24, 2011)

*Some questions*



rjay777 said:


> Just to let everyone know. I am now on a bridging visa A as of April 5th. I really needed to apply for work rights as I have now been here and not able to work for more than 12 months. I filled out the form 1005. Did an excel spreadsheet of my expenses as well as our expenses together. I did a cover letter explaining why I needed work rights and made copies of bills and bank statements for review. I turned in the form on April 11th and on the 13th of April I received a email confirming full work rights. So excited! Just wanted to pass this info along and wish you all good luck.


That's great! congratulations!!

I have a few questions about this actually. I am applying for a defacto visa and need permission to work. I filled out a 1005 form and made copies of my bank statements, and a cover letter detailing our expenses. i went to the local diac office (brisbane) to lodge it. However, the man behind the counter told me i can't lodge it there, and that i would need more information. He also said i would be unlikely to get it as "it would take away an australian citizen's right to work".

It left me stumped. I thought it was fairly easy to get permission to work approved based on financial hardship. also, i have looked everywhere and i have no idea where to lodge form 1005. Please help!


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## nighstar (Apr 22, 2010)

Camila said:


> That's great! congratulations!!
> 
> I have a few questions about this actually. I am applying for a defacto visa and need permission to work. I filled out a 1005 form and made copies of my bank statements, and a cover letter detailing our expenses. i went to the local diac office (brisbane) to lodge it. However, the man behind the counter told me i can't lodge it there, and that i would need more information. He also said i would be unlikely to get it as "it would take away an australian citizen's right to work".
> 
> It left me stumped. I thought it was fairly easy to get permission to work approved based on financial hardship. also, i have looked everywhere and i have no idea where to lodge form 1005. Please help!


at first i thought i knew who you had spoken to (because i've spoken to this person more than once before), but that part about not being able to apply there is BS and i know that the person i was thinking of wouldn't say that.

have you already applied for a de facto? do you have a Client ID/RID? you will need that so they can easily link your 1005 application to your de facto application.... if you have already applied for a de facto, there is no reason you can't submit a 1005. if i were you, i would go back and hope that you get someone that knows what they're talking about. if you get another uninformed person (actually, i got an uninformed person too when applying) then tell them that you know you can apply there and request to speak to someone else. it seems like some people working at the Brisbane processing center really don't know their stuff.

i applied for a de facto 820 in person at the Brisbane office in July. at the time of applying i was encouraged to submit a 1005 to try to get full work rights. in August i submitted the 1005 in person at the Brisbane office. the person at reception was an idiot and gave me a ticket number to wait in the long long line to speak to someone when it turns out the person at reception was suppose to take the application and forward it to where it needed to go. i should never have had to wait in the second line. after waiting in the second line for like 2+ hours and talking to someone else they apologized for the error of the person in reception and cautioned me that i was unlikely to be approved for full work rights because i already had partial work rights thanks to my WHV. remember that at first i was ENCOURAGED to apply and then i was practically DISCOURAGED! everyone at the immi office has their own opinion and it's just that: an opinion. anyway, i applied and was granted full work rights within a week.

shows what the immi people know. 

oh, and alternatively if the Brisbane processing centre is where you submitted your de facto, you can just mail in the 1005 app if you don't want to go back to the office:

Partner (Temporary) Processing Centre QLD
GPO Box 9984 Brisbane QLD 4001

the address should be in the paperwork that they gave you when applying for the de facto.


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## rjay777 (Sep 1, 2010)

Camila said:


> That's great! congratulations!!
> 
> I have a few questions about this actually. I am applying for a defacto visa and need permission to work. I filled out a 1005 form and made copies of my bank statements, and a cover letter detailing our expenses. i went to the local diac office (brisbane) to lodge it. However, the man behind the counter told me i can't lodge it there, and that i would need more information. He also said i would be unlikely to get it as "it would take away an australian citizen's right to work".
> 
> It left me stumped. I thought it was fairly easy to get permission to work approved based on financial hardship. also, i have looked everywhere and i have no idea where to lodge form 1005. Please help!


Hi Camila,
I lodged the application in the Sydney office. I was granted work rights within about 5 days. It was stressful as all of this process has been but it went easily.
Sorry I cant be of more help. 
Good luck.


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## clmj512 (Feb 9, 2012)

Hi there, 

Could anyone let me know what to detailed in the cover letter along with the form 1005?

Appreciate your great help.

Thanks!


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## dingo144 (Dec 5, 2011)

Hey guys!

I would love to remove my no work condition too

I'm really keen on any information about the cover letters you guys wrote...I understand it should give an explanation of why I want/need the work rights, but did you include just "hard" facts that money is really tight or did you also write about the psychological problems one has while sitting at home all this time???

any advice is highly appreciated!

cheers!


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## whatnext (Aug 3, 2011)

Include a bit of both bit don't go into too much detail in the cover letter. They are looking for financial hardship so best to include an excel spreadsheet outlining your partners incoming an the outgoing bills. It's a fine line between showing them that your partner can still support you but also showing their income is just enough. Support that with a couple of bank statements showing the bill payments, rent etc. 

If you have been on the bridging visa for a long time this also helps. They understand the partner visa process is taking longer and longer and it means being out of work for longer periods. Send a clear and factual application and throw in a bit of emotion for good measure but don't go overboard.


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## dingo144 (Dec 5, 2011)

Thanks whatnext for your fast reply!

Ok so i will include everything we pay and just add some sobbing ;-)

I won't be on the briging visa for long when handing in but i'm not working since september 2011 ...should i mention this?

Cheers


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## dingo144 (Dec 5, 2011)

Hey guys...

any one of you who got the work restriction removed how much weekly income did you have at the time of application...I'm not sure if our case is strong enough...I'm so worried...I really go CRAZY sitting at home all the time...

my partner earns good money ($4000 a month), our rent is $1000 a month and we don't have a car, therefore we need bus tickets which are about $220 a month and the rest goes for food, personal care products and gym...

do you guys think it's good enough...???

I need to get out there, I can't stand this non-productive days over and over again 

any advice is greatly appreciated!


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