# Country of Current Residence



## DoubleTree (Jul 29, 2014)

In the form 47SP for 820/801 visa it asks...

Q 21) Country of current residence.
Q 22) Current residential address.
Q 23) Address for correspondence


For my wife, country of current residence is the UK. She will arrive in Australia on a tourist visa (without no further stay condition) with myself (an Australian citizen) and we will go and stay in my apartment in Sydney. After a week or so she will submit the 820/801 visa form onshore (in Australia).

Q. What should I write for question 21 above, should I write England or should I write Australia?

I thought I should write England, but then the next question Q.22 asks for a current residential address, which I then wrote the Australian address of my flat in Sydney, which kind of contradicts the previous question. So I'm not sure what to write.

I could write the UK address in current residential address, and then in the next question, address for correspondence, write the Australian address. But this will contradict my address in the form as the spouse, since I will write the Australian address as my current residential address.

What do you think?


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## Jeremy Hooper (Jul 10, 2014)

The Country of current residence is the Country where your wife is normally resident. That would be the UK. Residence in Immigration terms is the place where she normally lives (at this point in time)

Current Residential Address is your wife's address in her country of residence.

Address for Correspondence is where she is living at the moment that is your Australia.

If she changes her address while the application is being processed she can submit a Form 929 with the change of address (or passport) details.

Regards


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## DoubleTree (Jul 29, 2014)

so I guess it wont count against us if we have different current residential addresses when submitting the application, even tho we both live at the same address?

Also, I would have thought that for most onshore applications made in Australia it would be normal for the applications current residential address to be in Australia, but again I guess this does not matter, i.e. applying onshore but current residential address is offshore.


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## Maggie-May24 (Jul 24, 2011)

I would have put Australia as country of residence since she's applying onshore and then used the Australian address. But since I don't have experience with partner visas, this would have been just a guess.


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

We put Australia for my husband's 820/801. It is where you are currently living.


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## CollegeGirl (Nov 10, 2012)

That would have been what I did, too, Maggie-May.


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## paulandalex (Nov 20, 2013)

do you think this applies also if i am "only" on a tourist visa (3 months)? because I would have thought my country of residence is Germany, so my address should also be the one in Germany. But the address for correspondence is the one i am currently living at in Australia?
thanks for your help


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## Maggie-May24 (Jul 24, 2011)

I would follow Jeremy's suggestion and put Germany. Although I initially thought the OP should put Australia, I now think this would be incorrect since being here on a tourist visa, you shouldn't say that you reside in Australia (which would mean you aren't a tourist).

In the case of both Mish and CG, since their partner's were already resident in Australia (having arrived on a PMV), Australia would have been the correct response in their situations.


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## paulandalex (Nov 20, 2013)

Maggie-May24 said:


> I would follow Jeremy's suggestion and put Germany. Although I initially thought the OP should put Australia, I now think this would be incorrect since being here on a tourist visa, you shouldn't say that you reside in Australia (which would mean you aren't a tourist).


OK I understand. Although I moved with all my stuff to Australia to now apply for the visa. Our lease contract is also in both our names. So wouldn't it be better to write the same address as my partner? So confusing! Might just ring them and make sure I do it right.


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## wrussell (Dec 31, 2014)

> Might just ring them and make sure I do it right.


If you phone the DIBP and do the opposite of whatever you are told, there is a good chance that you will be doing the right thing. Try not to go to sleep on hold.


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## Jeremy Hooper (Jul 10, 2014)

Hi Paul and Alex,

Please note that people working for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection are not Registered Migration Agents, Lawyers or Members of Parliament. As such they are not legally able to give you migration advice. Many are very narrowly trained in one or two aspects of Migration Law. 

You are better off taking the advice of migration agents on this site.


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## Maggie-May24 (Jul 24, 2011)

paulandalex said:


> OK I understand. Although I moved with all my stuff to Australia to now apply for the visa. Our lease contract is also in both our names. So wouldn't it be better to write the same address as my partner? So confusing! Might just ring them and make sure I do it right.


Unfortunately DIBP representatives have often been known to give incorrect information, and they take no responsibility for any issues applicants may face from following the incorrect information they've been given. You're better off checking with a migration agent.


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## KarenVG (Feb 21, 2015)

paulandalex said:


> do you think this applies also if i am "only" on a tourist visa (3 months)? because I would have thought my country of residence is Germany, so my address should also be the one in Germany. But the address for correspondence is the one i am currently living at in Australia?
> thanks for your help


We are in the same situation. I think we will follow the suggestions on here and put my partner's address in Italy as the residential address, and then use our Aussie address for the Postal address. Even though it means we will have different residential addresses which looks strange.

It would be good to hear back from people who successfully had onshore visa granted (not from PMV) to be sure that this is correct!


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## CCMS (Oct 10, 2013)

It could be interpreted either way. 

I tend to use the applicant's Australian address for onshore applications, as they currently are residing in Australia, even if it is temporarily.

Never had an issue with it.


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## KarenVG (Feb 21, 2015)

CCMS said:


> It could be interpreted either way.
> 
> I tend to use the applicant's Australian address for onshore applications, as they currently are residing in Australia, even if it is temporarily.
> 
> Never had an issue with it.


Does this mean that you would also need to put Australia as the usual country of residence? It seems a bit strange to use an Aussie residential address if you're on a tourist visa, but now I'm leaning towards this option.


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## CCMS (Oct 10, 2013)

Once the application has been lodged the applicant will remain in Australia on a Bridging Visa, so will continue to reside in Australia. 

Either way, I don't think it's that critical, but using the address where you're actually living makes more sense to me. 

If you are doing it online, check if the question has a "?" behind it with a further clarification. I have never really checked.


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## CCMS (Oct 10, 2013)

I just had a look at a couple of paper applications (form 47 SP) I did a few years ago. Both applicants applied for a sc. 820 while on a tourist visa. On both occasions we listed Australia as country of residence and the Australian addresses the residential address. No questions were asked and both applications were approved.

I am currently doing stage 2 for one of the applicants online. The online form just asks for the contact details, so obviously I am using the Australian address here again.

If you ask 5 migration agents, you probably get 5 different answers, but in the context of an onshore partner visa I think it makes sense to use the local Australian address.


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## KarenVG (Feb 21, 2015)

CCMS said:


> Once the application has been lodged the applicant will remain in Australia on a Bridging Visa, so will continue to reside in Australia.
> 
> Either way, I don't think it's that critical, but using the address where you're actually living makes more sense to me.
> 
> If you are doing it online, check if the question has a "?" behind it with a further clarification. I have never really checked.


Thanks Nick, I'm going to put Australia. Incidentally, clicking on the "?" next to this particular question does not help much. It just says:

"From the option list, select your usual country of residence.
In a later step, you will be asked to provide your full residential address in this country."


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## CCMS (Oct 10, 2013)

KarenVG said:


> Thanks Nick, I'm going to put Australia. Incidentally, clicking on the "?" next to this particular question does not help much. It just says: "From the option list, select your usual country of residence. In a later step, you will be asked to provide your full residential address in this country."


Usual residence:

a physical presence in a particular place (as indicated by where a person maintains a home, eats and sleeps, even if this is in hotels or a yacht) and

an intention to treat that place as a home for at least the being but not necessarily forever.


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