# Which Visa for my filipina sweetheart?



## chrisb (Apr 6, 2012)

Hi all, My name is Chris, this is my first post.

Rather than trying to filter through the thousands of messages on this forum, and im sure that this question has been asked a thousand times, but i thought id come straight off the bat and start here 

Im an Australian citizen and Ive been in contact with a girl, shes a citzen of the philippines. we met "online" through a close friend of mine september last year.
I went to the Philippines in February this year for 2 weeks to stay with her. We absolutely adore each other, and naturally want to take the next step.

Currently, Im on long service leave, and were applying for a tourist visa for her to come and stay with me in Australia for 3 months. I'll be sponsoring her, and have sent all my relevant docs to her, so she can apply for this visa.

However, Im now starting to think of the future, and our options for her to live here with me in Australia. Money is no issue.

1. When shes here in the next couple of months, can we then apply for a Prospective Marriage Visa ? How does that work? Timeframe?

2. Do we wait until she goes back home, and then apply for the PMV or a spouse visa? what are the requirements of getting a spouse visa?

3. Do we pull the pin on this tourist visa all together, and apply for a different visa?

This is all new to me, i really dont know much about it all. Im a law obiding citizen who just wants to do the right thing by us.

Basically, i just want to know the fastest, easiest way for her to come and live with me.

Thankyou for taking the time to read my post, I look forward to reading your informative replies.

Chris.


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## justme (Apr 6, 2012)

Gidday Chris.

1. When shes here in the next couple of months, can we then apply for a Prospective Marriage Visa ? How does that work? Timeframe? 

No. You need to provide a stong evidence of proof of relationship (i.e. cyber chat history, phone calls, photos together, plane ticket that you went to philippines to visit her, stutus of singleness...etc) to be able to apply for PMV. Your fiancee will be the applicant and you need to lodge the application offshore there is now way to apply on a PMV while on a tourist visa.

2. Do we wait until she goes back home, and then apply for the PMV or a spouse visa? what are the requirements of getting a spouse visa?

Yes, I suggest a spouse visa 309 would be best and you better start documenting all your cyber conversation and if you sent her gifts keep the receipts both of you, any evidence that your relationship are for real would help the Case Officer to assess your paper easily, remember the CO cannot read your mind so document everything now. There are heaps of paper work involve and the more evidence you have in hand the better.

3. Do we pull the pin on this tourist visa all together, and apply for a different visa?

I think this is a good a idea to bring her to OZ so you will have more evidence that you are serious about your relationship with her and get to know each other more. Take some photos while she's visiting you and keep all the important receipt that you both are involve. I even suggest that you apply for a joint bank account and start paying your bills, rent..etc under that joint account. This would help when you go to the next stage of applying for PMV.

Other requirement for PMV: 3-5 year history of your income tax returns, letter of employment, payslip 1 year history, bank account statements, house lease, statutory declation from your family or friends and they have to be australians and most most of all be honest with her.

I hope this helps and i've been throught all this and I'm a happy person now together with my spouse from the philippines.

all the best.


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## missmullen (Jun 9, 2011)

justme said:


> Gidday Chris.
> 
> 2. Do we wait until she goes back home, and then apply for the PMV or a spouse visa? what are the requirements of getting a spouse visa?
> 
> Yes, I suggest a spouse visa 309 would be best and you better start documenting all your cyber conversation and if you sent her gifts keep the receipts both of you, any evidence that your relationship are for real would help the Case Officer to assess your paper easily, remember the CO cannot read your mind so document everything now. There are heaps of paper work involve and the more evidence you have in hand the better.


Just to clarify the previous person's advice, you would not qualify for the 309 visa unless you have been in a de facto relationship (i.e. lived together) for 12 months, or are already married. My opinion is the PMV (subclass 300) is best for your circumstances, provided of course that it is your intention to be married.

I would however agree with the poster above re having her come out on the tourist visa - it will give you a great opportunity to collect the evidence you will need to provide when submitting the PMV, not to mention to get to know each other better, as at this stage having spent only 2 weeks together, you may have difficulty providing the required evidence to satisfy the PMV requirements...

Read the Partner Migration Booklet, www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1127.pdf , it really is the best source of information if you are looking to go down this long and winding road...


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## amonsalve (Feb 21, 2012)

Just some additional information, There is no easy or fatest way. The queue is always long. A PMV 300 could take a minimum 6 months for a high rish country since the date you apply. So actually think better that is 9 months or more. On top of that, You need to recollect a heap of papers for the application. So that is 2 months, at least, for people who are busy with work.

Best luck


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## IMkddj (Nov 14, 2011)

chrisb said:


> Hi all, My name is Chris, this is my first post.
> 
> Rather than trying to filter through the thousands of messages on this forum, and im sure that this question has been asked a thousand times, but i thought id come straight off the bat and start here
> 
> ...


Hi chris,
Me and my partner had been to your situation. My partner is the permanent resident, I'm a filipina. 
We met online, then he came to the Philippines after 3 mos. to meet me, after that I went to oz via tourist visa, he sponsored me. I stayed for 3 months then went back to Phils. and lodged pros. Marriage visa. A week later I applied a second tourist visa. It was granted. Then came back to phils. again to wait for the decision of PMV. 
2 weeks later, it was granted.
Overall it took 4 months after lodging it. 
I think you should pursue tourist visa then apply prospective marriage visa in the philippines. You can't do it onshore since she's from a high risk country. 
Plus tourist visa is for recreational purposes only not for any other visa option.
Tourist visa takes 7 days to process and prospective marriage visa is 9-12 months could be shorter depends on the situation. Mine took 4 months and you can always apply tourist visa while waiting for other visa. Just don't forget to remind your case officer so he/she won't grant your pros. marriage visa while your fiancee is here. Otherwise they cancel it. When you apply offshore, you should be offshore when they grant it.

Cheers,
IMkddj


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## chrisb (Apr 6, 2012)

IMkddj said:


> Hi chris,
> Me and my partner had been to your situation. My partner is the permanent resident, I'm a filipina.
> We met online, then he came to the Philippines after 3 mos. to meet me, after that I went to oz via tourist visa, he sponsored me. I stayed for 3 months then went back to Phils. and lodged pros. Marriage visa. A week later I applied a second tourist visa. It was granted. Then came back to phils. again to wait for the decision of PMV.
> 2 weeks later, it was granted.
> ...


Thankyou IMkddj, thats is perfect information!! 

Thankyou to all others who replied aswell, gives me some great insight!


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## IMkddj (Nov 14, 2011)

chrisb said:


> Thankyou IMkddj, thats is perfect information!!
> 
> Thankyou to all others who replied aswell, gives me some great insight!


No worries. Good luck to you and your gf.

Bedt regards,
IMkddj


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## youngchi (Nov 14, 2011)

ALL BEEN SAID BY THOSE LOVING FILIPINAS WOULD REALLY HELP U TO PREPARE CHRIS..

AND THIS SITE WOULD REALLY HELP YOU..
FILIPINAS HERE ARE ALL SO WARM..THEY NEVER GET GREEDY EVEN THEY GRANTED A VISA ALREADY, SO JUST STICK TO THIS SITE..

BUT IF U STILL WANT TO HAVE MORE ADVICE AND FEEL MUCH SECURED THAT YOU AND YOUR FIANCEE DOCS ARE COMPLETE
AND READY.. 

U KNW EVERYONE CASE IS DIFF.

I WUD SUGGEST TO GET SOME HELP OF AN AGENT AND FOR ME
JEFF HARVIE OF downundervisa.com.au IS GD OF GUIDING US (hes my agent,im applying spouse visa 309) ..HE WILL GUIDE U BOTH IN EVERY STEP U MAKE WITH A WARM HEART.


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## justme (Apr 6, 2012)

Hey Chris,

I suggested 309 thinking that Chris is really serious about this chick. With my spouse while i was on TV after 15 days I arrived in OZ we decided to have a civil marriage and then after 15 days, we hired an agent to help us processing our papers. The agent lodged our papers on our behalf via sending all our documents to Phils as if it offshore.

The civil marriage was very simple just our parents and really closed friends that helped us later to write the statutory declaration for us. We collected heaps of photos on that day and use them as strong evidence of relationship.

The processing took 4 months for our 309 and the agent will frequently communicate with the CO as they are authorise to know the status/progress of you application.

So think about, you have few options now, follow your heart and be honest with her.

all the best my friend.


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## chrisb (Apr 6, 2012)

Lots more great info, i cant thank you people enough!
Definately alot more options than i ever thought, and its good to hear the "real stories" from genuine people!

For now, we are just going to focus on her coming here next month for a holiday on a tourist visa. Then we will talk about the future alot more in detail, when were with each other.

Thanks again! 

Chris


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## chrisb (Apr 6, 2012)

Well, finally shes here with me now, she arrived here on may 16th. (so happy) !!

However she was only granted a 3 month tourist visa with a "no further stay" 

I just have a couple of questions about our next steps.

1. If we are successfully granted a PMV, and we get married (of course) , Does she have to go back to the Philippines while we "wait" for the spouse visa 309 to be approved? Or as long we lodge the aplication for the 309 visa before the "9 month" PMV visa ends its ok?

2. How about if i flew over to the philippines when she goes home from this current tourist visa and married her in the philippines? Then we could apply for the spouse visa straight off the bat?

Thoughts?

Thanks all!!!


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## IMkddj (Nov 14, 2011)

chrisb said:


> Well, finally shes here with me now, she arrived here on may 16th. (so happy) !!
> 
> However she was only granted a 3 month tourist visa with a "no further stay"
> 
> ...


Hello Chrisb,
When granted PMV, you have 9 months to get marry and lodge spouse visa. No need to leave Australia coz they will give her a bridging visa. This visa will kick in as soon as her PMV visa expired and valid until a decision has been made to your spouse visa.

Did you lodge PMV already? If yes, and you planning to marry her in the Philippines soon, then you have to inform DIAC and they will cancel your PMV and change it to Spouse. I'm not sure about the other details about this cancelling PMV. Better to call immi.

Cheers,
IMkddj


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## chrisb (Apr 6, 2012)

Thanks for your reply, great information.
We havent lodged any visa yet, just weighing up our options at the moment.

Thanks again IMkddj!


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