# Australian Consulate General in Dubai...



## Patience (Jul 7, 2010)

Hello 

I am an Australian Citizen sponsoring my partner from Afghanistan, and my partners 309 visa processing is done through the Australian Consulate in Dubai. They were previously being processed in Pakistan, but for some reason they've been moved to Dubai.

Alot of friends and family who have also sponsored from the same country have gone through longggggggggggggggg waiting times, the quickest time being 15 months!!!!  Some have been waiting for almost 2 years now! i guess maybe because its a high risk country...

Has anyone had their applications processed by the Australian Consulate in Dubai, and how long does it take for them to ask for missing documents?

I made sure i handed in all the documents that we needed, except for the police clearance and medical docs, as we have to wait for these to be requested... now we play the waiting game. We havnt been asked to provide anything yet. Ive just recieved an email on 26 May 2010 confirming our docs arrived on the 3rd May. To date we have heard anything from them.

Can anyone shed some light on these queries...i guess im just paranoid..but its better to be prepared...

Thanks in advance?


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## midnite_crisis (Jul 4, 2010)

Hi Patience,
I applied in June 17th 2009 from Dubai, and 6 months later moved to Lebanon and still waiting, but I can answer some questions for you.
They asked us for additional information 3 months after we applied, which included:

* Employment letter for applicant and Sponsor mentioning the salary
* Evidence of the relationship 
* Witnessed statements from two people who know both the applicant and spouse/fiancé and their attested passport copies
* Fully completed Form 80.
* Personal Census certificate or birth certificate 
* Completed health examinations
* Original police department Penal Certificate/s (Police Checks)

I wouldn't wait for the police checks to be requested, as they take some time to be given, so just do them now if you can. I would also do the medical because they will most probably ask you for it, but it is costly so you could wait, so yeah but I wish that I did it earlier but yeah that's your choice. (The medical results go directly to the Embassy, so you won't know the results yourself).

By the way, everything in a another language other than English needs to be attested and translated, so I would also work on that too. These things took me over a month to do, so don't wait, do them now so you save time. They also told me that all of this info needs to be handed in 40 days and I needed more time, so be wary of this.


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## anne30 (May 12, 2010)

Patience said:


> Hello
> 
> I am an Australian Citizen sponsoring my partner from Afghanistan, and my partners 309 visa processing is done through the Australian Consulate in Dubai. They were previously being processed in Pakistan, but for some reason they've been moved to Dubai.
> 
> ...


Hello,
My husband & i are also waiting for about 10 months now. Until now, we haven't recieve any feedback from them. Iv'e done my police clearance & medical already even without their request..i just thought it would save time. They told us the processing time would take 9-12months, i just hope they will follow the time frame that they have given us. Kinnda upset to know that some of your friends took 2yrs! Feel free to contact me, i'll also update you to our visa progress.


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## Patience (Jul 7, 2010)

midnite_crisis said:


> Hi Patience,
> I applied in June 17th 2009 from Dubai, and 6 months later moved to Lebanon and still waiting, but I can answer some questions for you.
> They asked us for additional information 3 months after we applied, which included:
> 
> ...


Hi midnite_crisi

Thank you so much for your help!
guess i have to wait another 4 weeks before its officially three months. ive sent in all the things you have mentioned with the original application, except for police and medical paperwork. So ill get right onto that.
I guess i should tell my partner to get his medical now so its ready when they ask.

Its been three weeks since ive requested the police clearance from canberra...but they havnt contacted me either.....aarrrgghhhhhh its sooooo frustrating not knowing if your docs have arrived safley considering its all private and confidential info!...everything feels like a waiting game.. 

Thanks heaps for your advice again...ill put up any updates, if i get any responses..


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## Patience (Jul 7, 2010)

anne30 said:


> Hello,
> My husband & i are also waiting for about 10 months now. Until now, we haven't recieve any feedback from them. Iv'e done my police clearance & medical already even without their request..i just thought it would save time. They told us the processing time would take 9-12months, i just hope they will follow the time frame that they have given us. Kinnda upset to know that some of your friends took 2yrs! Feel free to contact me, i'll also update you to our visa progress.


Hi Anne

I think everyone gets their medicals and police clearance done before hand, maybe because we know it will only delay the time period even more. They also told us it would take 9-12 months, and we've provided everything except for the police check and medicals.

I really want to email them again and ask if we need to provide any further docs, but i dont think its worth it as ive already sent one last month... i hope to god mine doesnt go for any longer than a year  too scary to even think about that...

thanks for your help, ill definitely ask if i need any help or advice.


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## midnite_crisis (Jul 4, 2010)

Patience said:


> Hi midnite_crisi
> 
> Thank you so much for your help!
> guess i have to wait another 4 weeks before its officially three months. ive sent in all the things you have mentioned with the original application, except for police and medical paperwork. So ill get right onto that.
> ...


Hi Patience,
I checked with my husband regarding the medical, and he told me that the panel doctor asked for the email that was sent from the Embassy stating to do the medical test. Maybe you talk to a Panel Doctor and ask them if your husband can do it without the email. (The Panel doctor then sends the results directly to the Embassy.)

Regarding the police check, hand it in directly to the Embassy as the police check had a validity for 2-3 months from what I remember.


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## Patience (Jul 7, 2010)

Its been four months and i have not heard any news from my case officer. my partner and i have both sent emails asking specific wquestions regarding extra documents they need (police clearance and medicals) and when we will be interview, yet we both recieve the same standard response telling us there the date our documents had arrived and the fact that there is many cases in the cue!!!!....aarrrggghjhhhhhhh

does this mean our case hasnt even been looked at?????...   

why isnt my case officer communicating to us...not very happy about this!!! nor is it fair..i mean i havnt sent a million harassing emails..ive only sent one a month!!!!!!

i didnt wait for a letter requesting a police clearance or medicals, weve gone ahead and got them done...they took us almost 2 months getting it done.....god knows when my CO would have sent an email asking for them, and once they had arrived we would have had to wait another 5 months before she confirmed that she had recieved them!!!!

is it normal for a case officer to take so long to communicate with you?????


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

As you already know, the process for HR countries can be quite lengthy and the external check alone though nominally six months can be longer at the moment as resources are being stretched by the security checking requirements of asylum seeker numbers that have increased significantly in the past couple of years.
The way processing in general works is that Case Officers can have quite a few applications on the go simultaneously, one step being initiated and that application will sit waiting for info to be returned whilst next one in the queue has next step done and so on.
So there's little point in sending emails even once a month and Immi people will contact applicants as more info is required.

*There's a big danger in getting character and medical checks done up front for they'll have a 12 months validity and if the visa is not processed within that time, they'll be needed to be done again and in the case of the character check even if it was six/nine months old, they could well say get a current one.*

I see in a post above you said you had seen about getting a police check from Canberra!
Is that for you? , for sponsors do not normally have to get a police check.
Were you requested to do so?

You'll need plenty of patience!


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## Patience (Jul 7, 2010)

Wanderer said:


> As you already know, the process for HR countries can be quite lengthy and the external check alone though nominally six months can be longer at the moment as resources are being stretched by the security checking requirements of asylum seeker numbers that have increased significantly in the past couple of years.
> The way processing in general works is that Case Officers can have quite a few applications on the go simultaneously, one step being initiated and that application will sit waiting for info to be returned whilst next one in the queue has next step done and so on.
> So there's little point in sending emails even once a month and Immi people will contact applicants as more info is required.
> 
> ...


hello

the police check was not for myself. For my husband to obtain his police clearance from afghanisatan (dep of foreign affairs), he needs the Afghan embassy in canberra to send a fax informing (dep of foreign affairs in afgh) them that they are to issue a police clearance for him which, would be send back to canberra for transalting and confirming that is a genuine clearance. Canberra will then send it to me, and i will forward it onto Dubai. (Im still waiting for canberra to send it to me, so havent yet sent the poilce clearance off).

when you say danger...what do you mean? If his PC wasnt accepted because of time related issues, would we have to request another one.
But when i had recieved the first email from then after confirmation of our document arrival, there was a list of supporting documents that would be required in future and the PC and medical were part of that list. So thats why we have gone ahead with them.

lol..i have patience, but its not easy when you dont even know whats going on with your application. its been 9 months since we've seen eachother and 4 months since we lodged our docs, so that makes it feel even longer. Hope they will notice this.


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## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Patience said:


> hello
> 
> the police check was not for myself. For my husband to obtain his police clearance from afghanisatan (dep of foreign affairs), he needs the Afghan embassy in canberra to send a fax informing (dep of foreign affairs in afgh) them that they are to issue a police clearance for him which, would be send back to canberra for transalting and confirming that is a genuine clearance. Canberra will then send it to me, and i will forward it onto Dubai. (Im still waiting for canberra to send it to me, so havent yet sent the poilce clearance off).
> 
> ...


The emails that get sent out acknowledging receipt of an application will usually include a statement of outstanding requirements as you have indicated.
But unless it is a specific request from a CO for you to supply particular information or documents and that will come with a date requirement etc., then yes, the danger in an applicant taking it on themself to do so is that they will become outdated.
Check out what it says re provision @ Partner Visa: Offshore Temporary and Permanent (Subclasses 309 and 100) and whilst wording may not be so positively not to and some people do and that can work where shorter granting time-frames are expected, for longer time-frame situations, the validity duration can easily become an issue.
If the applicant has not specifically been advised of having a CO it is probably the case that the application is not yet being addressed by a CO and the reason for no responses to your emails.

The other thing you may want to address is just who is the contact person listed on the application, the applicant or you as the sponsor for if your partner has not officially listed you as the contact person, you do not want to cause confusion in who correspondence should go to.


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## suzann44 (Apr 6, 2010)

*Frustrating Times, trying to be patient!*

Hi everyone, i know your anguish! My husband is in Pakistan and im in Australia. We applied for partner visa on the 16th april 2010. Our visa is being processed in Bangkok, who knows why? I was careful to send everything that was required, except the medical, which we waited to be requested. We got no acknowledgment of our papers being recieved and after a few emails to them, we got one back, requesting papers that we had already sent, including an original police clearance which we had sent. I advise anyone do not send original anything. Its hard to prove what yu already sent! So, we went and got the papers done again and sent them, still no acknowledgement. My husband done his medical in May and it was sent to them, still no acknowledgement. Anyway, after a few emails to them and no answer, they sent an email saying the security check could take up to 6 months, which would be December, hopefully. Before we applied for visa, i rang the Australian Embassy and asked how long it takes, they said around 15 weeks, then the Australian Embassy in Bangkok said 4 to 5 mths, now they are saying 9 to 12 months. We havent been together since the 9th March and I cant visit him due to the unstable conditions in Pakistan, so it's very hard on our relationship. Maybe they are thinking, 'absence makes the heart grow fonder' but it makes it frustrating for both of us.
I know they are busy, but they could at least let yu know what's going on! Most of the time they dont answer your emails, so its a waste of time, I suppose it just depends on your case worker. Good luck to everyone waiting!


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## Skydancer (Jun 3, 2010)

Dear Suzanne

It is frustrating, I can fully empathise with you. It's been just four months that we are apart, not quite as long as you. There's a thread titled "*Visa Stress*" to be found in the General Chit Chat Forum. Feel free to let out your frustrations there and you'll be in good company! Wish you all the best too.


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## Patience (Jul 7, 2010)

Its now been ONE YEAR and i still have absolutley no news from my CO or from the consulate general about whats going on????
i went back to visit my husband for three months as i was emotionally not dealing with the seperation very well..i was hoping that in the three months i was there my husband would be able to get his visa. Unfortunatley i returned alone and even more depressed than ever. im in anxiety 24/7 i cant eat or sleep and the wait is killing me!!!!!!!!!

How much longer will they make me wait!!!! everytime i call they tell me that my husbands security check hasnt been completed by ASIO!!!!!.....how long does this take!!!!!! 

the wait is absolutley painfuln lonely and depressing!!!!!!

it makes it even more depressing knowing that so many people get their visas issued in under 6 months and here i have been waiting fro more than a year with no news what so eva!!!!

please help???? has anyone waited more than a year and how long before he will get his visa!!!!!


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## Ahmad786 (Sep 8, 2013)

Hi patience, 

Did your husband recieved his visa, I read all your posts and I felt what you want through so far, I just want know you share your experience with me, I lodge my visa application and it been one month.


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## Nabz (Mar 21, 2014)

I have been waiting for 14 and half months still no news. They just tell me my husband's security check hasn't finished. And they don't tell you when it will be finished.


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## Dinkum (Jan 5, 2014)

Nabz said:


> I have been waiting for 14 and half months still no news. They just tell me my husband's security check hasn't finished. And they don't tell you when it will be finished.


Security checks can take very different periods of time and may not be within the control of your case manager. Many here are patiently waiting too. Good luck to you both.


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## Nabz (Mar 21, 2014)

Any idea what I should do? I'm getting too annoyed by this. Is there any possibility i contact ASIO?


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

Nabz said:


> Any idea what I should do? I'm getting too annoyed by this. Is there any possibility i contact ASIO?


You can't contact ASIO direct. You can make a complaint with IGIS but that they will just give you a standard response saying it ia processing as normal and to check with them again in 6 months if you haven't heard anything.

Unfortunately the co can't tell you much they are in the dark about the security checks too so they don't know until they get them back.

Unfortunately all you can do is wait.


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## Dinkum (Jan 5, 2014)

Mish is 100% correct. Patience is your only option. To do anything else could mean even further delay. Wishing you both good luck as you wait...


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## sudani (Aug 18, 2014)

hi mish - am waiting now for 14 months - i lodged in dubai .. is it normal ????


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

There is no normal is with visa applications as all are different. As you are high risk it depends on how long it takes to get the security checks done. Don't be surprised if it takes 18 months.


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## sudani (Aug 18, 2014)

thanx for quick reply mish - am from sudan - living in saudi arabia - medical done 12 august 2013 -pcc 20 august 2013 - no interview --- when i phoned consulate they said waiting for security check


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

Unfortunately nothing you can do but wait. The embassies hands are tied they can't issue the visa decision until the security check comes back.


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## sudani (Aug 18, 2014)

yeah i think only waiting i can do - thanx


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## sudani (Aug 18, 2014)

mish said:


> unfortunately nothing you can do but wait. The embassies hands are tied they can't issue the visa decision until the security check comes back.


hi mish - can i submitt and visit my fiance through visitor visa till my pmv get grant ??? If i can , which evidence can help to grant visitor visa , and what if my visitor visa rejected ... Is it affect on my pmv process ??? Thanx


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

sudani said:


> hi mish - can i submitt and visit my fiance through visitor visa till my pmv get grant ??? If i can , which evidence can help to grant visitor visa , and what if my visitor visa rejected ... Is it affect on my pmv process ??? Thanx


You can try but no guarantee that it will be granted. It won't affect your pmv processing at all.

You need to supply evidence that you can support yourself in Oz and evidence that you will return to your country of residence eg. House lease or contact, leave from work. You will need a letter of invitation from your fiance. There should be a checklist for the visa but main thing is your intention to leave Australia when the visa ends.


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## sudani (Aug 18, 2014)

Mish said:


> You can try but no guarantee that it will be granted. It won't affect your pmv processing at all.
> 
> You need to supply evidence that you can support yourself in Oz and evidence that you will return to your country of residence eg. House lease or contact, leave from work. You will need a letter of invitation from your fiance. There should be a checklist for the visa but main thing is your intention to leave Australia when the visa ends.


thanx alot mish


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## sudani (Aug 18, 2014)

Mish said:


> You can try but no guarantee that it will be granted. It won't affect your pmv processing at all.
> 
> You need to supply evidence that you can support yourself in Oz and evidence that you will return to your country of residence eg. House lease or contact, leave from work. You will need a letter of invitation from your fiance. There should be a checklist for the visa but main thing is your intention to leave Australia when the visa ends.


hello mish - i lodged visitor visa while am waiting for PMV since 19 june 2013 its mean 16 months now - so i submitted my tourist visa at 11 sep 2014 but now 1 month and 5 days and i didnt hear any thing - in vfs dubai tourist visa processing time is one month - there 3 days it was holidays cos of eid al adha - what u think about my situation ? thanx


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

sudani said:


> hello mish - i lodged visitor visa while am waiting for PMV since 19 june 2013 its mean 16 months now - so i submitted my tourist visa at 11 sep 2014 but now 1 month and 5 days and i didnt hear any thing - in vfs dubai tourist visa processing time is one month - there 3 days it was holidays cos of eid al adha - what u think about my situation ? thanx


Unfortunately you just have to wait. It is one of those things that DIBP will give you their decision when they have it.

I imagine you must be getting close to a decision for your PMV too


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## sudani (Aug 18, 2014)

Mish said:


> Unfortunately you just have to wait. It is one of those things that DIBP will give you their decision when they have it.
> 
> I imagine you must be getting close to a decision for your PMV too


i wish inshallah - the decision made in australia or in dubai for tourist visa ??


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

sudani said:


> i wish inshallah - the decision made in australia or in dubai for tourist visa ??


It is made in Dubai


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## sudani (Aug 18, 2014)

Mish said:


> It is made in Dubai


thanx alot mish


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## sudani (Aug 18, 2014)

Mish said:


> You can try but no guarantee that it will be granted. It won't affect your pmv processing at all.
> 
> You need to supply evidence that you can support yourself in Oz and evidence that you will return to your country of residence eg. House lease or contact, leave from work. You will need a letter of invitation from your fiance. There should be a checklist for the visa but main thing is your intention to leave Australia when the visa ends.


good news came  my tourist visa has been granted ,, finally i got it -- thanx mish for your golden advises - am so happy -


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## vinil (Mar 3, 2015)

Hi Mish

Do you know any one from India who has applied in Dubai for 309 and got their visa... 

thanks in advance.

Vinil


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

vinil said:


> Hi Mish
> 
> Do you know any one from India who has applied in Dubai for 309 and got their visa...
> 
> ...


Sorry no I don't. Most of the Dubai applicants are usually from high risk countries where security checks delay the application ie. Syria, Saudi Arabia etc.

How long have you been waiting?


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## vinil (Mar 3, 2015)

Mish said:


> Sorry no I don't. Most of the Dubai applicants are usually from high risk countries where security checks delay the application ie. Syria, Saudi Arabia etc.
> 
> How long have you been waiting?


Hi Mish

thanks for your reply.. its not a long wait yet for me... I was just curious to know.. I applied on 27/01/2015 online... when u say high risk countries (Saudi, Syria)..India is also a high risk country right so am bit worried... so wanted to know if u knew any Indian who had applied from Dubai.. Do u think from your experience being from Indian Origin I might have to wait only 9-12 mnths or more like my other friends from Pakistan sudan Syria etc...

thanks.

Vinil


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

vinil said:


> Hi Mish
> 
> thanks for your reply.. its not a long wait yet for me... I was just curious to know.. I applied on 27/01/2015 online... when u say high risk countries (Saudi, Syria)..India is also a high risk country right so am bit worried... so wanted to know if u knew any Indian who had applied from Dubai.. Do u think from your experience being from Indian Origin I might have to wait only 9-12 mnths or more like my other friends from Pakistan sudan Syria etc...
> 
> ...


India isn't as high risk as Saudi and Syria. Saudi and Syria can take around 18 months. India I would be guessing but I imagine would be similar to those applying in India and would take around 9 to 12 months as long as you haven't been in any very high risk countries.


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## vinil (Mar 3, 2015)

Mish said:


> India isn't as high risk as Saudi and Syria. Saudi and Syria can take around 18 months. India I would be guessing but I imagine would be similar to those applying in India and would take around 9 to 12 months as long as you haven't been in any very high risk countries.


Thanks Mish

you brought a smile on my face... no I have been working in DUBAI for last 5 years.. so only countries I have been is UAE and India. So Hopefully I get my visa by end of November as my Dubai work visa comes to an end, so I am ready to wait for my partner visa grant till Nov 2015. Thanks for your help.

Regards

Vinil


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## irfi786 (May 11, 2015)

Dubai applicants needs patience i guess, including me.... 309 lodged online dubai on 17/Mar/2015 n the wait started... Applicant from Pak...


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## ffza13 (May 22, 2015)

Mish said:


> There is no normal is with visa applications as all are different. As you are high risk it depends on how long it takes to get the security checks done. Don't be surprised if it takes 18 months.


Do you mean 18 months wait till after the form 80 goes to asio? Or do you mean 18 months wait time from when one first applies for the 309 visa????


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## Mish (Jan 13, 2013)

ffza13 said:


> Do you mean 18 months wait till after the form 80 goes to asio? Or do you mean 18 months wait time from when one first applies for the 309 visa????


18 months from when you applied. We have one the forum that is about to hit 21 months of waiting.


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