How long does it take for a Partner Visa 309

[suzy]

Hello

 

Does anybody know how long it takes to process a partner visa 309. I am English and my husband is from Adelaide. We would like to move there later this year as we think it's a better life for us and our 2 year old daughter.

 

Anyone know when the best time to apply for a visa is and should I be using a visa agency / migration expert or shall I just go through the on line process on the Aussie Immigration site?

 

Any advice much appreciated

 

Suzy

[cliffy]

https://www.immi.gov.au/about/charters/client-services-charter/visas/5.0.htm says anywhere between 5 and 12 months.

If you are married with a child it should be a fairly straightforward application.

Have you already applied for Australian citizenship by descent for your daughter, it seems she would be entitled and therefore you could apply for an Australian passport for her.

[theelph]

I am applying for the same visa and I have been told it takes 9 to 10 months. I applied in July and I am expecting it to be granted in April. So if you apply now Suzy you might just get the visa by the end of this year

[snifter]

I'm going to be different to both the above and say 10-14 months. Based on this info http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/immi_processing_times.html

 

Also they have all the info on new fees, info and links to all the info you need for partner visa - http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/Visas_and_Migration.html

 

 

The link given in the first reply hasn't had the wait times change in over 3 years now, if not longer. I never refer to that link for current wait times but the Aus High Commision UK site which is updated as and when with all current partner visa info for UK citizens. The 5 month plus timeframe hasn't been seen since before I applied a couple of years ago. It increased to 8-9 months a few months before I lodged. It then increased a few months back to 10-14 months. theelph probably applied in the timeframe before the wait times increased again. Unless it has miraculously dropped back down again but I've not heard of that being the case and the High Commision are usually very good at updating the current info.

 

There is no best time to apply. Just apply when it suits you. If you have a daughter who is able to claim citizenship by descent through her Dad and therefore be granted an Aus passport, do this asap if you've not already done so. Much easier all round. Then its just the application for yourself which is straightforward (providing no ciminal record or some such lurking).

 

They just doubled the fee for the partner visa so its a fair old whack now I'm afraid. You have two options (once your childs Aus passport is in your hands), either on shore or off shore application. You can read all the partner visa info in the PDF. I suggest you print it all off, have a good read, make notes, cross out all the parts that don't apply to you (ie prospective marriage visa) and go from there.

 

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1127.pdf

 

It may seem like a lot but its all really straightforward and a case of filling in a long application form for you both, gathering all your supporting evidence and stat decs and writing your own supporting statements. If you went with using an agent they will deal with the application forms and lodging but you will still need to gather and sort all your evidence, get the stat decs, take your medical and apply for your police check and write your statements. In my view its one of the most straightforward visas to apply for and doesn't need an agent to lodge it for you. Given the fee has doubled you'll also be then paying a chunk on top for something most people do themselves. Don't panic about it, read the blurb and the application forms over a fair few times till you know what is what. Its all common sense stuff

 

Now, on shore or off shore. Off shore means you apply before you leave the UK and usually wait till the visa is granted before you migrate. Some used to come over a few months or so before grant was due but that was when wait times were far less. Given you could be waiting over a year, a tourist visa won't cut it any longer and you would have no work rights etc. If you are happy to work to the 10-14 month timeframe and plan things for then, apply asap and wait it out. If you would rather be in Aus in a couple of months look to the on shore application and lodge sometime after you arrive here (on a 3 month tourist visa). Then once its lodged and the tourist visa runs out you'll go onto a bridging visa with full work rights till the application is granted. This runs at well over a year generally and costs more again.

 

Here are the current fees for on shore and off shore. Its a big price hike. Your daughter having citizenship and Aus passport will be a great deal cheaper than adding her onto the application. http://www.immi.gov.au/Help/Pages/fees-charges/visa.aspx

 

Medical and police checks are of course extra. Only certain panel doctors do these, list is in the link for the High Commision with the partner visa info, at the bottom of the page.

 

Applications can be uploaded online now iirc so makes it easier. Certifying of documents isn't needed then if uploading colour scans iirc, but double check this.

 

Feel free to drop me a PM if you want to ask about anything else. Happy to give you pointers etc for your supporting statements and answer questions as best I can

[snifter]

Personally, reading back your post again and seeing you saying about 'later this year' as the timeframe, I'd go with the off shore option and lodge asap. Its probably the easier option in terms of applying and then being able to slowly work through everything you need to wrap up in the UK and then once its granted you can be off as quick as you like or take a bit longer if needed.

[Karen S-D]

Hi Suzy,

 

I am in a very similar position, my husband is from Adelaide and we have a 2 and a half year old daughter, hoping to make the move in 2016 although we will be coming for a 3 week visit/recce in July 2015. I applied online in Feb 2014 and am on the verge of it being granted, I just have to get a new ACRO police check so that it is valid when we enter in July as previous one runs out April 2015.

This would have been a shorter process had I not overlooked an attached letter in an early email sent by my caseworker which instructed me to go ahead and get medicals any time after early May! I was awaiting further instruction and when I enquired how much longer the processing may take was informed that she was waiting for mine and my daughter's medicals. (Sometimes they attach standard documents such as FAQ's etc. to emails and I had opened two attachments that were standard and missed the third which was specific to my application).

I think had I not made that mistake that the visa would have been processed and granted within 12 months easily. I expect to get mine later this month so mine has taken 13 months even with the balls up!

I found the online process easy to follow, I had already paid for all my documents to be certified as they changed to allow the electronic application mid-way through me sorting my paperwork. I scanned and uploaded them, not sure whether they now require the certification of the documents, from memory I think it does say something about scanning and uploading certified documents, but this should be clear within the instructions once you get going with the application.

Best of luck, and if you have any questions that I can help with having just gone through the process PM me,

Regards,

Karen

Edited February 18, 2015 by Karen S-D

[snifter]

@Karen S\-D

 

Just out of interest, why is your daughter on your application? Could she not gain Aus citizenship by descent through your husband? She could then hold an Aus passport and not need the visa (way cheaper also).

[Karen S-D]

I probably should have looked into that option, but I just thought it may be simpler doing it as one process. It cost £75 for her visa and £45 for her medical. In hindsight I think I would have done it the way you suggested. Will it be easy enough for me to apply for her an Aussie Passport once we are living there?

[snifter]

I probably should have looked into that option, but I just thought it may be simpler doing it as one process. It cost £75 for her visa and £45 for her medical. In hindsight I think I would have done it the way you suggested. Will it be easy enough for me to apply for her an Aussie Passport once we are living there?

 

Your husband as the citizen needs to apply for her citizenship by descent and then her Aus passport.

 

She wouldn't have needed a visa at all if you'd gone with that