De Facto Visa

Trankton

Gonna be applying for the defacto visa in the next couple of weeks, have all the necessary doco etc and hopefully shouldn't be a problem to get it.

What I'm wondering is if anyone has gotten this visa recently and if so, how long did it take?? I will be applying through London and have heard this is quicker than doing it from Oz, but would be good to have a rough idea of how long this will take??

Thanks.

watna

Is this for OZ or NZ? I'm guessing Oz as you mentioned it above. I have experience of applying for one in NZ so can only help if you're heading here! Mine took 6 months but in hindsight, would have taken a lot less if I applied through London. Not sure if Aus is the same but I regretted coming here on a WHV and then applying for residency when I got here. I should have done it through London.

Trankton

6 months, bloody hell, was hoping it would be 3 max. Well, hopefully will be quicker through London anyway. Cheers mate.

watna

Trankton wrote: »

6 months, bloody hell, was hoping it would be 3 max. Well, hopefully will be quicker through London anyway. Cheers mate.

No probs - mine was for NZ. Aus may be shorter but if it helps a friend did her NZ de facto visa through London and it took 6 weeks (it was 2 years ago though)

Good luck!

Trankton

watna wrote: »

No probs - mine was for NZ. Aus may be shorter but if it helps a friend did her NZ de facto visa through London and it took 6 weeks (it was 2 years ago though)

Good luck!

Thanks again mate. Hopefully London will be quicker alright, 6 weeks would be the job.

Flairpinnedme

it depends on how well your application is laid out really. if you've been with the person for a fair while and have lots of evidence then you'll probably get it within a week. if you dont, it may take longer. most people i've heard of get it within 1 month

Trankton

Flairpinnedme wrote: »

it depends on how well your application is laid out really. if you've been with the person for a fair while and have lots of evidence then you'll probably get it within a week. if you dont, it may take longer. most people i've heard of get it within 1 month

I must say, that just made my day. We have been together nearly 3 years now, have a leas together, a joint account, holidays together etc. so I'm hoping it'll be all good on that count. Thanks for what is hopefully good news.

watna

Yay - that's good anyway. I had a lot of evidence and it made a big difference. My application spent 5 months and 2 weeks in a queue and then only two weeks to get processed. If they have to come back to you for more info it'll take much longer so it's good you have lots of evidence. I had a lot of financial documents and a number of leases so it was easy enough. Stupid kiwis taking 6 months with their visas. It was a nightmare!

Interestingly enough, Ireland are now doing de facto visas. It's not a proper process like it is in Aus/NZ but if it is granted your partner can live and work for 12 months, after which it is reviewed (i.e. are you still together!)

Xavi6

Trankton wrote: »

I must say, that just made my day. We have been together nearly 3 years now, have a leas together, a joint account, holidays together etc. so I'm hoping it'll be all good on that count. Thanks for what is hopefully good news.

Not trying to burst your bubble or anything but do you not need to be together for 5 years? I did mine two years ago now and I'm sure I was told something like that.

Trankton

Xavi6 wrote: »

Not trying to burst your bubble or anything but do you not need to be together for 5 years? I did mine two years ago now and I'm sure I was told something like that.

Don't worry, bubble not burst as it states in the application forms you only have to have been in a de facto type relationship for the 12 months prior to applying, personally I thought it was 2 years, but either way I'm sorted in that regard.

Trankton

watna wrote: »

Interestingly enough, Ireland are now doing de facto visas. It's not a proper process like it is in Aus/NZ but if it is granted your partner can live and work for 12 months, after which it is reviewed (i.e. are you still together!)

I checkout out about the Irish de facto as that was our first plan but it's a complete disaster (is it any surprise). Apparently you can't work with it so it's like an extended holiday visa. Also, went in to immigration and was told that those involved with the de facto process 'don't deal with the public' WTF??? They have a 2 year backlog on emails and no actually knows whats required to get the visa.

watna

Trankton wrote: »

I checkout out about the Irish de facto as that was our first plan but it's a complete disaster (is it any surprise). Apparently you can't work with it so it's like an extended holiday visa. Also, went in to immigration and was told that those involved with the de facto process 'don't deal with the public' WTF??? They have a 2 year backlog on emails and no actually knows whats required to get the visa.

Yeah, it sounds like a nightmare. It's nor a proper process. There is a thread in the living abroad forum (link under my name) and someone there got it. Apparently you can live and work. I want to go home in a few years time so I'm hoping I'll be able to get that alright for my other half.

You should check out the thread for future reference.

Trankton

watna wrote: »

Yeah, it sounds like a nightmare. It's nor a proper process. There is a thread in the living abroad forum (link under my name) and someone there got it. Apparently you can live and work. I want to go home in a few years time so I'm hoping I'll be able to get that alright for my other half.

You should check out the thread for future reference.

Jaysus, if only I had seen that about 3 months ago, I'm actually in shock that it only took a week for them to process. Still, too late now so Australia it is. Thanks Watna.

Popinjay

Just got one of these recently and landed in Oz on it last Wednesday morning.

After submitting the initial application, I had my passport back in my hand with the visa included in about 4 weeks all told.

Responses form the High Commission in London are pretty prompt and usually I'd get an email about my submission on the morning it was received in their office (Had to send stuff twice as they look for evidence for each partner for every month of the 12 months relevant to the application - send EVERYTHING YOU HAVE).

Good luck man, but I'd imagine you'll have your visa in your hand by November.

Trankton

Popinjay wrote: »

Just got one of these recently and landed in Oz on it last Wednesday morning.

After submitting the initial application, I had my passport back in my hand with the visa included in about 4 weeks all told.

Responses form the High Commission in London are pretty prompt and usually I'd get an email about my submission on the morning it was received in their office (Had to send stuff twice as they look for evidence for each partner for every month of the 12 months relevant to the application - send EVERYTHING YOU HAVE).

Good luck man, but I'd imagine you'll have your visa in your hand by November.

Thanks for that Popinjay. Have everything in order for the application now (it's like a very large book at this stage). Doing the medical today then sending in everything tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Trankton

Another couple of questions for folks out there.

Was wondering, what would be the best way to present all the doco, in a folder or just loose and stapled together in sections??

Also, would it be better to pay before sending in the app as I don't fancy sending my credit card details via mail.

Thanks.

Popinjay

We sent everything in a folder by registered post and had related stuff held together in those plastic pocket thingies. It's pricey to send so much but I'd still send it registered post so you can keep an eye on what it's doing. And photocopy everything at least twice. If it does get lost you can possible ring or email and you'll have the receipt for registered post to prove it was sent.

We also brought a copy of everything over with us (in hand luggage in case anything went missing) just in case for the reassessment after two years.

If you're paying before sending the app. make sure you include your proof of payment with the rest of your stuff. We sent the details by post. That's not really an issue with registered post most of the time so it might be worth your while.

P.S: Hope the medical went ok but if I recall correctly it was a walk in the park anyway. You go to that doc in Drumcondra? (And could you fill the cup? I was a bit hungover and dehyydrated )

The Sweeper

If you're together five year or more, OR if you have children, you can apply for a permanent residency de facto spouse visa.

If you are together less than five years with no children, you can apply for a temporary de facto spouse visa. The visa runs for approximately two years, but does not have a specific expiry date. The emigration dept will contact you around two years after your arrival in Australia, and you will go through a similar process to your first application - providing evidence of a continued relationship - and through this, be granted a permanent residency spouse visa. (Two years again after that you can apply for citizenship.)

I applied for my temporary spouse visa in February 2007 at the London office. I handed in my application at 9am on a Wednesday morning, and it was granted by lunch time on Thursday.

My permanet residency spouse visa was granted in April this year in about four weeks.

The_B_Man

whats so special about london? why do the applications go through there??

The Sweeper

They do if you live there, which I used to, and which I assume Trankton does too.

Flairpinnedme

it's the closest Australian high commission to Ireland

Trankton

The Sweeper wrote: »

They do if you live there, which I used to, and which I assume Trankton does too.

I live in Ireland but the Oz embassy in Ireland don't process visa applications so it has to be done through the London office.

Application will be sent tomorrow. I has my fingers crossed.

The Sweeper

Good luck. The best thing I can recommend with visa applications is generally lay out your information as easily as is physically possible. I supplied mine with dividers and plastic tabs and himself nicknamed it "visa application for gobsh1tes".

Miss Sunshine

Don't worry. You only need to be living together for 12 months. If you've been living together for 5 years then you get permenancy without having to wait for 2 years. It shouldn't take that long. Mine took one month and I live in Oz.

Flairpinnedme

The Sweeper wrote: »

Good luck. The best thing I can recommend with visa applications is generally lay out your information as easily as is physically possible. I supplied mine with dividers and plastic tabs and himself nicknamed it "visa application for gobsh1tes".

read a FAQ from the london australian high commission that said for spouse visas (and most, presumably), plastic tabs etc are really annoying.

The Sweeper

Flairpinnedme wrote: »

read a FAQ from the london australian high commission that said for spouse visas (and most, presumably), plastic tabs etc are really annoying.

That's plastic pockets. That's coz they have to take all of the stuff out of them. You know the wee stick-on packets of coloured tabs that you can put on a page and write something on the coloured tab bit? Those are fine.

I laid out mine in such a way that you could stick it straight on a photocopier feed tray if need be, and it'd run through without any staples or having to be unclipped, but used dividers and tabs so you could easily go to any sub section you wanted to check. Hey, got me my visa in 30 hours...

Trankton

Sent the applicationj in today. Glad to have it finally done, just have to wait and see now. Thanks to you all for advice and assistance. Fingers crossed.

jank

Just wondering what are the entry requirements for OZ if your application is being processed. Can one enter OZ without a outward flight booked under a defacto visa that is still being processed under say a tourist visa. I presume not but....

Also is it easy enough to cancel airline bookings and receive a refund once visas come through?

myhorse

of interest to some on shore appliacants in certain states (waver of 12 month rule)
http://www.immi.gov.au/legislation/amendments/2009/091109/lc09112009-05.htm

Trankton

Curious to know from those who have made the move from ireland to Australia. When you are leaving the country can you claim your pension???

seanie_k

Hi all, I'm just about to apply for the defacto Visa with my australian girlfriend in melbourne (still waiting on garda check from home). Has anyone any experince with applying for it from here? how long it takes etc? they say it takes 6 to 9 months. from reading the posts here that seems to be what they tell everyone but never takes that long. i am on tourist visa at the moment so cant work, so dont really want to be hanging around for 6 moths without work. Also, can you leave Australia after putting in the application? I cant get a straight answer from immigration over the phone here.

Trankton

seanie_k wrote: »

Hi all, I'm just about to apply for the defacto Visa with my australian girlfriend in melbourne (still waiting on garda check from home). Has anyone any experince with applying for it from here? how long it takes etc? they say it takes 6 to 9 months. from reading the posts here that seems to be what they tell everyone but never takes that long. i am on tourist visa at the moment so cant work, so dont really want to be hanging around for 6 moths without work. Also, can you leave Australia after putting in the application? I cant get a straight answer from immigration over the phone here.

As far as I know you can apply for a bridging visa until your actual visa is processed, this means you can leave and return to the country without any problems, I'm not sure if you can work on it though...but I could be wrong. Good Luck.

Trankton

Had a few problems with tha app, police check didn't have my middle name, finally got a new one and sent it last friday, got an email today saying my application has been approved. I think I'm the happiest person in Ireland at the moment.

Thanks again guys for all your help. Roll on Australia...WOOHOO.

Skittlebrau

Congrats!! It's a bloody great feeling isn't it?

I don't post that much round here but I'd been following this thread. Went through all this a while ago. Got my PR this year. It's such a stressful time but it's really worth it.

Hope it all works out for you.

Trankton

Skittlebrau wrote: »

Congrats!! It's a bloody great feeling isn't it?

I don't post that much round here but I'd been following this thread. Went through all this a while ago. Got my PR this year. It's such a stressful time but it's really worth it.

Hope it all works out for you.

I think it still hasn't fully sunk in to be honest. Can't believe how quick it was once I got all the details in correctly. Congrats on the PR.

Roll on Brisbane and the lovely lovely heat!!

Now I just need to worry about a job and getting stuff to Brissie.

Dublin's Finest

Hello all...interesting thread.

Seanie K, have you applied for your de facto on a tourist visa? I wasn't sure if this was allowed.

I am returning to Sydney on a tourist visa in Feb, when I hope to apply with my Australian girlfriend. Does anyone know if IMMI allow this? It's not fully clear online.

Trankton

Dublin's Finest wrote: »

Hello all...interesting thread.

Seanie K, have you applied for your de facto on a tourist visa? I wasn't sure if this was allowed.

I am returning to Sydney on a tourist visa in Feb, when I hope to apply with my Australian girlfriend. Does anyone know if IMMI allow this? It's not fully clear online.

As far as I know you can apply for the de facto while on a tourist visa as long as it dosen't have the 'no further visa' set on it, or so I was told. Good Luck.

Stones85

Just getting all my Stat Decs and documents together. Can't wait to get out to Australia next year!!

Thanks for this thread OP.

TroJohn

Hi all, does anyone know if you need to be in Australia for the 12 month period of living together for the visa? My girlfriend in an Aussie resident and I'm wondering would us living together out here provide us with evidence for a a defacto application?
Also do they accept texts, phone bills, skpe calls, gifts and cards etc as basis for a continuing relatioship desite living separate due to VISa constraints?

Skittlebrau

TroJohn wrote: »

Hi all, does anyone know if you need to be in Australia for the 12 month period of living together for the visa? My girlfriend in an Aussie resident and I'm wondering would us living together out here provide us with evidence for a a defacto application?
Also do they accept texts, phone bills, skpe calls, gifts and cards etc as basis for a continuing relatioship desite living separate due to VISa constraints?

You definitely don't need to be in Australia for the 12 month period of living together for the visa.

And they definitely accept all the information you mentioned although what weight it carries can vary I imagine. What they're looking for when you were living together is evidence of financial dependancy i.e. lease in joint names, bills in joint names, bank a/c in joint names etc...although in my case we had separate bank accounts but were able to highlight the payments from both our individual bank accounts for the bills.

I sent in phone bills from when we were apart. Amazon receipts showing her Aussie address as the delivery address. Photos. Cards (both to each other and to us from other people), invitations addressed to both of us, Emails etc. Think of absolutely everything you can. It can't hurt your application.

Zambia

+1 ...yeah what skittle said

Percy King

Hi All, new to the site and I can see this issue has been discussed at lenght. Just want to see what you guys think of my own personal situation with regards the defacto visa.

I was in Australia for two years on WHV. I met my aussie girlfriend there and we were together for 8 months before my visa expired in December 2009 and I had to return to Ireland. We decided before I left to give it a real go and she moved to Ireland in March 2010 and we have been living together here since. She is due to head back to Australia for Xmas in a few weeks. I am heading out there in Jan for a holiday and we plan to apply for defacto visa in Australia then. I will be returning to Ireland while the application is being processed which I presume is not an issue.

Essentially we will have been in a committed relationship at the time of applying for over 20 months by that stage.
Our evidence includes:
- Joint bank accounts in Ireland
- All bills, tax letters are addressed to our apartment here during our time here.
- Multiple flight itineries with both our names on them (one as far back as July 2009 when we were in OZ)
- Multiple photos (how are these presented to immigration? hardcopy??)
- We live with a garda so a letter from them is no issue.

I am just wondering what else is required?
Do they go through all our previous work, places of residence etc or are they only interested in proof of our relationship??
Any advice is welcome

woolymammoth

Percy King wrote: »

I am heading out there in Jan for a holiday and we plan to apply for defacto visa in Australia then. I will be returning to Ireland while the application is being processed which I presume is not an issue.

You know what they say about assumptions..

If applying from in Australia, you must be in Australia when the visa is granted. If applying outside Australia, you must be outside of Australia when the visa is granted. Oh, and you'll have no idea when the visa is going to be granted! :pac:

I cannot find the specifics of it on the immi site at the moment, so for all i know, the condition has been revoked. They change sh!t like that all the time! Really annoying. But check it out before you apply! I applied for the de-facto from here last June, to the london office. They told me there was a 3-4 month backlog in processing. Mine was granted just a month ago. If you're going to be in Ireland when it's being processed, and subsequently granted, then apply to the london office.

Percy King wrote: »

Essentially we will have been in a committed relationship at the time of applying for over 20 months by that stage.
Our evidence includes:
- Joint bank accounts in Ireland
- All bills, tax letters are addressed to our apartment here during our time here.
- Multiple flight itineries with both our names on them (one as far back as July 2009 when we were in OZ)
- Multiple photos (how are these presented to immigration? hardcopy??)
- We live with a garda so a letter from them is no issue.

I am just wondering what else is required?
Do they go through all our previous work, places of residence etc or are they only interested in proof of our relationship??
Any advice is welcome

It's not just a letter from a Garda you need, but a Garda Cert, from your friendly district Super. You also need police clearence from the australian federal police, not the state police from whever you were. They're really only interested in the proof of your relationship, however being able to see places of residence while you were together is some of the proof for that! The medical is straight forward, but about 300 big boys at the Matter private only in dublin, or one other place in cork! Remember, police cert, garda cert, and medical are each individually valid in the eyes of Australian immigration for 1 year.


Oh, and welcome to Boards. Do stick around after the free pep talk. we're great craic really!

Percy King

Thanks for the imformation Wollymammoth.

I had put this on the back burner for a few months as we were concentrating on getting our Irish Defacto application in order. After a six week wait my girlfriend got granted the stamp 5 defacto visa extension last week. It was a very stressful few weeks but the pressure is a little off now so we have decided to crack on and apply for the Australian defacto as we have most of the evidence together now. Also I am presuming the granting of the defacto visa here can only be benefical to our Australian application.

In relation to the National Police Check with the Australian Federal Police, I have noted that they require a cheque for the fee in Australian dollars from an Australian Bank or a bank affiliated with one. Is this correct?? Its not a problem if so as we can just send it to my girlfriends parents in Oz and they can draw the cheque and send it in but it seems a bit strange.

The form seemed straight forward enough. It asked for my current and previous residential addresses. These are both in Ireland. I thought I would have to submit all address from my two years in Australia. I hope I am looking at the correct form :rolleyes:.

Again guys, any help is appreciated and I am sure this will not be the last time I seek your advice before this application is submitted.

ballooba

We're submitting Irish de-facto visa next month. We'll be submitting off shore. I'm assuming you were on shore. Anything I should know about? We'll also be doing my Aussie de-facto at the same time I reckon.

Percy King

Hi Ballooba. Just ensure all your evidence of your relationship for at least a two year period is presented clearly. We were on shore when applying and my girlfriend was required to obtain health insurance here in Ireland for the application. We supplied photos, e-mails, joint bank accounts, offical letters to both of use at our address, flight itineraries and family declarations. They came back and asked us for further evidence and we went and printed screen shots from a friends facebook page to show photos of us that were uploaded from the beginning of our relationship. It might not be any harm to have a little bit of further evidence like this held back in case they come back to you for further info. We did not intend to hold any evidence back but it just worked out that way and we could come up with this and it seemed to help with the application.

woolymammoth

Percy King wrote: »

We did not intend to hold any evidence back but it just worked out that way

i wouldn't be holding information back, but rather selecting the most relevant info you feel is, well, relevant! They don't want to see a stack of paper documents coming their way any more than you want to send it. When they need more information, they do ask and give you the opportunity. Well in my case that was true anyways!

Percy King

Hey Wolly, any info on my previous query? Thanks mate.

woolymammoth

Percy King wrote: »

Hey Wolly, any info on my previous query? Thanks mate.

umm.. well the AFP are an australian agency, no reason why they should need to accept foreign currencies imo. cheque or money order should be grand. I used a money order if memory serves me well. With regard to current & previous addresses, you might want to check with them. I gave the address of where i lived in Aus, because that's where they'll be doing their checks on you, in australia. let me know if you've still any questions, i can dig out my application copies and have a scan through.

Percy King

Hi all, my partner and I finally submitted our application for the Oz defacto visa in mid October just gone and I had the medical completed and submitted by the end of October. The only contact I have received since then is confirmation that they have received my medical results when I seeked this confirmation at the start of November.
I know the whole process can take some time but should I ask for an update every so often from our case officer?

DeclanClune

Hi Percy King,

The defacto visa applications are taking quite some time to process. Our current applciations that have been lodged and are taking anywhere from 6 to 9 months so you will probably be waiting some time before you have your visa assigned to a case officer and hopefully granted.

In the past we were getting offshore defacto visa applications processed within 2 months if you can believe it.

As a general comment, it is important to ensure that you spend time putting your application together and that you have the relevant supporting evidence pulled together. Once a case officer is assisgned, if you have a comprehensive file, then there will be few questions if any on your application.


It is difficult to give specifics as what to include in a defacto visa application as each defacto case is different but the more evidence you have, the better. But consider - joint bank statements and utility bills or in individual names to the same address, govt letters, car insurance, flights, rental agreements etc

Regards,

Declan Clune