Help please, WHV visa and dependant child

top madra

Hi I applied last week for my WHV and got it today , but when I told my friend he said I should have sent on details like a birth cert and form saying that my daughter would be staying here with her mother.

I filled out the paper application form because it said to do so if you had children, but on the form it only asked would she be traveling with me and I answered no...It didn't ask me any other details.

This the form

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1150.pdf

I can't see anything here about it, but this is a form he emailed me

http://www.visafirst.com/packs/visafirst/417_applicant-statutory-declaration.pdf

Please help if anybody knows about this, my Visa was granted today but instead of being happy I'm a bit panicked that I have mislead them in some way.

jackbhoy

Just contact immigration, explain the situation and get clarity from them.

I can't see it being an issue. The fact that you have already been granted the visa but are being straight up and contacting them about this will also signal you are not trying to breach visa terms.

And don't stress, lots of people have traveled on WHV in your situation with no issues.

woolymammoth

I struggled with this one a few years back, when they were just changing the wording of the rules regarding children and the WHV. I have two boys, and previously it was worded in such a way that if you had children, you could not get a WHV, end of story. Of course you could lie. I never could or never would. I wouldn't ever recommend it to anyone either, as you're basically signing off on a legal agreement.

Luckily for me, at the time i was applying the rules were being revised. The whole thing is in part to do with Australian commitment to the protection of the child, and currently says, as you have found out, that you must "not be accompanied by dependent children", thereby allowing you to gain a WHV as long as you're not bringing the kid along. For my PR visa, i was required to submit a stat dec to say who would be looking after the children. But not for WHV. Like i said though, this was a few years back, and they change the rules often.

in short, you should be grand. As you've said, it's been granted anyway. but you might be on the safe side to fill out that stat dec and bring it with you. It looks pretty official, but it's on the visa first website, and i cannot find in the immi site. And as always, if you're worried about something that could get you turned back at the airport, call immigration and ask. They're actually extremely friendly and helpful, when you can get through

top madra

I emailed them last night and yeah I have to fill out that form and send it back to them, he also mentioned in his reply that he could see how it caused confusion..

I have 30 days to send it back and also he will cancel the visa if the conditions aren't met.

I will send it back all filled out properly so I reckon there should be no probs after this...
Finger's crossed anyhow.