Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

Australian Spouse Visa Help

46 replies

HarktheHarrogateMumisSinging · 28/12/2006 15:08

Hi - some of you may remember me coming onto the overseas threads before saying that DH and I were considering the big move to Aus (he is Aussie, has lived in teh UK with me for 11 years now).

We talked about it again over Xmas as we are forever to-ing and fro-ing about whether to do it or not, and finally decided that we would apply for my spouse visa (and our three kids of course!) in early 2007.

I have spent many hours looking at the forms and all the booklets on the immigration website but still manage to confuse myself about what is required etc etc so was wondering if there are any of you out there who have already done it and can advise how easy it was, how quickly you got it and what type of evidence you sent in etc. ALso how long you have to go into Aus once your visa has been granted. Also my husband left Aus just after he graduated so would they refuse the visa based on teh fact that he still has to pay off his student loans there? (he is happy to pay them off when he gets there but wondered if it could be grounds for a refusal).

I have loads of questions so if any of you would be willing for me to CAT you also, that would be really helpful. I promised to buy you a nice chilled bottle of something when I get out there!

Many thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out on this!

OP posts:
sunnywong · 28/12/2006 15:09

CAT me, I think you already have my email, no?

I have to go to bed now though

I got mine in .............................................................................................5 working days. Oh yeah, baby, it's that easy.

Original poster
HarktheHarrogateMumisSinging · 28/12/2006 15:30

oh my god suzy - 5 days!! Thats fab!

I dont think I have your email address so I will CAT you and hear from you when you've had some kip!

Just to let you know its so foggy here that I cant see the house across the road (and I live in suburbia) and its FREEEEEZING too.

OP posts:
eidsvold · 29/12/2006 02:35

ours took a little longer but we sent ours in whereas I think Suzy took hers to Australia House. ANnother couple i know also did that and what makes it quicker is that the person doing the serving then goes away and works on your application.

Basically all we had to do is have proof to show we were married and some stat decs to show that we were considered married iyswim. We had not been married very long but as we had dd1 - dh also got permanent residency rather than just temporary residency.

I think you can be granted permanent residency if you have been together/married for more than 5 years....from memory.

You are also more than welcome to cat me. I will try and dig out dh's papers. You have quite a while to get there as dh's visa came through late 2003 and we went mid 2004. I think though if you leave it more than a year after your visa is granted you have to undergo another medical ( again from dim distant memory!)

But it really is straightforward. We just filled out the forms, send the relevant info and was done. Dd1 already had aussie citizenship so that was no issue with her going - as her health and sn could have been an issue.

It may help to get your kids naturalised - you can apply for aussie citizenship by descent - all dh has to prove is that he was born in Aus and lived there for a certain amount of time - sent it off and there you are. We did that for dd1 and got her an aussie passport so there would be no issues there.

sorry for the long message. Hope that is a help.

His student loan I assume is HECS by any chance?!?! That is paid through taxes so he would just be able to start paying it through his taxes again iyswim.

Original poster
HarktheHarrogateMumisSinging · 29/12/2006 10:45

Hi Eids - that is really helpful, thanks! I have CAT'ed Suzy but will probably drop you a line too as the more experience and information the better.

Re the student loan - yes it was through HECS, I was just worried that as he had been out of the country for 11 years that he would be on some wanted list!

OP posts:
eidsvold · 29/12/2006 10:50

get him to check out the australian tax office info and see what he can find out about it. I did not have a huge HECS debt and opted to pay for it through my tax.

website for tax office

sunnywong · 29/12/2006 11:04

I was telling HM that I think my visa came through so quick because we were choosing to settle in deepest darkest WA rather than the Eastern States. Do you think that could have had something to do with it or is that bollox?

eidsvold · 29/12/2006 11:28

i thought you handed your in rather than mailing it suzy?!?! We mailed ours and it took a while but we were in no hurry really - we planned to go mid 2004 anyway.

Are your two boys aussie citizens Suzy?? Did you get them naturalised??

Dh is working on getting his citizenship application in over the next week. Does not want to do the test that Howard keeps talking about.

eidsvold · 29/12/2006 11:28

that may have also played a part - not sure.

sunnywong · 29/12/2006 11:30

I honestly can't remember, dh may have handed it in.

Yes both boys had Aussie passports weeks after birth.

What's in the Howard Test?

eidsvold · 29/12/2006 11:33

PM Howard has plans for a citizenship test for all prospective citizens to pass before they can get their citizenship - rather than just filling in forms and getting pics done as dh has to do now!!!

sunnywong · 29/12/2006 13:00

as the risk of sounding a right winger - that doesn't sound like too bad a plan

eidsvold · 30/12/2006 02:34

well I guess it depends what the test will involve - years ago in order to emigrate to Australia and preserve our archaic and discriminatory WHite Australia Policy - new immigrants had to be able to understand and read a passage in any language chosen by the immigration officers...... so people were asked to read passages in languages that there is no way they would know in order to exclude them from entering Aus. So while the white australia policy officially ceased to exist it was still enforced in these ways.

Would be even more embarrassing if existing aussie citizens - born or naturalised were unable to do the test.

Ness73 · 30/12/2006 03:23

I'm Australian and my British husband (and UK-born DD who was 18mths at the time) moved to Oz (Brisbane) in November 2003. DH had to do the medical and fill out the form and that was basically it...it was very simple and straightforward. As you probably know, you need to get teh medical done at a one of the doctors on a list given to you by the Aust Govt. It took only about 3 or 4 weeks to get the ok...we were shocked it was so quick as a friend of mine and her husband (a policeman) had waited 9 months! We then had to get moving as I believe we only had 6 months to enter the coutnry. Had to sell flat (which fell through once and then still wasn't finalised when we left...bit scary), car etc. OUr daughter had dual citizenship so that wasn't an issue.

One thing we were just talking about this morning is that we arrived at a really bad time in terms of DH getting a job...December and Jan are completely dead here, a bit like AUgust in the UK with people on hols etc. IT's a bit soul destroying looking for jobs when there aren't many to get.

Good luck with your move ... you will not regret it!!

Original poster
HarktheHarrogateMumisSinging · 30/12/2006 18:04

thanks for all your help guys - Ness - Brissie is where we would be headed as thats where DH's family lives, hopefully I can meet up with all the other Brisbane mumsnetters at some stage!

Its good to hear that it is quite straightforward, hopefully that will be my experience too. one of the things I asked Suzy was about the fact that my passport expires in midd 2008 and if I dont apply until mid 2007 then will it be a problem if I have a visa in my uk passport and it expires? Anyone had this experience?

Also did anyone put their kids on their application or did you get them aus citizenship and passports first - its just that I have been told that you have to go to london to aus house to get their passports in person now and as I live in yorkshrie thats not the easiest task!

OP posts:
sandcastles · 31/12/2006 00:08

With regards to how long you get to enter the country, when we got our visa (a former resident visa) we had a year to enter. DH could enter earlier & 'validate' the visa, but we didn't need him too.

Here for visa help

eidsvold · 31/12/2006 04:03

harrogate - easier if you applied for the kids to have aussie citizenship by descent. Then passports can be done.

as I said in the middle of my long msg that is what we did for dd1 - got her aussie citizenship by descent and whilst she was mentioned on dh's application she was an aussie citizen so did not need to apply for a visa iyswim.

I am in Brisbane - what area are you looking at??

eidsvold · 31/12/2006 04:06

just checked - it is London or Edinburgh and with a child's passport - it is the parent not the child who has to attend iyswim.

I am sure I had to when I applied for dd1's back in 2003. Her citizenship could be done by post but as this was her first passport I had to attend in person.

Original poster
HarktheHarrogateMumisSinging · 31/12/2006 10:04

oh thats good news DH can go and get them in London...I knew you couldnt get them by post - where did you find that info eidsvold, as I couldnt find anything on the internet?

Re where we will settle, dont know at this stage, think I have said before that mySIL lives i Windsor so will probably rent near there to start with. DH of course would love to be near water....any ideas (has to be affordable!)

OP posts:
eidsvold · 31/12/2006 10:45

near water is expensive to buy..... windsor is near the city and again somewhat expensive but lovely big old queenslanders.

will try and find the website for you. THink it was just the australia house website.

info here

rental properties

you need to take into account where dh will be working and the commute he will need to do.

near water - southside - bayside

northside - commuting - Bribie, redcliffe peninsula, beachmere, torbul... just some thoughts

Harrogatemum · 02/01/2007 16:16

Folloiwng on from my original question - has anyone (or your DH) had the problem of haivng a passport (UK) that will expire in a year and a half. All the websites say make sure your passport is valid for another two years, but given that I cant apply for a new uk passport until there is 9 months to go on it (which will be October) I am in a catch 22 situation....anyone else had this problem and what did you do about it?

superloopy · 03/01/2007 15:15

OOh this is just the thread I was looking for as I am in the same situation. We are planning on moving to Oz too in the very near future

I'm Australian and DH is a Brit. So we need to sort out his visa which from what I have read so far doesn't seem to be too difficult. I have already gotten citizenship by descent for DD and she has both passports.

My big questions are how did others decided what to take with you? We are selling our flat furnished and hope to get rid of most big stuff that way. Can anyone recommend a good shipping company? Do you pay for size or weight of goods shipped? Is there anything you wished you had/hadn't taken?

Lastly (but not least) we are planning on moving to Melbourne but as I have never really spent time there I have no idea which areas are the best to live, not too expensive, have good schools etc so any tips from anyone would be very much appreciated.

Sorry to hijack your thread!! Not sure about your passport situation either sorry I can offer no help.

Harrogatemum · 03/01/2007 16:06

Hi Superloopy - dont worry about the hijack - I like to read about other peoples experiences too!

Whereabouts in the uk are you at the mo - and did you have to go to Aus House to get your DD's passport? Can you tell me what the timescale was like - I am about to apply for my newborn DD's UK passport and then want to go online to sort out her Aus citizenship and that of my twins and I think I have to send off the uk passports as part of that. We are going on hols in April so want to be sure they are back before then! Then once we are back from there I plan to go into full on sorting out my visa mode....

I suggest you have a look at the british expats website as that has lots of queries from other people about shipping companies and people who have already been's recommendations.

Whereabouts in Aus are you from? I have a cousin in Melbourne and I visited her when I spent a year over there and loved it, we will be Brissie bound though as that is where DH's family all live.

Harrogatemum · 03/01/2007 16:07

and for the record - I plan to take very little myself, to be honest when I look round my house I see very little that I would want to take with me, 8 year old sofas, Ikea furniture etc!! So I will need to do some research about how much it will all cost to replace!

superloopy · 03/01/2007 16:53

I'm in London and yes I did have to got to the Aust Embassy to sort out her passport. An interview kind of thing as it was her first passport, which I might add she looks nothing like at all anymore!! Was 9 wks old in photos and is 2.6 yrs now.

One of the more difficult parts was getting passport photos which met the strict criteria. I had 4 lots taken before they directed me to a snappy snaps nearby and had them done there.

I really cannot remember the time scale it took but I'm sure it was only a week or two.
Have found that it is easiest to communicate with the Embassy via email too as the phone lines are £1/min.

I am from Sth Aust, have lived in UK since 1998 so I almost feel foreign now too. I also look around my Ikea flat and think good riddance, just think about all of the fun we can have re-buying everything!! Probably all cheap Ikea again I imagine!!

Harrogatemum · 03/01/2007 18:57

did you have to make an appointment for the interview and did DD have to go with you? I ask because if not then my DH can go mid week as he works in London mid week and can go and get it sorted, otherwise if we have to take the kids with us it might be a nightmare as we have toddler twins aged two and a newborn baby aged five weeks!

Swipe left for the next trending thread