Australian Spouse Visa Help

[HarktheHarrogateMumisSinging]

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!

No appointment, you just go and take a number from the ticket machine and sit and wait your turn. I took DD with me but cannot remember if she had to be there. I hope for your sake the DC don't need to be there.... Might be worth emailing the embassy and asking that one.

can't remember if I had to take dd1 - don't think so but think I did as I had no choice iyswim.

As to what we took - we took three big boxes and sent then with a company called excess baggage - set price and that was door to door. TNT delivered the empty boxes to us - we packed them and filled out the inventory. Then arranged for a pick up - and then the other end - cleared through customs and delivered to my mum's place. We basically took what we could not bear to leave. As we had been renting furnished there was not much furniture to get rid of, passed on baby stuff - did not need any and had a friend in Aus who was lending/giving me all her stuff like moses basket, cot and change table.

Plenty of reasonable furniture shops that do deals and sales all the time. We had to get a few things although I had some bits and pieces in storage as I had the house before we left. If you start with rented place first of all - can get furnished rentals and you can stock up on household stuff iyswim.

We basically took our clothes, some of dd1's toys, things like baby album etc - things we felt we could not live without - more personal things than anything.

Car seat we took on the plane with us and stroller.

For basic stuff like cutlery, toasters, kettles etc that sort of stuff - so reasonable from places like BigW< KMart or Target - not worth bringing with you.

Harrogate - huge IKEA just opened in south brisbane - had one but this is bigger than a football field apparently. But as I said plenty of reasonable furniture stores available.

have one of these down the road from us - got our beds from there

again depending on when you come - mid year - great stock take sales - got our couch from MYER as part of their sale.

Two years on we are still slowly getting things sorted iyswim.

We used Brittannia for our shipping. Paid 3k. That included boxes/tape/packing up fragile goods/shipping/customs & quareteen/delievery in Oz & unpacking/taking away waste materials. They would have even come back for the boxes/excess wrap, but we have held on to it all. Also included insurance. The cost was worked out on the % of space it would take up in the container.

We brought most of our stuff. Easier to say what we DIDN't bring! This was wardrobes/ bedside tables/chest of drawers in dd's room/fridge/freezer/washer dryer/comp desk.

These were left for the buyer of our house so we neg'd an extra fee. Smaller bits & pieces, toaster/kettle/dinner service/baby bath/baby clothes & toys that weren't special were donated to friends/family/car booted/thrown away.

I had to bring almost all I had, couldn't bear to leave alot, but IMO, it was worth it...every penny. I loved the first night back on my own bed!!

We did however buy a dinner service here & paid $40 for a 6 setting with serving bowl, cook ware etc.

Target/Kmart/BigW are always having sales. We got alot of reasonable stuff for near on nothing! We had to get alot of stuff as we moved into our own place (was at IL's) sooner than we thought we would. But we got the main of it at Ikea (not a store I partic like, but fab for things we needed & we were lucky that 1 had just opened in South Oz.!

Sorry, should have added, re shipping. All people we had contact with, UK & Oz were highly professional, friendly & efficient the whole way thru.

Me again! We took up nearly 3/4 of the container...just so you have idea of cost v space

Thanks to all of you - its great to get other peoples knowledge and experience. What would we have done in the days before the internet!

Hi Both my dss have Aus Citizenship by decent. Before you can apply for the passport you need to fill out a form and apply for the citizenship certificate I think it can take up to 4 weeks to get the certificate. Then you can apply for the passport. The child doesn't have to attend the interview for the passport again it can take up to 4 weeks (i think) but will often be quicker if they are not too busy.

I got a spouse visa many years ago (over 10) and it took approx 6 months but we were newly married and had no children which lead to a lot of the delays. Your health is a big issue for the Australians so as long as you are healthy you should be fine.

Thanks for all the packing/shipping tips. Still going to have to become the carboot queen and start shifting some of the stuff we have accumulated.

Poor DH has begun filling in his visa aplication form and getting brain fuzz from it - quite certain his hasn't been involved in any war crimes so feeling positive!!

Sandcastles - My good friends DH is a manager at the Adelaide Ikea. I hear it's been a busy busy place! Where are you? I lived in Prospect for a few years.

Loopy, we are Nr Morphett Vale. We are on a short term rental then are hoping to rent in MV til we are happy to buy something.

Have heard of Prospect, couldn't tell you where it is tho!!

Only been to Ikea once so far. busy, but not as bad as when I visted the MK 1!!

Hi all - I have been looking at the visa appn form and have a few more questions......

Where you put the details of your children down, it asks if they are migrating with you....well they will be but I plan to get them Aussie passports before we go so for all intents and purposes they wont be part of my application for a visa - do I therefore put No??

Other question - the documents you have to send include a certified copy of your passport - is this just the last page photo page? And how come you dont send your actual passport, dont they need it to put the visa in???

Heeelllpppp from anyone who can please!

I would assume you put yes, for 1. They are entering the country with you, regardless of their pasport type. They do not live there already, so they?

The certified copy/ies, this has to be done by a notary or solicitor (sp). They have to photocopy all marked pages. So photos & any stamped pages. He/she will then sign & date each copy. You will need to do this for all those emigrating.

DO NOT send passports! The immigration office doesn't often send things back & you don't want to lose you PP!

But they will need to be part of your visa application, won't they?

They haven't lived in Oz, so therefore will need a visa to enter & live there, will they not?

Hi Sandcastles - no they havent lived in Aus but their father is an Australian citizen so I can get them Australian passports from Australia House in London. this means I wont have to go to all the hassle of getting them medicals and applying for them as well. So thats why I'm confused about what to put on teh form?

I might email DIMA and ask them.

I thought if you applied for citizenship for your children which they are entitled to because of their dad being australian, then apply for their passports so they will have dual nationality. Then they can come and go freely into Aust. and UK. I would assume then that it is only yourself applying for the visa as a spouse, so your children would not need be applying for a visa to enter and stay in Australia as they have citizenship(if that makes sense) I recall having to go to Australia house for the passport application. For the citizenship i had to send my birthcertificate and my childs. It was all realtively straight forward.

i am sure we put yes - dd1 was migrating with us - but did not need to be part of the process..... sorry misread the question you put in the email.

We then put her aussie passport details.

As to passports - perhaps they have changed - dh had to send his UK passport which they managed to lose!!

You have all been really helpful and thanks to eidsvold and suzywong for emailing me back when I asked the same question to them personally!

You know I log on regularly to another website called british expats and there are some seriously depressing threads on there from people who have moved to aus but hate it and whinge (!) on about it.......please tell me these are people who make no attempt to integrate into society and just live with loads of other expats! I am sure that will not be me - I lived in Brisbane for a year and absolutely loved it so i dont see why I wont again!

harrogate - we have a couple who moved near us - I worked with them in the UK. He is a brit and she is an aussie. He is always whinging and everything is never as good as the UK but they have stayed...... I don't hink she would ever go back to live.

Dh loves it here - in fact he could not wait to get back after his two trips home last year. He has no desire to go back.

I think there are people who come out here thinking as it was a brit colony that everything will be the same rather than opening themselves up to new experiences and realising there are things to get used to as with any new place.

Dh really does not have much to do with the 'expat' community as such. He has now joined the SES aqs he felt it was important to be involved in the community. I guess it was a little easier for me as I was coming home.

Hi HM

As an Aussie in London there is such a huge community of Aussies here but I always made an effort to not get caught up in that scene.

I have an English DH all my friend are English. I have a couple of Aussie aquaintences but that is all.

You just have to decide what life you want, and who you want to be with. Plus there will always be whingers so just ignore them.

I know it would probably be easier to become a part of the expat community but just don't limit yourself.

We aussies are very friendly and I'm sure you will have no problems as you found when you lived there before.

Hi eidsvold and superloopy! Yes I dont plan on having anything to do with other expats if I can help it! I already have my sister in law and her family and all her husband's extended family in Brisbane as well as a friend of mine who married an Aussie pilot who works for Virgin Blue, she lives in Clayfield and is very excited about us going over!

I think people must have this vision of Australia as England with sunshine adn they get a bit of a shock when they get there and find it has its own lifestyle and culture.

There is a programme just started on the TV over here called "Wanted Down Under" its on every day during the week for a month and the BBC have sent 20 families to differnet cities in Aus to see if they like the lifestyle etc. Its quite interesting to watch and I imagine will result in a big surge of interest from people in emigrating.

Anyway re the integrating, I plan to get out htere and make new friends as soon as I can after i get there. My SIL has already said she will put my twins name down for the childcare place where her kids go. maybe Mumsnet will be able to help memake new friends! Eids - I am hoping I will be able to meet you finally!

what me and my mad bunch but it does work. I found I enjoyed being the the UK more when I took on part time barmaid work as well as my teaching - got me to know more locals, less inclined to just hang with the aussies who had also come over to teach... and of course the best part - that is where I met dh. Really made a difference.