# Offshore Partner (spouse) visa subclasses 309 & 100



## Sally Anne (Sep 18, 2009)

My husband has finally decided that as I, and our children, are Australian (all by descent) that we should take the step to apply for his permanent residence and make the move to Australia. 

I must admit that when I first saw the partner migration application (29 pages) and then the sponsor application (another 12 pages) and then the stat decs and evidence that needed to be compiled together I thought we should probably get an agent to help us out. But the cost is extortionate...so I mustered a LOT of patience and sat and read through the forum and the Australian immi and Australia House in London websites and I now feel completely ready to lodge this application without the help of an agent. Our pile of paperwork is getting high but it will certainly be worth it.

We are applying for our children’s citizenship by descent this week, then will lodge their passport applications. We have a holiday planned in Australia for the month of December so aim to get stat decs from rellies and friends in Australia while we are out there (some flew over for our wedding etc) and then lodge my husbands visa application first thing in the new year. 

If successful we are still unsure where we will live, Melbourne a big contender as this is where I’m from, and Brisbane may offer my husband work opportunities that I doubt he will have in Melbourne. (if down to the weather Brisbane would win!) Everyone always says it’s a better life out there, and I’ve been able to convince my husband of this, but I moved from Australia to the UK with my family when I was 15 so I have fond memories from my childhood – maybe that’s just how everyone feels about where they grew up?

Anyway, fingers crossed for the visa, I would hate for this dream of mine of returning ‘home’ to be unrealised. However much I love the country she will never be able to come between me and my love for my husband. I hope the two big loves in my life can welcome eac other with open arms!


I have to say that there is not as much information as I expected on this forum though - it is a little frustrating as a 'newbie' to see that a number of posts are answered with "please search the site as we have discussed this before". Surely things like cost of living and nice places to live in Melbourne are better answered when individual circumstances are considered. For example, my husband myself and 3 children (8y, 18m, 10weeks) will have very different needs to a newlywed couple with no children. I would rather hear experiences/advice from someone in my position than to spend hours searching (which I have) only to find that it's not quite in line with our situation. So whilst the information on the forum is helpful, I think it does give out a sense of being a bit impersonal if new threads are cut short by this one-liner. I don’t mean to antagonise anyone as this is purely an observation, but I certainly hope my impression changes as support through forums like this is valuable when there is so much at stake. (After all If we are not sharing personal experiences we could all just be surfing websites such as cityhobo on our own instead). 
Out of all the information offered I think that the email response from the AHC has been without a doubt the most helpful – an updated version of this would be great as a sticky. All the gaps I had after hours/days spent online were filled within moments of reading those faq’s on the partner visa. 

Big thank you to all contributors though as this was the place I started and I certainly got pointed in all the right directions…just took a while to get there!

:grouphug:


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## kaz101 (Nov 29, 2007)

Sally Anne said:


> I have to say that there is not as much information as I expected on this forum though - it is a little frustrating as a 'newbie' to see that a number of posts are answered with "please search the site as we have discussed this before". Surely things like cost of living and nice places to live in Melbourne are better answered when individual circumstances are considered. For example, my husband myself and 3 children (8y, 18m, 10weeks) will have very different needs to a newlywed couple with no children. I would rather hear experiences/advice from someone in my position than to spend hours searching (which I have) only to find that it's not quite in line with our situation. So whilst the information on the forum is helpful, I think it does give out a sense of being a bit impersonal if new threads are cut short by this one-liner. I don’t mean to antagonise anyone as this is purely an observation, but I certainly hope my impression changes as support through forums like this is valuable when there is so much at stake. (After all If we are not sharing personal experiences we could all just be surfing websites such as cityhobo on our own instead).
> Out of all the information offered I think that the email response from the AHC has been without a doubt the most helpful – an updated version of this would be great as a sticky. All the gaps I had after hours/days spent online were filled within moments of reading those faq’s on the partner visa.
> 
> Big thank you to all contributors though as this was the place I started and I certainly got pointed in all the right directions…just took a while to get there!
> ...


Hi Sally-Anne, 

We have hundreds of members and they do tend to ask similar questions and a lot of them have been asked before 

I think a lot of new members simply come on here and post without looking around first and their answers can be found in the links in the sticky threads at the top of the forum. 

If someone says that they've already looked around then they will receive a different answer. We can only go by what people tell us and there are only a few of us on here that actually live in Australia  

By the way none of us are paid either so this is something that we do in our 'spare time'. 

I do take your comments on board and if you have any suggestions to get around those issues please let us know. 

Regards,
Karen


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