# Applying for an Australian Unmarried Partners Visa



## emvi6 (Jan 9, 2011)

I don't know if there is a topic about this already but I thought i would make a new one anyway! I'm Australian and my boyfriend is English, we have been together for almost 3 years and have been going backwards and forwards to England and Aus ever since, he now wants to apply for an Unmarried Partners visa, please is there someone on here that has applied/applying for this visa that can help! I always feel like we've been left in the dark because they don't explain it properly!

If anyone has applied for this, can they please tell me what it involves/*how long it took for the visa to go through*? I have to go back next month (even though my visa expires in March) for personal reasons, which means i would have left without knowing if it's came through for him or not... we would have applied for it ages ago but haven't had the money until now! We've basically finished the whole application just waiting for some forms to come back from my family.

Anyway i think i've given enough info now! Please any help would be so appreciated! 

Thank you! 
Emma


----------



## Zultan (Aug 4, 2009)

Hey. I went through the defacto visa process in Jan 2010 (there's loads of waffle about it on my blog if you find yourself suffering from insomnia). Also happy to answer any questions you might have?

Recent applicants through Australia House in London are being quoted a 5-6 month processing time (everything has ground to a halt since the Aussie election).

The best place to start is by reading the partner migration guide : http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1127.pdf


----------



## Melrose76 (Feb 1, 2012)

Hey there
Sorry to jump on the back of someone elses thread. Am new user and couldn't find where to post a new thread!
Quick question for anyone... My partner(uk citizen) & I (Aus citizen) live in UK and are applying for a partner visa for Aus in the next month, however my problem is, we have some holidays planned in the next 6 months, and will require passports, which will be with application. Anyone know if we can get them back whilst application still pending? Or, if we have enough other supporting documents, birth cert etc..do we need to send passports with initial application? Thanks, any advice would be very helpful!


----------



## _Sarah_ (Jun 27, 2011)

You don't need to provide your actual passports, just photocopies (certified)


----------



## cheralin (Feb 2, 2012)

My partner and I submitted our defacto visa application in May of last year and haven't heard a peep since. We paid the extra money to have it filed through an 'immigration expert', submitted a mountain of paperwork (not even an exaggeration, I'm afraid) and were told at the start that there is currently a 9 month wait. We were then told about 4 months ago that it had been updated to "at least" a one year wait. So, wait we do! Best wishes. If you have any questions that I'm able to answer, I'm happy to help, so feel free to get in touch.


----------



## Guest (Feb 2, 2012)

Processing times vary depending on where and when you apply. It usually longest if you apply onshore, then high risk countries. The UK generally has the shortest processing time.


----------



## cheralin (Feb 2, 2012)

Not sure I'm reading your post correctly, so I'm curious. The UK has a shorter processing time than an application deemed offshore and high risk? Not that this applies to me whatsoever, but as I say, I'm curious.


----------



## Guest (Feb 2, 2012)

No, onshore takes longer. I think because they process so many visas onshore including refugees & second stage spouse & second stage of other visas! 

Offshore is quickest, UK applications usually being faster than most no idea why! And high risk countries vary due to the extra security checks being done on those applicants.


----------



## erinh (Dec 9, 2010)

Cheralin, I'm in the same boat... I put my application in on 15 March last year and haven't heard a thing from them one way or the other. Now I'm even more frustrated to hear that the waiting time has been upgraded - did you get that in an email or speaking to an actual person? 

I'm asking as, in my frustration, I've emailed the general processing centre to ask (even though I know they wont tell me anything  ), and it still says the "9-12 months".

SOooooooooooooooooooooo frustrated! Gah!


----------



## TaraE (Feb 29, 2012)

Hi Cheralin, 

I moved over to Australia from the UK in NOvember 2010 and my partner is Australian. I came over on a de facto (partner unmarried) visa. I first applied in March 2010 and my temporary visa was granted in September 2010, pretty much 6 months to the day. My understanding is that it really shouldn't take any longer than that. It seems that it takes a lot longer if your going from Aus to UK visa :-0 

Feel free to get in touch if you have any more questions. 

Tara


----------



## tctassey (Feb 23, 2012)

TaraE said:


> Hi Cheralin,
> 
> I moved over to Australia from the UK in NOvember 2010 and my partner is Australian. I came over on a de facto (partner unmarried) visa. I first applied in March 2010 and my temporary visa was granted in September 2010, pretty much 6 months to the day. My understanding is that it really shouldn't take any longer than that. It seems that it takes a lot longer if your going from Aus to UK visa :-0
> 
> ...


Hi Tara,
I'm likely to move to Perth with my fiancée later this year. I will be coming on a employer sponsored visa for work. The immigration office told me that as long as the employer lists the people coming with me (fiancée, her child, her mother and my child), then it shouldn't be a problem. Any feedback on this?


----------



## Alan H (Nov 9, 2011)

Good luck on the mother piece you will need to prov her as a dependent and go through all the medical stuff


----------



## tctassey (Feb 23, 2012)

Alan H said:


> Good luck on the mother piece you will need to prov her as a dependent and go through all the medical stuff


She's retired here in the USA and will not be working in AUS. I will be responsible for all her living expenses as she will be with us. I'm pretty sure all of us will have to be medically checked out here in the US before coming? Luckily, we are all in pretty good health...


----------



## TaraE (Feb 29, 2012)

tctassey said:


> Hi Tara,
> I'm likely to move to Perth with my fiancée later this year. I will be coming on a employer sponsored visa for work. The immigration office told me that as long as the employer lists the people coming with me (fiancée, her child, her mother and my child), then it shouldn't be a problem. Any feedback on this?



Hi, 

My situation is quite different as I came over without dependants and my partner is Australian. However I did work for a short while for a corporate company assisting their sponsored employees in moving over to Brisbane and the advice you received is correct. It will all depend on your sponsorship contract and what the company are willing to pay; in my experience I have only seen contracts that included partner and children, I'm not sure where you would stand with your mother in law. You should contact the company sponsoring you to clarify. It might be that you have to fund your mother in law's application yourself and I think (but don't quote me on this part) that she would have to prove in her own right that she has no other support network in her home country, adequate savings etc etc It's a bit of a grey area with extended family.

Hope this helps. I know how stressful and confusing this whole immigration process can be. 

Tara


----------



## tctassey (Feb 23, 2012)

TaraE said:


> Hi,
> 
> My situation is quite different as I came over without dependants and my partner is Australian. However I did work for a short while for a corporate company assisting their sponsored employees in moving over to Brisbane and the advice you received is correct. It will all depend on your sponsorship contract and what the company are willing to pay; in my experience I have only seen contracts that included partner and children, I'm not sure where you would stand with your mother in law. You should contact the company sponsoring you to clarify. It might be that you have to fund your mother in law's application yourself and I think (but don't quote me on this part) that she would have to prove in her own right that she has no other support network in her home country, adequate savings etc etc It's a bit of a grey area with extended family.
> 
> ...


They are aware of the people I want to bring, but they haven't done this either. I have been researching everything I can and the information is overwhelming. So many things to consider and no real way of getting it all easily. I know I will be in Perth, and on a employer sponsored visa. I will be making application for residency ASAP, depending on the rules of Immigration. I understand that AUS doesn't want people coming there and being a burden, but my plan is to work hard and be a productive member of society. Is this process something I can do myself, or is getting a MARA agent really necessary?


----------



## TaraE (Feb 29, 2012)

tctassey said:


> They are aware of the people I want to bring, but they haven't done this either. I have been researching everything I can and the information is overwhelming. So many things to consider and no real way of getting it all easily. I know I will be in Perth, and on a employer sponsored visa. I will be making application for residency ASAP, depending on the rules of Immigration. I understand that AUS doesn't want people coming there and being a burden, but my plan is to work hard and be a productive member of society. Is this process something I can do myself, or is getting a MARA agent really necessary?


I didn't use an agent but my situation was more straightforward. When I worked in the HR mobility role here in Australia we did everything for the person that was being sponsored and we had agents to assist; presumably the company you are migrating with do not offer that? You really need to speak to your company again I think; are they paying for you to come over or are they just offering you the actual sponsorship when you arrive? Usually they will offer a package with temporary housing etc.

If the company are not going to assist you then maybe you should consider an agent as your situation is not run of the mill.....


----------



## tctassey (Feb 23, 2012)

TaraE said:


> I didn't use an agent but my situation was more straightforward. When I worked in the HR mobility role here in Australia we did everything for the person that was being sponsored and we had agents to assist; presumably the company you are migrating with do not offer that? You really need to speak to your company again I think; are they paying for you to come over or are they just offering you the actual sponsorship when you arrive? Usually they will offer a package with temporary housing etc.
> 
> If the company are not going to assist you then maybe you should consider an agent as your situation is not run of the mill.....


We are still working out the details. I'm coming in a month for a three week visit to iron out the details, but I think they want me to move over quickly. So the amount of time I have to work this out is limited. So I'm trying to gather all the information I can in advance.


----------



## TaraE (Feb 29, 2012)

In that case you should ask if they will assist with the following particularly as they want you to move quikcly; I know not all companies offer as much as this but I don't know about your company so.... Will they assist/pay for: 

457 visas for you and your dependants 
Flights and insurance 
Shipping of goods (this can be really expensive) 
Medical insurance (you have to have that here despite Medicare) 
Relocation consultant when you arrive to assist with advice on schools/housing/cost of living etc 
Temporary accommodation (usually the first six weeks) 
A relocation allowance for the first six weeks (covers things like travel costs) 

This is what the company I worked for offered but they were a large corporate company so I appreciate this will differ.

Tara


----------



## Zultan (Aug 4, 2009)

tctassey said:


> She's retired here in the USA and will not be working in AUS. I will be responsible for all her living expenses as she will be with us. I'm pretty sure all of us will have to be medically checked out here in the US before coming? Luckily, we are all in pretty good health...


As you're coming from the US it will be virtually impossible to bring your mother-in-law. She would have to be completely reliant on you for money (i.e. have no pension, government benefits or means to support herself in the USA) before immigration would consider her dependent.


----------



## Guest (Mar 2, 2012)

Zultan is right, people from western countries will be able to bring their parents in very limited circumstances. Australia has enough of its own pensioners to care for so limits quite severly who can and can not bring parents and the amount of seperate parent visas it issues. 

They would need to be fully dependent on you for all of their needs, living in your home with no income or property. Impossible for most US citizens due to SS.


----------

