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Topic: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa  (Read 1573 times)

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Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« on: April 28, 2017, 01:53:29 PM »
This site has been so helpful! Although many spousal visa threads that come up are from 2004, so I want to make sure I am up to date.

 My fiance is a UK and Australian citizen, I am an American citizen. We are going to marry this July in Australia and stay there with his family while we send the Visa application through so that we can return to the UK together to live.

-I will have all paperwork ready (sponsor and financial info) and online visa filled out and ready to send once we have our marriage license/certificate. After we are officially married, send everything through. My fiance suggested I send the online application through before the marriage is final, but everything I have read states that the online application and proof of marriage must all be sent simultaneously.

-Q: Once visa is (HOPEFULLY!) approved, I will then wait for a phone interview, correct?

-Q: Is there a typical wait time for this to happen? From application submission to reception to phone interview to visa issuance?
 
-Q: When I look at the UK gov sites, every consulate across the world states "The consulate can’t help with visa enquiries." In all of the posts from 2004, people wrote that they married in Chicago or NYC where there was a consulate to help expedite the visa process so there wasn't a "wait around for the phone call" situation. Do the consulates no longer help with this?

Thank you all so much in advance for your help!
Met October 2015
Engaged May 7 2017
Will be married AUGUST 2017!!!!


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2017, 01:57:28 PM »
This site has been so helpful! Although many spousal visa threads that come up are from 2004, so I want to make sure I am up to date.

 My fiance is a UK and Australian citizen, I am an American citizen. We are going to marry this July in Australia and stay there with his family while we send the Visa application through so that we can return to the UK together to live.

-I will have all paperwork ready (sponsor and financial info) and online visa filled out and ready to send once we have our marriage license/certificate. After we are officially married, send everything through. My fiance suggested I send the online application through before the marriage is final, but everything I have read states that the online application and proof of marriage must all be sent simultaneously.

-Q: Once visa is (HOPEFULLY!) approved, I will then wait for a phone interview, correct?

-Q: Is there a typical wait time for this to happen? From application submission to reception to phone interview to visa issuance?
 
-Q: When I look at the UK gov sites, every consulate across the world states "The consulate can’t help with visa enquiries." In all of the posts from 2004, people wrote that they married in Chicago or NYC where there was a consulate to help expedite the visa process so there wasn't a "wait around for the phone call" situation. Do the consulates no longer help with this?

Thank you all so much in advance for your help!

Do you have a visa which allows you to live (not just visit) Australia? You have to be a legal resident of the country you apply from.


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2017, 01:59:26 PM »
Sorry to confuse you! I'm applying for UK citizenship. We are getting married in Australia but my time will be up August 1st to stay in UK without a visa.
Met October 2015
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Will be married AUGUST 2017!!!!


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2017, 02:04:01 PM »
Sorry to confuse you! I'm applying for UK citizenship. We are getting married in Australia but my time will be up August 1st to stay in UK without a visa.

OK so is this right?
You are currently a visitor to the UK but the plan is to visit Aus, get married and apply for a spouse visa to come back to the UK to live?

If so and you don't have a visa to live in Aus, you will have to return to the US to apply for the UK spouse visa... (citizenship won't happen for at least 5 years). You can only apply for a UK spouse visa  from a country that you are a  you are a citizen or legal resident of.
« Last Edit: April 28, 2017, 02:07:31 PM by larrabee »


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #4 on: April 28, 2017, 02:06:35 PM »
You, as an American citizen, aren't eligible to apply for UK citizenship until you have lived within the UK for a minimum of 5 years on a settlement visa.

In order to apply for a settlement visa for the UK, you have to apply from the country you have a right to live in. Larrabee asked if you had an Australian visa because of you don't you will HAVE to apply for your initial UK entry visa from the US.
The usual. American girl meets British guy. They fall into like, then into love. Then there was the big decision. The American traveled across the pond to join the Brit. And life was never the same again.


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #5 on: April 28, 2017, 02:07:48 PM »
NOPE! I'm sorry again. Didn't mean citizenship.

VISA.

Okay, so I can ONLY apply for a spousal visa whilst in the US, is that correct? And the British Consular in any given state cannot help with visas, but they do the visa interview, is that correct?
Met October 2015
Engaged May 7 2017
Will be married AUGUST 2017!!!!


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #6 on: April 28, 2017, 02:10:56 PM »
NOPE! I'm sorry again. Didn't mean citizenship.

VISA.

Okay, so I can ONLY apply for a spousal visa whilst in the US, is that correct? And the British Consular in any given state cannot help with visas, but they do the visa interview, is that correct?


Yes, apply for the visa from the US.
There is no interview. Applications are processed in Sheffield.
The online application should be the very last thing you do once you have all of your evidence together.


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #7 on: April 28, 2017, 02:12:45 PM »
Okay, first off, ignore EVERYTHING you have read from 2004. The immigration rules are COMPLETELY different now and even the visas are different.

As a rule of thumb, anything posted more than about 6 months ago is likely to be out of date.

If you are not a US citizen and do not legally live in Australia, you MUST return to the US to apply for your spousal visa.

You cannot qualify for UK citizenship until you have lived in the UK on spousal visas for 5 years and have gained ILR (permanent residence).

So you will need to apply for:
- 2.5 year spousal visa to move to the UK
- 2.5 year FLR(M) visa extension
- ILR after 5 years in the UK
- once you have ILR you may be able to qualify for UK citizenship

I would budget about £10,000 over the next 5 years for visas.

Your spousal visa application process will be:

- research the visa requirements and make sure you meet them all (financial, accommodation and relationship)
- gather up all your supporting documents for the visa
- fly to Australia and get married
- fly back to the US with your supporting documents (mainly from your fiance)
- print and complete VAF4a Appendix 2 form by hand - this is the second half of the application and contains all the questions specific to meeting the spousal visa requirements
- complete the online application form
- submit the online form, pay for the visa and pay for the IHS surcharge and book a biometrics appointment
- attend a biometrics appointment in the US at your nearest USCIS Application Support Center
- after the biometrics appointment, you must mail your application and all your documents to Sheffield, UK for processing. There is an option to purchase priority processing to get the application put to the front of the processing line
- wait for the visa to be issued and returned to you in the US
- move to the UK

See here for more information about this process:
https://www.gov.uk/join-family-in-uk/overview
http://www.vfsglobal.co.uk/australia/how_to_apply.html

Do you meet all the requirements for the visa?
- your UK citizen spouse must meet the UK income requirement of £18,600 per year
- you must also have guaranteed accommodation in the UK to live in with permission from the homeowner
- your relationship must be genuine and you need to show regular communication during your relationship


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #8 on: April 28, 2017, 02:21:21 PM »
You rock out loud!

Yes, we meet all of the qualifications. He owns an apartment and fulfills the financial requirements. We'll have our marriage paperwork and loads of pics from holidays. Text messages are obviously extremely private stuff, but we have those as well.
Met October 2015
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Will be married AUGUST 2017!!!!


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #9 on: April 28, 2017, 03:05:19 PM »
How many texts/emails/photos are too many? I want to provide everything they need, but also don't want to spend hours printing off screen shots of text messages filled with silly gifs and bitmojis.  :P
Met October 2015
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Will be married AUGUST 2017!!!!


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #10 on: April 28, 2017, 03:12:51 PM »
How many texts/emails/photos are too many? I want to provide everything they need, but also don't want to spend hours printing off screen shots of text messages filled with silly gifs and bitmojis.  :P

Depends on the length of your romantic relationship. My wife and I had a very short engagement but had known each other (as friends) for a while, so we put in a lot of relationship evidence. Wedding photos, wedding invitations/thank you cards/announcements, receipts for engagement ring, photo of us applying for the marriage license, Facebook messages, emails, etc. We showed contact about once every 1-3 months for the 2 years we were apart, and then we showed a great deal of evidence for the engagement, wedding, and post-wedding communication (when my wife went back to the UK).

Boarding passes for visits to each other are fabulous. They were a must-include for us.

Most here will tell you to keep it simple. If you've had a long relationship, you don't need as much proof as we did.
Online application submitted April 5, 2017
Biometrics & shipping to UK April 17, 2017
Email confirmation from Sheffield April 24, 2017
Submitted ToR May 12, 2017
Decision email: June 2, 2017


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #11 on: April 28, 2017, 03:13:20 PM »
For texts, emails, just send 1-2 sheets of paper for each type of communication - no message content, just a list of times and dates spread over the relationship length. You can screenshot a selection of them and paste onto a sheet.

No actual message or  mail content should be included if possible - you're just showing that you have communicated in some form. Think of it like providing a phone bill - all you see are numbers called, the date and length of call, not a recording of the conversations


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #12 on: April 28, 2017, 03:39:08 PM »
And at what point is there a prompt to send in the sponsorship letter (I've seen countless examples of these letters on this site) and also the photos, texts, boarding passes, emails?
I've looked through both the online application, the sponsorship application, and the VAF4A paper application, and do not see any prompts to send in these materials.
It made me afraid that I'm missing another form somewhere that explains where all of these things go (assuming Sheffield along with the VAF4A.

I wish I had a friend that was a lawyer! My fiance is an accountant, he ought to know someone by now. Oy to the vey.
Met October 2015
Engaged May 7 2017
Will be married AUGUST 2017!!!!


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #13 on: April 28, 2017, 04:11:36 PM »
And at what point is there a prompt to send in the sponsorship letter (I've seen countless examples of these letters on this site) and also the photos, texts, boarding passes, emails?
I've looked through both the online application, the sponsorship application, and the VAF4A paper application, and do not see any prompts to send in these materials.
It made me afraid that I'm missing another form somewhere that explains where all of these things go (assuming Sheffield along with the VAF4A.

I wish I had a friend that was a lawyer! My fiance is an accountant, he ought to know someone by now. Oy to the vey.

Sponsor letter is mailed in after you complete the online application and biometrics (in your country of residence). You have 5 days to get everything in the mail to Sheffield after biometrics, so hold off on the online application until you have everything ready.
Online application submitted April 5, 2017
Biometrics & shipping to UK April 17, 2017
Email confirmation from Sheffield April 24, 2017
Submitted ToR May 12, 2017
Decision email: June 2, 2017


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Re: Marry in Australia, Apply for Spousal Visa
« Reply #14 on: April 28, 2017, 04:15:03 PM »
And at what point is there a prompt to send in the sponsorship letter (I've seen countless examples of these letters on this site) and also the photos, texts, boarding passes, emails?
I've looked through both the online application, the sponsorship application, and the VAF4A paper application, and do not see any prompts to send in these materials.
It made me afraid that I'm missing another form somewhere that explains where all of these things go (assuming Sheffield along with the VAF4A.

I wish I had a friend that was a lawyer! My fiance is an accountant, he ought to know someone by now. Oy to the vey.

There are no prompts regarding the supporting evidence. That's why one of the items on Ksand's list was to research the requirements! There is a lot of leg work to do and most of us are convinced they keep the process opaque on purpose!

You will also need appendix 2.  https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/270484/VAF4A-Appendix2.pdf
« Last Edit: April 28, 2017, 04:16:45 PM by larrabee »


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