Home Services Bureaucracy, Bureaucracy: Steps to Preparing for a Spouse Visa

Bureaucracy, Bureaucracy: Steps to Preparing for a Spouse Visa

I’m sure you’ve already heard this numerous times, relationships are great, but even the best ones require work. Apart from words, we need deeds to express the love and dedication, but we have to admit, it’s one type of a challenge to prove that love to your love one, and it’s an entirely another type of a (bigger) challenge proving this love to the authorities.

Perhaps you’re an Aussie, or eligible New Zealand citizen, who’s had their heart stolen by some foreigner, or you’re a foreigner (with permanent Australian residency) who dreams of making Australia the homecountry for your life together with your spouse, fiancĂ©/e, or de-facto partner. Perhaps you’re married, perhaps you intend to marry; regardless of which “perhaps” you find yourself among, all these aspects have their part in the process of obtaining a spouse visa.

Spouse Visa

By now you probably know bureaucracy can be complicated in any country, and Australia is no exception, taking into account as of last year up to April this year 47.000 visas were cancelled. So the word of advice, and the first step you should make, is to get the help of professional MARA certified agents who can guide you every step of the way.

Why is this so important? Because this way you wouldn’t waste more precious time and money in the application and waiting process, especially since the “love tax”, the fee people pay to stay with their loved ones in Australia, has significantly increased these last four years.

These agents have all the knowledge and experience when it comes to dealing with such cases, and can help you by letting you know of the visa you or your partner (depends on who the spouse visa is for, i.e. who the applicant is) are eligible for, having in mind there are three, with two stages (from temporary to permanent): Subclass 820/801 (Onshore Temporary/Permanent Partner Visa), Subclass 309/100 (Offshore Temporary/Permanent Partner Visa), and Subclass 300 (Prospective Marriage Temporary Fiancé(e) Visa).

You can also count on their help to let you know on all the documentation you’d be required to get to be able to apply, and even have them fill out all the paperwork for you.

What you have to have in mind is, even if you know your relationship is genuine, don’t expect Australian officials to believe it just because you know it to be so. This is why this step is all about evidence, evidence, and more evidence. You have to be prepared for every aspect of your lives to be checked, from financial status, joint accounts, property and vehicle assets, to travels you’ve made together, home duties, photographs, including declarations from relatives and friends on your relationship.

Australian Flag

Remember, your social network accounts are also the form of ID nowadays, so this would be the perfect time to show your online friends more selfies of how much you and your soulmate love each other! Don’t forget to keep on updating.

While it may be easier for spouses, people in long distance relationships can still acquire all the needed evidence based on travels, flight tickets, and proof they’ve been together; the period of being together depends on the relationship, de-facto relationships have to have lasted for at least a year, while this isn’t necessary for marriages. Once you’ve taken care of paperwork, and evidence, health checks are the next step. When all this is said and done, waiting time can take from a year up to 18 months, so be patient.

Make sure you’re always honest, don’t try to hold anything back that might jeopardise the visa approval, because apart from paying fines, you can also expect to lose the ability to apply in the next ten years. Good luck!