The Department of Home Affairs (DOHA) has been toing and froing about the way it processes Partner and Spouse and Child and Carer Visas for over a year now. We now know that the new way of processing (a two step process) will begin before 10 June 2019. Although we still don't have the exact commencement (when) date).
What does this mean?
The current way of processing Partner, Spouse, Child and Carer Visa applications involves:
1) Submitting a Visa Application (by the visa applicant)
2) Submitting a Sponsor Application (by the visa applicant's partner/spouse who is the sponsor of the visa applicant)
The NEW process will still involve the same stwo steps, but in reverse:
1) Submitting a Sponsor Application (by the visa applicant's partner/spouse who is the sponsor of the visa applicant)
2) Submitting a Visa Application (by the visa applicant) once the Sponsor has been approved as a Sponsor.
Since the two steps are the same, but in a reverse order, you might well say, Who Cares? It's the same process!
But it's not, and here is why:
First, if you have to get approved as a Sponsor first, it may take X months (we have no idea at this stage) for that approval to come through. So if, for example, you, the visa applicant, have a week before your current visa expires, and you were going to apply for a spouse visa and rely on a bridging visa A (BVA) to let you stay while the spouse visa is being processed, you now have to factor in the sponsor approval step first. And that may take months.
Secondly, the sponsor application may have an associated fee. We don't know this at this point, we are just speculating that a process that may take the DOHA several months may also justify a new fee.
Do This: So, what's the important point to take away from this?
If you can, get your partner/spouse/child/carer visa applications in now, before the new two step system is introduced. This will avoid a possible longer processing time, a possible additional fee, and, most importantly, if you are applying from within Australia you (the visa applicant) will be able to stay on a bridging visa A while your visa and your sponsor's application is being processed. And if you are still wondering WHY this change is being introduced, since it really is all about reversing an already existing two step process, there are actually some valid reasons: By approving sponsors before allowing them to sponsor partners to live in Australia, Australia is highlighting the fact that domestic violence and child sexual abuse will not be tolerated: "Sponsorship applications will be subject to refusal in limited circumstances. These include where the sponsor has convictions for:
- paedophilia or
- other sexual offences against minors;
- or offences relating to violence.
Australian Partner, Partner (De-Facto visa)SpSpouse Visa Processing is Changing before 10 June 20191plicants will have access to merits review by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal." If you need information about Partner or Spouse or Child or Carer visas, get in touch: info@sortoutmyvisa.com If you are ready to submit your visa application, but you just want a professional to look over it, to make sure you have got it all right, before you hit submit and pay your visa application fee, get in touch:
http://www.sortoutmyvisa.com/visa-applications
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