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| Subclass 300 visa; Anyone had this case officer? | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 20 2010, 08:10:10 PM (820 Views) | |
| Jaz | Mar 20 2010, 08:10:10 PM Post #1 |
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Chinwagger
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Hi all Well we are still in the midst of the big wait for the subclass 300 visa, only just got the case officer details, anyone had E.R. before? Will post our timeline soon...fingers crossed it is not going to be much longer as I have not seen my other half in 9 months  Jaz |
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| meg1388 | Mar 21 2010, 11:50:01 PM Post #2 |
True Blue Mate
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Looks like they hired a new one - I've never seen that CO before. Is this at the DC office? I had a different CO, but my prospective marriage visa came through a few days short of 3 months, so really not that bad considering they had given me the "...usually process in 4-6 months...". Please let us know details of your timeline. Have you gotten your FBI background check yet? In the meantime, start getting moving quotes and checking out flight prices. Once the visa is approved, you'll find that time moves much quicker and there just isn't enough time to get everything done before the move! |
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| Jaz | Mar 24 2010, 09:41:49 AM Post #3 |
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Chinwagger
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Hi Meg Yeah, a new CO, hmmm...not so sure that being 'new' could be a positive thing..time will tell I guess. I am the Aussie half in Melbourne, Joe is in AK..and yes, we have everything done, infact it was all done months ago, but we had a 7 week hold up with the passport office (long story), and then another 6 week hold up with DC not accepting notorized copies of US passports from AK!! Warning anyone in AK, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME and get this done directly via the passports office in DC. Ofcourse it would have been nice if someone had told us this in the begining *sigh*. Anyway, thank goodness the FBI checks were all done last year. And yeah, Joe is pretty much all packed and waiting to leave...just needs to book his flight and give 2 weeks notice at work. Will post timeline later today. Jaz |
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| shylady | Mar 24 2010, 09:52:09 AM Post #4 |
oldYank
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 Hi Jaz,I hope not too early last year, the FBI checks and medicals are only good for a year..... Good luck, hope it goes smoothly!  Lisa |
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"I could’ve turned a different corner, I could’ve gone another place... " ku,'09 | |
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| meg1388 | Mar 24 2010, 10:14:03 AM Post #5 |
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True Blue Mate
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What a pain! I know that some states are 'funny' with who can notarize things - there are a few discussions around here that document some of the frustrations of members living in states that don't allow notary publics to notarize documents. I wonder if you could just send the DC office everything they needed (passport, birth certificate, etc) and they can make copies, notarize the documents themselves, and send the documents back. I second that. When we started thinking about a PMV, I was one of those who got the FBI background check right away. I didn't submit my application for about 6 months after I got the FBI check back. I ended up getting a "...must enter Australia by -date of FBI check-" on my visa lablel (sooner than the 9 months that the visa is good for) because the FBI check is only good for a year. Before I left the states in Jan, I started the process to get another FBI check (again EARLY b/c I didn't need it until May) but I'm happy I did because it took 12 weeks to get it back. That's a big difference from the 2.5 weeks it took last time! Good luck! |
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| Jaz | Mar 24 2010, 09:18:02 PM Post #6 |
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Chinwagger
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Hmmm..now I need to check with Joe the actual date he lodged the FBI I'm sure it will be ok, but I wil have to wait and see what he tells me tomorrow when he reads my email. |
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| Reader3333 | Apr 19 2010, 12:33:34 PM Post #7 |
True Blue Mate
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Tuesday April 13 2010. I was assigned Case officer N.P. I've seen her name listed here before. Has anyone had her recently? Can anyone tell me how your experience with her was? It seems the hold up now will be the FBI check. Sent it on Feb 3. I called and they're processing it. 13 weeks will be around nearly the second week of May. My husband has to leave to go back to QLD on Friday. I am so sad to see him leave without me. Why do you have to be offshore anyways? Are they afraid you won't leave if it's not approved? already missin my home & my hubby, Vicki |
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| blarg | Apr 19 2010, 03:17:06 PM Post #8 |
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True Blue Mate
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Some of the visas can only be granted to people that are offshore, and they become active when you come in to the country. General skilled migration comes to mind as well. This particular visa to allow people to get into the country so they can marry their partners. If you're already here, then you don't need that visa. You could always come in on something else and then get married and apply for a spouse visa, but this is a bit of a dodge when they've got the PMV all set up for you. So it seems to come down to them wanting to do the hard yards checking you out and everything before you're here. I don't think it has anything to do with being afraid you won't leave, as they do have onshore spouse visas, you just have to have some other legitimate reason to be here first, like a 457. I know it seems like it's going to take forever, but for me long term it was a little blip and I was surprised at how much it seemed like an eternity at the time. I did apply onshore, but that's only because we didn't have the PMV option available to us and I had to find another way to get in and stay for a year anyway. |
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| Reader3333 | Apr 20 2010, 12:28:00 AM Post #9 |
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True Blue Mate
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I WAS there-from April 09 until March of 10, on a visitor visa. Got married in Feb but had to leave to apply (subclass 309 spouse visa). There was no compelling reason for me to stay for an onshore application (according to the immigration agent). That's what I don't understand...couldn't they have just done the long hard look while I was there? Why seperate families for 4-6 months. sigh... nothing can be done I know... just seems kinda cruel. V |
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| blarg | Apr 20 2010, 02:43:33 AM Post #10 |
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True Blue Mate
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You don't have to have a compelling reason to apply onshore, you just need to meet the requirements of the visa. In the general sense there's nothing special about applying onshore as long as the visa you're here on doesn't prevent you from applying for other visas. Did your visitor visa have a "No further stay" condition on it? (Condition 8503, 8534 or 8535?) If so, you would have needed a compelling reason to waive this condition, and this is what the immigration agent was talking about. If you did have one of those restrictions on your visa, you were given the visa on the condition that you would leave and not be able to extend your stay at that time. Essentially you agreed that your stay would only be that long when you came in on that visa. Obviously nobody goes out of their way to make this clear before you get here, but that's what happened if you did have a no further stay condition. If you didn't have a no further stay condition, then your immigration agent was flat out wrong, and there's no reason you couldn't have applied onshore if you met the eligibility criterion of the visa. I came here on an ETA, met my current employer who offered me a job, applied onshore for a two year 457 with no compelling reason other than I satisfied the criteria, got it, a year and a half later applied onshore for a partner visa, again with no compelling reason for being onshore, and got it a month later. Next year I'll transition to PR, and a year after will be eligible for citizenship. This is all via onshore applications. They're nothing special as long as the visa you're on doesn't have a no further stay condition. It sounds like either yours had a no further stay condition or your immigration agent did you a massive disservice. Either way I'm so sorry that you're separated from your partner while you're waiting for all of this to shake out. It was hard enough being in limbo while I was still here, and I can only imagine how you must feel. Here's hoping it goes quickly! 
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| Reader3333 | Apr 22 2010, 01:28:52 AM Post #11 |
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True Blue Mate
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Thank you so much Blarg. Yes, my VISA had a no further stay stipulation. The immigration agent said that if I were pg, ill, or anything that would be compelling he could try--but otherwise- no, I had to leave. It helps to know that others here have had to do this and it's only temporary. It is good seeing my friends here. I have been in QLD eleven months and haven't made one friend. I bought a spanish cd program and I'm going to try to ride a borrowed bike everyday. I'm going to try to stay busy. Hopefully this will pass quickly. It makes me so sad. Vicki |
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| AmbroseChick | Apr 22 2010, 09:06:47 AM Post #12 |
True Blue Mate
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Hi Vicki! I live on the Gold Coast - if you are ever down here give me a yell on here and we'll get together. |
| Check it out! Facebook page: Americans Living in Queensland | |
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| Reader3333 | Apr 22 2010, 02:13:14 PM Post #13 |
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True Blue Mate
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I'd love to! I miss having friends around SO much. It's been so lonely living in Oz for me. We went to my old job today and saw about 20 of my friends there. We went to dinner (they all wanted to hear my Aussie hubby talk- lol). We are moving to Brisbane so I will even live closer to the Gold Coast. DH will probably have to move before I get back home--depends on when our house sells. I'm excited about moving there--more Americans- lol. |
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