Hello All! I few questions....

[chriswalton007]

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum so forgive me if my questions seem a little basic. I have had a quick look through the sticky topics and couldn’t find the answers.

I and my wife are looking at Emigrating to Australia within the next few years. I've researched a lot on the internet but there are a few questions I can't seem to find the answers too, so I’m hoping someone on here can help.

I plan on applying for a Skilled Migrant Visa (I'm degree educated and work within IT). I've noticed that I can have a secondary applicant on my Visa which I intend to be my wife. As my wife would be classed as the secondary applicant on the Visa does this mean I only have to pay the Visa Application cost once, or will I need to pay for 2 applications?

If the Migrant Visa is accepted, is there a time limit that I have to move to Australia within?

Thanks for your help

Chris

[Tiff]

Well, I don't think I will be of much help. But what I can say is I put my son on my visa, and paid one application price. But obviously paid 2 medical costs etc.

[kaz101]

Originally Posted by chriswalton007

Hi All,

I'm new to the forum so forgive me if my questions seem a little basic. I have had a quick look through the sticky topics and couldn’t find the answers.

I and my wife are looking at Emigrating to Australia within the next few years. I've researched a lot on the internet but there are a few questions I can't seem to find the answers too, so I’m hoping someone on here can help.

I plan on applying for a Skilled Migrant Visa (I'm degree educated and work within IT). I've noticed that I can have a secondary applicant on my Visa which I intend to be my wife. As my wife would be classed as the secondary applicant on the Visa does this mean I only have to pay the Visa Application cost once, or will I need to pay for 2 applications?

If the Migrant Visa is accepted, is there a time limit that I have to move to Australia within?

Thanks for your help

Chris

Hi Chris,

Welcome.

I think we paid one application price too as far as I can remember - it was a while a go now.

Do you mean skilled independent visa? If so the visa lasts for 5 years but you have to validate it (visit Oz) within a year of your medicals / police checks. I don't think that anything has changed.

Regards,
Karen

[Dolly]

Hi Chris,

Welcome to the forum.

If your wife is going to be a second applicant I'm pretty certain that you will only have the one fee to pay

If you have a Permanent visa you will be given a 'first entry date', which is normally a year from the earliest date of police checks and medicals. If you get a category B on your medicals, then you normally get 6 months.

ALL family members must enter Australia by this date. The main applicant must enter Australia first (or at the same time as the rest of the family). The others must enter Australia after the main applicant and before the 'first entry date'. This is known as 'validating' the visa. The 'first entry date' is normally around 12 months from the earliest date of police checks and medicals. Some people get less than that if medicals have a lesser validity - 6 months is not unknown.

Your visa will be valid for 5 years from the date of grant (NOT the date the visa is stamped or validated) and you have to be in Australia for a total of 2 years (730 days) in the 5 year period.

Dolly

[kaz101]

Originally Posted by Dolly

Your visa will be valid for 5 years from the date of grant (NOT the date the visa is stamped or validated) and you have to be in Australia for a total of 2 years (730 days) in the 5 year period.

Dolly

I don't think we were told about the 2 years in the 5 year period. Is that for everyone? Our visa has initial entry date and must not arrive after date but nothing else....

Regards,
Karen

[Dolly]

Hi Karen,

To the best of my knowledge that is what we were told.

In a nutshell, most visas give you 5 years from date of visa grant. Once you've moved over you can leave the country for a certain period of time without jeopardising your PR status, and the 730 days is how long you can be out of the country.

I'm sure Alan or Liana can make better sense of it than I am

Dolly

[kaz101]

Originally Posted by Dolly

Hi Karen,

To the best of my knowledge that is what we were told.

In a nutshell, most visas give you 5 years from date of visa grant. Once you've moved over you can leave the country for a certain period of time without jeopardising your PR status, and the 730 days is how long you can be out of the country.

I'm sure Alan or Liana can make better sense of it than I am

Dolly

Our visa says we come and ago at any time during the visa period. After that if anyone leaves the country but is not a citizen then they have to apply for a residents return visa (RRV) - for that you need to have been in the country 2 years. For citizenship we know that we have to have been in the country 2 years (or 4 years under the changed legislation) before applying.

Just curious since we won't have been in the country 2 years before our visa expires in May 2009, but then we don't plan on leaving until we have the 2 years so that we can get RRV.

As you say maybe Alan or Liana can sort this out for us....

Regards,
Karen

[pete.c]

the application fee works like this: you pay per paper not per people, that's what I say. So if it's you and your partner or you and your family. You only pay the one application fee if visa that your applying for combines all of you. Which by the general sound of it your appliaction does.

[chriswalton007]

Thank you all so much for the information, you have really helped answer my questions.

I'm sure they will be pleantly more for me to ask as the applications progress

Thanks again,

Chris