Quote:
Originally Posted by Condo
Thanks SirDougless,
I just read one of the requirements is
"Evidence that the relationship has existed for a minimum of 12 months before the lodgement date of the application, if applying as de facto spouse" or a INTERDEPENDENCY VISA
We have only known each other for 5 1/2 months so I guess this is no good for us.
How ever Prospective Marrige requirements are as follows
• You must travel to Australia before you marry.
• You must marry your sponsor within 9 months of
being granted the visa.
• You must meet relationship, age, health and
character requirements.
Regards
Condo
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Hmnnn...well to quote SirDougless of this "Not that simple unfortunately".
We probably would have still gone that the Fiancée visa route but it would have been nice to know it was like going Brisbane to Sydney via Darwin beforehand. And even once all the paperwork is done is takes several months to get the Visa itself.
Not trying to rain on your parade - just trying to make you better informed than I was. I asked lots of people and did lots of research and still didn't see all the holes in the Fiancée visa route till we fell in them (no Medicare cover whilst on the Fiancée visa was a big one).
The health and character requirements - the police clearance, the medical(s) will see her traveling down to and having to run around Bangkok for a couple of days (at your expense) obtaining various documents - and speaking of expense check
Partner Visa Charges as the Fiancée Visa route adds at least $A670 in fees - and another rainforests worth of paperwork.
(Big tip: keep a copy of everything you submit - the Spouse Visa and Perm Res paperwork - 2 years apart - are about 80% the same stuff all over again).
Even little things like the NOIM (Notice of Intention to Marry) can turn into a headache if the Marriage Celebrants - like the first two I approached - are poorly informed (one insisted we must have a letter from the Thai embassy stating the wife-to-be was not previously married). In the end we got married at the local Registry Office (another few hundred bucks of course).
Option B: you could get her out here on another Tourist visa -after she has been home a few months - and then if all is still good - marry her and apply for a spouse visa (she will have to return to Thailand though).
You have made a few comments in relations to your finances so you need to consider $$$ and "bang for your buck" - I'll mention another aspect you will need to consider if you progress to marriage - not just support for the family - currently you indicate that will be about 18,000 baht a month for now - she is a pretty young girl - the thorny issue of
"sin sot" will also need to be sorted.
