[Bsetiadji]

Hi, i need urgent help. I am stressing out
02/09/2018 my partner and i filled out a offshore spouse visa (309). Once we submitted we looked at a few videos and noticed we should of filled out the Prospective Marriage Visa (300) as we will be getting married.

I have already paid and i spoke to my bank a few hours later to get the money back.
I spoke to the Dept of Home Affairs today to tell them what had happened. They told me to fill out a Refund form and Withdrawal Form which i have done.
I posted the Refund form to the nearest office with a cover letter explaining things and scanned the Withdrawal form and attached it in our online account.
Is there anything else i can do to get the money back so we can submit the correct subclass 300.
many thanks in advance.

 

[wrussell]

Do not act on advice from DoHA Hotlines before checking with a registered migration agent.

 

[Bsetiadji]

I have already done everything geez. Any suggestions on who i should call to give advise

 

[Bsetiadji]

I have a spent a big chunk of my savings and am really lost if i will get the money back

 

[Skybluebrewer]

You should contact a registered migration agent. People who are engaged to marry aren't required to apply for the 300. If you meet the requirements for the 309/100, then it wouldn't matter which route you took really.

Why not start with contacting a professional first? Especially if you're worried about so much money being lost, I would certainly start there.

 

[arod59]

I might be mistaken but you could be engaged and still apply for a 309. I was in a de facto when I submitted my application and 3 months later my partner and I got engaged so now we are technically de facto engaged

 

[Bsetiadji]

But doesn't de facto mean we have lived together? We have never lived together.

 

[arod59]

309 is minimum 12 months of being de facto. De facto does not mean living together. It means being in a committed relationship for at least 12 months.

 

[Skybluebrewer]

309 is minimum 12 months of being de facto. De facto does not mean living together. It means being in a committed relationship for at least 12 months.

But they do expect you to have been living together at some point, as I understand it. ("Provided the separation is temporary and the couple had, at some point since commencement of the relationship lived together, their relationship might still satisfy the requirements of a de facto relationship.")

I don't think we'll be much help to your present situation though. $7,000 is a lot of money to throw away so again, I'd be contacting an RMA to see what can be done.

 

[Bsetiadji]

I have been told i still have a high rate of success with the 309 if we can show we have been together for over 12months.
But if i choose to ask for a refund it is totally up to the case officer.
I am planning to meet with them to go through more details.
Don't know what to do...