[SabLee1994]

Hi all, this was my first time lodging the visa 461 with my New Zealand partner. We did hire an agent but we did most of the work ourselves and asked a lot of questions whenever we can. I am from Malaysia, but we lodged it onshore in Perth on 15th May 2018. Case officer asked our agent for additional recent information on the 30th August 2018 and has to be sent within 28 days. We provided it and visa was granted on 24th Septemebr 2018.
(So 4 months and a bit)
I think the processing time was faster because we really took great care to organise every information into neat sections, label time and description whenever we can and also choose just enough important evidence for each category instead of bombarding them with everything we have.
I understand that sometimes it is hard to find concrete information unless you have a good agent because of how seemingly vague this visa 461 is.
So I started this thread to help answer any questions you might have, but please don't take what i say 100% into consideration as it is just advice through my personal experience. Ta 🙂

 

[Truthfully247]

Congratulations and I'm very happy for you two

 

[Serg]

Congrats SabLee1994!!!

I'm applying for 461 visa next week and have a few questions:

1. What additional information was requested by Case officer?
2. Did you provide evidence of health insurance when logging the application?
3. Was the insurance cover for 12 month or just ongoing renewal?
4. Did you provide 888 forms?

Thank you!

 

[SabLee1994]

Hi Serg,
Thank you!

To answer your questions:

1- Case officer asked for my health examination to be conducted ( they will generate a HAP ID for you so that you can go to Bupa to do this), additional relationship evidence that is in the recent 6 months ( photos, bills, messages etc) , evidence that I had valid health insurance during duration of my last visa until now. After I sent all that and after Bupa sent them my health exam results, visa was approved

2- I provided the evidence that I am a member of valid health Insurance (Iman) but in additional evidence request later on they asked for more solid evidence. so i sent them my monthly payment and invoice to my health insurance company.

3- the insurance was a monthly basis renewal but you must have had it since arriving in australia

4- I provided five 888 forms ( 3 from his friends and 2 from my friends) they must all be aussies PR/citizens.

 

[Canaus]

How much is your health insurance and what does it cover? I got my 461 visa but haven't moved yet. Took less than a week in Ottawa, Canada, not sure why so fast. I was a permanent resident in the 80s, so maybe that's a factor.

 

[Raskarli]

Congratulations..

 

[tomar1]

Hi SabLee and thank you very much for creating the thread!

That's very helpful, as I am preparing my application for the 461 visa and I would be very greateful for some advice, please.

Situation:
I arrived in Australia in April 2018 on a Working Holiday visa to join my Kiwi partner (he's been in Australia since 9 years on the SCV 444 visa).

We meet overseas 3 years ago and have officially been together since 13 months (we have flight tickets, correspondence and gifts to prove it). We have been living together since 7 months and we registered our de facto partnership.

Questions:

Living together: Since we registered our relationship, I understand this waives the requirement to have been living for 12 months together, correct?

We have numerous documents sent to our common address (our joint bank statements, drivers licence, utility bills in both names, car registration), but my name is not on the lease (it's quite difficult to add it).

In your experience, is this enough evidence that we're living together?

Police checks: should I provide them now of wait until the Case Officer asks for the document?

Do I provide police certificate for both myself (applicant) and my Kiwi partner?

Health Insurance: I took a one year health insurance for my WH visa (until 04/19) - is it ok to send this one? Or do I have to provide a health insurance certificate for the next year with my application? Or wait until the Case Officer asks for it?

Health exams: I understand I have to wait to organise my health exams until it's requested by my Case Officer, correct?

Language test: do I have to undergo an English exam?

I would really appreciate your help, thank you!

 

[Canaus]

Hi SabLee and thank you very much for creating the thread!

That's very helpful, as I am preparing my application for the 461 visa and I would be very greateful for some advice, please.

Situation:
I arrived in Australia in April 2018 on a Working Holiday visa to join my Kiwi partner (he's been in Australia since 9 years on the SCV 444 visa).

We meet overseas 3 years ago and have officially been together since 13 months (we have flight tickets, correspondence and gifts to prove it). We have been living together since 7 months and we registered our de facto partnership.

Questions:

Living together: Since we registered our relationship, I understand this waives the requirement to have been living for 12 months together, correct?

We have numerous documents sent to our common address (our joint bank statements, drivers licence, utility bills in both names, car registration), but my name is not on the lease (it's quite difficult to add it).

In your experience, is this enough evidence that we're living together?

Police checks: should I provide them now of wait until the Case Officer asks for the document?

Do I provide police certificate for both myself (applicant) and my Kiwi partner?

Health Insurance: I took a one year health insurance for my WH visa (until 04/19) - is it ok to send this one? Or do I have to provide a health insurance certificate for the next year with my application? Or wait until the Case Officer asks for it?

Health exams: I understand I have to wait to organise my health exams until it's requested by my Case Officer, correct?

Language test: do I have to undergo an English exam?

I would really appreciate your help, thank you!

Can't answer all those questions, especially without knowing your origin country, but I provided just one police check (for myself) with the rest of the application and they were fine with that. Led to a quick approval with no follow ups.

Language test presumably depends on where you're from. I'm Canadian born so it was waived.

I don't need to provide proof of health insurance until I arrive.

Yeah wait on the health exams. This was waived for me too.

 

[KC24]

Hi I was wondering if someone can help us. I'm applying for the 461 visa offshore and I see that Form 147 asks (at the very beginning!) our intended date of arrival in Australia (and that if I'm already in Australia, mark this as N/A).

Now, our intended date in Australia very much depends on when this visa is granted, so I can't see how we can answer this. However, I'm nervous about putting this as "N/A" in case it causes any confusion on whether this is an offshore application. Equally, I don't want to leave it blank and then my application immediately goes to the bottom of the pile (if that's even how it works).

Everything else is ready to go this is the last question I've left blank and I'm not sure how to answer! Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[LPJelly]

Hi I was wondering if someone can help us. I'm applying for the 461 visa offshore and I see that Form 147 asks (at the very beginning!) our intended date of arrival in Australia (and that if I'm already in Australia, mark this as N/A).....

Hi KC24,

My hubby and I were wondering about the same thing before we applied. The immigration advisor we used, told us to leave it blank so that's what we did.

Yesterday (92 days after lodging) I got a request to send proof of health insurance. I don't think, in the grand scheme of things, that it made any difference that we left it blank!

 

[KC24]

Hi KC24,

My hubby and I were wondering about the same thing before we applied. The immigration advisor we used, told us to leave it blank so that's what we did.

Yesterday (92 days after lodging) I got a request to send proof of health insurance. I don't think, in the grand scheme of things, that it made any difference that we left it blank!

Hi LPJelly

We put a random date in which was stupid, because our Form 80 doesn't have a date inserted - only just realised this today! We sent ours in last week, got an acknowledgement of application yesterday so now of course furiously refreshing emails despite knowing full well it's going to be months (potentially YEARS) yet!

Where did you lodge your application from if you don't mind me asking? I thought you only had to ensure you had health insurance on arrival?

Hope it goes well for you, keep us posted!

 

[LPJelly]

...Where did you lodge your application from if you don't mind me asking? I thought you only had to ensure you had health insurance on arrival?...

We lodged our application in Berlin, Germany.
I'm not sure on the health insurance subject, I got so excited I just went ahead with it!

As for the random date you put it, I don't think it'll be much of a problem, you'll be just fine 🙂

 

[Clint Deang]

Hi Just wondering if you can help. I’m on shore International student and I met my partner 4 months ago and got our relationship registered this week to apply for this visa 461. Now, I’m planning to lodge an application on October coz my visa is expiring on December (basically 4 months of Civil partnership) but aside from this, we created a joint bank account, put our names on a single bills, I’m living with him and my name on the lease. Would this be enough to support our relationship for this application? Thanks

 

[LPJelly]

Hi Just wondering if you can help. I'm on shore International student and I met my partner 4 months ago and got our relationship registered this week to apply for this visa 461. Now, I'm planning to lodge an application on October coz my visa is expiring on December (basically 4 months of Civil partnership) but aside from this, we created a joint bank account, put our names on a single bills, I'm living with him and my name on the lease. Would this be enough to support our relationship for this application? Thanks

Hey Clint,

I wont be much of a help but I think you better discuss your case / ask a migration agent. Me and my husband have been together for over 4 years now and even then my agent told me the proof was going to be difficult (we've been travelling the entire time so no "hard copy proof"). I'm not too sure if you'll get there with only 4 months...

Cheers

 

[Riley]

Don't waste your money, Clint.

 

[laurenk]

I submitted our application with minimal proof and we hadn't been together for a year yet. Because the wait time is SO LONG, by the time they actually look at your application, you will have gathered so much more evidence and been together for several years. That's basing it on the gov actually asking for more evidence, not just declining because of the lack of evidence anyway.
That's what i'm hoping for mine.

 

[JandE]

I submitted our application with minimal proof and we hadn't been together for a year yet. Because the wait time is SO LONG, by the time they actually look at your application, you will have gathered so much more evidence and been together for several years. That's basing it on the gov actually asking for more evidence, not just declining because of the lack of evidence anyway.
That's what i'm hoping for mine.

The relationship period appears to be 'at time of application.'

Subclass 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa
Provide either: your current marriage certificate and documents to demonstrate you are in a genuine and ongoing relationship, or. enough documents to prove you have been in a de facto relationship with your partner for at least 12 months before you apply.

 

[laurenk]

The relationship period appears to be 'at time of application.'

Subclass 461 New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa
Provide either: your current marriage certificate and documents to demonstrate you are in a genuine and ongoing relationship, or. enough documents to prove you have been in a de facto relationship with your partner for at least 12 months before you apply.

For the 461 visa it's six months. At least it was when i applied??

 

[Raskarli]

We Lodged our 461 on the 10th of June 2019,I am from a high risk country..Ghana.My wife holds a NZ passport and has been in AU for 9 years. We hired a Migration agent to help us with our application but I’m am still confused if what he put in is a decision ready application because I was expecting him to request for our call and chat logs,Joint bank statements but so far he hasn’t requested for all these yet after lodging this application. From my point of view I think the marriage certificate alone isn’t enough proof of a genuine and ongoing relationship.
These are documents He requested before he lodged the Application
* Police report from me
* certified copies of passport and birth certificate Myself and my wife
* certified copy of Marriage certificate
*filled and signed form 80
* Filled and signed form 147

Would appreciate your suggestions and views on what needs to be added to make this application complete and a decision ready one.

 

[KC24]

Visa granted today! Application lodged on 13 March 2019 at London, granted 20 August 2019. Not a typo, I’m quite shocked given the wait on here! Hope this helps, seems someone in London is on time and a half! Good luck everyone!