Category Archives: Uncategorized

Australia’s Family Visa Numbers for 2018-19

Australia’s family visa numbers for the program year to 30 June 2019 have been released today.

The Department of Home Affairs has released details of the number of visas available under the non humanitarian program for the year to 30 June 2019.

There are no changes compared with the 2017-18 program year, meaning that for the 2018–19 program year 57,400 visas are available to partners, parents, and the “other family” categories.

It should be remembered that the Australian Government has adopted a change of narrative in recent months, such that the number of visas in the budgeted program should be seen as a ceiling, not a target.

In doing so the Government can be seen to be responsive to community concerns when the actual outcome in terms of visa grant numbers is less than was budgeted originally.

The 2018-19 migration program planning numbers are available here.

New Visa Application Charges from 1st July, 2018 – Partner Visa Applications

The Department of Immigration has announced the new scale of 1st Visa Application Charges that are taking effect from the 1st of July, 2018.

Charges for partner visa applications are increasing as follows:

  • Main applicant – A$7,160 currently A$7,000
  • Secondary applicants aged 18 or more – A$3,585 currently A$3,505
  • Secondary applicants aged under 18 – A$1,795 currently A$1,755

These VACs are payable when the visa application is lodged with the Department of Home Affairs.

The Explanatory Memorandum to the Regulations which introduces the increases advises:

… the Regulations amend the Migration Regulations to increase first instalment VACs for a number of visas. On 1 July 2017, most VACs were indexed in accordance with the 2017-18 forecast consumer price index (CPI). The Regulations increase the majority of VACs so that they are increased by the 2018‐19 forecast CPI. In effect, this means that the relevant VACs are increased from their baseline 2016-17 amounts by the cumulative total of the 2017-18 and 2018-19 increases. It is intended that these indexation amendments will be made on an annual basis in future.

Increase in Partner Visa Application Charges – Affecting Those Lodging Applications Outside Australia

Following today’s Federal Budget we have been notified of an increase in the Department of Immigration’s Visa Application Charges affecting those who lodge a Partner visa application outside Australia after the end of June 2015.

At present for offshore partner visa applications the VAC payable by the main applicant is A$4,630.

For applications lodged on or after the 1st of July, 2015 the VAC increases to A$6,865, to bring the VAC into line with the VAC payable by onshore partner visa applicants.

This is clearly a significant increase in A$ and percentage terms for intending offshore partner visa applicants.

It should be remembered that while it is desirable to have all supporting documentation to hand when lodging a visa application a valid partner visa application does not require this documentation to be to hand at that time.

If you are intending to apply for a partner visa outside Australia and are comfortable you will have documentation to validate your relationship in the near future we recommend not delaying the submission of your application while the documentation becomes available if you want to save yourself over A$2,200.

Go Matilda Visas has many years of experience preparing and managing partner visa applications.

We will be pleased to have a no obligation discussion with you regarding an intended partner visa application, how we can help, and our fees.

We are pleased to offer a no interest fees by instalment plan to all who we assist with a partner visa application.

Complete the enquiry form on the right hand side of this page, and we will be delighted to have a no obligation initial discussion with you.

De Facto Couples and Registering Your Relationship: The Exemption from 12 Months Co-Habitation

If you are in a relationship with an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen you might be eligible to be sponsored for a partner visa.

Being married to your sponsor means you should be eligible to apply for a partner visa. But you do not have to be married to be eligible – you can be in what is called a “de facto relationship.”

The general rule is that the de facto relationship must have existed for at least 12 months immediately before you apply for a partner visa.

Note: Time spent dating does not count towards the length of a de facto relationship.

For migration purposes, a person is in a de facto relationship with another person if they:

> are not married to each other
> have a mutual commitment to a shared life to the exclusion of all others
> are in a genuine and continuing relationship
> live together or do not live separately and apart on a permanent basis
> are not related by family.

Importantly for those who have not been in a relationship for at least 12 months, one circumstance in which the one year relationship requirement does not apply is where the relationship is registered under a law of a State or Territory prescribed in the Acts Interpretation (Registered Relationships) Regulations 2008 as a kind of relationship prescribed in those regulations.

Relationships can presently be registered in the following:

> Queensland

> Victoria

> New South Wales

> Tasmania

> The ACT

For several of the above the only requirement is that one of the partners in the relationship needs to reside in the State or Territory.

In Vic, however, both parties must “ordinarily reside” in the State. This is interpreted by Births Deaths Marriages Victoria as follows:

To be eligible to register your relationship you must be ordinarily resident in Victoria. To establish this, we request that you provide evidence that both parties to the relationship have been living here for at least the last 12 months. However, each application is assessed on its merit.

Couples who are contemplating registering their relationship should therefore check the requirements of the State or Territory in which they are planning to register, to ensure they are eligible.

For those who are interested, here’s the technical background:

The definition of “de facto partner” in the Migration Act 1958 provides that the Migration Regulations may make provision in relation to the determination of whether one or more of the conditions going to the existence of the relationship are met.

Under Regulation 2.03A, in relation to certain types of visas, one of the factors for the determination of a de facto relationship is that the relationship must have existed for at least twelve months.

Regulation 2.03A(5) provides that the minimum relationship period does not apply if the de facto relationship is registered under a State/Territory law prescribed in the Acts Interpretation Act (Registered Relationship) Regulations as a kind of relationship as prescribed in those regulations.

The following laws and relationships are prescribed (and so meet the requirements of regulation 2.03A(5)):

(a) Relationships Act 2008 (Vic) — a registered domestic relationship as defined in section 3 of that Act;

(b) Relationships Act 2003 (Tas) — a significant relationship as defined in section 4 of that Act;

(c) Civil Partnerships Act 2008 (ACT) — a relationship as a couple between 2 adults who meet the eligibility criteria mentioned in section 6 of that Act for entry into a civil partnership;

(d) Relationships Register Act 2010 (NSW) — a registered relationship as defined in section 4 of that Act;

(e) Relationships Act 2011 (Qld)—a relationship as a couple between 2 adults who meet the eligibility criteria mentioned in section 5 of that Act for entry into a registered relationship.

The GM Family division of Go Matilda Visas has many years of experience looking after partner visa applications for applicants within Australia and overseas.

Our fees are competitive, are fixed in amount before you make any commitment to us, and can be paid in 6 x interest free monthly instalments to help you manage your cash flow.

If you are considering a partner visa application, are not married, are considering registering your relationship to overcome the 12 months living together requirement, and would like an initial discussion and a no obligation fixed fee proposal please contact the office that is nearest to you, or complete the enquiry form on this page.

We look forward to hearing from you.