MTA 027 - Prospective Marriage Visa (subclass 300) Checklist

In this episode David takes us through his Checklist that he uses for his clients applying for the Prospective Marriage Visa (subclass 300), for the OFFSHORE Applicant to deal with the interview that occurs with the Immigration Department.

Over 14 years, David has collated information about the question s asked and the issues raised in these interviews.  David and Grant have explored all these issues, and share the must do tips and the traps to avoid.

In this episode we are focusing on the situation where the Sponsor for this Visa is an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident, or an eligible New Zealand Permanent Resident.  The Applicant is the Non-Australian who is located OFFSHORE.

For this visa the Applicant will be interviewed, usually by phone call, by a staff member from an Australian Embassy or High Commission.  It is usually done over the phone, but in rare cases it may occur face-to-face.  David gives an example of how far embassy staff may travel to undertake these interviews.

This episode is full of helpful tips, and some warnings about how to handle an interview.  Following are some important items that are very important to bear in mind while preparing for an interview;

The Department have your information, and all manner of information about you and your family from other government departments, and other countries.

Be totally consistent with your answers. Do not invent an answer if you cannot recall details.  It's better to say you don't recall exactly, but provide context to the answer.

Be sure to have developed a Relationship Timeline - you will be expected to know many key dates about your relationship, and important dates and anniversaries within families.

You will be expected to know details about your partner and family in minute details - you are expected to know your partner inside-out.

You must be familiar with details of previous partners, children, employment history, academic history, living arrangements etc.

How you keep in contact will be examined in detail. Keep records of social media chats, email, records of any financial transactions. You will be expected to have evidence to support any claims you make.

Your travel with your partner (and without) your partner will be examined. Be sure to have the exact dates and itinerary to hand.

If you have travelled with friends or family of your partner, this is fantastic 3rd-party validation and recognition of your relationship. Pictures showing friends and family of your partner is fabulous evidence.

The interview should be conducted in your native language.  You have the right to insist on this.  If you do not feel that the person conducting the interview understands your answers properly, you can (and should) insist on an interpreter or translator being involved. You are entitled to this. Do Not take part in an interview being conducted in a language that is not your first language, or that you are not a MASTER of! In an interview like this, the subtleties of language are very important.

You will be asked how you communicated with your partner, by what means and in what language.  You will also be asked how you communicate with the parents and family of your partner.  How familiar are they with your relationship? Is it recognised by the family? By friends? By workmates? Is it accepted and approved of?  Be prepared by all manner of questions about this.

What do you do if your visa application is not approved?  You can lodge an Application for Review with an independent body, the Migration Review Tribunal. Your partner, the Sponsor, has to lodge this review application, and strict timelines apply. Do not delay in submitting the application for review.

There are so many great tips provided by David in this episode, so it really is essential listening if you are applying for the Prospective Partner visa. Also be sure to listen to our earlier episode about the Spouse or Partner Visa.

If you need assistance with a visa, make an appointment with David to discuss your situation.