Docs for Visa's - Any unexpected quirks?

[TamLovesRic]

Hi Everyone! 

 

This is my first post on this site - I'm Tam. My husband and I have just TODAY received our invite to apply for our 189 visa. We are absolutely thrilled at the news. 

We don't have an agent and are doing it all ourselves. We obviously want to have the visa processed as soon as possible... 

We think we have everything nailed down, but I was wondering if anyone could share their experience in applying for the visa with regards to the required documentation. Was there anything unexpected that your case officer came back with? We have only just applied for our unabridged marriage certificate and my husbands unabridged birth certificate...holding thumbs this comes quickly!

 

Thanks for the help.

[ChrisH]

Welcome again!

 

So the unabridged marriage certificate is not always required, we submitted the handwritten one given to us on our wedding day and it was fine.

 

The biggest document hickup that I've seen comes in with the police certificate.  If your names have changed at any point then you need your police clearance to reflect that.  This applies especially to women who are married or got divorced and married again.

 

 

[FromDurbs]

I was wondering about the police certificate.  I think they ask for all countries you have lived in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years.  If your name has not changed in the last 10 years does it matter then?  (For the old ones here, married for a VERY long time.)

[TeeTMI]

1 hour ago, FromDurbs said:

I was wondering about the police certificate.  I think they ask for all countries you have lived in for more than 12 months in the last 10 years.  If your name has not changed in the last 10 years does it matter then?  (For the old ones here, married for a VERY long time.)

 

You should ask for all names you have ever been known under or used to be shown on the Police Clearance certificate.

[TamLovesRic]

Thanks guys - will make sure I do that! 

 

I'm a bit confused about getting documents certified? Do I need to make copies of everything...have them certified and scan those in?

and does this apply to EVERYTHING? even tax returns and payslips?

[Ta2Bryan]

Welcome @TamLovesRic!

 

Of all the documents the Unabridged marriage certificate takes longest, I have no idea why? We submitted our handwritten one with the visa app and then updated later when the unabridged finally arrived(nearly 6 months wait).

Under what skill are you applying, this may help with advise on what you may need.

 

Best advise I read on the forum is to enjoy the time you have left with the special people in your life. The sad reality is that you will never see 90% of them again (Unless you come visit). Accept all invites to spend time with those special people. Decline all invites with people you don't care about (harsh, but your time left is precious). Go on road trips, picnic at the botanical gardens. etc.

 

We are also on the East Ront, so shout if you want to grab a coffee and discuss the process.

 

All the best with the journey, it is tough, but should be worth it.

[TamLovesRic]

Thanks for the input @Ta2Bryan...You are so right...at the moment we have been so busy trying to get this thing done and haven't thought much about spending time with people. I 100% agree with you that unless we come back to visit we wont see anyone...not that you can really blame them, it's expensive for them too!!!

We have applied under 189 - metal machinist first class.

 

All the best to you too!! 

 

[RedPanda]

With the documents and certifying them. It's an odd bunch, read what they ask. Sometimes they want a certified copy, sometimes they want a 'good quality colour scan of the original'. But it usually says what they want. I hope you get all your docs from DHA in time. Some people are lucky and breeze through, others have to re-register from scratch and it's a big mess. I hope you're in the first group  But whatever the case, if you keep your application receipt you can show that to your case officer if the document is still outstanding when they want to see it.

Good luck!

[Rossen]

On 2/22/2018 at 9:40 AM, Ta2Bryan said:

Welcome @TamLovesRic!

 

Of all the documents the Unabridged marriage certificate takes longest, I have no idea why? We submitted our handwritten one with the visa app and then updated later when the unabridged finally arrived(nearly 6 months wait).

Under what skill are you applying, this may help with advise on what you may need.

 

Best advise I read on the forum is to enjoy the time you have left with the special people in your life. The sad reality is that you will never see 90% of them again (Unless you come visit). Accept all invites to spend time with those special people. Decline all invites with people you don't care about (harsh, but your time left is precious). Go on road trips, picnic at the botanical gardens. etc.

 

We are also on the East Ront, so shout if you want to grab a coffee and discuss the process.

 

All the best with the journey, it is tough, but should be worth it.

 

As far as I know you don't need an unabridged marriage certificate. We submitted a normal marriage certificate and the agency we're using says that's fine. 

We applied for an unabridged marriage certificate 2 years ago and still haven't received it. Gave up following up with home affairs a year ago.

[ChrisH]

9 hours ago, Rossen said:

As far as I know you don't need an unabridged marriage certificate. We submitted a normal marriage certificate and the agency we're using says that's fine. 

 

We also submitted the one they gave us on our wedding day, never requested an unabridged.

[Sunet]

We also just submitted our normal handwritten marriage certificate and all was fine. 

[TamLovesRic]

So...it happened. Got the SMS from the clearance centre to go collect..did so last night, pulled my certificate out of the envelope to find only my maiden name on it. Even though I submitted my application with my marriage certificate AND a note asking them to put both names AND speaking to the officer that took my application in who wrote on the top of it "MAIDEN AND MARRIAGE NAME".

 

I asked them to reprint it for me..."nope, the system is offline, come back tomorrow"...Oh South Africa....

 

So here I go again, another 45 minute drive both ways to get this sorted.....

[Rossen]

59 minutes ago, TamLovesRic said:

So...it happened. Got the SMS from the clearance centre to go collect..did so last night, pulled my certificate out of the envelope to find only my maiden name on it. Even though I submitted my application with my marriage certificate AND a note asking them to put both names AND speaking to the officer that took my application in who wrote on the top of it "MAIDEN AND MARRIAGE NAME".

 

I asked them to reprint it for me..."nope, the system is offline, come back tomorrow"...Oh South Africa....

 

So here I go again, another 45 minute drive both ways to get this sorted.....

 

Seems like they really like to get more people to come back to their offices in PTA. I had to make the drive twice after getting our PCCs through the local police office. The first time for an extension as we got the PCCs in Noveber last year and the second to get my wife's maiden name on her PCC. Also I'm sure that your PCC says Ms instead of Mrs even though you are married? Apparently they don't use Mrs...

[TamLovesRic]

Just got back. I can happily say the warrant officer that helped my submit my application was there,recognized me.. remembered me and helped me out. He was also quite shocked they hadn't done it correctly...He reprinted it for me and I was on my way. Yay!

4 hours ago, Rossen said:

Also I'm sure that your PCC says Ms instead of Mrs even though you are married? Apparently they don't use Mrs...

The officer that helped explained to me that it is discrimination against woman to use MRS...because some woman are old and not married and are looked down upon in society. I did not know this. LOL...as I said in my previous post....Oh South Africa....

 

[TamLovesRic]

Hello all - me again. Feeling a bit weary...

 

On the "attach documents" section of our application - we still have two fields open, although we feel we have attached everything required. Our case is simple, it's just me and hubby, only ever lived and worked in SA...no diseases or adoptions or criminal records....

 

But - its asking for:

 

1)"health - evidence of". We have already done our medicals and have been cleared. Is there some special form I need to fill in? The drop down arrow isn't very helpful - ranging from chest x-ray report to health declaration. Surely this has all already been done?

 

2) "custody - evidence of". This one ranges from police letter, to divorce certificate, to change of name certificate, to adoption certificate....the only one of which remotely applies to me is the change of name certificate - which I think our marriage certificate covers? Right? 

 

We really just want a direct grant....hoping that someone can give some insight if we've missed anything?

 

Thank you

 

 

[TamTam]

To me it sounds like you're fine. But see if any of the other forumites weigh in.

[Fidjet]

On 3/19/2018 at 8:08 PM, TamLovesRic said:

health - evidence of". We have already done our medicals and have been cleared. Is there some special form I need to fill in? The drop down arrow isn't very helpful - ranging from chest x-ray report to health declaration. Surely this has all already been done?

 

2) "custody - evidence of". This one ranges from police letter, to divorce certificate, to change of name certificate, to adoption certificate....the only one of which remotely applies to me is the change of name certificate - which I think our marriage certificate covers? Right? 

If I remember correctly we also had those to "blank" since it wasn't applicable we didn't need anything for that. We went to medicals and it reflects differently to all the "recommended documentation" stuff. We got our VISA no problem, just took a long time but that was because of when we lodged, everyone took a long time last year.  

[Hoping4Oz]

Not sure where you are with the process, but I recommend filling out a form 80. It's tedious as hell but case officers sometimes ask for them and it's annoying to have to populate one. Rather bite the bullet and do it in the first instance. It does no harm and can speed things up for you. 

[speechless]

Hi there

 

I lodged my 189 application in April, I am not using an agent and have not received CO contact yet.

Regarding the docs required for proof of work history, I only added a reference letter from each company. I don't have proof of payslips (companies never gave), no SARS returns (I've been living in the UAE and don't pay tax). I could possibly provide bank statements, but my salary payment doesn't specify where it came from, it just says 'salary'. 

Do you think it would be ok that I've only submitted letters of employment as proof of work? 

Also, my skills assessment verified all my previous work experience before giving me a positive result

[EdB]

So my de facto partner has been married and divorced twice, and has been on her maiden surname for years now. Do we need to request that all 3 names be shown on the police clearance?

[ChrisH]

13 hours ago, EdB said:

So my de facto partner has been married and divorced twice, and has been on her maiden surname for years now. Do we need to request that all 3 names be shown on the police clearance?

Yes, any name she's ever been known as.

[EdB]

6 hours ago, ChrisH said:

Yes, any name she's ever been known as.

Thanks!

[EdB]

On 7/11/2018 at 11:32 PM, ChrisH said:

Yes, any name she's ever been known as.

Just another thought. Any chance that her being divorced twice and is now only de facto partner would affect their approval of our de facto relationship?