Post 189 approval time line

[ChrisH]

Hi guys, I can't seem to get 100% clarity on what happens after your 189 visa is approved.

 

I know there is a visa activation entry into Australia required within 1 year of your police clearance date, but what happens after that?

 

The visa gives you multiple entries into Australia for 5 years from issue, but you can only get citizenship after being in the country for 4 years.

 

Let's say you only move to Australia 2 years after the visa is granted, do you get an extension on the 189 as you still need another year before you can apply for citizenship. 

[Waylander]

Chris, the 189 lasts 5 years.  If you have physically been in Australia for 4 years, then you can apply for citizenship.  The 189 gives you leave to work in Australia and come and go as many times as you want - but if you want to be able to enter Australia once your five years are up - you will either need to be a citizen or apply for a Returning Resident Visa - which has very specific conditions (I think you have to be physically present in Aus for 3 years out of five in order to get accepted - you can research the RRV requirements to put your mind at ease - or else you must prove to them that there was an acceptable reason for you not to have been in Aus for that period of time)

 

Scenario 1 - you get your visa grant - you activate within a year and never leave Australia for 4 years.  You can apply for your citizenship before your 189 is expired.

 

 

Scenario 2 - you can get your 189 visa, activate it by entering Aus within a year of PCC/Medical (exact date is on your Visa grant letter) - then fanny about and only physically move to Aus on the last day of your 5 year Visa - which allows you entry into Aus.  But once you are here, then you are stuck for 4 years where you cannot leave the country.  Once you have citizenship after 4 years, then you get Aus Passport.  Then you can come and go as you please.

 

Obviously Scenario 2 is risky in that if there was an emergency back in SA, or your work required you to visit another country - it would be a massive issue.

 

 

Scenario 3 - you are in the middle of Scen 1 and 2 - by the time your 189 expires you have not yet spent 1,460 days in Aus to qualify for Citizenship - you either apply for RRV (and you have been in Aus for 3 years out of the 5) if you need to travel in and out of Aus, or you wait until your Citizenship comes through.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChrisH]

Thanks @Waylander, makes sense now.

 

I think what threw me was the fact that the visa gives you permanent residency, but then mentions 5 years.  The 5 years just refers to the multiple entry part of the visa and doesn't affect the residency.  As long as you're either in Australia when it expires or acquire a RRV then you'll be fine.  At least this is my understanding of it now.

 

5 hours ago, Waylander said:

then fanny about and only physically move to Aus on the last day of your 5 year Visa

 

My wife and I have been throwing around Jan 2018 for the move, purely because of our brand new baby and family commitments next year, but I have to say the closer I get to actually having this visa in my hands the sooner I want to leave.

[Waylander]

Just had a look - the requirement for RRV is 2 years out of the last 5 resident in Australia, and if successful, gives you 5 years extra travel facility.  

 

12 minutes ago, ChrisH said:

My wife and I have been throwing around Jan 2018 for the move, purely because of our brand new baby and family commitments next year, but I have to say the closer I get to actually having this visa in my hands the sooner I want to leave

 

We also considered staying for longer in ZAR (lots of stuff to tie down, wind up, etc), but when we got back from our activation trip - we fast tracked the process and moved in 6 months - Australia was just so much better than ZAR - and we couldnt wait to get started in Aus.

[ChrisH]

49 minutes ago, Waylander said:

and we couldnt wait to get started in Aus.

 

I think the same is going to happen in our case.  Activation trip will likely spark our sense of adventure!  My other concern is that it makes more financial sense the sooner we go, even if it is just a year, it will make a difference by the time I'm 60.

[MargotOrch]

Question: How long did you wait for your 189 visa to come to come through? I lodged on the 9th of March... 

Edited May 10, 2017 by MargotOrch

[ChrisH]

It varies quite drastically.  Have a look at the August 2016 timelines: http://www.saaustralia.org/topic/47300-189190s-lodged-august-2016/?page=15#comment-440606

 

[RussellJ]

@MargotOrch as @ChrisH has mentioned it can vary, factors could be : backlog, complexity of application(i.e. child out of wedlock, kids from former marriage wherein they verify with father of said children etc), or if your assigned VPO/CO requests additional information etc. If all your docs are in order etc and no additional information is required, you could get it even sooner.

It is also not unheard of for some friends on the forum to wait 6 months.(I don't say this to scare you :-))

 

Maybe join the March 2017 lodgement thread if you haven't already :-) to get an idea of where everyone is more or less for your mentioned timeline.

 

#YouWillGetThere

[MargotOrch]

stupid question (im new to this... ) but how do I joing the March 2017 lodgement thread>>

[Mara]

@MargotOrch Go to the thread and at the top right of your screen you will see a "follow" button, every time somebody posts in there you will be told.

[MargotOrch]

Thanks @Mara Mine and my children's visas came through on the 1st of June. Is it too optimistic to hope to fly out in a months time? Is it possible to pack up in that time? Has anyone else done the move in such a short time???