Australian Embassy
Russian Federation
Embassy address: 10A/2 Podkolokolny Pereulok, 109028 Moscow - Telephone: 956 6070 - Fax: 956 6170

PARTNER MIGRATION

People who intend to migrate to Australia as a partner of an Australian citizen or permanent resident (or an eligible New Zealand citizen) may apply for one of the following visas at the Australian Embassy Moscow:

Detailed information about Partner and Prospective Marriage visas is available from the website of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)

Document Checklist 

See the Partner Visa Document Checklist for a summary of documents you should provide when applying for a Partner or Prospective Marriage visa in Moscow.

How to apply

To lodge your application, we would prefer that you send your application to us by mail or courier. If you wish to lodge your application in person at the Embassy, you will need to make an appointment well in advance. 

If you lodge your application by mail or courier, we will send you acknowledgement of receipt of your application on the same day we receive and register your application. You should ensure you provide all the required documents, and ensure the payment details section of the form has been completed correctly, or that evidence of the payment of the Visa Application Charge (if it has been paid in Australia) is included.
 

If you apply in person with a lodgement appointment, an officer will meet you and look through your documents with you. If a face to face interview is required, it will not be conducted until later in the application process. Please bring all required documents and the correct fee to your appointment.

If you are planning to lodge your application in person, please phone or email us between 9.00 and 12.30, Monday to Friday, 2-4 weeks prior to the anticipated date of lodgement to make a lodgement appointment.  

See: Contact Us

Health Requirements

All applicants for permanent entry to Australia must meet health requirements before the grant of a visa.      

See: Medical Requirements

Assurance of Support

If your partner is not in full time employment or has received any form of social security benefit during the last two years, we may request an Assurance of Support. This is assessed by Centrelink in Australia.

Processing Times

The service standard processing time set by the Australian Government for Partner Visa applications in Moscow is 12 months. In the vast majority of cases, we are able to finalise applications within approximately 7 months. However, some complex applications may take longer to process. Please apply as early as possible before the time you wish to move to Australia.

Notifications of Decisions

All advice of visa decisions is sent to applicants and/or their agents by the method of correspondence indicated in the application form. If you have nominated your partner’s address as the address for correspondence, we will send the advice of the decision to that address.

Advice of visa approval is accompanied by general information about the migration process to Australia.

If your visa application is refused, you will be notified of this by letter along with a decision record providing the reasons for the refusal and information about your review rights. It is not possible for us to pass decision records to your partner without the written permission of the applicant. In the first instance, your partner should ask you for a copy of the decision record.
 

Visiting Australia Whilst Your Migration Application Is Processed

Some applicants for Partner visas also apply for Tourist visas to visit Australia whilst their migration application is being processed.

Australia’s visitor program is designed to promote tourism and to encourage the entry of genuine visitors, including family visitors, who intend to abide by the conditions of their Visitor visas. A requirement for the grant of a Tourist visa is that ‘the applicant satisfies the Minister that the expressed intention of the applicant only to visit Australia is genuine’.

Generally, people with an existing migration application are unable to satisfy the decision maker that they are planning a genuine visit to Australia and not using a Tourist visa as a means of entering Australia to remain permanently. However, in some cases, applicants are able to establish that a grant of a Tourist visa is appropriate. 

See: Tourist Visas 

July 2011

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