Canadian moving to Australia on spousal Visa

It's so great to read about others going through similar situations as myself.

I'm Canadian, but met my partner in 2002 while we were both working in the US. Since then, we've returned most summers to work seasonal jobs in the US and now want to settle down in Australia. I visited Oz in 2005 for four months, just to see how I'd like it, then returned in 2006 to complete an internship for my degree. Has anyone else who's applied for a spousal visa applied as a defacto spouse? I'm worried that we should maybe just apply for the prospective marriage visa, however I feel as though the length of our relationship, and the fact that we've lived together numerous times, in Oz, the US and Canada, could warrant us alright for the defacto spouse. Any thoughts from anyone else who's been through this process?

Also, I'm wondering how long the process takes from when you apply for a spousal visa to when you're actually approved and allowed to travel to Australia? Is it unreasonable to expect this to happen by July?

Whether or not you qualify as a defacto spouse will depend on whether or not you've spent the last 12 months living together essentially as a married couple. You may have lived together previously, but the requirement of 12 months if for the time immediately proceeding the application (short, temporary separations are, however, permitted). If you still think you qualify for this, then I think it's possibly it could happen by July, yes. Just make sure all the evidence for your relationship you submit is solid and complete, and you've crossed all your t's and dotted all your i's so to speak, on your application. Then again, if an interview is required or there are any potential challenges to the application, it could take longer than that.

My husband I are in the process of getting everything together to move to Australia from Alberta.

He was born there, so our kids are citizens too, so its just me that has to get the visa. We are just starting to apply now, but I have high hopes that I'll get permanent residency right away as we have been married for over five years and have kiddos.

I'm really excited about the prospect of moving. I think we have decided on Brisbane as our destination, although the misters family live near Perth (which we don't have any urge to live in).

I just don't know how we are going to get all our important stuff over there, and how I'm going to purge all the stuff we shouldn't bring with us!

well I moved here in 2005, have been back several times since I get extremely homesick often, trying to convince the wife once her children fly the nest maybe 4 or 5 years from now to move back to Canada with me, I'm really over the hot summers here (south australia) so many things I miss from home aside from the obvious family and friends... I actually miss snow and cold weather, having a bbq on a 40 degree xmas day is just wrong.