Moving to Australia to have baby - Australian partner

[Brytnks]

My husband (Australian) and I (American) are currently living in Thailand. 

I am pregnant with our first child, and we are wanting to move to Australia to have the baby (due in May). 

We are not currently "legally" married, because we haven't felt the need to get the government involved in our life yet, but are planning on making it legal once in Australia. 

We have been "married" and living together for 4 years. Both very committed, best friends and not a worry in my mind about splitting. 

My question is, what visa is our best option? 

The partner visa is expensive, and we aren't even sure if we will stay in Australia longer than a year. So it doesn't really seem worth the investment at the moment. 

It would be nice to be able to work, but it isn't necessary as my husband is breadwinner and I haven't been working anyway. 

I pretty much just need something that will allow me to stay for a year and have the baby, after which we can figure out if we will stay long term to get the partner visa. 

 

I was considering the working holiday visa, but then read if you have a child it is no longer valid. 

 

Maybe just a year visitors visa? 

 

Thanks for any advice !

[Marisawright]

In Australia, you are effectively considered married.   We call it a 'de facto' partnership.  Under Australian law you both have exactly the same rights and obligations as if you had a marriage certificate.  Even the divorce courts see it the same way, though let's hope you never need to find that out!

That means a partner visa is just as valid for you as for a married couple.  You do need to provide exhaustive evidence of the length of your relationship and proof of shared finances, shared lives etc -- so even if you're not ready to apply yet, you'd be wise to start accumulating evidence now, so you're ready if you do decide to apply.

You could certainly visit on a tourist visa.  The issue would be medical care.  

Australia has a comprehensive healthcare system, Medicare.  However it's only available to Australians, and to tourists from a few countries which have a special agreement with Australia.   Thailand and the US are not on that list.  So you will have to pay the full cost of your medical care.  That means $200-$300 for every visit to your obstetrician, $500 for antenatal classes, $200-300 for each ultrasound, etc.  And actually giving birth in a private hospital, averages around $8,000.  I'm sure I've missed a few expenses!

As you're already pregnant, that will count as a pre-existing condition, so you won't be able to get any kind of health insurance to cover that cost. 

 

[Drumbeat]

So you think you can come to Australia to take advantage of the health care despite not being tax payers, and are too tight to pay for a partner visa? And you expect people to advice you how to do this?

How about going back to America and having the baby there? I'm guessing it's because you'd have to pay for health care.

 

[Quoll]

I agree with Drumbeat. If you’re not happy having a baby in Thailand, your best bet is going to be to head home where you have family support and have the baby there. You absolutely do not want to be in Australia on a tourist or bridging visa and having a baby. The medical costs will make the spouse visa (which is your best option) look like a drop in the bucket. There is also the fiancé visa but you have to get married within 12 months in order to stay and then you incur the cost of the spouse visa. 
Visas take time to be issued and you’re cutting it very fine anyway.

Edited 9 hours ago by Quoll

[mcdonagh migrations]

Congrats on the impending new arrival!  Life changing in all the best and scariest ways (and trust me, children will make migration fees seem very cheap....)

I won't comment on the costs of having a child here, healthcare, insurance etc - not my area of expertise.  A Tourist visa (not an ETA) would theoretically work for you as a means to get into Australia for a year.  I'm not convinced I would recommend it as a long term strategy, you'll be obligated to leave the country with an infant when the visa expires.  If you were my client I'd probably be thinking along the lines of a visitor visa to come onshore and then a Partner visa.  Yes it is expensive but you would easily qualify, from what you have said, and you then have the security of staying here for as long as you need to.  You do have a risk of refusal of a visitor visa though, they may look at your condition and assume that you are not a Genuine Temporary Entrant - to get the visitor visa you need to show grounds that you will return to another country.  

The usual advice also applies, a consult with one of the Migration Agents who post on here will cost a few hundred dollars but give you clarity on your best course of action.

[Raul Senise]

You would be best to consult with a Registered Migration Agent to build a visa strategy which takes into account all of the issues, including the medical costs of having a child in Australia.

[Blue Manna]

3 hours ago, Quoll said:

I agree with Drumbeat. If you’re not happy having a baby in Thailand, your best bet is going to be to head home where you have family support and have the baby there. You absolutely do not want to be in Australia on a tourist or bridging visa and having a baby. The medical costs will make the spouse visa (which is your best option) look like a drop in the bucket. There is also the fiancé visa but you have to get married within 12 months in order to stay and then you incur the cost of the spouse visa. 
Visas take time to be issued and you’re cutting it very fine anyway.

Don't they require x-rays for some of those visas?

[Jon the Hat]

As the partner of an Australian citizen she has every right to come to Australia to have her Australian baby.  No doubt her partner would be working here, so no need for the rudeness of a couple of the above posts imo.