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The absolute brainworms of even modestly far left people over how “this could never happen” is almost as depressing as it being this close to happening. I have friends in Australia, including a romantic interest, but I don’t know how to get them to understand that I need to get out of here like RIGHT NOW or I’m probably either going to be murdered or driven to suicide within 3 or 4 years.
Like yeah, I would love to schedule a visit when we both have a lot of time off and make sure we’re compatible and take it slow like a normal relationship, but I don’t know how to make him understand this is not a luxury that I have. I need you to let me marry you and move NOW or I need to find someone else who will.
Are you under 30? There is a “Working holiday” visa that is 1 year and you can get it extended for a second year. Its pretty cheap gives you plenty of time to fall in love. Its how I came over here. Heads up though Australian culture is decades behind on domestic violence. The number of women I’ve met who had/have physically abusive partners in really high.
Also Australia is pretty conservative on many other issues. Politics are even more “2 parties that are the same” Plenty of terfs and religious nut jobs.
There are other ways. A partner visa will be 8000 AUD without an immigration agent. There are state based visas that direct your study into skills shortage list. Either way start saving. You don’t have to get married either. I chose to sign up for a “significant relationship” to waive the 12month living together requirement. It’s what people did before gay marriage existed.
Even though you are in different countries if you are serious about emigrating to Australia, you need to start building digital evidence of a relationship existing.
I have the money, luckily. (For now!) It looks like processing time is years? I can’t tell if you can live in Aus while the visa is processing, but if not I need to get on it ASAP.
For Canada anyway, you get to stay while your TR (temporary residence permit like a study permit or a visitor record) is being processed so long as you have legal and valid entry and a prior valid TR permit.
American citizens do not need a TR to enter Canada for up to 6 months. Also, by quirk of history, Americans do not need a valid passport to enter Canada legally (you just need to prove citizenship which for most people, they do with a passport you can do it with a birth certificate). If you plan on staying for more than 6 months, you can apply for a TR but if they reject you are expected to leave right away or maybe you have to do a flagpole (where you just cross the border back for 1 day) I can’t remember. You cannot work or study legally (except ESL stuff) without a TR.
You can apply for refugee status but you might be rejected as the US is considered a safe country- some Harper era stuff, they might not care anymore. Chances are low though.
There is an offshore marriage visa where you wait to be approved then travel to Australia to get married. Other option is to arrive on a tourist visa and then get ‘married/registered’ and apply for a partner visa (don’t say this on arrival or entry will be denied). The only need to do marry/ register is to avoid the 12 month living together arrangement. I was told by an agent that the most important thing is the letter/statement form family/friends saying how great your relationship is and detailing engagements as a couple. You need at least 2 or your application is invalid and will be rejected.
There’s precedent in New Zealand, not sure about Australia.
