RPM Immigration Lawyers

What’s changed with the new Form 888

The Immigration Department has released a new version of the Form 888 – from December 2024.

The changes to the Form 888 in the new version are relatively minor.

They are:

• The person completing the Form 888 must now list their phone number

• The person completing the Form 888 must now list their email address

In previous versions of the Form 888, the person completing the form only needed to list their residential address.

What has not changed on the new Form 888

Fortunately, the new version of the Form 888 does not require the signature of the person completing the Form 888 to be witnessed – this keeps it easier for people to complete the form.

The new version of the Form 888 is available via the link here.

It should be used now.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to book a consultation for more information about anything mentioned here.

Regards.

Ross McDougall.

Immigration Lawyer & Solicitor.

www.rpmlawyers.com.au

contactus@rpmlawyers.com.au

This information is correct on December 10th, 2024.  But keep in mind that immigration law changes from time to time.

 
As it does most years, the government has increased from July 1st, 2024, its visa application charges for partner and prospective marriage visa applications.

The increase in visa application charges for partner visa and prospective marriage visa applications is reasonably modest this year – thankfully, as the charges are already very high!

The new visa application charges that apply from July 1st, 2024, are

Partner Visa (lodged onshore or offshore) $9,095

+ Any Dependent Child aged under 18 $2,280

+ Any Dependent Child aged 18 or over $4,550

Prospective Marriage Visa $9,095

+ Any Dependent Child aged under 18 $2,280

+ Any Dependent Child aged 18 or over $4,550

Partner Visa (onshore) for a Prospective Marriage Visa holder $1,515

Dependent Child aged under 18 $380

Dependent Child aged 18 or over $760

A Credit card payment fee of 1.4% needs to be added to the above charges if paying by Credit Card – which I recommend as it avoids delay in lodging the application and valid receipt of the lodged application ids immediately confirmed.

These new visa application charges only apply to visa applications lodged after July 1st, 2024.  Applications lodged before then won’t be affected.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to book a consultation for more information about anything mentioned here.

Regards.

Ross McDougall.

Immigration Lawyer & Solicitor.

www.rpmlawyers.com.au

contactus@rpmlawyers.com.au

This information is correct on July 11th, 2024.  But keep in mind that immigration law changes from time to time.

Until now, the Form 888 has been a Statutory Declaration.  This means that the person signing the Form 888 needed to have their signature witnessed by an ‘authorised’ person.

That’s relatively straighforward, although somewhat inconvenient, for people in Australia.

For people outside Australia, it was often difficult and could be expensive.

The new Form 888

The new Form 888 is merely a written statement, and is not a Statutory Declaration.

That means that the person signing it does not need to have their signature witnessed.

The requirement that everything written in the Fom 888 must be true and correct remains.

Changes to the Form 888

This new form 888 will be much easier for your friends and relatives to use, as:

• Anybody in any country that is 18 years of age or older, and that knows you both (applicant and sponsor), can complete the new version of the form 888.

• The new form 888 is no longer a Statutory Declaration – so it does not need to be signed in front of an authorised witness. Only the person completing the form 888 needs to sign it.

• The person’s identity document that they provide with the form 888 no longer needs to be a ‘Certified True Copy’.

• The person no longer needs to list their occupation or contact telephone number.

All up, it’s a welcome common-sense change to the Form 888.

The new version of the Form 888 can be downloaded here: chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/form-listing/forms/888.pdf