If your pregnant girlfriend is living overseas, then you should to bring her to Australia now. Having a baby in Australia has many advantages.
In this article I discuss:
- how to bring your pregnant girlfriend to Australia;
- getting Medicare to pay for the birth; and
- how to get your child automatic Australian citizenship; and
- one essential consideration that makes the process a breeze.
Bring your Pregnant Girlfriend to Australia
Your pregnant girlfriend will be much safer and happier giving birth in Australia. The Australian health system is one of the best in the world.
Best of all, once she is on Medicare, it is almost all paid for. I will discuss the easy way to get your pregnant girlfriend onto Medicare below.
Australian Visitor Visa for your Pregnant Girlfriend
Your pregnant girlfriend can come to Australia with a visitor visa. Once in Australia, she can apply for Medicare to help with the cost of having a baby.
It is part of the Visitor visa application to disclose pregnancy. You must not lie in the application.
So, how can you still get the visa? Won’t immigration realize that you want her to have a baby in Australia ?
Yes, you must tell the truth. Answer that she is pregnant. Otherwise they can refuse the application because she lied.
Our lawyer has done so many applications for pregnant women. We know exactly what to say when we tell immigration that she is pregnant.
This means that you can tell the truth. That she is pregnant. And you don’t risk the application or her future immigration chances.
If you say the correct response – immigration will approve the visa – even if she is pregnant.
Request a free assessment if you would like to know what to say. To get a Visitor visa for your pregnant girlfriend.
Get Medicare for your Pregnant Girlfriend
Medicare is an Australian Government program. It helps Australian’s with the cost of medicine and medical procedures.
Medicare for your pregnant Filipino Girlfriend
Most Filipino ladies come to Australia on a visitor visa first. Find more about a Visitor visa for Filipino girlfriend in our Ultimate Guide section.
Visitors from the Philippines can apply for a permanent visa. While they stay in Australia. This will mean applying for a Partner visa for your Filipino girlfriend.
The partner visa is for when your married. When you are not married it is a de facto visa. I have written a comprehensive article with everything you need to know about de facto visa.
If you marry, then you apply for a Partner visa. For married couples there are no living together requirements.
You need to prove your relationship is genuine. I have written an article all about partner visa applications.
When you apply for a partner visa for your Filipino girlfriend she will qualify for Medicare. So, you can get a Medicare card for her to help with all the costs of the pregnancy.
Medicare for your pregnant Thai Girlfriend
Most Thai women apply for their partner visa while they are in Thailand. I’ve written a separate blog on why Thai ladies need to apply for Partner visa in Thailand.
Once your apply for the Partner visa, even when applied for in Thailand, she can apply for Medicare.
She must, of course, be in Australia to apply for Medicare.
Have your baby in Australia
There are many reasons why you should bring your pregnant girlfriend to Australia. The best reason though is that the baby will become an Australian citizen .
If you are an Australian citizen and you have a baby overseas, you need to apply for citizenship for the child.
When your baby in born overseas, Australian citizenship is not automatic.
If your child is born in Australia, and one parent is Australian, then the baby is a citizen from birth.
Citizenship is important. Without citizenship your child will need to apply for a visitor visa to Australia. They cannot enter Australia without a visa.
Benefits of having your baby in Australia
It follows that automatic citizenship is quite a bonus. I like to answer this question by turning the question around:
What are the drawbacks of not being an Australian citizen from birth?
There are many drawbacks in not being an Australian citizen from birth:
- You need a visa to enter Australia;
- You need to apply for citizenship;
- Your parents must prove they are your parents;;
- Immigration can refuse your citizenship;
- While you are waiting for citizenship, Immigration can cancel any visa you have. Forcing out of Australia;
- Any criminal record can prevent you from getting a visa and entering Australia;
- Your criminal record can cause your removal from Australia; and
- You are not eligible for Centrelink, HECS or Fee-Help and you cannot vote in elections.
Its clear to see that having your child in Australia is a huge advantage. That is why you should bring your pregnant girlfriend to Australia as soon as possible.
Pregnant Girlfriend in Australia
What if your girlfriend is in Australia and then gets pregnant? Do you need the help of a lawyer?
This is a common scenario. Many couples get pregnant shortly after arriving in Australia on a visitor visa. The problem is that you don’t have Medicare yet.
There are two options available in this situation:
The first is the option most people prefer. Apply for a Partner visa, jump onto Medicare and then have baby in Australia for free.
But what if you don’t qualify for a partner visa yet? When you’re in a de facto relationship and you don’t have the necessary six months of living together yet. You cannot apply for a de facto visa.
The second option is to bear the cost of the pregnancy without Medicare. If you plan to do this you must hire a lawyer, with specific experience with this scenario.
This is because if you want to extend the visitor visa, you must extend for long enough to cover the pregnancy.
Your girlfriend cannot jump on a plane when she is seven or eight months pregnant. But if she remains in Australia and the visa expires, then you face a world of pain.
Her chances of getting a new visa will become almost nil. She will have to return to her home country – taking baby with her – and she will never come back into Australia. Not a good option.
You must ensure that your lawyer has specific experience here as many things can go wrong. –Things that can affect the rest of your life, and baby’s life.
Extend your Pregnant girlfriend’s Visitor Visa
When you go to extend the visitor visa you will run into a little surprise that can put the whole plan at risk.
A health check is mandatory when you apply to extend your pregnant girlfriend’s Visitor visa. This is a real problem. A problem that you do not have the experience to navigate. I can assure you of this.
Here’s the kicker. Your pregnant girlfriend cannot do a health check when she is pregnant. The health check involves an x-ray which can affect the unborn baby. You need the help of a lawyer with experience in this scenario. A lawyer can negotiate with immigration to delay the health check until after the birth.
Health Check for pregnant Girlfriend after giving Birth
If you delay the health check until after your pregnant girlfriend gives birth. Your problems have only just begun.
The visitor visa can only last for a total stay of twelve months.
Remember, for the last nine months, at least, your girlfriend has been pregnant. Waiting for her visitor visa extension. She has held a Bridging visa allowing her to remain in Australia.
By the time Immigration approve her visitor visa, there is no time left. So they will send you a request to either withdraw it or have it refused.
Your best option is to withdraw because then your girlfriend’s visa history is not tainted. However, now there is a new problem.
Schedule Three
So, you want to apply for a partner visa after the birth of your child. So that your wife can stay in Australia. And so that you can keep your child here.
Schedule three requires a Partner visa applicant in Australia to hold a visa when they apply.
In other words, you cannot apply for a Partner visa in Australia if you don’t have a visa.
The problem is that your pregnant girlfriend, after her wait for the x-ray, will not have a visa. A bridging visa does not count and that what she has.
So, you are not eligible to apply for the partner visa. So, what do you do? Contact our lawyer if any of this applies to you as it is an absolute minefield.
You need a lawyer who has experience in these matters. I am writing this article and highlighting all these potential downfalls. Because I have seen it all happen before.
I can tell you that this happens to people. They get stuck on schedule three and their life together is all but over.
Its not fair but it is the way the law currently stands in Australia – so don’t become a victim.
I can help you negotiate the pitfalls and keep your pregnant girlfriend in Australia.
The key consideration when you get a visa for your Pregnant Girlfriend
I promised earlier in this article that I will out reveal the key consideration. Something that everyone looking to bring a pregnant girlfriend to Australia should consider.
It is crucial that you give your pregnant girlfriend the best chance to get her Australian visa. This way she can come to Australia to have your baby.
Pregnancy can be an issue in your visa application. Immigration may think that you are just trying to get free health care.
So, it is best to always observe this one key consideration. I call it the ‘Holy Grail’ of pregnant girlfriend visa application.
Always use a lawyer to prepare your pregnant girlfriend’s visa application. When your girlfriend is pregnant, you need the best help you can get. Its not easy. It’s a minefield.
You cannot afford a visa refusal when your girlfriend is pregnant. There may not be enough time to reapply.
If you get the application wrong, your girlfriend faces a year-long ban, and canot apply again.
The secret to giving your girlfriend the best chance to have your baby in Australia is to contact us. Have our lawyer prepare your pregnant girlfriend’s visa application.
