Althaf Mohammad @mohammadalthaf

Hi everyone,

I have been living in Australia for the past 9 years and received my Australian PR last year. I am now planning to apply for Australian citizenship, but I need some advice regarding my Indian passport and name correction.

My Indian passport has my surname field blank, and my full name, MOHAMMAD ALTHAF, is recorded under the given name field. As a result, all my Australian visa records, including my PR, show my name in the same format.

I would like to correct my Indian passport so that it shows:

Surname: MOHAMMAD

Given name: ALTHAF

My actual name is not changing; I only want to separate it correctly into the surname and given-name fields.

I am concerned that changing my passport details could cause issues with my existing PR or create complications when I apply for Australian citizenship.

Has anyone experienced the same situation and corrected their Indian passport while living in Australia?

I would really appreciate advice on the following:

Can I correct my Indian passport without affecting my existing PR?

Should I correct my passport before applying for citizenship, or can I apply using my current details and update them later?

What documents or procedures are required through VFS or the Indian Consulate in Australia?

After receiving the corrected passport, how should I update my details with Australian Home Affairs?

I would especially appreciate responses from people who have completed this process in Australia.

Thank you for your help!

My wife is currently on a student visa. I am currently in India and planning to lodge my dependent visa application in the next two days. With the new rules, will there be any issues with my visa application or its outcome?

HI @greformende1

I would like to seek advice regarding my wife’s visa situation.

I was granted my Subclass 190 permanent residency in the first week of October 2025. I got married at the end of November 2025.

Prior to our marriage, my wife applied for a visitor visa together with her mother to visit family in Sydney; however, the application was refused. After our marriage, I applied again for a visitor visa for my wife in late December 2025, but this application was also refused.

Based on the expectation that the visitor visa would be granted, I arranged our wedding ceremony in Brisbane. We submitted strong evidence with the application, including proof of return, financial capacity, and supporting documents, but unfortunately the visa was not approved.

Given the above circumstances, I would like to understand what my available options are now and the most appropriate visa pathway for my wife moving forward.

I appreciate your guidance and look forward to your advice.

Finally I have received 190 grant today.

Is there any chance of getting a grant for 190 visa applicants who applied in June 2023? The current status still shows "Received" and the financial year is almost ending. If it's not possible in this financial year, when do the new financial year grants usually begin? @gregormendel any comment?

Hi everyone, I applied for the 190 visa in June 2023, and my status is still showing as ‘Received’ with no further updates. I’ve noticed that some 2024 applicants have already started receiving their grants. Is anyone else from mid-2023 still waiting like me? Can someone help me understand why 2023 applications seem to be delayed while newer ones are being processed?

I applied for the 190 visa from Queensland on June 27, 2023. However, my status is still showing as ‘received.’ I have called the DHA multiple times but have not received any response. I am already outside the processing timeframe, but I have noticed that many applicants who applied after October are getting their grants. Does anyone have an idea of what’s actually happening?”