Help me to move....

[PaulWH]

Hi everyone.
This is my first post, and after being offered next to zero advice by a number of online agencies, I'm hoping someone on here may be able to help me.
This is the situation: I have been with my Australian girlfriend for 19 months. We only managed to live together for the past 3 months, but she has now gone back to the land down under. We have been on holidays together, family events etc etc. The general lifestyle that commited couples have.
Now, We are going to get married, buy a house etc, but not for a few years yet. I don't have the qualifications that the Government require to use a skilled visa, they dpn't recoginse my qualifications! So the only option is something in the partner visa family.
Now, I have been told by one agency that although interdependent visa'a are generally for same sex couples, on rare occasions 'normal' couples can use it.

What I want to know are they telling the truth, or are they just after some of my £££'s??

Thanks for your time folks

[Binbininoz]

Hi There,

I just thought I would drop you a quick line or two... your situation sounds so similar to that I and my now husband have been through.

I mer him whilst travelling Australia in 2003, we were only together 2 months before I had to return back to England, we struggled to keep our long distance relationship going, letters and cards, calls and emails isnt really enough to make a relationship complete, and the repeated visits back and forth got very expensive! We parted on good terms and 10 months later he came for a visit which is when he propossed, of course we had to go through all the visa stuff ( we applyed for a prospective marriage visa), we decided that although it would have been nice to have more time together before we married,that if after all the time apart and not being able to get over each other, it was worth a go!
So my visa got granted and I flew to Australia in April this year to join him. Leaving my family and friends was the hardest thing I have ever done, and to come here (we live in Mount Isa currently) was certainly throwing me into the cultural deep end!But we battled on, and im glad to say grew together, and on November 12th we finally got married.
I saw your post on this site and I just wanted to say that no matter what, you should never give up on trying for what you believe is right and true. I am 23years old, and living along way from home, but I would recommened following your dreams to anyone!! Goodluck to the both of you xx

[dwaldron]

'normal' couples can use it

Charming.

As half of an 'abnormal' couple I'll try to shed a bit of light on this for you.

It sounds to me as though what you are really needing to do is apply for a spouse visa as you appear to be wanting to rely on the relationship as the basis for the application.

The two visas are essentially the same, the interdependency visa being introduced as a couple needs to be of the opposite sex to be able to apply for the spouse visa.

The problem that you are presented with is the 12 month relationship requirement. See http://www.immi.gov.au/migration/fam...lationship.htm and http://www.immi.gov.au/facts/35relationship.htm

It seems clear that you would probably not fulfill the 12 month requirement and you would probably not be eligible to have the requirement waived.

If you have not been living together for 12 months I think that you would have to come up with some pretty compelling evidence to pull it off. Joint finances will help, but appears as though you won't have that sort of evidence.

An agent may be of assistance, but they are expensive. If I were you I would probably gather absolutely everything you can to assist you and then lodge the application yourself - it's not a difficult process.

Good luck.