190 CO requested Relationship Evidence

[Zippy]

Hi Guys,

 

We got assigned a CO a few weeks back for our 190 visa, was asked for Medicals, PCC and relationship evidence. We got married in May and have been asked to supply evidence of our relationship going back at least 12 months before this date.

 

I've uploaded a statement from us as a couple explaining our relationship over the past 5 years, a statement from my family and my wifes family. E-mails between us going back 4 years, 3 sets of plane tickets together, International bank transfers of money from me to her going back 3 years and photos of us together with friend and family in various locations around the world. Its a bit of a complicated situation as we met in philippines while was working out there for almost 2 years, then we lived apart due to visa restrictions with me going back visiting her 3 or 4 times a year and her coming to the uk for 6 months to visit a few years ago, that lasted up until we got married this May, I then stayed in the philippines for 2 months now we are both in the uk. I'm hoping this should be sufficient evidence of our long term relationship, the only thing I bothered about is somewhere states that must have lived together for 12 months prior to the application, but I'm pretty sure this is only for Defacto couples that arn't married. We have no evidence of living together as when we did in the philippines on a small island its all cash with no receipts to the landlord with everything included so no electric bills.

 

Have any of you had similar request? what type on information did you upload? I've looked around but hardly found any other cases with this request so would be interested to hear from anyone.

 

Cheers

[wrussell]

Did you obtain a residence certificate when you were in RP?

You should have.

You might have to obtain some affidavits from disinterested parties.

[rammygirl]

Have you also explained the reasons you were not living together, this is just as important as the evidence of your relationship.

[Zippy]

Did you obtain a residence certificate when you were in RP?

You should have.

You might have to obtain some affidavits from disinterested parties.

 

Never had a residence certificate in the Philippines, I didn't even know I needed one! I was on a business/travel visa which the immigration official would come to our hotel to collect my passport every 3 or 6 months, he never mentioned anything else required.

 

I'll work on getting some affidavits done, would the hotel manager who was our boss at the time in the Philippines count as a "disinterested party" he's back in the states now. Does the affidavit need to signed by a solicitor or anything or is it just a signed statement by the person who wrote it.

 

Very grateful for your help,

[Zippy]

Have you also explained the reasons you were not living together, this is just as important as the evidence of your relationship.

 

Yep, We stated that: we met in the Philippines and that I went back to the uk for work reasons, We tried to get her a UK tourist visa which got denied due to us not providing the right evidence, then the next year she got the tourist visa approved and spent 5 months in the UK, The next year we wanted to apply for a fiancee visa but unfortunately I fell just under the earnings requirement due to a slump in the steel industry, business then improved slightly and we were looking at the applying for the fiancee visa again but found out about the Australia possibility so we decided we would apply for the Australia skilled visa, we then got another 6 months UK tourist visa for her until that was decided. We also stated that I visited her 3 or 4 times a year when ever possible and included so Itineraries of us on trips together.

 

Its been a tough few years as we've been pretty much forced apart due to Visa's and work, the worst was the UK fiancée visa, In 2014 I fell about £1000 under the 18k earnings minimum and as I was self employed my savings didn't count for anything, If I'd had a normal job earning the same you can add your savings to your salary to reach the level, very frustrating.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Zippy

[MaggieMay24]

If you're married, there should be no need to provide evidence of living together for 12 months when you've only been married for 7. A lot of couples don't live together before they're married.

[Bungo]

If you're married, there should be no need to provide evidence of living together for 12 months when you've only been married for 7. A lot of couples don't live together before they're married.

 

The CO is entitled to ask married couples for evidence of the relationship as much as a defacto couple, if they deem it necessary.

[MaggieMay24]

 

The CO is entitled to ask married couples for evidence of the relationship as much as a defacto couple, if they deem it necessary.

Yes, but the request for evidence of 12 months relationship prior to marriage seems odd to me. What if they'd only met 3 months before they got married?

[Bungo]

Yes, but the request for evidence of 12 months relationship prior to marriage seems odd to me. What if they'd only met 3 months before they got married?

 

But they didn't. OP is claiming it is a five year relationship and CO has asked for proof of last 12 months. The CO is entitled to ask for whatever they deem is necessary.

[MaggieMay24]

 

But they didn't. OP is claiming it is a five year relationship and CO has asked for proof of last 12 months. The CO is entitled to ask for whatever they deem is necessary.

Ok, I hadn't read it that way. I thought the OP provided evidence of the relationship (that they're married) and the CO asked for evidence that the relationship existed 12 months before the marriage which really should be unnecessary. The OP should simply need to prove that they're in a genuine marital relationship since May. But as you've said, COs can ask for whatever they think is necessary.

[Bungo]

Ok, I hadn't read it that way. I thought the OP provided evidence of the relationship (that they're married) and the CO asked for evidence that the relationship existed 12 months before the marriage which really should be unnecessary. The OP should simply need to prove that they're in a genuine marital relationship since May. But as you've said, COs can ask for whatever they think is necessary.

 

I was just saying that there is no point questioning what a CO has asked for. The CO is entitled to ask for whatever they think is necessary to satisfy themselves that the relationship / marriage is genuine. Sham marriages do happen after all. It is simply wasted energy to debate whether they should have asked for something or not.

[Zippy]

The exact statement from the CO was "I acknowledge you were married in May 2016, pleas provide evidence of your relationship for at least 12 months proir" I think the main reason for asking for more information was we've both been travelling around a lot and living in different countries to each other on and off due to my work and VISA restrictions in the UK, my wife is also from the Philippines which unfortunately is probably a high risk county for sham marriages and the like. And i guess they want to see that we'd met well before I'd started to apply for the Australian VISA as its not unheard of for girls there to marry people to get visas, then leave them once in country.