Joint bank account for partner visa issues!

Hi all,

My partner is currently 6 months in to his WHV. Our plan is to apply for the de-factor partner visa when we are closer to the current visa expiring in August ‘15.

When my partner arrived in Australia on his WHV, we headed straight to the bank a few days in to set up an account to be joined to my existing account. We both signed paperwork in relation to this. Recently, we have noticed our statements are sent to us separately and do not appear to reflect the accounts as being in both names. I went into the bank to ask about having this rectified today and it was explained that our accounts are joined and we merely have “access” to each other’s accounts, as opposed to joint ownership (which immigration requires as evidence).

I am obviously very annoyed and disheartened by this as our intention all along was for the accounts to be joined. We both use each other’s accounts on a daily basis so they function as a joint account, but this is not reflected on paper.

Similarly, I have noticed our electricity bills do not reflect my partner’s name and this account was also set up in both names in June ‘15. This has been rectified and the company have re-issued the bills as they have seen on their system that my partner is also the account holder. I am concerned, however, as the re-issued bills have a giant ‘copy’ stamp on them so anyone who is clever enough might think we have made a last minute change to the account name to support out partner visa application.

So I have now lost most faith in anyone doing their jobs right at our risk! L We have other forms of evidence proving our de-facto relationship which we will be using however I know joint finances/accounts is good one and I am worried as we now only have 6 months of actual “joint” bank accounts. :arghh:

Any advice/support would be much appreciated! :yes:

Given that part of the reason you opened a joint account was to collect evidence of you as a couple, it seems a bit strange it took you 5 months to notice that your statements weren't in joint names...??

That at being said, why don't you get the bank, on their headed stationery with the branch stamp, to write you a letter saying that since ... Whatever date you have been able to access each other's accounts? That does speak to a level of financial commitment.

Btw - Immi don't 'require' anything as evidence. They merely provide advice about the kind of documentation you can provide to demonstrate you're in a defacto relationship

You don't need a joint bank account. If you can show joint financial responsibility via shared expenses, highlighted on your bank statements, along with things like joint bills, tenancy agreements, insurance cover, paying for holidays etc, that is all you need.

And there's nothing stopping you writing about your problem / experience with the bank account, in the finance part of your application and then attaching the statements / details as separate uploads.

Given that part of the reason you opened a joint account was to collect evidence of you as a couple, it seems a bit strange it took you 5 months to notice that your statements weren't in joint names...??

 

That at being said, why don't you get the bank, on their headed stationery with the branch stamp, to write you a letter saying that since ... Whatever date you have been able to access each other's accounts? That does speak to a level of financial commitment.

Thanks so much for your reply and for your suggestions! that's a great idea and definitely something we could look into I know it is pretty irresponsible of me to not check my statements, they are emailed through and i hadn't had a reason to look at them any earlier! I wish I did!

Thanks vickyplum, that makes me feel a whole lot better! We have attended numerous holidays together over the past 18 months, have shared two tenancies (one of those was for only 6 weeks in the UK before i returned to Oz), car insurance and purchased a new very expensive bed which i believe is a good investment for the future I gave my partner my car and bought myself a new one. I hope we are okay! It is all a bit stressful!

Thanks vickyplum, that makes me feel a whole lot better! We have attended numerous holidays together over the past 18 months, have shared two tenancies (one of those was for only 6 weeks in the UK before i returned to Oz), car insurance and purchased a new very expensive bed which i believe is a good investment for the future I gave my partner my car and bought myself a new one. I hope we are okay! It is all a bit stressful!

As said above you don't HAVE to have a joint bank account or joint utility bills, they are just one form of evidence. We have an empty joint account, but we have individual accounts which we used to highlight where money has moved between us, or where one of us paid a joint bill.

Our utility company said its not their policy to put bills in joint names so I got them to email that to me and then included it with the application.

Agree with the others, having a joint account is not a big issue. What is more important is to be able to show bills etc being paid from them by you both.

Other things you can do to show you are a couple in terms of paper proof.

Being named on each others car insurance policy as the named driver.

Bills paid by either of you showing you at the same address (ie you pay electric, he pays his mobile phone bill, both of which are addressed to same address)

Both named on your tenancy

Wills or life insurance policy naming the other (or one of you naming the other only)

Drivers licence showing you at the same address

Bank statements (sent to you individually at the same address)

Show transfers of funds between accounts (ie you put money into his account to cover rent)

Booking for a holiday together (ie showing your booking as a double room)

Any of that sort of stuff, placing you as sharing an address and giving indication you are a couple.

Thanks vickyplum, that makes me feel a whole lot better! We have attended numerous holidays together over the past 18 months, have shared two tenancies (one of those was for only 6 weeks in the UK before i returned to Oz), car insurance and purchased a new very expensive bed which i believe is a good investment for the future I gave my partner my car and bought myself a new one. I hope we are okay! It is all a bit stressful!

Yes, I went through the bank statements and highlighted everything that was a joint purchase or me paying for us both. Think dinners, day trips, cinema, Ikea shop, etc... it takes a while but isn't too much of a pain to do a year's worth.

And be sure to submit copies of your tenancy agreements as evidence - can go under the finance / joint finances section and also in sharing commitment (I forget the exact headings of it now but remember I used things more than once in my application).

Try not to stress! Lots of people on this forum can help you if you get stuck

Sounds like you both have third party authority on each others accounts. That means the accounts are in no way 'joined'. They are solely in your individual names but you have given authority to the bank that a third party can access the accounts. There are a few restrictions for the third party (for example, they cannot request any lending etc) but in general they can act is if they are themselves the account holder.

Thanks vickyplum, that makes me feel a whole lot better! We have attended numerous holidays together over the past 18 months, have shared two tenancies (one of those was for only 6 weeks in the UK before i returned to Oz), car insurance and purchased a new very expensive bed which i believe is a good investment for the future I gave my partner my car and bought myself a new one. I hope we are okay! It is all a bit stressful!

Yes you are OK. Many married couples do not have joint bank accounts, ever, so Immigration is not saying it's a requirement - they're only citing it as an example of the kind of evidence they're looking for. As Isabel says, if you get a letter from the bank confirming you have access to each other's accounts, that's fine.