sohjaba

Thanks all for your helpful replies! As a bit of an update, we made the decision last night to get him a 12 WHV so that we can leave in September as planned. We will then apply for his De Facto from Australia when we will have definitely been living together for 12 months +, and can get a bridging visa for any time the application takes beyond the 12 month WHV. Will cost us a little bit more to apply from within Aus, but at least that way we can go back to Aus as planned later this year.

My partner and I have been together for a year, and living together for 6 months. I am Australian, he is British, currently living in London. We would like to move to Australia to live at the second half of the year, around September. By then, we will have been together over 18 months and lived together over 12 months. We are beginning to get serious about preparing for a de facto visa application, eg. reading into all the forms, all the evidence we need, gathering documents and photos, approaching friends to write stat decs, working out the costs and timings for the application. We have joint rental lease, joint bank account, evidence of ongoing relationship, shared finances and will have no problem getting stat decs from Aussies. The questions are around timing and what constitutes a '12 month de facto relationship'. 1. Even though our relationship is now over 12 months, does it only count as 'de facto' from the time which we have been living together? Even though we have proof of commitment to each other prior to this date? 2. Do we definitely have to wait until we have been living together for 12 months before we apply? Or, could we apply after 9 months of living together with proof that the relationship has be ongoing for 15 months? Is there any flexibility on this? I am conscious that the processing can take a very long time! Have read that on-shore processing in 2013 was taking up to 12 months. 3. Does anyone know if these long processing times also apply to off-shore applications? Or if there is any difference? I am very keen to return to Australia at the end of this year. Does anyone know: 4. If the visa application for my partner is still processing, can we move to Australia whilst we are waiting. Eg, my partner on a 3 month tourist visa or a two year working holiday visa? Would appreciate any advice or tips on the questions above! thanks =)