phil1990

Thanks for your help, will definitely get in touch. I see your offices are located in Sydney so will get in touch in September/October/November when I'm over there to discuss this further!

Thanks for the help! Yeah, I definitely need to look into the 6-month rule on the WHV, I did do a bit of my own research into that and the apply for a waiver, I think it looked quite difficult but hopefully if one of my partner's friends can get me the job that they suggested they would be able to and I make a good enough impression they know the ins-and-outs of my situation and would do their best to help. Also, if I'm upfront with some of the Retail companies that I talk to they would hopefully be willing to make the effort to keep hold of me by doing that favour as I'll be vastly over-qualified experience-wise for the sort of roles that I'll have to be applying for, and it would be a good investment for them to buy my loyalty in that way as when I have PR or at least more work rights than a WHV I'll be very valuable to them. Yeah, regardless of how we do it, the first day I land I'll be getting my tax code or whatever it is and the moment I spend a day actually living with her and not just on holiday we will contact Centrelink and fill out the relevant forms, and sort out all the bank account stuff. It's definitely worth trying for the financial hardship form especially at first before I get work lined up and possibly if I go the route of 3months of regional work when I first get there to try then. Can't lose anything at least, the worst they can do is say no and lose her benefits anyway like she will be doing! Yeah that's good news with regards to the income requirement for sponsoring a partner visa, was definitely a concern at first!

Ugh, struggling with this quoting system, ignore the first quote from the last post!

Yeah, I'm actually really considering this as a plan, I'm gonna do some more research into it to ensure that it's possible to find some of the qualifying work at that time of year (between December and March depending upon my affairs in the UK). Luckily I've found that the town in NSW she lives in doesn't count as "regional", however pretty much 20km in any direction from her house counts as "regional" so I might not even have to stay apart for those 3 months, and if I can last 3 months living with her and her 3 kids whilst also doing some really stressful work full-time at that time of year then I think we will last through anything! My only concern is getting a car whilst on a WHV. Thanks for the help as it's definitely useful info! I'll definitely be speaking to a Migration agent when I get back in November, or possibly in person in Sydney whilst there in October, before I apply for the WHV and tie up my affairs for December to March time. My understanding is that they would be evidence to use for first registering our relationship and then as we have registered our relationship there is no requirement on the length of time just that it's a genuine relationship. I mean it's not too much of an issue, just a thought, all the evidence beginning from registration / start of WHV would be sufficient I would expect as I'm one of those people that keeps hold of everything meaningful / sentimental and takes millions of messages etc, normally that's a pain as I end up hoarding a lot of stuff and having millions of photos and things saved in my phone but I guess it's a positive for the visa stuff! Yeah, she'll still qualify for certain benefits as an income at first, plus child support and once we're actually living together the plan is for her to work part-time. It's just not possible currently as she's studying for her law degree full time whilst obviously running a household of 3 kids with no real in-person support, she can barely keep up with certain units of her studies let alone work, the only real "free-time" she gets is one weekend a fortnight!

Yeah, we'd live together for the entire 12 months- whereas if I had to do regional work that wouldn't be possible, or if I had to return to the UK that wouldn't be possible. I'm not sure why you keep going on about the benefits, that's my main concern on how to support her without them. Don't need to be reminded again that it's illegal, well aware! Yeah, that part should be fine, we've got hundreds of photos from the 2 weeks in July of us in various places, on day trips with her children and with her friends at social activities, loads of receipts for travelling, social events and hotels we stayed in together, loads of receipts for posting care-packages to eachother, birthday cards between eachother and to her children, logs of daily phone-calls, receipts for things I've bought for her household, logs of group chats together with her friends, logs of our messages showing emotional support to eachother, should have even more evidence in 5 weeks in October of real life stuff. I'm good friends with 3 of her close friends so they will happily provide statements, as will both of our mums. Will open a joint-account the day I land on the WHV as that seems the best route now and ensure that it clearly shows our two incomes going in, and rent, bills etc coming out, along with receipts of joint-purchases, presents for eachother, receipts for holidays/day trips and hopefully either the school or another relevant professional will be able to provide a statement showing the commitment to her children etc I'm more concerned about the logistics than that stuff.

Update, someone on another forum mentioned "registering our relationship" with NSW (https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-register-relationship-nsw) as a workaround to the 12-month de-facto period, meaning that it would be a lot less stressful coping financially on the WHV and still give us 12-months of evidence plus 5 weeks and 2 weeks previous to the WHV. Very much reassured

Yeah, that definitely seems like the best option, we've no issues with her not having Centrelink when I'm over there it's just the concern that with suggestions that entail returning to the UK I would struggle to pay both her rent, bills etc whilst also covering my own bills etc and having to find work back here again in the meantime. I've no issue with understanding that she won't be able to claim them, and there's no way that we would consider that an option, more that I'm concerned if there's a break for a 3 to 6 weeks from finding a job and waiting for first salary payment if I went down one of the routes involving returning to the UK. Also, if it seems like we wouldn't have enough evidence within the 12 month period of the first year WHV to support a Partner visa I'm again concerned that menial labour to complete the 88 days of regional work to satisfy a WHV extension wouldn't pay enough. I guess I need to read some more people's stories who've done WHV->Parter visa without prior accrued "de-facto" months, to reassure myself.

Yeah, hence the concern that if I were to "move in" and start the 12 month de-facto relationship when I go for 5 weeks in October that she would have to declare this to Centrelink and lose her payments, and when I come back to the UK to tie up my affairs before moving back on the WHV she would have no income. Its hard.

It's only out of concern that without her Centrelink payment which would stop if we were in a de-facto relationship even if I were to return to the UK she would be unable to continue her degree or afford her rent bills etc with the kids. It's very tricky.

Another query just to ensure I'm keeping my options open, someone else advised me on another forum the possibility of going from a Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) onto a Partner visa (820/801) via a bridging visa, and that this would negate the 12-month de-facto relationship requirement. I can't seem to find any information on this as it would seem that the PMV only lasts for 9 months and you have to get married and lodge the partner visa before the 9 months ends which?

That would suck, it's already hard enough... What about when the applicant has sufficient funds/property to support themselves but their sponsor can't? Seems needlessly prohibitive.

Is this correct? I can't seem to find anything about a sponsor earning threshold on the Home Affairs website?

Hi, thanks for that info with regards to Marriage visa, definitely off the cards as the website seems to suggest an 18-23 month wait for approval! Yeah, no I totally understand all of that and won't be committing to a decision with regards to my property until I've been for the 5 weeks in October. I know what you're saying and I do appreciate what you're trying to say, I know I'm only 28 and it does sound rash but I'm not normally one to make decisions like this so I think I'm doing the right thing, will know for sure on how to go about it in October. Again, I know it unfortunately doesn't count for immigration but we already support eachother emotionally etc and I support her and her family to some degree financially. I would really rather not do the regional work, not really one for manual labour but if that's what it takes to make it work I think I'm going to have to! My main concern is just getting the 12 months in, and it being valid, if I only do one year of WHV I don't know if we'll have enough evidence of being in a de-facto relationship, and concerned that we will literally have to sort out joint accounts etc from Day 1 landing and apply right before I would have to leave at the end of my WHV to ensure I get a BVA and that the Partner visa (820/801) gets approved! - I just don't want to take the risk that this ends up being the best decision of my life but I don't get the paperwork in right / on time / evidence of our de-facto relationship starting etc and end up stuck back in the UK for a couple of years waiting for the temporary part of my Partner visa (820) to be approved! I wasn't sure if it was an option to use my current eVisitor visa up until the day of commencement of my WHV - if I apply for the WHV to commence from for example the 31st of January 2019 and get it approved before then (outside of Australia), could I use my current eVisitor visa to travel there at the start of January 2019 on the eVisitor visa and just roll-over onto the WHV whilst already in Australia as long as I don't try to look for work until the day my WHV commences? - This would hopefully give me the buffer we need to ensure we are set up as best we can to have started our de-facto relationship?

That's totally a fair point, I don't really want to go massively into the nature of our relationship but we talk on the phone / video every day, we did all sorts of things with her family and friends when I was there in July. I don't think there's a single day since April that we haven't video/phone called eachother for at least a couple of hours. I also now talk to her friends online most days as well. - I know that this counts for nothing as part of the 12 month requirement, hence my concerns. With regards to de-facto, I will most likely be selling my property in the UK to go onto her lease with a view to a mortgage when I am applicable for such. EDIT: That's why I'm concerned about ensuring we can have 12months uninterrupted together before applying for the Partner visa (820/801) to give us enough time to build the evidence required and be able to open joint accounts, have invitations to social events in both our names, have mail and various other things in both of our names etc - I am averse to extending the WHV to a second year, despite giving us more time to have evidence of us as being in a de-facto relationship, as I'm concerned that having to spend 3 months doing regional work would be prohibitive to the de-facto nature of our relationship, as I'm not sure how close "regional" areas are to where she lives in NSW.

I hope it's not too rude to ask further advice from anyone that's in the know? If I was on a Working Holiday visa (417) can I apply for a Prospective Marriage visa (300) whilst still in Australia and would I still qualify for the Bridging visa A (BVA) to stay and work in Australia whilst the decision is made on the Prospective Marriage visa (300). Further to that, if that is the case will I qualify for a Bridging Visa A (BVA) to stay and work in Australia whilst on the Prospective Marriage visa (300) whilst waiting for a decision to be made on a Partner visa (820/801)? I'm guessing I can do that whilst in Australia as applying for said Partner visa (820/801) is a requirement of the Prospective Marriage visa (300)?