Coolbreeze Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I am hoping someone has been through this process already and can help. I am looking to lodge an application for the Visa Subclass 189 with a de facto partner. I have read so much regarding evidence required etc but can not find a definitive chelist, as it were, to really aid me. Currently I have: Mortgage Statement from 2 years ago - proving financial commitment and domestic commitment Joint Account dating back 4 year - proving financial commitment Rental Agreements back 5 years - proving financial commitment and domestic commitment Currently living together in Thailand but have no real proof of financial commitments or living arrangements here. It does say we can get written statutory statements from common friends (colleagues from work will be good) - which I can have arranged. Would the signing of these need to be witnessed by a solicitor??? I really am feeling clueless about what exactly constitutes as good evidence and how much do I need? I really hope someone can help me. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 You'll be expected to find some more recent evidence as proof of an ongoing relationship - can't you ask for more some current statments? How about joint travel intinaries? Wills, life insurances etc? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VERYSTORMY Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 There is no full list. It requires some thinking as to how you can prove it and obviously it varies from person to person. Photographs of the two of you on holidays and at major family occasions can be used. Is your joint account still active? That would be a good one. You must be living somewhere at the moment. So the evidence from that would be good. If it is only in one of your names, then you could ask the landlord to do a stat dec stating you are both living there as a couple. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolbreeze Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 There is no full list. It requires some thinking as to how you can prove it and obviously it varies from person to person. Photographs of the two of you on holidays and at major family occasions can be used. Is your joint account still active? That would be a good one. You must be living somewhere at the moment. So the evidence from that would be good. If it is only in one of your names, then you could ask the landlord to do a stat dec stating you are both living there as a couple. Right, perfect. I have travel itinieries coming out of my ears and photos for each location. I will get my current landlord to sign a declaration then too. We are both working in the same school, so I guess my headmistress could also vouch for us. Cheers guys for the advice. Very much appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 As much as possible really...bank statements showing you transferring money to each other, tenancy agreements in both your names and/or letters addressed to one or both of you at the same address. Any wedding/event type invitations with both your names on. Cards with both your names on. Cards to each other? Travel itineraries is a good one especially if both of your names are on the receipt. And as many stat decs as possible if you're struggling with the other stuff. Oh and the obvious - stat dec from both of you about your relationship. All statements to be signed and witnessed by a solicitor or similar, everyone needs to take their passport and birth certificate with them too and get that copied and certified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolbreeze Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 As much as possible really...bank statements showing you transferring money to each other, tenancy agreements in both your names and/or letters addressed to one or both of you at the same address. Any wedding/event type invitations with both your names on. Cards with both your names on. Cards to each other? Travel itineraries is a good one especially if both of your names are on the receipt. And as many stat decs as possible if you're struggling with the other stuff. Oh and the obvious - stat dec from both of you about your relationship. All statements to be signed and witnessed by a solicitor or similar, everyone needs to take their passport and birth certificate with them too and get that copied and certified. Oh wow. So these statements must be witnessed by a solicitor? This is going to be one hell of an ordeal. It will be a lot to ask for from my colleagues. Would it be worth getting stat decs from parents? If we have to get birth certificate AND passports certified as well, this might be quite a powerful piece of evidence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 The birth certificate and passport thing is to prove someones identity. But yeah, those and the statements need to be copied and certified. You can ask anyone who has met you both and knows you as a couple to do statements, even if they're not in the same country as you. I don't know how it works with the 189 visa but we just lodged my partner visa application and ALL statements have to be 6 weeks in date prior to lodging the visa. I don't know how it works for other types of visas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 None of my stat decs or statements were witnessed or certified, this was never questioned -- just saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolbreeze Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 The birth certificate and passport thing is to prove someones identity. But yeah, those and the statements need to be copied and certified. You can ask anyone who has met you both and knows you as a couple to do statements, even if they're not in the same country as you. I don't know how it works with the 189 visa but we just lodged my partner visa application and ALL statements have to be 6 weeks in date prior to lodging the visa. I don't know how it works for other types of visas. Thanks Britchikx. I was just looking and it seems I can use my headmistress as a witness signatory as she is on the accepted list. I can not find on the attorney generals site anything about the proof of ID. It seems to suggest that the burden falls on the witness of the signature. Damn, this is the most complicated bit, the rest is so easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peach Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Here was my list of evidence (this was for a partner visa, which requires a greater level of proof than for the secondary appplicant on a skilled visa): Certified (some by a magistrate/some by a local solicitor) Confirmation of Death in Service payment from my partner to me Confirmation of Death in Service payment from my me to partner Partner's car insurance with me as named driver My car insurance partner as named driver Joint mortgage offer Remortgage correspondence from conveyancing solicitor First joint bank statement Council Tax bill from 2008 Mine, my partner's and son's passport & birth certs Uncertified Numerous travel and holiday itineraries going back to 2002 Invoice from nursery addressed to both of us Amex statement showing partner's supplementary card on my account Stat decs (Our's, Both mums, A friend). Partner's employer reference, job profile and a recent p60 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Thanks Britchikx. I was just looking and it seems I can use my headmistress as a witness signatory as she is on the accepted list. I can not find on the attorney generals site anything about the proof of ID. It seems to suggest that the burden falls on the witness of the signature. Damn, this is the most complicated bit, the rest is so easy I feel your pain! I had to get my family do it in the UK....I'm in Oz. You can always go with them if it makes things easier. The proof of identity isn't for the solicitor, it's for immigration. So they know who's writing statements for you. Otherwise you could have written the statements yourself? At least that's my reasoning for it. I just went with what was required for my partner visa. Maybe someone who has emigrated with a partner on a 189 visa will be able to help more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolbreeze Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 I feel your pain! I had to get my family do it in the UK....I'm in Oz. You can always go with them if it makes things easier. The proof of identity isn't for the solicitor, it's for immigration. So they know who's writing statements for you. Otherwise you could have written the statements yourself? At least that's my reasoning for it. I just went with what was required for my partner visa. Maybe someone who has emigrated with a partner on a 189 visa will be able to help more. Well, I am currently in Thailand at the moment which always makes things a little slower I am asking those writing statements to scan in passports and I am hoping, fingers crossed, this will be enough for a CO. We have flight itineraries galore over the last two years - with pictures from these locations, mortgage statement with both names AND our joint account from the UK which is still active and used. The statements will be from both of us, my dad and a work colleague. I am hoping all of these should be enough to prove that we are in a de facto relationship. I am guessing a CO will let me know explicitly if something is needed/missing etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolbreeze Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 woah, almost forgot...thanks for your help again Britchikx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BritChickx Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Yeah if something is missing they'll let you know. I only lodged mine last week who knows i might have missed something. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curly1000 Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Hi just to say I never had a joint bank account or anything like that, me and my partner lived with his parents and used letters of both of ours that showed they went to the same address, I also used photos dating back the course of our relationship and got some declarations from family and at the time our current landlord and it was fine, I found it very easy! I just got a justice of the peace to sign them, which he did for free and he even came to my house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 For skilled migration - DIBP accept colour scans of original documents without requiring them to be certified - this includes full birth certificates and passports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolbreeze Posted January 13, 2014 Author Share Posted January 13, 2014 For skilled migration - DIBP accept colour scans of original documents without requiring them to be certified - this includes full birth certificates and passports I have seen this written on the forum before....where is the literature to prove this please. I am desperately trying to see this written by the DIBP. Any help is always appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lebourvellec Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 I have seen this written on the forum before....where is the literature to prove this please. I am desperately trying to see this written by the DIBP. Any help is always appreciated Since DIBP changed from their website from DIAC I cant find the link that stated this. From letter received from my CO stated "GSM Adelaide accepts scanned copies. If possible, please provide colour scanned copies of original documents. If you are unable to colour scan documents, please ensure that the documents you scan are certified copies. If you send us a scan of the original document, we can accept PDF, JPEG, TIFF or BMP file formats, although we prefer that it be in PDF format." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thombatt Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Your last will and testament is also a good document Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coolbreeze Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 Since DIBP changed from their website from DIAC I cant find the link that stated this. From letter received from my CO stated "GSM Adelaide accepts scanned copies. If possible, please provide colour scanned copies of original documents. If you are unable to colour scan documents, please ensure that the documents you scan are certified copies. If you send us a scan of the original document, we can accept PDF, JPEG, TIFF or BMP file formats, although we prefer that it be in PDF format." Cheers lebourvellec -I am going to go with this advice. I will save myself quite a bit of time having to translate everything that needs to be written on a certified document for the Thai solicitor here I was even given the stamp once and told "you write it" lol (yes he still wanted to charge for this) nonetheless, thank you for your help. I shall continue to get stat decs from people and build a collection itinerary and photos AND financial records. I am sure that any human being will be able to see we are indeed in a 'de facto' relationship Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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