Financial Evidence

[ChrisJD]

Hey guys

So I am in the process of returning to Australia to be with my partner.  After reviewing the evidence we have, the only thing I am concerned about is the financial aspect.  

I will be returning on a 3 month Tourist Visa so, as far as I'm aware, I cannot co-sign a lease with my partner to provide this as evidence.  Would we be able to put joint names on bills?  We will be opening a joint bank account, and then have both our individual accounts registered to the same address.  So I was just wondering if utility bills and bank statements would be enough financial evidence?  If not, what else could we possibly use?

Thanks

[Guest]

I don't quite follow. You plan to lodge an on shore partner visa application? Do you meet the de facto requirements as it is right now? 

If so, do you not have evidence for th time prior to you going to Aus on holiday? You'll need that. Iirc it's evidence for the 12 months prior to lodging.

Sorry, your post is rather vague and unclear and am unsure how to help really. 

 

 

 

[ChrisJD]

Apologies, for some reason I posted with the assumption that others knew my situation!  Yes we do.  We met while I was on a WHV and we've been together nearly 2 years now, so evidence for the rest of the de facto visa are pretty much met.  I was just concerned with the financial aspect because we haven't actually lived together previously and only plan to do so once I return.

Basically, I wanted to know what can be used as financial evidence to support the onshore de facto visa.

[Guest]

Nope, not a clue I tend to work with the post in front of me.  

I don't know that will work re not living together before now unless you have some very solid reasons for it. Have you run you case past a decent agent to see what is what? 

There is a difference between dating and de facto as far as immigration are concerned. 

You will need to submit evidence to cover the 12 months prior to lodging. You can't skimp on that. If you've not been living together till you arrive in Aus on a 3 month tourist visa, how will you account for the 9 months previously in that respect? 

They will want things reflecting the 12 months, so a lease in both your names or evidence to show you at the same address if only one on the lease sort of thing (so bills to the other person sent to that address also). And perhaps a statement from the landlord stating when you moved in etc if one of you not named on the lease. 

For example, I submitted this sort of thing (for an off shore application but its basically the same evidence they are requiring).

Bills from each month of the 12 months prior to lodging, in one or both our names. Showing us at the same address. So water bill naming us both in Jan, electric in his for Feb, phone in mine for March etc.
Car insurance naming my OH as a named driver with me as the policy holder for the year prior to lodging (plus a year or two before that also).
Lease agreement for the year prior to lodging naming us both. 
Wills/life insurance policy naming the other 
Bank statements from joint account (at same address)

Plus some other random official evidence (drivers licence copies, invite to wedding to us both, holiday and flight booking in our names, that sort of thing). I also provided evidence listed above from each of the other years we had said we were de facto for. Only one or two items for each year but it showed our ongoing relationship as a couple of different address together and reflected we had been a couple during that time we had stated. 

You are going to be lodging off the back of a 3 months tourist visa, having been apart for X amount of time. What state will you be living in? IIRC you can register your relationship in a couple of states thereby getting round the 12 month aspect but it will require more than that evidence wise. 

What sort of evidence do you have for the time before you arrive in Aus and start living together. Is it solid, will it stand up to immigration's requirements. Those sorts of things you need to be asking and looking at as much as what you will do once you arrive in Aus. 

 

From the partner visa migration booklet.

Evidence of your relationship

There are 4 broad categories of evidence that you need to provide:

• financial aspects;

• the nature of the household;

• social context of the relationship; and

• the nature of your commitment to each other.

All relationships are different, so you should provide as much evidence as you can that you believe will support your claims. The lists below are only a guide and are neither all inclusive or exclusive. You may be asked to provide additional information during processing of your application.

 Financial aspects

Evidence will be required that you and your partner share financial commitments and responsibilities, including: • evidence of any joint ownership of real estate or other major assets (for example, cars, appliances) and any joint liabilities (for example, loans, insurance); • sharing of finances; • legal commitments that you and your partner have undertaken as a couple; • evidence that you and your partner have operated joint bank accounts for a reasonable period of time; or • sharing of household bills and expenses.

The nature of the household

You will be asked to provide evidence that you and your partner share responsibilities within your household, including: • your living arrangements; • a statement outlining the basis on which responsibility for housework is distributed; • joint ownership or joint rental of the residence in which you live; • joint utilities accounts (electricity, gas, telephone); • joint responsibility for bills for day-to-day living expenses; • joint responsibility for children; or • correspondence addressed to both you and your partner at the same address.

Social aspect of the relationship

How your relationship with your partner is recognised socially will be considered including: • evidence that you and your partner are generally accepted as a couple socially (for example, joint invitations, going out together, friends and acquaintances in common); • evidence that you and your partner have declared your relationship to government bodies, commercial/public institutions or authorities; • information provided in statutory declarations made by your or your partner’s parents, family members, relatives, friends or acquaintances; • joint membership of organisations or groups; • evidence of joint participation in sporting, cultural or social activities; or • joint travel. Note: Providing only statutory declarations is not normally sufficient to evidence the social aspect of your relationship.

The nature of your commitment to each other

Factors that could assist in evidencing mutual commitment between you and your partner include: • knowledge of each other’s personal circumstances (for example, background and family situation, which could be established at interview); • intention that your relationship will be long-term (for example, the extent to which you have combined your affairs); • the terms of your wills; or • correspondence and itemised phone accounts to show that contact was maintained during any period of separation.

 

 

 

 

 

[ChrisJD]

Okay, so evidence wise, this is what we have so far:

• Pictures of us together in social situations/in general as a couple
• Various letters wrote back and forth to each other.  Both in Aus and when apart.
• Screenshots showing continuous conversation when separated
• Tickets from events attended together
• Hotel bookings
• Flights took together to Melbourne
• Plane ticket from when I came to visit at the end of last year
• Letter from super funds showing each other as beneficiary
• Certificate of relationship registration

Obviously once I arrive back, we will have bills and banks statements being sent to the same address for both of us.  And possibly a joint bank account set up to pay for shared expenses while living together.

I mean I don't know if I have missed anything?  I'm sure there may be stuffed I have forgot about.

[Guest]

It seems to be mostly the social aspect you've got covered there. And lots of it long distance.

When are you claiming de facto from exactly? Dating doesn't count and some of your time may be considered just that, dating. When did the relationship registration start? When did you start with the super? 

I'd run your evidence and your case past a decent agent (any on here are a good starting point) if it were me. It's a lot of money on the visa and immigration are strict with the requirements. I look at what you list and it doesn't seem much to me. Pics and stuff are fine but they are supporting the official stuff. Better to seek advice now and lodge a decent application than apply and be declined. 

 

[ChrisJD]

The relationship was registered last December.  And we were together for a year in Australia, and we've been apart for around 8 months now.

I understand that evidence needs to be provided for at least 1 year prior to application, we will essentially have 2 years worth of different evidence when applying.  Anything else we could use?

[Nemesis]

36 minutes ago, ChrisJD said:

The relationship was registered last December.  And we were together for a year in Australia, and we've been apart for around 8 months now.

I understand that evidence needs to be provided for at least 1 year prior to application, we will essentially have 2 years worth of different evidence when applying.  Anything else we could use?

Has your partner asked the landlord about putting you on the lease? My landlord (and the agents he uses) was quite happy to out my husband on the lease just prior to him moving out here - at that time he had only had a tourist visa, and had applied for the Spouse Visa offshore

[ChrisJD]

She hasn't, but I was concerned with the fact I would be in Australia on a 3 month Tourist Visa.  So I don't know how willing an agency would be to put me on a lease when I could simply leave in 3 months.  

[Nemesis]

1 hour ago, ChrisJD said:

She hasn't, but I was concerned with the fact I would be in Australia on a 3 month Tourist Visa.  So I don't know how willing an agency would be to put me on a lease when I could simply leave in 3 months.  

Might be worth asking the question - phrasing it that although your initial visa is a tourist one, you are actually her partner, and you are applying to stay permanently. 

[Guest]

17 hours ago, ChrisJD said:

The relationship was registered last December.  And we were together for a year in Australia, and we've been apart for around 8 months now.

I understand that evidence needs to be provided for at least 1 year prior to application, we will essentially have 2 years worth of different evidence when applying.  Anything else we could use?

2 years worth of evidence but is that all able to stand up to being classed as de facto? For example, of you were a couple dating while in Aus with just the social stuff that isn't de facto in my book. It's a couple dating, going on holiday and to events together. 

If you only registered the relationship in Dec and the super hasn't been going a year then in terms of the financial aspect, it seems very thin. I know you'll have the time in aus on the tourist visa and hopefully you'll have set up a shared bank account and both be paying into it etc to be able to pay out of it IYKWIM. And if your partner has a car, they should name you as a driver and other things. 

Honestly, many people do long distance and skype, email and write letters and are exclusive but it's not de facto because of that. I do wonder if you really do have the de facto covered for the 2 years you intend to claim. If it were me, I'd consider it de facto from when the relationship was registered. If the super plan came after that's fine. If it came before, that on its own may not be enough to claim de facto earlier on iykwim. Immigration are going to have strict requirements and if you don't meet them for the time you are claiming, I'd be cautious about claiming it. 

[ChrisJD]

5 hours ago, snifter said:

2 years worth of evidence but is that all able to stand up to being classed as de facto? For example, of you were a couple dating while in Aus with just the social stuff that isn't de facto in my book. It's a couple dating, going on holiday and to events together. 

If you only registered the relationship in Dec and the super hasn't been going a year then in terms of the financial aspect, it seems very thin. I know you'll have the time in aus on the tourist visa and hopefully you'll have set up a shared bank account and both be paying into it etc to be able to pay out of it IYKWIM. And if your partner has a car, they should name you as a driver and other things. 

Honestly, many people do long distance and skype, email and write letters and are exclusive but it's not de facto because of that. I do wonder if you really do have the de facto covered for the 2 years you intend to claim. If it were me, I'd consider it de facto from when the relationship was registered. If the super plan came after that's fine. If it came before, that on its own may not be enough to claim de facto earlier on iykwim. Immigration are going to have strict requirements and if you don't meet them for the time you are claiming, I'd be cautious about claiming it. 

I see where you're coming from, and when actually thinking about it you are right.  From immigration's view, a lot of the evidence (especially the financial side with bills etc) will only happen once I return on my tourist visa.  So when I apply, some of it will only be 3 months old, which wouldn't look very strong.

One thing I considered a few months ago was to first go back on a student visa and study for a year.  Now I'm thinking that I may go back to that plan.  It just seems that that would put us in the same situation as if I went back on a tourist visa, but we'd have a lot more time to accumulate bills and joint statements and possibly even a joint lease.  Would this seem like a reasonable idea to you?  To me it's only a few extra thousand dollars, which in the long run may actually help us.

[Guest]

I think you should consult a decent agent and run your case past them. The registering the relationship waives the 12 months but a good agent will know the fine print on it all and be able to at least give you an assessment of your case, even if you don't use their services for the visa. 

[ChrisJD]

I don't suppose you know any?   I am concerned now that some of the evidence may seem like it was just rushed before the application, and I don't want that to negatively affect our chances.

[Nemesis]

2 hours ago, ChrisJD said:

I don't suppose you know any?   I am concerned now that some of the evidence may seem like it was just rushed before the application, and I don't want that to negatively affect our chances.

Try George Lombard