Partner Visa 309

[Elle Freeman]

Hello everyone!

Elle here. Just a brief rundown of my situation:

I'm a Brit and my boyfriend is an Aussie. We've been together five 1/2 years, are living in England now, but intend to move to Australia next spring (2018). We are not married, and do not have a joint bank account, but have lived together and have years of social media posts to prove this.

We want to do everything to make sure our partner Visa 309 is processed without any hitches or extra expense!

I would massively appreciate if people could give me a detailed breakdown of the process as they experienced it:

-Exactly what documentation they provided?

-What stages does the process involve?

-Does both the Aussie citizen and their partner need police certificates?

-Did you get contacted and asked for more information?

-Are there any lessons they know now that they wished they knew before?

In advance, thank you so much everyone. Obviously, it's a huge cost for this visa, so we want to get it right.

Cheers,

Elle.

[Guest]

Have you read the partner visa PDF? I always recommend people read that first, make notes, cross out the bits that don't apply to them (or PMV) and get to grips with what is expected. Both applicant and sponsor. 

[Elle Freeman]

Hi there!. Yes I have. I've also called the High Commission in London, so we've started to do our research. But we both thought it would be very interesting and helpful to speak to people who have gone through the process themselves. We're looking for insights into the whole process from start to finish, really, and perhaps to hear from people who have helpful tips, or learnt something they wish they'd known before.

-Elle

[Guest]

You need to provide evidence to show at least 12 months de facto. If you hope to go straight to PR then to show the entire time if possible.

I submitted something from each month of the 12 prior to lodging. So a utility bill or bank statement to one or the other or both of us for each month. Eg water bill in both our names, phone bill in mine, gas bill in partners. All of these showed us at the same address. Then I included a random bill or bank statement for each year we were claiming de facto and married for. So went back 7 years all up. Plus husband as the sponsor and main earner chose to submit salary slips going back a year or two and supporting bank statements reflecting this. 

Also included were a couple of car insurance policies showing me as main driver, husband as named driver. Also life insurance policy naming each other.

Then a few things like a holiday booking naming both of us, an invite to a wedding and about half a dozen pics. Plus official documents like passport, full birth certificates and our stat decs from a few people plus our own supporting statements.

If you have it you should also include things like a lease showing both your names or if it's only in one person's name be prepared to be able to explain why and reflect your share of the rent and bills etc via bank statements showing transfers between accounts or some such. And write in your supporting statement explaining it all. 

Please know that tons of social media doesn't count for much. It's a nice icing on the cake but you want proper documented evidence showing you as a couple on paper. De facto is married in all but name sort of thing so they will expect and want to see much more than years of social media showing you living together. If you have made a commitment to each other they would expect to see this in a shared life together and that means a lot more than FB showing you are in a relationship IYKWIM. 

The process is pretty simple. You lodge your application, undertake the medical and police checks (usually when CO requests them but some choose to front load) and then wait for a grant. If you can show you've been together longer than I think, 4 years you should hopefully be granted PR from the off. If you are claiming 5 1/2 years de facto, hopefully you can back that up with evidence, ie a lease from then, or bills naming you both or one or the other. 

And yes, I did get contacted and asked to provide another piece of info but we had been expecting it and had it ready to go when asked. 

Iirc, it should say on the document list, I think your partner as the sponsor has to provide a police check now.

Things I wish I knew. Not much as I was super organised and researched well before even beginning to put together an application. When I did come to lodging I had it all in hand and had more than enough evidence.

The only thing I will say is don't sit and email or calendar watch waiting for a grant. Just lodge and go get on and live life, make the most of the time you have left in the UK and use the time to plan, research the actual move and what it might entail. Don't sit and compare your timeline with others as it serves no purpose other than to possibly frustrate or disappoint when you see others whomlodged the same time as you possibly getting grants and making the move. Also don't expect front loaded police checks and medical speeds up the grant process. It doesn't. All it does is gives you possibly less time in which to validate/make first entry into Aus as they use the date of the medical or police check, whichever is done first. 

If you don't have solid evidence to lodge an application, don't lodge. Seek out a reputable migration agent to assess your case in that is the case. And if need be, pay for their services. 

[Elle Freeman]

Thanks to both of you.

Snifter: that's great detail, much appreciated!

Sanae: We'd rather not have to go through an agent if possible.