saraht001 Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Hi Although I've been reading the threads on this forum, this is my first post so I hope it comes up in the right place! I am pulling together all the information for my de facto visa but am concerned that we are struggling to prove that we lived together as my partner was already leasing a flat at the time he moved in with me and he was only able to exit the lease in March this year and so, until that time we don't have any bills in his name at our address. I own the flat so did not add him to the mortgage and as he was paying for his flat I continued to pay all the bills. We did share grocery shopping etc but do not know how we can prove this - I have transfers from his bank account into mine. We have evidence of flights that we booked together to various destinations from August 2010 and have declarations from friends and family. In addition, his UK working visa expired in May this year and although he stayed on a tourist visa until June, he had to move back to Australia at that point. I have been out to visit him and he is coming back here in September for two weeks but this means that we did not physically live together for a full twelve months. Has anyone been in a similar situation/got any advice? I am eligible for a skilled workers visa but we really don't want to be apart for the 18 months that would take to process. Ideally, although we intend to get married, we would like to be able to plan a wedding whilst living in the same country but, if this is the best option then we will do that. Many thanks in advance. Hoping someone has some good news! sarah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Do you have anything in his name at your address (thinking bank statements, phone bills etc)? Are you named on each other's car insurance/other insurance? have you made up wills naming each other as beneficiaries? transfers between your bank accounts is good. The time you've been apart isn't necessarily a problem, provided you document how you're keeping in touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoandJon Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 Invites to events in both your names, emails etc. If you're really worried you could always look at a prospective marriage visa if you're serious about getting married sooner rather than later. Good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted August 16, 2011 Share Posted August 16, 2011 The other option would be to do the paperwork to get married, but have the big shebang later. I know one couple who got married recently, it transpired they'd actually already been married for two years, but only their witnesses and immediate family knew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraht001 Posted August 16, 2011 Author Share Posted August 16, 2011 Thanks. We do have bank statements in his name but only from March this year as we always expected his UK working contract and Visa to be extended so (foolishly) were lax about updating addresses as he could just pick it up from his empty place when he checked up on it. I do have bills showing that electricity and water usage increased after he moved in but don't know if this is grasping at straws. We are going to do wills, hopefully it won't matter that they have only just been done. The quick wedding is an option that we do want to void if possible - doesn't seem as romantic but if it's the only way we can be together then that's what we'll do. Thanks again for your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Re: the wills, I don't think it's an issue that they've only just been done. Putting paperwork together for a visa is often a trigger for people to get on and do other paperwork they'd forgotten about or let lapse. Immigration know and understand this. The fact that you are willing to draw up a legal document naming your partner as beneficiary to your money shows that this is a serious relationship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockDr Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Basically you will be able to apply for the defacto visa 12months from the first piece of evidence that places him in your flat. Are you absolutely sure you've not got anything prior to march? Bills, bank statements, doctors letters, basically anything sent by a company. Otherwise you'll have to get married or apply for the prospective marriage visa. In the meantime, have you already used up your working holiday visa for Australia? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piglet1 Posted August 17, 2011 Share Posted August 17, 2011 Show that there's been transfer of funds between your/his account (i showed i paid the rent and some major items in the household). Letters or postcards, bills, utilities would be very useful. I asked my landlord to write a letter (not stat dec, just a normal letter and signed by him) to mention that we both live under the same roof, both pays the bills, etc. I guess anything at that point of time is very important. Other small items that I've submitted alongside my visa was, our website domain registration. It has our address on it, but no letters or invoice sent, so we printed it from the internet. Also, when we go for holidays, we show both our credit card statements that we share finances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraht001 Posted August 17, 2011 Author Share Posted August 17, 2011 Thanks again everyone for your advice - we don't feel so alone. We definitely don't have any bills as I have owned my flat for 9 years and so everything was salready set up and we just didn't think to change anything (regretting that now). Also my partner is on a PAYG mobile so no bills at all. We have electricity bills and water bills going up at the flat when he moved in and at the place he was leasing they go down dramatically after July. I'm racking my brains for something (I throw most things out) but we did have a dentist friend of mine stay with us in August so I can ask her to write a declaration that he was living there, or do you think it has to be from a company? I'm 34 so don't qualify for a WHV unfortunately. I'll keep thinking, thanks again, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JonnyNI Posted August 19, 2011 Share Posted August 19, 2011 My girlfriend and I have been living together from March 2009 but because my home place is only about 2 miles up the road I haven't bothered changing addresses for bank statements etc. Also as my girlfriend opened an account in the same bank as me (my friend in the manager) so all her bank statements and the joint account statement go to my Mums house too. We obviously have bills etc. coming to the house we are living in but the whole thing is a bit complicated to explain... I was going to be completely honest and open in my application (just about to post off my girlfriends architectural skills assessment today) when the time comes. What do you guys reckon?? Is that the best way to go or should I try to rationalise everything to one address at this stage???? :wacko: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraht001 Posted January 16, 2012 Author Share Posted January 16, 2012 Hi Well 5 months after I posted this query, I have today received my 309 visa! Just thought I would say thanks again to the people who helped above and hopefully reassure other people who may be concerned about a seeming lack of evidence. I sent in the information I mentioned above and we also had a hotel booking confirmation from August 2010 in my boyfriends name but with our address on. We had a number of statutory declarations and holiday bookings throughout our relationship so maybe they helped - I guess we'll never know exactly what. Three months today I will be on the plane - excited and scared! Thanks again, although I have not posted I have been on this site a lot over the past few months and it has really helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gazsmith Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 Try and think of any hotel stays or holidays together, Showing proof of the relationship is paramount even if not living together! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SamP Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I had a similar problem with my flat. The one thing that we found (could vary by CO) was that they wanted evidence for generally every 2 month period. So from September through to September in our case. We used my partners payslips, a letter from the Australian Tax Office about her student loan along with shared iteneries for travel and things like that. They did something want official documents for each of those 2 month periods. Payslips definitely made out the majority of our documentation, try and balance it with your Australian referee's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fnb71 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Congratulations saraht001! You must be so pleased! If possible, could you give me an idea of what evidence you submitted with your application? Kind regards HiWell 5 months after I posted this query, I have today received my 309 visa! Just thought I would say thanks again to the people who helped above and hopefully reassure other people who may be concerned about a seeming lack of evidence. I sent in the information I mentioned above and we also had a hotel booking confirmation from August 2010 in my boyfriends name but with our address on. We had a number of statutory declarations and holiday bookings throughout our relationship so maybe they helped - I guess we'll never know exactly what. Three months today I will be on the plane - excited and scared! Thanks again, although I have not posted I have been on this site a lot over the past few months and it has really helped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saraht001 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Congratulations saraht001! You must be so pleased! If possible, could you give me an idea of what evidence you submitted with your application? Kind regards Thanks fnb71, we are delighted - my boyfriend has been back in Oz since June so we can't wait to restart our lives together! Apologies for the delayed reply, I've been off visiting people as part of my farewell tour :-) In addition to the required documents eg police certificates, we sent the following: - bank statements showing transfers of money between accounts (these weren't regular times or amounts) - summary of electricity charges showing those at the flat we shared increasing once we moved in together and those of the flat my boyfriend rented going down. - various flight confirmations and photos of us in the places these flights were to - my boyfriend's will showing me as beneficiary (mine was not ready at time of application and we were not asked for this) - copies of mobile phone bills showing contact throughout our time in the UK together - Skype records showing contact once my boyfriend had returned to Australia - a couple of official letters addressed to my boyfriend at our flat once the rental agreement ended at his property - 2 statutory declarations from Australian citizens confirming our relationship plus a letter of support from each of my boyfriend's parents. - 4 letters of support from UK citizens (3 friends plus my parents) as they knew us better than the Australian contacts. All mentioned the dates of our relationship. - I also sent proof of my savings and professional qualification. It felt like a lot at the time and took a long time to pull together but now doesn't look like much! We were not asked for anything else after submission. I hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fnb71 Posted January 23, 2012 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Thanks so much saraht001, don't worry about the delayed reply, I can imagine you are super busy at the moment. A lot of the evidence you have mentioned is similar to what we have pulled together, like you we have found it is a time consuming excercise with not much to show at the end of it!! I would rather provide too much information than not enough so thank you for giving me a better idea of what to supply. It's also good to know that you weren't asked for any further information after submission. Good luck with your future plans and I wish you both well in your new life together. cheers x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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