Guest nick2704 Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Hi all! Newbie poster here: I have already found this website such an amazing resource of great information over the last few months, but now its getting to the time where I need to think about gathering my evidence for the visa, and would appreciate some of you guys thoughts!! My partner Scott is from Perth and I am from Glasgow. We are applying as de facto's as we are a same-sex couple. I am planning to apply off-shore. We first met in 2005, and I stayed with him in Perth on a tourist and then student visa for over a year, although we have no documents from that period apart from my documents from TAFE. We decided to end the relationship late in 06 after I returned to the UK, but got back in touch in Spring 09, when we decided we did actually want to be with each other. Scott saved for a year and came to the UK on a Youth Mobility Visa in April 2010. He has been working in hospitality and I in the public sector, and he has a good number of friends as well as joint friends who have known the both of us since he got here. Also all his family and friends from back in Perth remember me when I was there in 05/06. His parents are also visiting and staying with us for a few weeks later this yr. When he got here, I was just about to graduate from Uni, and we stayed with my family from April till October, and have letters from banks etc addressed to each of us to that one address. We then set up a joint bank account in October 2010 and got our first joint lease, and also have joint phone bills, gas, electric and council tax in both our names. We have a joint lease up to April 2012, at which point his Youth Mobility Visa runs out and he is going back to Perth. I want to send off my application by Jan 2012, with a view to moving over there around October 2012, so I can move back with family and save for a good 6 months when Scott is back in Perth. I am most worried about the one year relationship requirement, and also if me needing to prove I have support when I get there will be a factor? What we do have: - Joint leases from Oct 2010 - Joint bank account from Oct 2010, with all our joint expenses coming out of it and us paying in half of the total each month. - Joint names on phone bills, gas, electric, council tax from Oct 2010 - About 30 Christmas cards and invitations - Joint email account with receipts for purchases, tickets, special offers etc - So far a dozen good photos of us with friends, with my family, from when his parents visit, so plan to take plenty then and also when our two families meet up. - There is about 30 possible family and friends in Perth and about same here who can do stat declarations for us, and will remember me from when I lived with him there in 05/06. - Payslips and P60s for the pair of us since mid 2010. - Almost daily email correspondence between both of us from November 2009 untill he arrived in April 2010, which references the time we were together previously too. - Official letters from banks etc addressed to us individually, but which show we stayed at the same address from when he first arrived in April 2010 till we got our own place in October. - I graduated from Uni in 2010, and thankfully found a good job in Jan this yr. Im saving everything for the visa, so wont have a very big bank balance when I apply, but should have £5-6k when I plan to go late in 2012. Similar with Scott, he has little savings, altho his mum & dad own their own home etc. (we're only 23 & 24, no property to speak of yet!) What I am concerned about: Will we be able to satisfy that our relationship intends to continue based on the fact we had such a large gap between when we first met and now? We plan to have some sort of partnership or ceremony perhaps later into 2013 once I am settled into Perth and can afford it! We should mention this in our own statements? Scott has been working in the UK since 2010, not in Oz, although was working in Oz up untill he left, will we need to prove anything about him being able to support me? When I first arrive late in 2012, the plan is to stay with his family and look for our own place once I find work. My Dad and his wife are both Australian permanent residents, and both live in Perth, would evidence of this help? Also would this help in terms of evidence to support me when I first arrive? My Dad also applied for the partner visa when he moved over with his Australian wife a few years ago. He warned me that I need to overwhelm them with info, and that they can be quite suspicious of same-sex couples. Sorry for the info overload there! Be so good to hear your guys suggestions (or reassurances!) for what kind of evidence is needed or that we should have! Thanks guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MM2Melb Posted September 3, 2011 Share Posted September 3, 2011 Hi Nick, I don't think you have to worry. It sounds like a normal well document spouse visa application. There is lots of info about what to include on the various threads on here. The fact that your dad & his wife live in oz is helpful, get them and your partner's parents to do stat decs and maybe a couple more. Documentary evidence is good ie leases and official letters. You probably wouldn't get the 100 visa I think (ie the permanent visa initially without 2 year temp) because of the split in the middle but that also means that there is no need to *prove* the time in 2005. You can submit UK payslips (for both of you) this just proves you have supported yourselves and means you don't have to get an assurance of support. If they want one then maybe you dad could provide? Be honest and include all of the info about current and future plans in the statements. Ours were about 1.5 pages each but we are married etc so didn't need to spell everything out as much as a defacto couple would. Good luck, Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellieboots Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Hi Nick, All your evidence sounds good and I don't think the gap in the middle should cause you too much of a problem as long you explain it in your statements. UK payslips for your sponsor is fine - we had got married in the UK and stayed there for almost 3 years afterwards, so all of my husband's payslips were UK ones - this is fine, they just want to see that you can support each other. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoandJon Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 All the info looks good Scott, the other advantage you have is that you've lived in Oz before so know what you're getting into - so it's unlikely you'll be a ping-pong If you are planning on having a committment ceremony of some-sort I'd mention it in your statement (just make sure your OH does too!) because it shows your intentions for the future. My statement was about 6 pages long, but hubby's was only 1.5 pages (and I had to remind him that he should put in his statement that he loves me....) Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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