# Partner Visa - Best way to present application?



## AaronChadburger

Hi, my partner and I are in the final stages of getting all our documents ready to submit. We are applying for an offshore partner visa and after having read all the information multiple times, we are confident that we have compiled all the necessary documents.

I have a few things that are still unclear and was wondering if anyone could help us out:

First, we are unsure of the best way to present our documents to the immigration department. Should we use a folder, include an index, table of contents...? Which method would ensure the application was easy to understand and able to be assessed easily? I have written quite a long statement about the history of our relationship, should I attach some photos to the relevant pages of the statement, or is it best to keep all the photos together? 
This may seem like a small detail and I guess it is probably the least important aspect of the application, however I can't seem to decide on the most straightforward method.
If anyone has any tips or experiences they can share, I would appreciate it greatly.

The second question is regarding photos. We have made color copies of more than 100 photos that we had stored on our computer. There are no "originals" of these photos as they are digital files. We have printed them on a4 paper with two on each page. Above the photos we have written the date and place each photo was taken and identified any other people in the photo. Do these short statements on the photos need to be notarised to prove they are true? Also, is this the best way to present photos? 

I also have one more quick question regarding evidence. We have some christmas and anniversary cards that have been sent to us over the years by my mum and grandmother. We no longer have the envelopes, and they are not dated, however they are all addressed to both of us and include short letters. Could these be used as further evidence of our relationship?

If anyone can offer any tips we would really appreciate it. 
Thanks!


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## Wanderer

You should not only use the application Checklist but it needs to be included with your application and kind of is an index in itself.
100 photos are way way way too too many and half a dozen are more than ample for photos may show you together but they are not hard evidence of your relationship and nor is your statement and it is more background stuff.
Too much in it and it can be too much too, so precise dot point stuff is more the way.
You do need the hard evidence to show being together, a lease agreement where available, utility accounts, bills, memberships or any other formal documentation to a common address.

There used to be a statement in some visa application info re not using folders and though that may not be about anymore it still probably applies for someone posted recently on how they were able to attend somewhere to lodge and the very first thing that occurred was all their stuff being pulled out of plastic envelopes in a folder.

That's a good indication of what is required and how much, just enough so you can fit it in a reasonable size paper clip/clamp.


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## Zultan

Wanderer said:


> There used to be a statement in some visa application info re not using folders and though that may not be about anymore it still probably applies for someone posted recently on how they were able to attend somewhere to lodge and the very first thing that occurred was all their stuff being pulled out of plastic envelopes in a folder.


I think this is what you're referring to (it is in regard to partner visas):

*How Should I Put My Application Together?*
Please do not make complex collations of your application papers. We waste a lot of time (and risk injury to life and limb) deconstructing applications which have been extensively stapled or artfully put together in complex folders with indexes, dividers and tabs. Do not use plastic inserts. Please leave the papers, loosely divided by slide-on paper clips if you feel it is absolutely necessary, in a simple stack. Application form on the top; sponsorship form next; key personal documents next (birth and marriage certificates etc); formal statutory declarations next; and other supporting documents last.

Please do not send us video tapes or photograph albums. If you would like to support your claims with photographs, please choose a representative selection and make a photocopy.

Please do not send us phone cards at all as they can tell us nothing. If you wish to send examples of correspondence, please be very selective and send copies only.


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## AaronChadburger

Thanks again for your help wanderer.
I remember reading somewhere (perhaps somewhere on this or another forum) that about 80 photos was normal, but perhaps I was confused. I have not read any official advice from the immigration department on the number photos needed, only that it should be a 'representative sample'. 
I will definitely cut down on the number of photos, as the package I have now does seem excessively bulky.
Thanks for the advice.


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## AaronChadburger

Zultan, thanks for posting that.
Is that statement from the immigration department? Is it current?
Thanks again.


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## Wanderer

I'd think that 80 photos was normally still way too much, 10 to a dozen at the outside and even then, the CO may hardly look at them unless there's something like a Rat running across the doorstep of 10 Downing street or an elephant fornicating with a giraffe in the background.


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## AaronChadburger

Thanks as always wanderer. Not only very helpful, but you gave me a chuckle as well. Cheers.


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## Zultan

it comes from this email :: The Joy of Emigration: A Useful Email


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## Wanderer

Worth noting too when you read the full context of that particular section in the email that there's *lots of Please, please and more pleases!* compared to all the other other stuff, a generic extract from Immi info.

Nearly down on their knees! I expect - please just send funny photos to lighten our days!


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## Marcantony

Perhaps this should be stickied? There is useful information here I have not seen elsewhere.


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## Wanderer

It's more general Marc and the email is specific to the UK office.
We already have a sticky re a partner visa application tips.


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## sugarstoned

This is very helpful as I am asking the same questions. Thanks!


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## Barrbcow

Hi Aaron, Just wanted to let you know another thing you could also include in your application is a copy from your superannuation showing you have each other as a beneficiary. You can usually get these online from you super's website. Goodluck


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## Adyhottie

is there anybody who can still add for more tips in presenting a partner visa?


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## iain

Adyhottie said:


> is there anybody who can still add for more tips in presenting a partner visa?


Following another suggestion I saw (possibly on the elkitten sticky?), I numbered all my dozens of bits of relationship evidence, in chronological order. I then made a stat dec that was an index to all this evidence - it had the four different headings 'Financial aspects' etc. and under each heading the references to what I'd enclosed & more explanation when needed.

I then used the same numbering on bank statements I enclosed from our joint account. e.g. '#22: utility bill in joint names' => '#22' on the bank statement showing we paid it from the joint account.

I may slightly have a case of OCD 

Regarding staples. I was careful to use no staples in all the many forms and stat decs (except where asked to e.g. Form 160). In the relationship evidence I enclosed originals and left them exactly as was, e.g. if a hotel had stapled the receipt to a bill, I left it that way. The evidence was sent back exactly as was*.

Regarding photos, I used 14, I think. I printed them four to a sheet.

Where you have undated evidence or letters without envelopes and so forth, I did let myself include a very few of those if they were really relevant. Hopefully the case officer will see it the same way.

* The London office does return your relationship evidence (and you must enclose a prepaid envelope for that). But policies differ between the offices.


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## pips

Hi guys,

I put together my application without any staple as suggested here, just nice and tidy and in chronological order and also following the order on the checklist. 
I also divided the application in chapters, so there was a paper saying "Medical", "Form 47sp", "Financial Aspect -statement -bills -etc", at the top of each section.


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## suzannah

I'm literally just starting to put together this application for my husband, and I'm feeling really overwhelmed by all the stuff we need! This thread has helped a bit though, so thanks.


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## AussieinRI

We just submitted our offshore partner visa about 10 days ago. We finally got our confirmation email. We still need to send in the FBI clearance and medical certificates though, I just wanted to have the rest of the papers there. I ended up just putting everything in the envelope without any clips or folders. I was so exhausted after reading and re-reading those damn forms over and over to make sure I didn't miss anything. I included about 8 or so photos that I printed out. I did the best I could with the application but I am pretty confident that photos of our 5 year old and our newest ultrasound photos should be enough. We have been married for over 7 years so I can't see any real reason that my husband would be rejected. I just wish the wait was over already. I can't stand the thought of another winter in Rhode Island.


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## suzannah

I think that's what I'm going to do - just put it all together, in order, and hope for the best. 
You'd think that two kids and being married for 5 years would be enough! Fingers crossed.

Congratulations on your pregnancy. Like you, I just cannot face the idea of another winter spent in the UK - I want a proper christmas for my kids this year!! Let's hope it works out for ALL of us 



AussieinRI said:


> We just submitted our offshore partner visa about 10 days ago. We finally got our confirmation email. We still need to send in the FBI clearance and medical certificates though, I just wanted to have the rest of the papers there. I ended up just putting everything in the envelope without any clips or folders. I was so exhausted after reading and re-reading those damn forms over and over to make sure I didn't miss anything. I included about 8 or so photos that I printed out. I did the best I could with the application but I am pretty confident that photos of our 5 year old and our newest ultrasound photos should be enough. We have been married for over 7 years so I can't see any real reason that my husband would be rejected. I just wish the wait was over already. I can't stand the thought of another winter in Rhode Island.


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## gnrlies

We put ours altogether in a rather bulging folder. All documents were removed and placed in a brown envelope. On the day of submission we received about half our documents back, probably a sign we gave more rather than less than what was required.

I guess the moral of the story here is that presentation doesn't really matter so long as it is easy to follow and everything is in some kind of order. I dont think having a lot of photos is a bad thing, just so long as those photos are different. Theres no point having 100 photos of the both of you in some indiscriminate place. We had photos with both sets of parents, friends, in different cities. It helped tell a narrative. In that sense I think more photos is actually helpful, but certainly overkill is wasting your time - they wont look at them.


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## pinay

................


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## aussiegirl

*NOTE*
This thread is strictly for information only and *NOT* for chatting like other threads. If you want to chat to eachother, please use private messages or start your own thread.

Thanks for you cooperation.


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## aussiegirl

My husband and I lodged his partner application in person after making an appointment and we had an interview straight away. I had taken a lot of time making my own contents page, but the CO didn't look at it, and sorted through the evidence, making notes on certain documents about what they were and circling certain things on some documents for her own reference later. I had used paper clips to keep everything together, but she later took them off the application forms and stapled them herself.

So, the lesson I learned is don't spend too much time in presentation. As long as everything is clear and in some kind of order (maybe using the checklist from the DIAC site) when submitted. The CO is just going to pull it all appart and place in whatever order makes sense to them. 

Also, it's better to include too much evidence than not enough. Our CO handed some things back that she didn't even look at, like our cards to eachother as well as a couple of our bank passbooks. She also took copies of our lease contracts since they were originals so that we could keep them.


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## Kylie

*Neat and tidy, easy to understand does the trick!*

We presented ours in an accordion type file, arranged in order of the checklist. I labelled each divider with a sticky label and wrote on them each checklist heading, so it was easy to understand. Eg; Form 47sp, Evidence of Relationship (Shared bills), Evidence of Relationship (Shared travel), Health Check, Police Check, Birth Certificates...

We handed it in on Friday 3/6/11 after lunch and got our approval on Monday 6/6/11 !!!

Practically only one business day!!!

I was so happy I cried when my boyfriend showed me the approval letter!


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## samhat

Kylie said:


> We presented ours in an accordion type file, arranged in order of the checklist. I labelled each divider with a sticky label and wrote on them each checklist heading, so it was easy to understand. Eg; Form 47sp, Evidence of Relationship (Shared bills), Evidence of Relationship (Shared travel), Health Check, Police Check, Birth Certificates...
> 
> We handed it in on Friday 3/6/11 after lunch and got our approval on Monday 6/6/11 !!!
> 
> Practically only one business day!!!
> 
> I was so happy I cried when my boyfriend showed me the approval letter!


oh wow! that was quick, where were you applying from? offshore/onshore? and did you make an appointment together to hand in the application? Im appying now for a defacto partner visa (im scottish, partners aussie) and im wanting it done as quick as possible and im just wondering how you had yours done so quick because whatever it was im going to try it haha!


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## staycritical

good info, boookmarking the hell out of this page!


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## iriekid

finally got approved today


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## kofebear

Like most people have said in previous threads, the visa office is not looking for some extravagant compilation; whilst collecting all the information we separated all our documentation and evidence into folders with plastic pockets, which we took to the visa office. They then transfer it into a "manila type" folder

We not only used the checklist included with the 47SP form, we included an extra checklist found on the official Australian visa website, and we made our own coversheets; split into 3 sections: application documentation, evidence, and telphone records (we put this into its own category because we had alot of phone records). We held everything together with those black "foldback clips". We provided 40 photos with the application in the simple paper packet we'd received the photos in from the photo developer.

I'd say overall our application was around 7-10cm thick of stacked papers.

Remember to order everything according to the order outlined in the 47SP checklist


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## Michael.Tran

Wanderer, 
Can our written statements be typed out and signed by hand?
And also Sydney's immi offices are advising me to post them instead of 
sending them to the offices personally, My Partner's Student visa expires in the next 2 months do you think i'll receive my partner's bridging visa in time?

Thankyou for giving us direction,

Mike.


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## SarahM

Yes, you can type them out and sign by hand, that's fine.
They do prefer that you send in the application by post, but you don't have to. I went there in person because my husband's visa was expiring the following day, and they issued a Bridging visa on the spot.

As long as you put your application in the post at least 2 weeks before your partner's student visa expires, then the Bridging visa will be issued in time. Still, if you want to go in person just go.



Michael.Tran said:


> Wanderer,
> Can our written statements be typed out and signed by hand?
> And also Sydney's immi offices are advising me to post them instead of
> sending them to the offices personally, My Partner's Student visa expires in the next 2 months do you think i'll receive my partner's bridging visa in time?
> 
> Thankyou for giving us direction,
> 
> Mike.


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## Bea Mazur

The same question is going through my mind more often these days as me and my partner are getting closer to the date of lodging our application (still lots to do though!)

Anyway, reading all this plus what I have read in the Booklet and on the websites and baring in mind information found in the "Unofficial Tips" Post, we will try to keep things clear and as simple as possible, even though we will probably write our own list of enclosed documents (and put numbers on pages - do you think it is a good idea?) add a few additional letters explaining few documents and dividing our declarations into sections ( general stat dec, on our finances, nature of household)...

In the end we will clip documents together into appropriate sections, organize them accordingly and pack it into big envelope (hope it will fit!)

Hope this is the right approach. 


(all this is giving me a constant headache,though. but it is worth it!


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## MArk Harrison

Just wondering if a return envelope has to also be included for a prospective marriage Visa (we are sending to Indonesia (im sending from australia)) and on the australian ebassy website in jarkta when talking about general visas it says to include a return envelope... this is the first i have heard of it.... im sending tomorow mornng so would appreciate any help!


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## nighstar

@MArk Harrison

each embassy handles applications differently, so if the Australian embassy in Indonesia says to include a return envelope i would go ahead and include it. maybe it's their policy to return certain evidence-- who knows? doesn't hurt to include the envelope, right?


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## miniature.moose

Just posted ours yesterday after many months of waiting on documents, etc (the usual). I tried to make it as simple as possible. I only used two paperclips- one for each envelope containing passport photos (attached these to the sponsor/applicant forms, respectively). I didn't use any staples. When I wanted to group things together I just folded an A4 piece of paper in half and inserted the docs into the middle of it. I have a friend who works in a government dept and she informed me that they always send documents simply tied in ribbon. So I basically just put all the documents together (big stack) and wrapped them up like you would a present. A Christmas gift for the Berlin Embassy . Anyway, it will be very easy to unravel, not fidgety at all. There are probably better ways to do it but I felt this was nice and simple.


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## Laura81ita

sorry, I haven't read all this post...I'm going to apply next monday, we have an appointment at the office..
I was wandering...should we put all files in a big envelop?
We have a lever arch file with 7/8 transparent envelops....
i don't care to have it back...but is it ok to apply with that?
thank you


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## SarahM

Laura81ita said:


> sorry, I haven't read all this post...I'm going to apply next monday, we have an appointment at the office..
> I was wandering...should we put all files in a big envelop?
> We have a lever arch file with 7/8 transparent envelops....
> i don't care to have it back...but is it ok to apply with that?
> thank you


The best way to go is to put everything in a neat pile without transparent envelops. That's what they prefer. You can use a folder to hold all the documents together but don't use plastic pockets. They have to photocopy a lot of things so you'd just make it harder for them.


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## OliviaG

Laura81ita said:


> sorry, I haven't read all this post...I'm going to apply next monday, we have an appointment at the office..
> I was wandering...should we put all files in a big envelop?
> We have a lever arch file with 7/8 transparent envelops....
> i don't care to have it back...but is it ok to apply with that?
> thank you


Don't bother with the lever arch folder and plastic envelopes. Just paperclip relevent pages you feel should go together into bundles and present a neat stack of the paperwork in correct bundle order. If you like for your purposes to keep the stack together use a manilla folder. From my experience I found they just gave me the manilla folder back though and just took from me my stack of paperwork that I had bundled into sections with paperclips. They transferred this to a plastic tray and that was the last I saw. I questioned how they keep all the paperwork together and was told each application has it's own plastic tray/tub. Not sure if that's true, but hey.


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## OliviaG

samhat said:


> oh wow! that was quick, where were you applying from? offshore/onshore? and did you make an appointment together to hand in the application? Im appying now for a defacto partner visa (im scottish, partners aussie) and im wanting it done as quick as possible and im just wondering how you had yours done so quick because whatever it was im going to try it haha!


I found Kylie's timeline from another post she's made... Yes sooo quick. It must have been a very straightforward application. I'm jealous! 

.....

" We got ours the NEXT business day!!! 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date of application: Friday 3/06/11 around 1pm

Nationality: English

Visa type: De Facto

Offshore/onshore: Onshore

Medicals submitted (yes/no): Yes

Police check submitted (yes/no): Yes

Date CO assigned: 3/06/11

Date visa granted: Monday 6/06/11 "


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## Leanne

*My application*

Finally my application is finished and ready to send! After taking tips from this site this is how we presented the forms:

All pages were loose, no staples or anything.

Cover letter saying that we have a baby not included in the application since he is already Australian. I also wrote that we are going to Australia in January 2012 for a holiday and included my husbands tourist visa and our booking confirmation.

Applicants form
Blank page with this written: Proof of identity, proof of Australian citizenship. After this copies of our passports and my Aus birth certificate. I also included my husbands military service documents and marriage certificate here.

Next Sponsorship form
After Stat decs x 4.

Next blank page with FINANCE and a little sentence about what is to follow, joint bank account, payslips etc...
I used post it notes on the front of the documents if I had to write something, and I used these too to stick together the original documents with the translations.

Next blank page with title Joint Travel and a little sentence about place and dates for example: Paris 10.10.09-13.10.09
I included all ticket stubs and computer print outs that I could find. I used a little bulldog clip to stick the ticket stubs together.

Next blank page with Residential Proof and information about each document as these are in Italian with translations, but not so clear as to what they are for.

Next blank page with Postal Proof. Included postcards for us both, cards from my parents for my husband, wedding cards.

Next Internet Proof. I have a blog so printed pages from this. I printed our facebook pages where friends have commented about us both. I printed my mobile phone deal which shows my husband as being my free number to call. We printed emails we have sent to the other over the year.

Last but not least cards, joint invitations, and photos. 1 page for each year we have been together, which is 5 years. About 5 photos per page showing us in different countries, with each others families, our wedding, with the baby etc...

Hope this helps others! I found title pages to be a great help in making the application as clear as possible. We put it all into a plastic folder pocket thing and then into the big envelope. It weighs about 1kg!


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## twww

Leanne said:


> Hope this helps others! I found title pages to be a great help in making the application as clear as possible. *We put it all into a plastic folder pocket thing* and then into the big envelope. It weighs about 1kg!


You may want check this.

In my case, the Aust. Embassy in Tokyo specifically mention: "Please do not place your application and supporting documents in a folder or file."

I've read on here of others that say the same.


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## Leanne

twww said:


> You may want check this.
> 
> In my case, the Aust. Embassy in Tokyo specifically mention: "Please do not place your application and supporting documents in a folder or file."
> 
> I've read on here of others that say the same.


Opps! Too late, I have already sent the application with the folder. but it was just the one folder, none included in the actual application so I hope they don't mind!


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## Laura81ita

So we lodged the application last monday in person!

I wasn't sure on how to present it so we went with a folder with 9 pockets inside.
on the first pocket, the table of contents
on every pocket, a number and description (applicant, sponsor, financial aspects, nature of the household etc...as per the checklist!!!)

We haven't heard anything yet but hopefully it'll be soon!

a note: just be as clear as possible, it doesnt matter if it's in a folder or an envelope, with us it didn't make ANY difference!

ciao!


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## Gerrywins

Hi everyone, 

I am Kenyan and my fiance is Australian. We are preparing to lodge our PMV offshore in Berlin. I have two questions and would appreciate your responses:

1) Will our application still be treated as high risk due despite the fact that we both have been living in German atleast for the past two years.

2) I plan to visit Australia with him immediately after lodging the applications. My question is...is it possible to do the medicals in Australia?

Hope someone can help me out, I am going crazy thinking of this whole process and the potential amount of time we could be apart.

Cheers...

Gerrywins


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## suarez7

This is solid information as my partner and I recently married in December and are having to apply for the Partner visa. We were approved for the Prospective visa before. Now we have to start it all over again. just glad we don't need a lot of photos this time.


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## suarez7

*Patience is a virtue*



Gerrywins said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I am Kenyan and my fiance is Australian. We are preparing to lodge our PMV offshore in Berlin. I have two questions and would appreciate your responses:
> 
> 1) Will our application still be treated as high risk due despite the fact that we both have been living in German atleast for the past two years.
> 
> 2) I plan to visit Australia with him immediately after lodging the applications. My question is...is it possible to do the medicals in Australia?
> 
> Hope someone can help me out, I am going crazy thinking of this whole process and the potential amount of time we could be apart.
> 
> Cheers...
> 
> Gerrywins


Hey there,

I cannot answer those questions but I can give some advise about your time apart and process.

My partner and I had been apart for months on months, but this is a sacrifice we were prepared to make to be together. The process is lengthy but working thoroughly through the paper work and doing your homework online. make a few phone calls if you unsure... It is all worth it in the end. . Its tough, I know because I have been there. Once the wait is over you two will never be apart.


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## RogerA

Hi guys, what about cards and postcards and receipts? Do we need to give them the originals or certified copies?


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## twww

RogerA said:


> Hi guys, what about cards and postcards and receipts? Do we need to give them the originals or certified copies?


I don't believe you need to certify copies of such evidence. If you give them originals they will send it back. I sent them copies. For me, whether this will suffice remains to be seen.

Perhaps someone else can answer with more clarity.


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## whatnext

Only identity or official documents need to be certified. Passports, birth certificates, drivers license, degrees etc


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## Gerrywins

suarez7 said:


> Hey there,
> 
> I cannot answer those questions but I can give some advise about your time apart and process.
> 
> My partner and I had been apart for months on months, but this is a sacrifice we were prepared to make to be together. The process is lengthy but working thoroughly through the paper work and doing your homework online. make a few phone calls if you unsure... It is all worth it in the end. . Its tough, I know because I have been there. Once the wait is over you two will never be apart.


Thank you very much for your reply. We are about to lodge our application and then apply for a 6 month tourist visa for aussie so i can be with him, I know it says that we need to inform our case officer that I will be in aussie so they can know how to contact us.

Will call immigration tomorrow and let you know what happens.


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## Jager206

Hey, im just preparing all my paper work for the 820 Visa and im confused about form 40SP, just in relation to Part D in which it asks about details relating to "Name as shown in passport" and later asks for your passport number, i was under the impression a passport wasnt a requirement for the sponser?, and so what am i to do about the questions?, leave them blank or...?


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## huggoo

Question for old applicants, especially those applying to Berlin : I feel that my wife and I may not have not sent in enough evidence of a genuine relationship. We sent in the minimum stuff required on the forms, but Im concerned now that I could have been more. Would you advise sending in additional evidence of a genuine relationship even if we have not been assigned a CO yet? Thanks in advance!


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## huggoo

Jager206 said:


> Hey, im just preparing all my paper work for the 820 Visa and im confused about form 40SP, just in relation to Part D in which it asks about details relating to "Name as shown in passport" and later asks for your passport number, i was under the impression a passport wasnt a requirement for the sponser?, and so what am i to do about the questions?, leave them blank or...?


Jager that is a tricky one. If im not wrong, the sponsor should also in a certified copy of his passport and evidence of australian citizenship / pr.


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## huggoo

suarez7 said:


> Hey there,
> 
> I cannot answer those questions but I can give some advise about your time apart and process.
> 
> My partner and I had been apart for months on months, but this is a sacrifice we were prepared to make to be together. The process is lengthy but working thoroughly through the paper work and doing your homework online. make a few phone calls if you unsure... It is all worth it in the end. . Its tough, I know because I have been there. Once the wait is over you two will never be apart.


Suarez and Gerrywins : my wife called the London hotline. They said once you hear from your CO, you can and should contact him / her to arrange travel on a visitor's visa. get a return ticket. you need to be offshore in order for the 309 (or whichever you applied for) visa to be activated. Offshore can also be NZ. We were also advised that it may be better to spend less time apart if you can otherwise the CO may suspect a non-genuine relationship.


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## JonoG

We put our application in the exact order of the checklist titled - 
Partner Visa: Offshore Temporary and Permanent
(Subclasses 309 and 100)
Application Document Checklist

We used no paper clips or staples as suggested and divided each section with pieces of A4 paper folded in half with a Title and brief description of whats inside. i.e; 
*Financial evidence*
Credit card statement (highlighted and commented on relevant purchases)

We don't have a joint bank account but we did have transfers to one another via paypal so we printed off statements and we were living in Italy and My partner was using my account and we had evidence of her depositing money into it etc.

We had separate sections for Finance, Proof of co-habitation, Travel and Holidays etc all divided with A4 paper folded in half around each section and titled.

It ended up looking really tidy and easy to understand in our opinions but i guess we'll see how it all goes and if it makes a difference presenting it well.

I strongly suggest you follow the checklist though and present it in that order.

All the best!


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## Vyktoria

JonoG said:


> We put our application in the exact order of the checklist titled -
> Partner Visa: Offshore Temporary and Permanent
> (Subclasses 309 and 100)
> Application Document Checklist
> 
> We used no paper clips or staples as suggested and divided each section with pieces of A4 paper folded in half with a Title and brief description of whats inside. i.e;
> *Financial evidence*
> Credit card statement (highlighted and commented on relevant purchases)
> 
> We don't have a joint bank account but we did have transfers to one another via paypal so we printed off statements and we were living in Italy and My partner was using my account and we had evidence of her depositing money into it etc.
> 
> We had separate sections for Finance, Proof of co-habitation, Travel and Holidays etc all divided with A4 paper folded in half around each section and titled.
> 
> It ended up looking really tidy and easy to understand in our opinions but i guess we'll see how it all goes and if it makes a difference presenting it well.
> 
> I strongly suggest you follow the checklist though and present it in that order.
> 
> All the best!


Ah! The A4 paper was a great idea! I did a sort of Table of Contents before the identifying documentation like the copy of passport, marriage cert, etc and then a separate Table of Contents for the evidence of our relationship. The wait after sending everything is seriously the killer lol.


----------



## huggoo

huggoo said:


> Question for old applicants, especially those applying to Berlin : I feel that my wife and I may not have not sent in enough evidence of a genuine relationship. We sent in the minimum stuff required on the forms, but Im concerned now that I could have been more. Would you advise sending in additional evidence of a genuine relationship even if we have not been assigned a CO yet? Thanks in advance!


bumping this post


----------



## JonoG

Vyktoria said:


> Ah! The A4 paper was a great idea! I did a sort of Table of Contents before the identifying documentation like the copy of passport, marriage cert, etc and then a separate Table of Contents for the evidence of our relationship. The wait after sending everything is seriously the killer lol.


It sure is a killer. Good luck!


----------



## huggoo

agree - TOC is indeed a great thing to do. we did something like this in our cover letter.


----------



## Vyktoria

huggoo said:


> bumping this post


I'm on my phone and couldn't find your post that you were bumping but I'll give me 2 cents anyway! If you feel you haven't submitted enough evidence, you can always send more. Just make sure to provide a ToC of what you provide and I would also do a cover letter explaining that you are "sending more evidence because you want to make sure there is no question about your relationship blah blah". Make sure to identify yourself with full name, date of birth, and file number if you have it. I also put my CO's name, just in case, when I sent in extra paperwork.


----------



## huggoo

Thanks Vyktoria! We dont have a CO yet, so we will keep the stuff ready until the CO gives his / her initial feedback. Then we will send it along with TOC and the works . Want to also keep communication to the minimum this way as Berlin seems to be overloaded. but thanks for your reply.


----------



## kissxun

huggoo said:


> Suarez and Gerrywins : my wife called the London hotline. They said once you hear from your CO, you can and should contact him / her to arrange travel on a visitor's visa. get a return ticket. you need to be offshore in order for the 309 (or whichever you applied for) visa to be activated. Offshore can also be NZ. We were also advised that it may be better to spend less time apart if you can otherwise the CO may suspect a non-genuine relationship.


Hi,huggoo

Thanks for ur useful information. My husband is going to submit his partner visa application in Tokyo, but he has his ETA visa as well.

Can he come to visit me after his lodge ? What's that activation mean ?
If he happen to in AUS with me at that time, can he fly to NZ for visa activation ? Or need to return back to Tokyo ??


----------



## huggoo

hi kissxun, short answer is- he should be able to, but please check with your case officer. In practice, it appears that one does not need to wait for a offshore visa to be issued before joining the partner. a tourist visa for the initial months can suffice. But a risk of being sent back may occur if a one-way ticket is used to travel on the tourist visa. ACtivation means that your visa is "set to valid" by the DIAC before you enter Au. If your partner is on tourist visa while in AU, he can fly to NZ / whereever when he hears from Case officer that visa is granted. Once overseas he needs to inform case officer that he is overseas, then the activitation of the visa by the case officer can be carried out. hope this helps?


----------



## kissxun

huggoo said:


> hi kissxun, short answer is- he should be able to, but please check with your case officer. In practice, it appears that one does not need to wait for a offshore visa to be issued before joining the partner. a tourist visa for the initial months can suffice. But a risk of being sent back may occur if a one-way ticket is used to travel on the tourist visa. ACtivation means that your visa is "set to valid" by the DIAC before you enter Au. If your partner is on tourist visa while in AU, he can fly to NZ / whereever when he hears from Case officer that visa is granted. Once overseas he needs to inform case officer that he is overseas, then the activitation of the visa by the case officer can be carried out. hope this helps?


Thanks for ur quick response again.

Yes, we definitely will buy a return ticket for his coming visit. And we won't mind to fly out anywhere to let the visa activated .

We only worry about whether his oversea travel will delay his partner visa application ? Sorry for so many questions...


----------



## sbjapan

*Neat and Tidy*

I just posted my documents for the 2nd stage 309/100 visa.

I made a Table of Contents sheet on top, then had the DIAC checklist next. My evidence was in order based on the checklist.

I did number each document, and list each document on the ToC. This was not really for DIAC - it was for me, to make sure I put everything in the packet that was needed!

I had 10 pictures, printed two per page, to support our "relationship in a social context".

I did slide my documents into a plastic sleeve before putting them into the envelope provided by DIAC. It's rainy season here on the Gold Coast, and I did not want to risk anything getting wet or torn!

No paper clips, and staples only for the checklist and stat decs.

Now for the wait....

Susan


----------



## huggoo

kissxun i would check with the CO. We were told by the hotline in london to apply for partner visa first, then wait for contact with CO, and then advise him / her that we intend to travel on tourist visa to oz to be with our partner.


----------



## kissxun

huggoo said:


> kissxun i would check with the co. We were told by the hotline in london to apply for partner visa first, then wait for contact with co, and then advise him / her that we intend to travel on tourist visa to oz to be with our partner.


big thanks


----------



## jenny0007

hi this is very good forum.to pesent our application neat and clean and request and resrective application to submit


----------



## markjason37

hi, 

the applicant must be in the country where he lodge his application, so your partner should definitely go back.

regards


----------



## whatnext

It depends on if that particular embassy needs your passport after the grant. If your visa will be electronic then you don't need to be in the country where you applied. You just have to be offshore. If the embassy needs your passport it off course would be easier and safer to travel back to your own country.


----------



## Santa

question: do you need a police clearance for the sponsor who has no minors included in the form 47SP?
thank you


----------



## whatnext

Police check for sponsor only required if there are children under 18 included in the application.


----------



## Santa

whatnext said:


> Police check for sponsor only required if there are children under 18 included in the application.


thank You so much for your prompt answer


----------



## Gerrywins

hi guys, just out of curiosity to those people who applied for the prospective marriage visa subclass 300. Did you all provide the 'certificate of no impediment to marry' also known as the certificate of singleness? There seems to be a discrepancy as some COs require it while others actually grant the visa even without this certificate being presented.


----------



## diz21e

Gerrywins said:


> hi guys, just out of curiosity to those people who applied for the prospective marriage visa subclass 300. Did you all provide the 'certificate of no impediment to marry' also known as the certificate of singleness? There seems to be a discrepancy as some COs require it while others actually grant the visa even without this certificate being presented.


Hi there,

My partner and I just had our visa approved. Yes submit it, thats the proof that matters the most for the whole visa. 
The more you have the better


----------



## Gerrywins

diz21e said:


> Hi there,
> 
> My partner and I just had our visa approved. Yes submit it, thats the proof that matters the most for the whole visa.
> The more you have the better


Hi diz21e, thanks for your reply. I didnt submitit with the application as it takes so long to get it from my home country.

My CO called to say that she went through my application and was pleased that it looks complete. So she said that she will have one more look at it tomorrow to confirm that everything is there and then she will grant my visa in the next few days. She also sent me back all the relationship evidence I had provided..which some people say is a good sign. Now just crossing my fingers


----------



## LovingWife

*How we presented & lodged our application*

After a lot of sweat and tears, we managed to get ALL of our documents together, translated and certified and have FINALLY lodged our application recently. Hooray!

I am extremely lucky to be situated in Berlin, so I lodged my application in person.

When the Client Liaison Officer saw the way in which I had prepared and presented my application, she said "WOW! What beautiful work".

HOWEVER, it seems that I went to TOO much trouble in making it very organised, as it wasn't really that necessary. I had bought a beautiful folder and had everything catagorised and each tab was labelled with its' contents.

I had to pull all the paperwork out, so that she could stamp everything and then use Immi's filing system and had to take the folder home.

What we both found to be useful was a List of Contents which I typed up, together with the Checklist, Immi provides.

Heading: Partner Visa: Offshore Temporary and Permanent (Subclasses 309 and 100) & Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner

Table of Contents:

1.	Application Document Checklist

2.	The Applicant
Form 47SP - Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner
Certified copy of passport
Four recent passport photos
Certified copy of birth certificate
Certified copy of divorce papers
Translation of divorce papers
List of travel destinations and travel dates during 2001 - 2011

3.	The Sponsor
Form 40SP - Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia
Certified copy of passport
Four recent passport photos
Certified copy of birth certificate
Certified copy of divorce papers

4.	Commitment of Relationship - Evidence that Relationship is Genuine
Statement prepared by applicant
Statement prepared by sponsor
Live chats, emails and SMS messages during periods of separation

5.	History of our Relationship
Emails, live chats and SMS messages from date of meeting to wedding (only 3 months)
Timeline leading up to meeting & wedding date

6.	Details on our Wedding
Certified copy of marriage certificate
Wedding photos and invitation

7.	Our Home
Photos of our apartment
Copy of Lease Agreement in both names
German legal verification of joint address
Bills in both names
Correspondence/cards/envelopes sent to our current address

8.	Financial Aspects of Relationship
Copies of debit cards for joint bank account
Statement of our current bank account balance
Both Wills

9.	Holidays & Social Photos together
Holidays snaps of our trips together
Copies of travel bookings and boarding passes (where possible)

10.	Supporting Witness Declarations
Form 888 - Statutory Declarations by family and friends

11.	Joint Employment Prospects & CV's (optional)
Professional Profile - the applicant
Professional Profile - the sponsor
Letters of potential employment by employers in Australia

If I was posting the Application, I probably wouldn't even use plastic sleeves to segrate everything. Just have everything in some sort of sequence.

Good luck everyone!
Loving Wife


----------



## mentaloxide

Great thread!

Does anyone here know if there is another kind of VISA aside from the Tourist or Partner Migration VISA for a married couple (Australian CItizen - Me, Colombian Citizen - My wife) to simply visit Australia. We simply want to visit family and friends for Xmas each year and do not intend to live in Australia, so the Tourist VISA seems insufficient and the PMV seems over the top for our needs. Does anyone know of another option?


----------



## Miss Swan

LovingWife said:


> After a lot of sweat and tears, we managed to get ALL of our documents together, translated and certified and have FINALLY lodged our application recently. Hooray!
> 
> I am extremely lucky to be situated in Berlin, so I lodged my application in person.
> 
> When the Client Liaison Officer saw the way in which I had prepared and presented my application, she said "WOW! What beautiful work".
> 
> HOWEVER, it seems that I went to TOO much trouble in making it very organised, as it wasn't really that necessary. I had bought a beautiful folder and had everything catagorised and each tab was labelled with its' contents.
> 
> I had to pull all the paperwork out, so that she could stamp everything and then use Immi's filing system and had to take the folder home.
> 
> What we both found to be useful was a List of Contents which I typed up, together with the Checklist, Immi provides.
> 
> Heading: Partner Visa: Offshore Temporary and Permanent (Subclasses 309 and 100) & Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner
> 
> Table of Contents:
> 
> 1.	Application Document Checklist
> 
> 2.	The Applicant
> Form 47SP - Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner
> Certified copy of passport
> Four recent passport photos
> Certified copy of birth certificate
> Certified copy of divorce papers
> Translation of divorce papers
> List of travel destinations and travel dates during 2001 - 2011
> 
> 3.	The Sponsor
> Form 40SP - Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia
> Certified copy of passport
> Four recent passport photos
> Certified copy of birth certificate
> Certified copy of divorce papers
> 
> 4.	Commitment of Relationship - Evidence that Relationship is Genuine
> Statement prepared by applicant
> Statement prepared by sponsor
> Live chats, emails and SMS messages during periods of separation
> 
> 5.	History of our Relationship
> Emails, live chats and SMS messages from date of meeting to wedding (only 3 months)
> Timeline leading up to meeting & wedding date
> 
> 6.	Details on our Wedding
> Certified copy of marriage certificate
> Wedding photos and invitation
> 
> 7.	Our Home
> Photos of our apartment
> Copy of Lease Agreement in both names
> German legal verification of joint address
> Bills in both names
> Correspondence/cards/envelopes sent to our current address
> 
> 8.	Financial Aspects of Relationship
> Copies of debit cards for joint bank account
> Statement of our current bank account balance
> Both Wills
> 
> 9.	Holidays & Social Photos together
> Holidays snaps of our trips together
> Copies of travel bookings and boarding passes (where possible)
> 
> 10.	Supporting Witness Declarations
> Form 888 - Statutory Declarations by family and friends
> 
> 11.	Joint Employment Prospects & CV's (optional)
> Professional Profile - the applicant
> Professional Profile - the sponsor
> Letters of potential employment by employers in Australia
> 
> If I was posting the Application, I probably wouldn't even use plastic sleeves to segrate everything. Just have everything in some sort of sequence.
> 
> Good luck everyone!
> Loving Wife


Loving Wife, excellent post! I really love it and it will be helping me IMMENSELY when I put in my application. I'm 90% there with my personal documentation and I'll have to bug my Aussie partner to put together his paperwork as soon as he can.

Good luck and all the best to your application!


----------



## LovingWife

Miss Swan said:


> Loving Wife, excellent post! I really love it and it will be helping me IMMENSELY when I put in my application. I'm 90% there with my personal documentation and I'll have to bug my Aussie partner to put together his paperwork as soon as he can.
> 
> Good luck and all the best to your application!


Thanks Miss Swan, for your kind comments.

Initially, I found the whole paperwork process quite daunting and nerve wrecking.

However, upon reflection, if you provide as much information as clearly and as thoroughly possible and ensure that you cover EVERY single aspect requested with the initial lodgement, the timing of the receipt of your visa should be minimal (according to my Case Office anyway).

Good luck with your preparations and future plans.
X


----------



## Miss Swan

LovingWife said:


> However, upon reflection, if you provide as much information as clearly and as thoroughly possible and ensure that you cover EVERY single aspect requested with the initial lodgement, the timing of the receipt of your visa should be minimal (according to my Case Office anyway).


I hope that's the case for me! I've been so stressed these few days, trying to cover every nook and cranny of the application. I've read so many different versions of the approval timeline that I don't know what to think anymore. Some applicants had theirs approved in days or within a month, some had to wait out the full 5-6 months even though the CO said they met all requirements but they are being put in the queue for approval now. I've lost a kilo in one week!

What's complicating my application further is the fact that it's so difficult to obtain a PCC from China when I have no ties there anymore (I've done my checking, calling and research). I'm definitely worrying in advance as I haven't lodged my application yet, but this is bugging me badly. I have no idea how DIAC will look at this, or whether they will be understanding about it.


----------



## LovingWife

Hi Miss Swan,

I feel your pain and anxiety. I know how it feels. 

Is the PC, the only thing you are missing? Why not lodge your application and get the ball rolling and wait to be asked for the PC? You can then explain to your CO, that you are onto it and are waiting for the information. Alternatively, the CO may come up with an idea as to how you can obtain the PC quickly. Seems like such a shame to hold up your application, over one piece of missing information.

Does anyone else reading this thread, have any ideas???

Hugs to you, Miss Swan. Hang in there.


----------



## Miss Swan

LovingWife said:


> Hi Miss Swan,
> 
> I feel your pain and anxiety. I know how it feels.
> 
> Is the PC, the only thing you are missing? Why not lodge your application and get the ball rolling and wait to be asked for the PC? You can then explain to your CO, that you are onto it and are waiting for the information. Alternatively, the CO may come up with an idea as to how you can obtain the PC quickly. Seems like such a shame to hold up your application, over one piece of missing information.
> 
> Does anyone else reading this thread, have any ideas???
> 
> Hugs to you, Miss Swan. Hang in there.


Thanks LovingWife, you've been so encouraging and supportive! I'd say the PCCs are one of the very few documents left pending. I've worked very hard at collecting the relationship evidence. Yeah you're right, I should actually wait for my CO's advice when I've lodged the application, and explain to her what I've found out and see what the CO can advise.

When I asked other Oz expats in a forum who were living in China about this couple of years back, they acknowledged that this is a near-to-impossible task and I should explain this to the CO who should have knowledge that it's really hard to produce PCCs from certain countries.


----------



## LovingWife

That's the spirit, Miss Swan! 

Keep being optimistic. It's the only way.


----------



## crystalejacobs

Ooooh so you mean my neatly file-fastened paper pack with smiley faces and arrows will be ripped yeah? hahahah, just kidding... I was tempted to make some form of sense of the bits and bobs, I will now just stack and submit in the simplest way. I guess they will need to dissect and sift through so... Thanks for the invaluable insight, and giggles


----------



## klm30

We are organising our pmv. Should the paperwork be in chronological order from beginning of relationship or in order of the checklist? Is it worth including chat conversations between the two of us also?


----------



## ebinmoothedam

*Videos ?*

Hello...

Been following this thread ... I plan to apply for a PMV in September and as a proof I have few photos and few video footages of us together.

I am not sure how I can show the videos to the CO...as I believe the video footage is very important and shows how much we want to be together and its a genuine proof.

Will uploading the same in a private youtoube like and write down the link on the application do ?

Or can I send the video file on a CD or DVD ? The video is a big evidence that me and my partner has met and spend some time together.

Thanks,


----------



## LovingWife

klm30 said:


> We are organising our pmv. Should the paperwork be in chronological order from beginning of relationship or in order of the checklist? Is it worth including chat conversations between the two of us also?


It's entirely up to you, whether you want to present your paperwork in chronological order or not. The CO will pull everything apart anyway as they have their own filing systems.

I DID include all of our chat conversations & sms messages and do believe that this information undoubtedly proved that our relationship was genuine.

Good luck!


----------



## bma

mentaloxide said:


> Great thread!
> 
> Does anyone here know if there is another kind of VISA aside from the Tourist or Partner Migration VISA for a married couple (Australian CItizen - Me, Colombian Citizen - My wife) to simply visit Australia. We simply want to visit family and friends for Xmas each year and do not intend to live in Australia, so the Tourist VISA seems insufficient and the PMV seems over the top for our needs. Does anyone know of another option?


Unfortunately, there are only these two options: a tourist visa or a partner visa.
A partner visa (309 partner visa - Partner Visa: Offshore Temporary and Permanent (Subclasses 309 and 100)) is perhaps even a better option than a tourist visa. It does mean spending a bit of money now, but in the long run it'll save you a lot of hassle and probably money as well.


----------



## lili2

I am lodging my partner visa tomorrow after MONTHS of hard work and stress...what a relief!! I'm just wondering how exactly to present the application, I understand folders are to be avoided as immigration seem to have their own filing processes. Im just worried that if i hand the application over as it is, things will go missing...does it get placed into an envelope of some sort?? Also, my application is around 10cm thick - i hope this isnt too much, ive included as much as I can whilst trying not to overdo it! Its fairly hard to find the balance in doing this!.... any last minute tips would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## Adventuress

Hi lili2,

We just lodged my husband's application a week ago, and ours was also 10cm thick and weighed about 2kg!

The guy who processed us checked it all out, put an identity number sticker on the 47SP form and something else, and then put it all into a long, clear, (sturdy) plastic envelope.

We had just a stack of paper with every separate section (i.e. forms, financial aspects, nature of household, periods of separation, etc.) held together by bulldog clips, and when he put everything into the envelope he messed up the order of our sections! I didn't say anything at the time and really regret it now, so keep a close eye on it that it's sitting _exactly_ the way you want it when your future case officer takes it out the first time.


----------



## lili2

Adventuress said:


> Hi lili2,
> 
> We just lodged my husband's application a week ago, and ours was also 10cm thick and weighed about 2kg!
> 
> The guy who processed us put an identity number sticker on the 47SP form and something else, and then put it all into a long, clear, (sturdy) plastic envelope.
> 
> We had just a stack of paper with every separate section (i.e. forms, financial aspects, nature of household, periods of spearation, etc.) held together by bulldog clips, and when he put everything into the envelope he messed up the order of our sections! I didn't say anything at the time and really regret it now, so keep a close eye on it that it's sitting _exactly_ the way you want it when your future case officer takes it out the first time.


Hi Adventuress, thank you for that advice - very handy for me to know as I was debating going out and buying a clear folder but no need! I can imagine that would be very frustrating seeing that someone has messed up all your hard work, I think I would have to say something too!! Never mind, as long as it's all in there somewhere!!


----------



## LovingWife

lili2 said:


> I am lodging my partner visa tomorrow after MONTHS of hard work and stress...what a relief!! I'm just wondering how exactly to present the application, I understand folders are to be avoided as immigration seem to have their own filing processes. Im just worried that if i hand the application over as it is, things will go missing...does it get placed into an envelope of some sort?? Also, my application is around 10cm thick - i hope this isnt too much, ive included as much as I can whilst trying not to overdo it! Its fairly hard to find the balance in doing this!.... any last minute tips would be greatly appreciated!


Will you be handing the application in person or posting it?

If I was posting it, I would slip all the items into those thin plastic folders, so that the information is at least in some sort of order.

As I mentioned previously, Immi will take everything apart and date stamp every single bit of information and will then incorportate it, into their own filing system.

Good Luck!!!!


----------



## lili2

LovingWife said:


> Will you be handing the application in person or posting it?
> 
> If I was posting it, I would slip all the items into those thin plastic folders, so that the information is at least in some sort of order.
> 
> As I mentioned previously, Immi will take everything apart and date stamp every single bit of information and will then incorportate it, into their own filing system.
> 
> Good Luck!!!!


I will be lodging it in person in the Sydney office. Thank your advice and well wishes


----------



## NZlander

Hi Guys,

This is an excellent overview of what needs to be done and the order of the papers needed. My case is little bit different since im a NZ citizen and applying for the 461 visa to bring my partner over from overseas, we are both living overseas btw. I believe most of the papers are the same such as the evidence etc etc hence i have some questions that you maybe able to help me with:
- We have been married for almost 1 year but together for 4 ..i belive this should be fine to apply..any suggestions?
- We do not have joint bank account and i find it quite important as part of the evidence, is there anyway to subsitiute this? your feedback would be appreciated
- As a NZ citizen and applicant, i belive the only document they need from me is a copy of my NZ passport and nothing else? Is this correct? i have seen some request saying you need your birth certificate.

Thank you all for your help in advance//

Beez


----------



## Spartan4

Hi,

I'm just looking for any advice for my situation. I'm currently living in Australia on a 457visa. I've been on this visa for 1yr. However it's looking more and more likely that my current job is about to cease to exist.

I've been with my fiancé Almost a year now and after doing some research noticed we could possibly change my visa over to a partner or prospective marriage visa? We've only just moved In together and are planning on getting married in early September. I'm a UK resident and my partners an Australian resident.

Anyhelp would be greatly appreciated?

Thanks


----------



## JEdwards

LovingWife said:


> Will you be handing the application in person or posting it?
> 
> If I was posting it, I would slip all the items into those thin plastic folders, so that the information is at least in some sort of order.
> 
> As I mentioned previously, Immi will take everything apart and date stamp every single bit of information and will then incorportate it, into their own filing system.
> 
> Good Luck!!!!


Hi Lovingwife,

You are very right, mine was arranged accordingly following the checklist arrangements putting main documents infront and supporting papers behind using tiny clips.....seperating them from each type of documents stuck up like 1-10 neatly...
And when they received and go through all the papers clips is evrywhere 
I guez either by mail or handing in person they have their own way of filing....most important put together documents that are related to each other and make sure you have a copy of your own just in case 

Goodluck to all


----------



## kangaro

what a helpfull forum! if i knew this forum before i lodged ma application i wasnt pay for ma lawyer 5ç.... anyways for next stage i learn a lot, Thanks all!


----------



## Miss Swan

I thought I'd share my application preparation so that it can give any applicants-to-be an idea of what to prepare.

1. The Applicant
Form 47SP - Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner
Certified copy of passport
Certified copy of birth certificate
Two recent passport photos

2. The Applicant’s Character Documents
Form 80
Pending - Singapore Police Certificate (requires request letter from DIAC)

3. The Sponsor
Form 40SP – Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia
Certified copy of passport
Certified copy of birth certificate
Two recent passport photos
Certified copies of Sponsor's payslips over past 2 years

4. History of Our Relationship
Witnessed statement prepared by Applicant
Witnessed statement prepared by Sponsor

5. Details of Our Wedding
5A. Applicant’s Facebook announcement on the engagement
5B. Sponsor’s Facebook announcement on the engagement
5C. Copy of engagement ring invoice
5D. Certified copy of the official marriage certificate
5E. Certified copy of ‘Certificate of Marriage’
5F. Wedding photographs
5G. Email confirmation to the Sponsor regarding mini-honeymoon trip 
5H. Copy of wedding congratulatory card from the Applicant’s friends

6. Financial Aspects of Relationship
6A. Details and statements of joint bank account
6B. Bank statements showing bank transfers between the Applicant and the Sponsor 

7. Nature of The Household
7A. Copy of council rates verifying that the house is owned outright by the Sponsor’s mum (therefore no mortgage or rent for the Applicant or Sponsor to pay)
7B. Correspondence addressed to both the Applicant and Sponsor at the same address

8. Social Context of The Relationship
8A. Form 888 – 4 Statutory Declarations by family and friends
8B. Copy of wedding invitation and photos taken at Sponsor’s brother’s wedding
8C. Copy of wedding invitation containing Applicant’s and Sponsor’s names to a friend’s wedding
8D. Copies of cinema ticket stubs
8E. Photos of the Applicant and the Sponsor with friends
8F. Evidence of joint travel

9. Nature of Commitment To Each Other
9A. Emails between the Applicant and Sponsor
9B. Emails between the Applicant and the Sponsor’s mother
9C. Emails between the Applicant and her friends discussing her relationship with the Sponsor 
9D. Monthly MSN chat history between the Applicant and Sponsor
9E. Itemised monthly mobile phone bills of the Applicant
9F. E-tickets containing flight details of all trips made by the Applicant to visit Sponsor
9G. Copies of saved boarding passes of trips made by the Applicant to visit Sponsor

10. Proof of Applicant’s Ability To Support Self and Employability
Applicant’s online bank statement showing latest account balance
Applicant’s income tax statement
Applicant’s employment contracts (first and last page)

11. Health Check (Visa Medical Exam)
Tax Invoice/Receipt for the Visa Medical Examination undertaken by the Applicant on dd/mm/yyyy (Case No.: xxxxxxx)


----------



## superman89

Hello Everyone, I just want to double check if I am on the right track since I am quite new to this and was unsure about few things.
Well my Sponsor is my Australia GF she is 20 years old full time student and I am 23 International student. We both have been in a relationship from last 2 years? We can provide 1 year lease electricity bills and phone bills on her name. And on top we have also certified our relationship from the Court 6 months ago to make our file stronger. But now We believe would be better to go for a spouse visa instead of a DEFACTO,. 
-	Is it true the process will be less complicated for Spouse than Defacto? The forms are same the documents checklist are same too? As in the timeline with Spouse is less than Defacto? Sine I am on Student Will I straight out go to Temporary Residency or Bridging Visa like in Defacto?
-	As per Working Conditions, since my GF doesn’t work in a Spouse Visa I believe they will let me do more work? 
We have photos together, bank joint accounts, letters on our name, car insurances, and superannuation too.
-	So I am wondering, since we won’t tell my GF’s family about the marriage at court would that create any problem? Since she is already 18+? We ll have few friends at court who will be also the witness, and in photos as well we have only photos of us together, we don’t have any with family. Would that create a problem too? 
Thanks for replying guys, 
-


----------



## Miss Swan

superman89 said:


> We can provide 1 year lease electricity bills and phone bills on her name.


What will documents in her name prove? In order to present a case of defacto, you need to show that BOTH names are on the documents, or that you have transferred money to her to help for the bills.



superman89 said:


> But now We believe would be better to go for a spouse visa instead of a DEFACTO,.
> -	Is it true the process will be less complicated for Spouse than Defacto? The forms are same the documents checklist are same too? As in the timeline with Spouse is less than Defacto? Sine I am on Student Will I straight out go to Temporary Residency or Bridging Visa like in Defacto?


The process will be exactly the same. The only difference is for spouse visa, you will need the marriage certificate - so you need to go through the paperwork to get married. There won't be any difference in the timeline at all. You will also be given a bridging visa like all other applicants. 


superman89 said:


> -	As per Working Conditions, since my GF doesn't work in a Spouse Visa I believe they will let me do more work?
> We have photos together, bank joint accounts, letters on our name, car insurances, and superannuation too.


Your bridging visa will have the exact same conditions as your existing visa, which in this case is the student visa. If you can only work 20 hours per week on your student visa, then you can only work 20 hours per week on your bridging visa. Do keep in mind also that your bridging visa will only come into effect when your student visa ends. So if your student visa expires on 1 January 2013, the bridging visa will be in place on 1 January 2013.


superman89 said:


> So I am wondering, since we won't tell my GF's family about the marriage at court would that create any problem? Since she is already 18+? We ll have few friends at court who will be also the witness, and in photos as well we have only photos of us together, we don't have any with family. Would that create a problem too?
> -


No there isn't a legal obligation for family members to be aware of the marriage. As long as you can get Statutory Declarations from 2 Aussies/PRs, you are ok.


----------



## atfuturist

I'd like to say thank you to all who have posted on this thread. I was extremely detailed and followed exactly how to present the application and received great results. 

I applied July 26th and received an email today August 15th stating my Partner 309 offshore was approved. Check the signature. 

If you follow directions and are honest in your pursuit of how/why you want to migrate to Australia, good things will happen. 

Cheers everyone. Hard work pays off.


----------



## tokai86

I would like to say thanks for anyone to post in this forum aswell.. I applied on 21 June 2012 and my visa granted today 20 August 2012..

abit of tips or information, if you believe that you have lodge complete or decision ready application, may try to put a note on top of your application that you are lodging complete or decision ready application. it may helps speed up abit your application (It mentioned on the partner booklet).
as I talked to immigration officer, they asked me did I put a note about that? I said no, cos I didnt know about that. but lucky He was nice, he said He will put a note on the system for me that I believe my application is decision ready application. I knew I hav to lodge complete or decison ready application before I lodge my application, but I didnt know I hav to put a note to notice them.


----------



## tokai86

I would like to say thanks for anyone to post in this forum aswell.. I applied on 21 June 2012 and my visa granted today 20 August 2012..

abit of tips or information, if you believe that you have lodge complete or decision ready application, may try to put a note on top of your application that you are lodging complete or decision ready application. it may helps speed up abit your application (It mentioned on the partner booklet).
as I talked to immigration officer, they asked me did I put a note about that? I said no, cos I didnt know about that. but lucky He was nice, he said He will put a note on the system for me that I believe my application is decision ready application. I knew I hav to lodge complete or decison ready application before I lodge my application, but I didnt know I hav to put a note to notice them.


----------



## bma

tokai86 said:


> I would like to say thanks for anyone to post in this forum aswell.. I applied on 21 June 2012 and my visa granted today 20 August 2012..
> 
> abit of tips or information, if you believe that you have lodge complete or decision ready application, may try to put a note on top of your application that you are lodging complete or decision ready application. it may helps speed up abit your application (It mentioned on the partner booklet).
> as I talked to immigration officer, they asked me did I put a note about that? I said no, cos I didnt know about that. but lucky He was nice, he said He will put a note on the system for me that I believe my application is decision ready application. I knew I hav to lodge complete or decison ready application before I lodge my application, but I didnt know I hav to put a note to notice them.


Hi Tokai86,

we have lodged our decision ready application in Sydney as well, and after 4 months still no news... Would you be so kind to give us the phone number of the Sydney office that you called? After reading about your experience, we're thinking of calling them to let them know ours is a decision ready application.

Thanks in advance,
bma


----------



## tokai86

bma said:


> Hi Tokai86,
> 
> we have lodged our decision ready application in Sydney as well, and after 4 months still no news... Would you be so kind to give us the phone number of the Sydney office that you called? After reading about your experience, we're thinking of calling them to let them know ours is a decision ready application.
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> bma


It justa general number from the acknowledge letter that I got from them and a guy that picked up my phone call he was from melbourne office.. But he was so nice.. 
The number is 131881 , when u call them u need your client id and your details.. Hope it works for you guys! Be patient it might take half an hour till the pickup your call!


----------



## bma

tokai86 said:


> It justa general number from the acknowledge letter that I got from them and a guy that picked up my phone call he was from melbourne office.. But he was so nice..
> The number is 131881 , when u call them u need your client id and your details.. Hope it works for you guys! Be patient it might take half an hour till the pickup your call!


Thank you and congratulations once again!!


----------



## bma

tokai86 said:


> It justa general number from the acknowledge letter that I got from them and a guy that picked up my phone call he was from melbourne office.. But he was so nice..
> The number is 131881 , when u call them u need your client id and your details.. Hope it works for you guys! Be patient it might take half an hour till the pickup your call!


Well, we called the number, waited about 20 minutes, got a lady on a phone and she told us our application is being processed and that we're looking at another three to four months (Sydney, NSW).

As I mentioned before, our application was decision ready, with lots of evidence. The officer didn't even consider pinning a note in a system about our application being decision ready...

We're glad we called (after four months of silence), although it wasn't really a pleasant conversion. The officer wasn't rude or anything, just very formal and didn't really want to discuss anything.


----------



## Jazzyfizzle

Hi had the experience with this phone number, that every time you get a different person, they will tell you something else! Personally, I found that the people with a strong foreign accent were the rudest (weird considering they proabably had the same path than us) and there were some that were really helpful!!

Just call again with the same questions! I did that as well


----------



## bma

Jazzyfizzle said:


> Hi had the experience with this phone number, that every time you get a different person, they will tell you something else! Personally, I found that the people with a strong foreign accent were the rudest (weird considering they proabably had the same path than us) and there were some that were really helpful!!
> 
> Just call again with the same questions! I did that as well


Thanks for the tip, that's exactly the impression we've got and we are thinking about calling again next week. Or maybe even at the end of this week....


----------



## tokai86

I got same answer aswell. I think it just a general common things for them to say. Cos the guy told me the processing time will take 9-12 months aswell. I said I know that and it written on my acknowledge letter, but before I submited my application I had read thruogh the partner booklet n it said if I submit a complete application it may helps my application to process quicker. And he said it is true n he will put a note in the system for me. 

So I think it is better u call them if u hav strong things to diffent your self, but present it in a good manner way without ofend them. As long you know what you are talking about etc. 

So maybe try to call them again just to remind them


----------



## bma

tokai86 said:


> I got same answer aswell. I think it just a general common things for them to say. Cos the guy told me the processing time will take 9-12 months aswell. I said I know that and it written on my acknowledge letter, but before I submited my application I had read thruogh the partner booklet n it said if I submit a complete application it may helps my application to process quicker. And he said it is true n he will put a note in the system for me.
> 
> So I think it is better u call them if u hav strong things to diffent your self, but present it in a good manner way without ofend them. As long you know what you are talking about etc.
> 
> So maybe try to call them again just to remind them


Thanks for the ideas, that's what we plan to do. Although it's difficult, when the person on the other side of the line doesn't really want to talk... or listen.
Let's hope we get that nice gentleman on the line this time...


----------



## philipg

Thank you Zultan and Wanderer

Great information! Very helpful and much appreciated.

Cheers


----------



## aussiemate

*de facto onshore and employer troubles*

Hello guys congrats for the awesome informations really helpfull. My situation is really mixed up at the moment. Yesterday we lodged the defacto onshore application form. A friend of mine said to me this morning that the CO for sure will call my employer to find out my employment status( even if i attached a letter of my employer in the application file) i have a fear of what informations the CO will share with my manager because if my employer will find out that i lodged an application for defacto same sex visa the other day i will be axed from work ( they are very homophobic especially my boss) and if i will be axed i will have problems with my PR visa 857( 2 years employment under the same employer which i dont have it) because a year ago i have been sponsored by this company. Whats your sugestions should i call the DIAC and say to not call my employer or to leave it as it is? Because if i got axed will be DIAC's mistake advice me guys.


----------



## tokai86

aussiemate said:


> Hello guys congrats for the awesome informations really helpfull. My situation is really mixed up at the moment. Yesterday we lodged the defacto onshore application form. A friend of mine said to me this morning that the CO for sure will call my employer to find out my employment status( even if i attached a letter of my employer in the application file) i have a fear of what informations the CO will share with my manager because if my employer will find out that i lodged an application for defacto same sex visa the other day i will be axed from work ( they are very homophobic especially my boss) and if i will be axed i will have problems with my PR visa 857( 2 years employment under the same employer which i dont have it) because a year ago i have been sponsored by this company. Whats your sugestions should i call the DIAC and say to not call my employer or to leave it as it is? Because if i got axed will be DIAC's mistake advice me guys.


We lodged our application in late June and been granted in August, we didnt get any phone call from DIAC. They didnt call my bos or my partner bos, they didnt even call people that wrote form 888. 
But I think it depends on your Co. Maybe someone can give u the right answer


----------



## laura dm

Hi everyone,

Do I need to write a letter and explain how our household work around the house ? For the defacto visa ?? 

Thanks to all


----------



## aussiegirl

Hi Laura,

You don't have to write a seperate statement just for house choees. Instead, this topic and other things about the relationship e.g. payment of bills, how you support each other, relationship history etc can be put in one statement.

My husband and I each wrote one but made sure we wrote them individually so that they weren't exactly the same.


----------



## aussiegirl

Hi Laura,

You don't have to write a seperate statement just for house chores. Instead, this topic and other things about the relationship e.g. payment of bills, how you support each other, relationship history etc can be put in one statement.

My husband and I each wrote one but made sure we wrote them individually so that they weren't exactly the same. All partner visa categories are required to write one.


----------



## sbjapan

*The visa doesn't care*



aussiemate said:


> Hello guys congrats for the awesome informations really helpfull. My situation is really mixed up at the moment. Yesterday we lodged the defacto onshore application form. A friend of mine said to me this morning that the CO for sure will call my employer to find out my employment status( even if i attached a letter of my employer in the application file) i have a fear of what informations the CO will share with my manager because if my employer will find out that i lodged an application for defacto same sex visa the other day i will be axed from work ( they are very homophobic especially my boss) and if i will be axed i will have problems with my PR visa 857( 2 years employment under the same employer which i dont have it) because a year ago i have been sponsored by this company. Whats your sugestions should i call the DIAC and say to not call my employer or to leave it as it is? Because if i got axed will be DIAC's mistake advice me guys.


The visa is a defacto visa, period. It's not a same-sex visa or a heterosexual visa. It's a partner visa sub-class 309/100.

I am also a same-sex defacto visa holder. DIAC should be verifying your employment history - not your orientation - with your employer, if they call at all.

I think your bigger risk is that if or when the CO talks to your boss, and your BOSS finds out that you are applying for a partner visa, it is your BOSS who will ask you about it.

I didn't have to worry about it - no one called my employer, or my 888 folks - can anyone out there put a finger on the privacy laws that DIAC must adhere to? If a CO discloses a same-gender relationship and the applicant gets fired because of it, does he or she have any legal recourse?

Aussiemate, I would just make sure you are the best worker your boss has - keep your head up - and don't sweat. IF you have a chance to speak with your CO, you may wish to mention your concern verbally. I fear that if you document this fear in writing to your CO, he or she might suspect that you are trying to hide something about your work history.


----------



## sbjapan

http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/993i.pdf

This might help!


----------



## aussiemate

sbjapan said:


> The visa is a defacto visa, period. It's not a same-sex visa or a heterosexual visa. It's a partner visa sub-class 309/100.
> 
> I am also a same-sex defacto visa holder. DIAC should be verifying your employment history - not your orientation - with your employer, if they call at all.
> 
> I think your bigger risk is that if or when the CO talks to your boss, and your BOSS finds out that you are applying for a partner visa, it is your BOSS who will ask you about it.
> 
> I didn't have to worry about it - no one called my employer, or my 888 folks - can anyone out there put a finger on the privacy laws that DIAC must adhere to? If a CO discloses a same-gender relationship and the applicant gets fired because of it, does he or she have any legal recourse?
> 
> Aussiemate, I would just make sure you are the best worker your boss has - keep your head up - and don't sweat. IF you have a chance to speak with your CO, you may wish to mention your concern verbally. I fear that if you document this fear in writing to your CO, he or she might suspect that you are trying to hide something about your work history.


If my boss ask why the CO asks for employment history ? are they allow to say that i lodged partner visa? And my partner works as well so maybe this dicrease the posibility of DIAC contact my employer? I think is better to put in writing to contact my employer if they have to but not to mention anything about the visa. Because if i got axed i can say to the court that i had it in writing but CO ignored me. what do you think? Under the freedom of information my boss can find out about the visa application?


----------



## aussiemate

and how can i use this form?


----------



## Macius

If I make bussines in Australia, i can get VISA?


----------



## sbjapan

*Read it.*



aussiemate said:


> and how can i use this form?


It's supposed to make you feel a little better about your personal information and DIAC. Your CO's discussing your personal situation with your boss is not allowed.


----------



## aussiegirl

Macius

There are certain visas that allow people to migrate here with business visas. Look at the DIAC site at immi.gov.au. 

You will need very detailed business plans and other dicuments to show your business is viable and will contribute to the economy, employing locals etc


----------



## packofnails

Hi all.

In response to the original thread topic, we compiled our documents in a folder for our own reference and when all the documents were in order, we took them out and literally bundled the big stack of papers with some string, like a manuscript. We stuck it into a plastic sleeve and sticky taped it up and put it into an A4 box with the return pre-paid envelope that the London office asks for so your CO can return your original documents. 

We stuck our photos onto A4 pieces of cardboard and these were returned to us about a week after.

Immi clearly have their own process of sorting through your documents and deciding what they need, so I think dividers and anything fancy would be a waste of time.


----------



## aussiegirl

I can second your comment about putting things in files and folders. We put all our papers in a huge envelope and the CO went through each one, writing her own notes on them as to what they refer to. She then piled them up in her own order and groupings.

Maybe a sticky note on each one, especially translated papers, is a good idea to save time for the CO.


----------



## starflyer

Hi all . Yes, to keep this thread on its original topic, we applied and originally had all the paperwork separated into tabs and placed into a large lever-arch folder...everything was cross referenced (photos/emails etc to the statement of relationship made by us!) we only included about 10 pictures taken over the course of the last 2 years - on holidays together/in social situations etc.
When we submitted our case - they took all the pages out of the folder and just bundled it all together ( keeping it separated by the tabs for the different sections) 
We were very thorough as we were in a position where we didn't have rental agreements, phone bills etc to prove our relationship as our company provided all of this as part of our work contract - so we had to do a lot more work in providing the proof- we used 12 stat decs in total - 8 from out work colleagues and bosses to confirm that we had been in a committed relationship for the last two years and that they knew we had been co-habitating. We also had our relationship recognised in Australia by registering it as a civil partnership before we applied for our visa. 
We knew that police checks etc would be asked for - so we got these arranged so that when they were asked for, we were already prepared which helped greatly. All in all it took us just under 3 months to have our application processed. 
Our case officer was lovely and we couldn't have been treated more fairly or nicely by her.
On a separate note - before we applied, we called a migration agency who told us that we had a weak case and would have a high rate of failure and that they would not have taken on our case if we wanted them to!!! Yet we applied by ourselves directly without using an agent at all and had everything approved very quickly... 

The o ly advise I can give is to be be very honest and detailed in your application. My statement of relationship was only 9 pages long - my partners was just a few short of this too. In total, when we were approved our case worker said that our application was 300 pages ( which included copies of phone statements, joint bank statements, screen shots of text messages from phones/ Skype / Facebook etc - so make sure that what you give is to the point - they don't want to have to sort thought of much.
And by the way - all c/is and agents must abide by the confidentiality clauses overseas just as they would in Australia - so don't get stressed about bosses finding out about sexual preferences etc....

Hope this info is of help to someone out there a I know how hard it is to wait and be apart from your loved one - but put in the effort from the start, be patient and prepared and it should all come out positive! It did for us - we are so happy to be starting our life again and doing it in Australia


----------



## Klavs

We put small sticky notes with numbers on each of our documents and had a numbered list as part of our cover letter divided up into separate sections, in an effort to make it easier for our CO. If it was annoying for them, they were very easy to remove and discard.

Everything was bound together with paper clips, and each section was then bundled together with massive paper clips that my wife somehow managed to find somewhere sometime. They were awesome! We were gonna go with folders for each section but decided not to go that route, as we heard bad things about it.


----------



## Sonkos

Just thought I would let you know what I did.
Got approved within 2 weeks so it must have been okay 

I didnt have any cover letter and used only one paperclip to attach the passport photos to the checklist.
Then I made a table of contents folowed by all the forms and evidence. I put them into sectons and put each section in one paper which is folded in half. On this I wrote the title eg. "Social context of the relationship"
I put everything on a pile and put a string around it. I stuck pink sticky note on top saying "decision ready application". Obviously everything, every form and police certificate and what not was provided.
I provided NATI translations for official documents but only my own transaltions for unofficial things (eg postcards from home, in german)

At the time I applied for the 820 onshore we were in a de facto relationship for 12,5 or 13 months.

If anyone is interested I could post a picture or my table of contents or answere other questions. Dont whether to do that here or in an own thread.


----------



## pindo500

Sonkos said:


> Just thought I would let you know what I did.
> Got approved within 2 weeks so it must have been okay
> 
> I didnt have any cover letter and used only one paperclip to attach the passport photos to the checklist.
> Then I made a table of contents folowed by all the forms and evidence. I put them into sectons and put each section in one paper which is folded in half. On this I wrote the title eg. "Social context of the relationship"
> I put everything on a pile and put a string around it. I stuck pink sticky note on top saying "decision ready application". Obviously everything, every form and police certificate and what not was provided.
> I provided NATI translations for official documents but only my own transaltions for unofficial things (eg postcards from home, in german)
> 
> At the time I applied for the 820 onshore we were in a de facto relationship for 12,5 or 13 months.
> 
> If anyone is interested I could post a picture or my table of contents or answere other questions. Dont whether to do that here or in an own thread.


hey sonkos, congrats! could you please send me the table of contents? cheers


----------



## Sonkos

pindo500 said:


> hey sonkos, congrats! could you please send me the table of contents? cheers


Hi pindo, i just posted it in an own thread (couldnt figure out how to send private mails here)


----------



## Haripasad

Hello,

I need one more info,

i have BE degree in civil engineering and 6 + experience in automation testing. I have applied for software tester code. The experience certificates which i have provided are reflecting testing roles and responsibilities.

Is there any concern that, BE degree subject and skill code should match ?

This is one and only big worry in my mind.


----------



## pindo500

Sonkos said:


> Hi pindo, i just posted it in an own thread (couldnt figure out how to send private mails here)


thanks for that, it was very helpful.


----------



## Mohammed saleem

I have just submitted my documents for skill assessment to vetassess for australian PR .Can anyone help me to know how much time it takes and whether i get a call from the assessing body during this peroid.

thanks


----------



## missjaay

Hi Sonkos,

I felt relieved to read your post  Mainly because I don't know how to write a cover letter for my 820 application!  Hahaha..

It's great to know that at least 1 person didn't put in a cover letter and still received approval! I will go spend my time on other matters now, like shortening my chat history log from 100 pages  to something less..



Sonkos said:


> Just thought I would let you know what I did.
> Got approved within 2 weeks so it must have been okay
> 
> I didnt have any cover letter and used only one paperclip to attach the passport photos to the checklist.
> Then I made a table of contents folowed by all the forms and evidence. I put them into sectons and put each section in one paper which is folded in half. On this I wrote the title eg. "Social context of the relationship"
> I put everything on a pile and put a string around it. I stuck pink sticky note on top saying "decision ready application". Obviously everything, every form and police certificate and what not was provided.
> I provided NATI translations for official documents but only my own transaltions for unofficial things (eg postcards from home, in german)
> 
> At the time I applied for the 820 onshore we were in a de facto relationship for 12,5 or 13 months.
> 
> If anyone is interested I could post a picture or my table of contents or answere other questions. Dont whether to do that here or in an own thread.


----------



## jagger25

pindo500 said:


> hey sonkos, congrats! could you please send me the table of contents? cheers


hi. was just wondering if i could too also see your table of contents

thank you

leanne


----------



## nitrous

This sticky has really been helpful for me.

I will be getting engaged here in Aus, I met my partner in December and have been chatting to eat other since October this year.

We will be getting married in September next year, and I was wondering, since I live with my parents, to provide relationship evidence this is what I am planning to do ( please let me know if I am doing this right) :

History of your relationship - Stat written decs both from my partner and myself outling our relationship

• financial aspects - Will be opening joint accounts here in Aus, will try my best to do it when she isnt here with me, or worst case scenario, open it here when she will be here for the engagement. BUT she wont have any tax file number, what implications will that cause, I have a tax file number as I am working.

The nature of the household - How can I prove this, when I live with my parents here in Aus and she lives with her parents in Dubai. I have car rego/phone bill in my name and my car insurance on my name - I can get these changed over to her name too, and put her on my SUPER beneficiary too.

Correspondence addressed to both you and your partner at the same address - Im assuming bank statements mailed to her in Dubai and to me in Aus, is this right. Are there any more examples of this criteria?

Social context of the relationship - I think for this a certified registered marriage cert in Dubai and a registered engagement certificate here in Aus should be enough??

The nature of your commitment to each other - phone calls/chats etc and maybe prepare the terms of wills before marriage - any comments on this

What else could I use to provide more evidence about our relationship that I might not have included above?

And lastly, is it worth submitting the documents AFTER I get engaged here in Aus and AFTER knowing the exact date of marriage with my partner, these forms will be submitted/lodged in Dubai.

Thanks


----------



## bma

nitrous said:


> This sticky has really been helpful for me.
> 
> I will be getting engaged here in Aus, I met my partner in December and have been chatting to eat other since October this year.
> 
> We will be getting married in September next year, and I was wondering, since I live with my parents, to provide relationship evidence this is what I am planning to do ( please let me know if I am doing this right) :
> 
> History of your relationship - Stat written decs both from my partner and myself outling our relationship
> 
> • financial aspects - Will be opening joint accounts here in Aus, will try my best to do it when she isnt here with me, or worst case scenario, open it here when she will be here for the engagement. BUT she wont have any tax file number, what implications will that cause, I have a tax file number as I am working.
> 
> The nature of the household - How can I prove this, when I live with my parents here in Aus and she lives with her parents in Dubai. I have car rego/phone bill in my name and my car insurance on my name - I can get these changed over to her name too, and put her on my SUPER beneficiary too.
> 
> Correspondence addressed to both you and your partner at the same address - Im assuming bank statements mailed to her in Dubai and to me in Aus, is this right. Are there any more examples of this criteria?
> 
> Social context of the relationship - I think for this a certified registered marriage cert in Dubai and a registered engagement certificate here in Aus should be enough??
> 
> The nature of your commitment to each other - phone calls/chats etc and maybe prepare the terms of wills before marriage - any comments on this
> 
> What else could I use to provide more evidence about our relationship that I might not have included above?
> 
> And lastly, is it worth submitting the documents AFTER I get engaged here in Aus and AFTER knowing the exact date of marriage with my partner, these forms will be submitted/lodged in Dubai.
> 
> Thanks


What visa do you have in mind? A prospective marriage visa or a partner visa? Based on your evidence, a prospective marriage visa would be the best solution for you.

Regarding a joint account as evidence: there's no point in having a joint account when both of you aren't using it. She already has her bank account and you have your bank account, so why don't you guys start transferring the money between your accounts already? The Partner Migration booklet doesn't say you must have a joint account; having a joint account is just one of the best ways to prove shared financial affairs, but you can do that with separate accounts as well.

The nature of your household: it's all on your name, isn't it; in general, you need to live together, share the responsibilities (if you're applying for 309 or 820 partner visa), at least at one point in your relationship.

Wills are excellent evidence of future commitment, certainly do that.

Considering there are a lot of rejected applications from Arab countries, your application needs to be as solid as possible. Where will the engagement party be, will she fly to Australia for an engagement party? That would be great and you could really open a joint account together when she's visiting - by the way, the bank doesn't ask for a TFN, she won't need it.

You can also add her as a nominated driver on your car policy (you just call the insurance company and change that) and name her as your superannuation beneficiary. You can do that now already or when she gets to Australia.

I think the PMV is your best option, but with heaps of evidence so DIAC has no chance saying your relationship is not genuine.


----------



## nitrous

bma said:


> What visa do you have in mind? A prospective marriage visa or a partner visa? Based on your evidence, a prospective marriage visa would be the best solution for you.
> 
> _We will be getting married in Dubai, but engaged here in Australia. I was thinking of collecting all the evidence NOW, and then after I get married in Dubai, apply for a partner visa. Is this correct?_
> 
> Regarding a joint account as evidence: there's no point in having a joint account when both of you aren't using it. She already has her bank account and you have your bank account, so why don't you guys start transferring the money between your accounts already? The Partner Migration booklet doesn't say you must have a joint account; having a joint account is just one of the best ways to prove shared financial affairs, but you can do that with separate accounts as well.
> 
> _Oh ok cool, I didn't know that, but I'm thinking if I still have a joint account here in Aus, I guess I that would also help._
> 
> The nature of your household: it's all on your name, isn't it; in general, you need to live together, share the responsibilities (if you're applying for 309 or 820 partner visa), at least at one point in your relationship.
> 
> _Nope, I live with my parents here in Aus and she lives with her parents in Dubai. How can we share responsibilities in a long distance relationship when we aren't even both together yet?_
> 
> Wills are excellent evidence of future commitment, certainly do that.
> 
> _Should I get a will made up here or in Dubai after my marriage?_
> 
> Considering there are a lot of rejected applications from Arab countries, your application needs to be as solid as possible. Where will the engagement party be, will she fly to Australia for an engagement party? That would be great and you could really open a joint account together when she's visiting - by the way, the bank doesn't ask for a TFN, she won't need it.
> 
> _The engagement will be here in Aus, and the marriage will then be in Aus, when myself and my family fly to Dubai._
> 
> You can also add her as a nominated driver on your car policy (you just call the insurance company and change that) and name her as your superannuation beneficiary. You can do that now already or when she gets to Australia.
> 
> _Yup I can certainly do that very soon._
> 
> I think the PMV is your best option, but with heaps of evidence so DIAC has no chance saying your relationship is not genuine.
> 
> _I have been reading a partner visa would be a better option since the marraige will take place outside Aus, and I will start collecting evidence NOW.
> 
> Please suggest._


Thanks alot 

Edit: What about the following:

_Correspondence addressed to both you and your partner at the same address - Im assuming bank statements mailed to her in Dubai and to me in Aus, is this right. Are there any more examples of this criteria?_

Im not a 100% sure what this means or relates to.


----------



## kttykat

nitrous said:


> Thanks alot
> 
> Edit: What about the following:
> 
> _Correspondence addressed to both you and your partner at the same address - Im assuming bank statements mailed to her in Dubai and to me in Aus, is this right. Are there any more examples of this criteria?_
> 
> Im not a 100% sure what this means or relates to.


NO the same address means the same address, bank statements mailed to you when living together at the same location, address....

Kttykay


----------



## CollegeGirl

I'm pretty sure you can get married outside Australia with a PMV. The evidence you need for a PMV is much less intense, and you don't need the evidence of living together that (I believe) you need with a partner visa. It really sounds more to me like a PMV makes sense for you.


----------



## kttykat

CollegeGirl said:


> I'm pretty sure you can get married outside Australia with a PMV. The evidence you need for a PMV is much less intense, and you don't need the evidence of living together that (I believe) you need with a partner visa. It really sounds more to me like a PMV makes sense for you.


As I found out, yes you can marry offshore with a PMV, but you must first go to Australia once it is granted to "activate" it, then you can leave and marry where you want within within 9 months.

Kttykat


----------



## CollegeGirl

Yeah, that's what I thought.  We considered doing that, but since we have to do the NOIM anyway, we figured we might as well just have a little civil ceremony there a few months after my arrival, and then have the big wedding back home with friends and family in the US a year later. 

(Edit: Sorry, didn't mean to take the thread off-track for a second, lol).


----------



## kttykat

CollegeGirl said:


> Yeah, that's what I thought.  We considered doing that, but since we have to do the NOIM anyway, we figured we might as well just have a little civil ceremony there a few months after my arrival, and then have the big wedding back home with friends and family in the US a year later.
> 
> (Edit: Sorry, didn't mean to take the thread off-track for a second, lol).


lol you can do no wrong 

We got married in the States rather than in Oz but we didn't realize at the time that we could do it on a 300, we only found that out after. All my family are here and my husband has almost no family left in Oz.

Kttykat


----------



## bma

nitrous said:


> Thanks alot
> 
> Edit: What about the following:
> 
> _Correspondence addressed to both you and your partner at the same address - Im assuming bank statements mailed to her in Dubai and to me in Aus, is this right. Are there any more examples of this criteria?_
> 
> Im not a 100% sure what this means or relates to.


I'm not a migration agent, but just a forum user who myself went through partner visa process. In my humble opinion, you have a problem because you're not living together and for a partner visa you need to live together. The only visa that allows you to apply even though you're not living together is a prospective marriage visa.
When two people live together, then it's not that difficult to have evidence to prove the relationship.
But if you're in a long distance relationship, then you need really strong evidence to prove you are in a true (proper) de facto/ married relationship. And unfortunately, you will only start collecting the majority of your evidence once she gets to Australia for your engagement party.

It's true you guys will marry, but ... if you check the forum, you'll see there are a lot of rejected applications for a partner visa (based on marriage) from that part of the world. And I bet a lot of those applications were solid, with heaps of evidence. So it's possible your marriage certificate will only be a piece of paper for DIAC, that is why it's even more important you think this through, perhaps speak with a good migration agent and then decide what visa your partner will apply for.

Of course it's good you start collecting the evidence at once, also don't delete your messenger/skype/mobile logs, cause you never know what DIAC will want to see. Save them!



nitrous said:


> The nature of your household: it's all on your name, isn't it; in general, you need to live together, share the responsibilities (if you're applying for 309 or 820 partner visa), at least at one point in your relationship.
> 
> Nope, I live with my parents here in Aus and she lives with her parents in Dubai. How can we share responsibilities in a long distance relationship when we aren't even both together yet?


You can't. You could if you were living together at one point, and then you lived apart due to visa/studies/some solid reason, but as the situation is, it would be difficult to prove this aspect of your relationship (that's why PMV might be a better option).

About the wills - get them done after getting married.



nitrous said:


> I think the PMV is your best option, but with heaps of evidence so DIAC has no chance saying your relationship is not genuine.
> 
> I have been reading a partner visa would be a better option since the marraige will take place outside Aus, and I will start collecting evidence NOW.


It doesn't matter the wedding will take place outside Australia. Your fiance could fly to Australia on her prospective marriage visa (for your engagement party) and activate this visa, and afterwards you need to get married in nine months from the day the visa was granted.

If you prefer to apply for a partner visa, then your evidence needs to prove you support each other financially, physically and emotionally (since when?) and explain your periods of separation - when and why the separation occurred, for how long and how you maintained your relationship during the period of separation.

Your evidence will be the following:
- marriage certificate

- financial evidence: you need to prove you share financial commitments and responsibilities; are you paying for anything hers, is she financially helping you with anything?? Joint cars, anything, any legal commitments that you and your partner have undertaken as a couple...

Here's a problem, cause there doesn't seem to be any such evidence prior to your wedding...

- the nature of the household (evidence that you and your partner share responsibilities within your household;

here's a problem as well, cause you haven't been living together at all; if you had been living together and for example her bank statement would still be coming to your address, then it's different.... But you haven't been living together at all...

- social context of the relationship: how your relationship with your partner is seen by your friends and family;

no problem.

- the nature of your commitment to each other (evidence that proves mutual commitment between you and your partner);

you'll have wills, superannuation beneficiaries, etc... so no problem with this aspect either.

I hope somebody else with 309 experience from Dubai will post in this thread, or you can ask a registered migration agent for an advice. But a good and respectable one, there are a lot of dodgy ones out there. Remember, we're not migration agents, this is just our opinion, not actual advice.


----------



## kttykat

I do agree with BMA on this one, on the immigration website they say about living together.

Living together

Living together is regarded as a common element in most on-going relationships. Partners who are currently not living together may be required to demonstrate a high level of proof that they are not living separately and apart on a permanent basis.

And that is the real sticking point in the case of Nitrous, he must wait until there is some time living together before applying.

Kttykat


----------



## louiseb

I to am not agent but i have applied for a PMV and we had to prove that we had being living together for the last 12 months, i had considered marrying here in Malta and then returning back to Australia for a renewal of marriage ceremony but was advised by my agent not to complicate things, marrying outside of Australia to an australian does not automatically allow you to return back with him.. gong back to the PMV you basically have to be living together for the last 12 months, showing that you have utility bills in both names at the same address obviously, you also need to show that you have wills on both parties ( believe me this certainly helps you). One thing i found that was very affective ( as not everyone has both names on utility bills) is a letter by your lawyer stating that you both live together in a defacto relationship, also if you can get a Dr,s letter showing that your partner is registered at his practice with the same address as you, any letter,s obtained from authority figures certainly helps you. Usually as in my case i had to have a notary sign all photo copied pages of my passport, so you could safe time and money and have this done and get him/her to write a letter stating the above. 
Louise


----------



## CollegeGirl

louiseb said:


> I to am not agent but i have applied for a PMV and we had to prove that we had being living together for the last 12 months, i had considered marrying here in Malta and then returning back to Australia for a renewal of marriage ceremony but was advised by my agent not to complicate things, marrying outside of Australia to an australian does not automatically allow you to return back with him.. gong back to the PMV you basically have to be living together for the last 12 months, showing that you have utility bills in both names at the same address obviously, you also need to show that you have wills on both parties ( believe me this certainly helps you). One thing i found that was very affective ( as not everyone has both names on utility bills) is a letter by your lawyer stating that you both live together in a defacto relationship, also if you can get a Dr,s letter showing that your partner is registered at his practice with the same address as you, any letter,s obtained from authority figures certainly helps you. Usually as in my case i had to have a notary sign all photo copied pages of my passport, so you could safe time and money and have this done and get him/her to write a letter stating the above.
> Louise


I think you might be confusing the Prospective Marriage Visa (PMV) with a defacto partner visa, Louise. None of what you stated above is a requirement for a PMV, but it is for a defacto partner visa.


----------



## kttykat

louiseb said:


> I to am not agent but i have applied for a PMV and we had to prove that we had being living together for the last 12 months, i had considered marrying here in Malta and then returning back to Australia for a renewal of marriage ceremony but was advised by my agent not to complicate things, marrying outside of Australia to an australian does not automatically allow you to return back with him.. gong back to the PMV you basically have to be living together for the last 12 months....
> Louise


I think you are confusing your terms Louise, a PMV is a prospective marriage visa SC 300 and they don't expect you to have been living together for 12 months for that one.

From the partner migration booklet:
What to provide with your Prospective Marriage visa application
When you lodge your application, you must provide:
• completed application form 47SP Application for migration to Australia by a partner and 
form 40SP Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia (completed by your sponsor). These 
are available from the department's website Applications and Forms - Visas & Immigration to be downloaded as PDF 
ﬁles, printed out and ﬁ lled in, or obtained in hard copy from an ofﬁce of the department or Australian 
mission and ﬁlled in.
• if appointing a migration agent or exempt agent or authorised recipient, a completed form 956 
Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance;
• if appointing an authorised recipient that is not a migration agent/exempt person, a completed 
form*956A Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient;
• 4 recent passport-size photographs of yourself and 2 recent passport-size photographs of your 
sponsor (see page 5);
• certiﬁed copies of your passport or travel documents (see page 27 for information on certiﬁed 
copies);
• proof of your identity (see page 38);
• proof that your sponsor is aged 18 years or over and is an Australian citizen, Australian permanent 
resident or eligible New Zealand Citizen (see page 39);
• satisfactory evidence that you and your ﬁancé(e) have met face to face as adults and that you are 
personally known to each other;
• evidence that there is no impediment to you marrying your ﬁ ancé(e) (for example and as appropriate, 
if either you and/or your ﬁancé(e) have been previously married or a previous spouse has died, a 
certiﬁed copy of the divorce decree absolute or the death certiﬁcate of the deceased spouse);
• written statements from both you and your ﬁancé(e) detailing the history of your ﬁancé(e) relationship 
(for example, when and how you met, when you became engaged, joint activities, signiﬁcant events 
in the relationship) and your future plans as husband and wife;
• evidence that you intend to marry your ﬁancé(e) within 9 months of being granted the visa. Such 
evidence must be a signed and dated letter (on letterhead) from an authorised marriage celebrant 
who will conduct your wedding ceremony. The letter must include the place and date (or date 
range) on which the planned marriage ceremony may take place. If you plan to marry in Australia, 
the celebrant must conﬁrm that a Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) for you and your ﬁancé(e) has 
been lodged with them (see page 32 for further details about NOIMs);
• evidence that both you and your ﬁancé(e) are both of marriageable age, which means usually you 
must both be 18 years of age when you marry. If either you or your ﬁancé(e) is aged under 18 years, 
you must provide a court order from an Australian magistrate authorising the marriage;
• evidence that you and your ﬁancé(e) genuinely intend to live in a spouse relationship. The department 
knows that it is often difﬁcult to provide evidence of your intention in the future to live with your 
ﬁancé(e) in a spouse relationship. The required evidence depends on the circumstances of each 
case. If you have evidence that relates to the ﬁnancial, household, social context aspects of, and 
commitment to, your relationship, you should submit this with your Prospective Marriage visa 
application (see pages 39-41 for guidance about similar such requirements for partner visas).

What you were describing is the de facto application for a partner.
Kttykat


----------



## louiseb

Lol thanks for this correction, thats what you get when coming home after 12 hr shift and trying to catch up on tv and emails lol. Thankyou sooo much 

Think i will shut the comp down lol 
Louise


----------



## nitrous

bma said:


> I'm not a migration agent, but just a forum user who myself went through partner visa process. In my humble opinion, you have a problem because you're not living together and for a partner visa you need to live together. The only visa that allows you to apply even though you're not living together is a prospective marriage visa.
> When two people live together, then it's not that difficult to have evidence to prove the relationship.
> But if you're in a long distance relationship, then you need really strong evidence to prove you are in a true (proper) de facto/ married relationship. And unfortunately, you will only start collecting the majority of your evidence once she gets to Australia for your engagement party.
> 
> It's true you guys will marry, but ... if you check the forum, you'll see there are a lot of rejected applications for a partner visa (based on marriage) from that part of the world. And I bet a lot of those applications were solid, with heaps of evidence. So it's possible your marriage certificate will only be a piece of paper for DIAC, that is why it's even more important you think this through, perhaps speak with a good migration agent and then decide what visa your partner will apply for.
> 
> Of course it's good you start collecting the evidence at once, also don't delete your messenger/skype/mobile logs, cause you never know what DIAC will want to see. Save them!
> 
> You can't. You could if you were living together at one point, and then you lived apart due to visa/studies/some solid reason, but as the situation is, it would be difficult to prove this aspect of your relationship (that's why PMV might be a better option).
> 
> _So the plan of getting married here in Aus next February is something that we should consider, is that right?_
> 
> About the wills - get them done after getting married.
> 
> _Noted_
> 
> It doesn't matter the wedding will take place outside Australia. Your fiance could fly to Australia on her prospective marriage visa (for your engagement party) and activate this visa, and afterwards you need to get married in nine months from the day the visa was granted.
> 
> _We are getting married here in Aus, but the wedding ceremony will take place in Dubai in September next year._
> 
> If you prefer to apply for a partner visa, then your evidence needs to prove you support each other financially, physically and emotionally (since when?) and explain your periods of separation - when and why the separation occurred, for how long and how you maintained your relationship during the period of separation.
> 
> _She needs to go back to Dubai for her work commitments, and I also have my work commitments. But this will only be temporary until September when myself and my family will fly over to Dubai for our wedding ceremony, and I will then stay in Dubai for at least 6 weeks or so, before coming back to Aus. _
> 
> Your evidence will be the following:
> - marriage certificate
> 
> - financial evidence: you need to prove you share financial commitments and responsibilities; are you paying for anything hers, is she financially helping you with anything?? Joint cars, anything, any legal commitments that you and your partner have undertaken as a couple...
> 
> _I cant do this without her being not here, things like opening joint bank acocunts and transferring car rego in her name. These things can only happen when she is here.
> 
> She dosnt need to support me financially here in Aus, but I can prove that I can support here financially here in Aus._
> 
> Here's a problem, cause there doesn't seem to be any such evidence prior to your wedding...
> 
> - the nature of the household (evidence that you and your partner share responsibilities within your household;
> 
> here's a problem as well, cause you haven't been living together at all; if you had been living together and for example her bank statement would still be coming to your address, then it's different.... But you haven't been living together at all...
> 
> _Wont having a joint bank account here in Aus under our name be helpful, where I make regular payments to it, and have the bills I pay come out of it?_
> 
> - social context of the relationship: how your relationship with your partner is seen by your friends and family;
> 
> no problem.
> 
> - the nature of your commitment to each other (evidence that proves mutual commitment between you and your partner);
> 
> you'll have wills, superannuation beneficiaries, etc... so no problem with this aspect either.
> 
> I hope somebody else with 309 experience from Dubai will post in this thread, or you can ask a registered migration agent for an advice. But a good and respectable one, there are a lot of dodgy ones out there. Remember, we're not migration agents, this is just our opinion, not actual advice.


Thanks alot


----------



## nitrous

kttykat said:


> I do agree with BMA on this one, on the immigration website they say about living together.
> 
> Living together
> 
> Living together is regarded as a common element in most on-going relationships. Partners who are currently not living together may be required to demonstrate a high level of proof that they are not living separately and apart on a permanent basis.
> 
> And that is the real sticking point in the case of Nitrous, he must wait until there is some time living together before applying.
> 
> Kttykat


I am really stressing out a little now, it seems all the plans myself and my partner have made, might not be regarded as sufficient proof 

Can we apply for a PMV before she comes to Aus, but i think its too late for applying for it now, if we are getting married here.

Any suggestions?

Thanks


----------



## nitrous

Maybe I can also start getting things like my internet/mobile bill transferred on to her name or can I just put down my partner as a secondary contact on the bills I pay?

And then maybe ask the utility companies to give this to me in writing that she is a secondary contact on my bills.

Any suggestions on this 

Thanks


----------



## kttykat

nitrous said:


> I am really stressing out a little now, it seems all the plans myself and my partner have made, might not be regarded as sufficient proof
> 
> Can we apply for a PMV before she comes to Aus, but i think its too late for applying for it now, if we are getting married here.
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> Thanks


PMVs take many months to issue as a rule. When married you have to apply for the 309 offshore or 820 onshore. If you get married then you have the right to apply for a partner visa and it waives the 12 month requirement but you must demonstrate that you plan to live as a married couple in the future by living together from the time of marriage and creating a life together, mortgage, insurance, buying a car together etc etc etc. And having a good amount of evidence for the lead up to your marriage if it was recent. Expect to be scrutinized more closely though....

Kttykat


----------



## bma

nitrous said:


> Maybe I can also start getting things like my internet/mobile bill transferred on to her name or can I just put down my partner as a secondary contact on the bills I pay?
> 
> And then maybe ask the utility companies to give this to me in writing that she is a secondary contact on my bills.
> 
> Any suggestions on this
> 
> Thanks


I don't think this will help cause your fiance never actually lived at your place. DIAC will know this was done for the purpose of visa only, I doubt it would have any weight...

If you're applying for PMV, get your wills done before that (include them in your evidence). If you're applying for a partner visa, you'll be married by then and you'll have to have new wills.

So, you have two options:

- prospective marriage visa; check what's the processing time for your fiance's country, but in general it can take up to a year;

- partner visa; processing time can take up to a year as well; but your evidence (even with a marriage certificate) might not be strong enough;

Your fiance can also enter Australia on a tourist visa and gets married, but you have to know that once you two get married, she won't be able to apply for a PMV any more. Which means then she'll have to apply for a partner visa and if your evidence isn't strong enough, you'd be in trouble.

There's one more thing, though... You said you'll get married here in Australia; assuming she'll get a tourist visa to get married, she comes to Australia, you get married, you open a joint account, you put the bills in both names etc.

Then she goes back to Dubai and you follow her in September - for the wedding ceremony (6 weeks you said).

By then (those six weeks included) you could collect the necessary evidence and she could apply for her partner visa. With the processing time up to a year, she could have her visa in Sept 2014 the latest, but she might be granted with a tourist visa to stay with you in Australia while waiting for the visa to be granted. (will DIAC give her a tourist visa??!)

Because you have a time limit (wedding in Australia, wedding ceremony in Dubai), your case is not simple, but you need to do it the right way.

Remember, we're not migration agents, but only forum users. Why don't you ask a good and respectable registered migration agent for an advice?

One more thing about the evidence; even if you decide to go for a PMV, attach as much evidence as possible. And about car insurance policy - you're not transferring the policy to her name, you're just adding her as a nominated driver (once she gets to Australia or a few weeks before); the rego can stay in your name.


----------



## nitrous

bma said:


> I don't think this will help cause your fiance never actually lived at your place. DIAC will know this was done for the purpose of visa only, I doubt it would have any weight...
> 
> If you're applying for PMV, get your wills done before that (include them in your evidence). If you're applying for a partner visa, you'll be married by then and you'll have to have new wills.
> 
> So, you have two options:
> 
> - prospective marriage visa; check what's the processing time for your fiance's country, but in general it can take up to a year;
> 
> _If her nationality is Canadian, but lives and works in Dubai, what country will she be assessed under for the processing time, Canada or United Arab Emirates?_
> 
> - partner visa; processing time can take up to a year as well; but your evidence (even with a marriage certificate) might not be strong enough;
> 
> Your fiance can also enter Australia on a tourist visa and gets married, but you have to know that once you two get married, she won't be able to apply for a PMV any more. Which means then she'll have to apply for a partner visa and if your evidence isn't strong enough, you'd be in trouble.
> 
> There's one more thing, though... You said you'll get married here in Australia; assuming she'll get a tourist visa to get married, she comes to Australia, you get married, you open a joint account, you put the bills in both names etc.
> 
> _She will come here on a tourist visa with her family, and we will get married here._
> 
> Then she goes back to Dubai and you follow her in September - for the wedding ceremony (6 weeks you said).
> 
> By then (those six weeks included) you could collect the necessary evidence and she could apply for her partner visa. With the processing time up to a year, she could have her visa in Sept 2014 the latest, but she might be granted with a tourist visa to stay with you in Australia while waiting for the visa to be granted. (will DIAC give her a tourist visa??!)
> 
> _So even if I go and live with her for say 6 weeks, and we also open joint accounts in Dubai, will 6 weeks period be fine?
> 
> Even then I will come back to Aus due to my work commitments_
> 
> Because you have a time limit (wedding in Australia, wedding ceremony in Dubai), your case is not simple, but you need to do it the right way.
> _
> Im really getting worried now, we both want to marry someone we both love each other, and it looks like my options might be limited.
> 
> I have always wondered how other people who marry overseas, never met each other, could be an arrange marriage, can bring their wives into Aus within 3-5 months after applying. Maybe they don't tell me the whole story. _
> 
> Remember, we're not migration agents, but only forum users. Why don't you ask a good and respectable registered migration agent for an advice?
> 
> One more thing about the evidence; even if you decide to go for a PMV, attach as much evidence as possible. And about car insurance policy - you're not transferring the policy to her name, you're just adding her as a nominated driver (once she gets to Australia or a few weeks before); the rego can stay in your name.


Thanks alot.


----------



## nitrous

kttykat said:


> PMVs take many months to issue as a rule. When married you have to apply for the 309 offshore or 820 onshore. If you get married then you have the right to apply for a partner visa and it waives the 12 month requirement but you must demonstrate that you plan to live as a married couple in the future by living together from the time of marriage and creating a life together, mortgage, insurance, buying a car together etc etc etc. And having a good amount of evidence for the lead up to your marriage if it was recent. Expect to be scrutinized more closely though....
> 
> Kttykat


Can I go and live with her in Dubai for 6 weeks when we go there for the wedding ceremony?

I will still open joint accounts here in both our names, transfer some utility bills in her name etc when she is here, but we will also open joint accounts there in Dubai when I am there.

Plus, chances are, when we are married, and when we go to Dubai for the ceremony, I will live with her at her parents, so the household aspect for sharing house duties, might be out of the question.

I guess this is where the stat dec comes from her family mentioning that we both lived as a married couple and all expenses were paid by her family.

Another thing, I will be buying a house later down the track, when she has her partner visa granted, so at this stage having a mortgage and even a rent lease under our name here in Aus, is out of the question.

Any suggestions?

Cheers


----------



## bma

nitrous said:


> If her nationality is Canadian, but lives and works in Dubai, what country will she be assessed under for the processing time, Canada or United Arab Emirates?


Is she Canadian?!??! Does she have a Canadian passport, what passports do her parents have??

Cause that changes things completely...


----------



## nitrous

bma said:


> Is she Canadian?!??! Does she have a Canadian passport, what passports do her parents have??
> 
> Cause that changes things completely...


All her family is Canadian with Canadian passports but live in Dubai.

Thanks


----------



## bma

nitrous said:


> All her family is Canadian with Canadian passports but live in Dubai.
> 
> Thanks


That's something else completely. Canada is a low risk country with short processing time.

You guys have three options:

- PMV
- partner offshore 309 visa (after getting married to you)
- partner onshore 820 visa (and the bridging visa has no work restrictions)

In order to get married in Australia, she doesn't have to apply for any special tourist visa, the ETA visa is granted really quickly (online) and enables the holder to stay in Australia for up to three months at the time (but is valid for a year).

Still, in my opinion PMV seems a good way to go...


----------



## nitrous

bma said:


> That's something else completely. Canada is a low risk country with short processing time.
> 
> You guys have three options:
> 
> - PMV
> - partner offshore 309 visa (after getting married to you)
> - partner onshore 820 visa (and the bridging visa has no work restrictions)
> 
> In order to get married in Australia, she doesn't have to apply for any special tourist visa, the ETA visa is granted really quickly (online) and enables the holder to stay in Australia for up to three months at the time (but is valid for a year).
> 
> Still, in my opinion PMV seems a good way to go...


Yeah, she is of a Canadian citizenship by grant, along with her family but lives and works in Dubai.

So we can still get married here in Aus, she goes back to Dubai, applies for a partner offshore visa.

Thats why I mentioned, that when she is here, I would open a joint account in our name, my forms for super are almost filled out with her being the beneficiary on it.

And plus when she is here, I would have her on the bills I pay, so I was hoping things would get a little bit easy.

Things do look a little bit more positive for me


----------



## Taurus

Hello Everyone, so I am at my Final stage of application and after so much filling the documents I have done my table of contents, so what does everybody think of this one? In short my wife and I are married she is my sponsor.

Table of Contents:


1. The Applicant
- Form 47SP - Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner
- Form 80
- Certified copy of xxx Passport
- Australian Federal Police Clearance
- Indian Police Clearance
- Medicals
- Two recent passport photos of XXX

2. The Sponsor
- Form 40SP – Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia (xxx)
- Certified copy of passport of XXX
- Two recent passport photos of XXX
- Certified copy of birth certificate Of XXX

3. Commitment of Relationship – Evidence that Relationship is Genuine & History of our Relationship
- Statement prepared by applicant: XXX
- Statement prepared by sponsor: XXX
- Facebook Conversation between XXX and XXX Dad
- Facebook Mutual Friends Print Screen.
- Facebook Conversation between XXX and XXX throughout period of separation; New Zealand 2011, India November 2011 – January 2012. September – November 2012.
- Phone Log history showing contacts between XXX and XXX during the period of separation.
- Whatsapp messages during periods of separation
- Main Emails Print Screen
- Shubham Malik Superannuation with 100.00% Spouse Beneficiary – XXX

4. Details on our Wedding
- Certified Copy of Registered Relationship
- Certified copy of marriage certificate
- Wedding photos and invitation Card




5. Household Arrangements.
- Copy of Lease Agreement in XXXX name
- Bills in names: XXXX (AGL Electricity &TPG Internet)
- Correspondence/cards/envelopes sent to our current address ( FLYBUYS & Car Insurance)
- Photos of our apartment (Photos of our Room)

6. Financial Aspects of Relationship
- Declaration of current bank account balance from Commonwealth Bank Australia.
- Copies of Commonwealth bank statements from both joint and individual accounts.
- XXXX Applicants Recommendation Letter from his Employer.

7. Social Context of the Relationship.
- Holidays snaps of our trips together x 15
- Cruise Bookings on XXXX Name

8. Supporting Witness Declarations
- Form 888 - Statutory Declarations by friends 3


So what you guys think? Is it enough Evidence?


----------



## philipg

Taurus said:


> Table of Contents:
> 
> 3. Commitment of Relationship - Evidence that Relationship is Genuine & History of our Relationship
> - Statement prepared by applicant: XXX
> - Statement prepared by sponsor: XXX
> 
> So what you guys think? Is it enough Evidence?


Can I suggest you use the checklist on the 47SP as a Table of Contents?
Consider numbering each checkbox and then clipping a small card on each bundle of docs, with a number referenced to the checkbox. My fiance did that with her application and made a very ordered bundle.

Are your relationship statements, statutory declarations? A stat dec witnessed and signed by a notary, then becomes a legal statement that is more acceptable.

May I also suggest you have medical checks done and submitted as well?
Even if they're not required, at least it may save you weeks or months of waiting.


----------



## Coral2013

Hello all.

I had my 820 approved on 4/1 and I just submitted my application using A4 paper folded in half to divide the different sections and the checklist at the front as the 'contents'. I wouldn't bother going to toooo much trouble organising it all as ultimately they just want the necessary items displayed in a way that is as easy as possible.

People who submit more than 2 stat decs and millions of photos may think they're doing a good thing, but from my experience and others who have applied I think this is a hindrance rather than a help.

C


----------



## Reikot

Im new to the forum. Need some advise. I've read a lot of the visa advice on these forums and my general impression was that my partner and I wouldn't have enough evidence for de facto visa.
Im in Malaysia and my partner is in Australia (he's an australian citizen)
Met in 2010 thru my best friend while he was on holiday here in Malaysia and we have been together for two years now.
We kept in touch thru skype, whatsapp, facebook and him coming to visit me in Malaysia occasionally plus me visiting him in Australia using ETA. 
We have photos (taken with families and friends).
Im too old to be getting the working holiday visa as well. 
Would appreciate if anyone could give me advise on this.
Thanks in advance.


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## oFFtoOz

Just a note to all, I've just had my spouse visa approved (subclass 100, Lodged in London and processed in 4.5months) and we didn't put in any emails/facebook logs at all. We did have a few pics of us together over the years but we focused more on the joint mail from other avenues,e.g. joint credit cards, car insurance policies, wills, lease agreements, house insurance policies, joint travel bookings and obviously a few decs from people that have known us throughout the relationship. We are married with kids and so I didn't feel a need to include a long list of private conversations - and I don't think it held us back in any way. Just a tip so people don't feel they HAVE to include these logs, although obviously they are useful for people who have to spend long periods apart


----------



## oFFtoOz

Reikot said:


> Im new to the forum. Need some advise. I've read a lot of the visa advice on these forums and my general impression was that my partner and I wouldn't have enough evidence for de facto visa.
> Im in Malaysia and my partner is in Australia (he's an australian citizen)
> Met in 2010 thru my best friend while he was on holiday here in Malaysia and we have been together for two years now.
> We kept in touch thru skype, whatsapp, facebook and him coming to visit me in Malaysia occasionally plus me visiting him in Australia using ETA.
> We have photos (taken with families and friends).
> Im too old to be getting the working holiday visa as well.
> Would appreciate if anyone could give me advise on this.
> Thanks in advance.


You wouldn't be able to apply for a defacto visa however I believe that if you intend to have a long and lasting relationship you could apply for a PMV, providing you get engaged and married within 9months I think. I don't know for sure the timeframe but I believe this would be an option for you.


----------



## Reikot

Dear oFFtoOz,

Thanks a lot. Will discuss with my partner on this.


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## Marie143

Hi sonkos! kindly post your table of contents. thanks!


----------



## philipg

Marie143 said:


> Hi sonkos! kindly post your table of contents. thanks!


DIAC has provided the best table of contents.
Use the checklist on the 47SP.
Put all your documentation in the same order as the checklist, and that will be an ideal TOC.

Not sure which visa you've applied for, but try
http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/_pdf/300-checklist.pdf
http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/_pdf/309-100-checklist.pdf


----------



## felali

*My Application*

Here is my application:

1. Application Document Checklist

2. RELATIONSHIP History

- Relationship TimeLine
- Relationship statements & Statutory Declarations for both Applicant and Sponsor
- Summary Statement(Summarising the Application, those included etc)

3. SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

- Form 47SP
- Form 40SP
- Form 1193
- Form 1221(Optional according to my opinion)
- Certified Copies of Biographical data pages of both Applicant's and Sponsor's Passports
- Certified Copies of both Applicant's and Sponsor's birth certificates
- Certified copy of marriage certificate
- Certified Commemorative marriage certificate(Optional)

4. STATUTORY DECLARATIONS ( FORM 888)

- From about four witnesses

5. Security Clearance for Applicant

- Original Australia National Police Check
- Original Kenyan Police Clearance
- Certified Copies of driving licences and id cards

6. Form 80

7. Payslips(Applicant's and Sponsors for last two years), and joint bank a/c details. Also include bank statements here.

8. Western Union receipts, international bank transfers.

9. Proof that relationship is known to govt bodies.

- Centrelink
- Superannuation nomination
- Family tax benefit forms

10. Receipts and Expenses

11. Health Records

- Health results from medibank (NOTE: Was told optional by immi since am on PMV, but submitted anyway. Decide.)
- Health Undertaking results.

12. Phone contract receipts(On Sponsor's name)

13. Social context of our relationship

- Joint Club membership
- Wedding cards and gifts(photos)
- Facebook
- Emails from in-laws and friends etc
- Emails between us on day to day basis(just a month sample). *Note: Used an android app called "Email My Texts" to send messages to email then print out.*

14. Copies of receipts on trips and google map images kept.

15. Joint Utility bills

- Energy bills such as water, gas, electricity.
- May also include lease here if you so wish.

16. Pets and Car jointly owned.

17. Joint Lease Agreement

18. Photos

- Wedding photos
- Social photos(outings), visit to parks and museums etc.

And that is it! Submitted and the long wait goes on...... Anyone with more to add so that we may help the community, to do so please. And pm me for questions or post them on forum.


----------



## Marie143

hi everybody! i am currently compiling evidences for de facto visa and filling up the forms too. in form 80, part B has partner's details to be filled up, im still applying for a de facto spouse visa so do i need to put already my partner's name there eventhough its not approved yet by australian law?


----------



## Marie143

(currently compiling evidences for de facto spouse visa)another thing for form 80, question 45, regarding travels to other countries in the past ten years, my situation is that i lost my first passport and i didnt have any copy of the EXACT DATES when i travelled to these countries. how do i go about that? any similar experiences or suggestions?


----------



## KrystHell

Marie143 said:


> (currently compiling evidences for de facto spouse visa)another thing for form 80, question 45, regarding travels to other countries in the past ten years, my situation is that i lost my first passport and i didnt have any copy of the EXACT DATES when i travelled to these countries. how do i go about that? any similar experiences or suggestions?


Immigration will tell you to only include travels to countries where you spent at least a couple of months over the past 10 years.
I rang them last year about this and they said they can appreciate people don't remember those dates.
I used to travel all the time back when I was living in Europe and it would have been super hard to compile everything, but just include countries you have spent a substantial amount on time in.

As for the dates, just give a rough estimate. That's what I did and they never questioned it!


----------



## CollegeGirl

KrystHell said:


> Immigration will tell you to only include travels to countries where you spent at least a couple of months over the past 10 years.
> I rang them last year about this and they said they can appreciate people don't remember those dates.
> I used to travel all the time back when I was living in Europe and it would have been super hard to compile everything, but just include countries you have spent a substantial amount on time in.
> 
> As for the dates, just give a rough estimate. That's what I did and they never questioned it!


My migration agent said it's standard practice to just list the first of the month as the date if you remember the month and year, but not exact date. I took a couple of little side trips to other European countries when I was studying abroad, but they aren't even in my passport because in the EU you can travel freely from country to country if you have an EU visa. So I'm listing the first of each month I traveled. Hope that helps, too.


----------



## Marie143

KrystHell said:


> Immigration will tell you to only include travels to countries where you spent at least a couple of months over the past 10 years.
> I rang them last year about this and they said they can appreciate people don't remember those dates.
> I used to travel all the time back when I was living in Europe and it would have been super hard to compile everything, but just include countries you have spent a substantial amount on time in.
> 
> As for the dates, just give a rough estimate. That's what I did and they never questioned it!


hi KrystHell! my god! you got approved on just one day?the same day you filed your visa? wow!! in form 80 regarding partner's details, do i have to put my partner's name on it? although our de facto relationship is not yet approved by australian law?thanks!!


----------



## KrystHell

Marie143 said:


> hi KrystHell! my god! you got approved on just one day?the same day you filed your visa? wow!! in form 80 regarding partner's details, do i have to put my partner's name on it? although our de facto relationship is not yet approved by australian law?thanks!!


I didn't get approved in one day no! God I wish i had been. Only took a couple of months though which was quite short considering the amount of time people seem to be spending waiting for their file to be even looked at!

and Yes, do put your partner's details. It's not because your relationship is not "official" as far as Australian immigration goes, that you guys aren't an item 

Good luck!


----------



## bashishot

CollegeGirl said:


> My migration agent said it's standard practice to just list the first of the month as the date if you remember the month and year, but not exact date. I took a couple of little side trips to other European countries when I was studying abroad, but they aren't even in my passport because in the EU you can travel freely from country to country if you have an EU visa. So I'm listing the first of each month I traveled. Hope that helps, too.


I had the same issue. Studied in London for a semester but every weekend we went somewhere and only some countries stamp in and out so I just did my best estimate of dates. It's a lot of different dates to try and recall!


----------



## kttykat

KrystHell said:


> I didn't get approved in one day no! God I wish i had been. Only took a couple of months though which was quite short considering the amount of time people seem to be spending waiting for their file to be even looked at!
> 
> and Yes, do put your partner's details. It's not because your relationship is not "official" as far as Australian immigration goes, that you guys aren't an item
> 
> Good luck!


You need to fix the dates in your timeline, that is what is confusing people..

Kttykat


----------



## bashishot

Ok this may be a dumb question. I am filling out the medical forms for my appt tomorrow and it asks if I have ever had any surgery or extended hospital stay I had a C section in 2010 and was in the hospital for 4 days. Is this something I should include?


----------



## felali

bashishot said:


> Ok this may be a dumb question. I am filling out the medical forms for my appt tomorrow and it asks if I have ever had any surgery or extended hospital stay I had a C section in 2010 and was in the hospital for 4 days. Is this something I should include?


It is ok. Just include it. And explain what it is about. Immigration officials(read case officers) are human; you may also get that they have gone through the same. It is not a medical condition, so yes, no problem there. Cheers, and put your heart at peace. Remember, immigration wants to know* everything*...so include those so that they do not ask questions later.


----------



## yanky

hi all!!


Please some one tell what all could be considered as joint investments or sumthng that me and my fiance are having together as evidence on joint names for filing visa...

Thanks in advance!!
yanky


----------



## bashishot

yanky said:


> hi all!!
> 
> Please some one tell what all could be considered as joint investments or sumthng that me and my fiance are having together as evidence on joint names for filing visa...
> 
> Thanks in advance!!
> yanky


Hi, do you share a bank account or any credit cards or bills? Rent agreements, purchases made together, bills (electric, gas, cable, internet, etc) You can also use mail addressed to both of you such as family invitations, etc.


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## yanky

hi

We have opened a joint bank opened..
but no operations in account on joint basis.. my fiance is settled in australia and no purchases are done on joint basis. . since we are staying separately, so no utility bills can be produced on joint names. 


thanks



bashishot said:


> Hi, do you share a bank account or any credit cards or bills? Rent agreements, purchases made together, bills (electric, gas, cable, internet, etc) You can also use mail addressed to both of you such as family invitations, etc.


----------



## philipg

bashishot said:


> it asks if I have ever had any surgery or extended hospital stay I had a C section in 2010 and was in the hospital for 4 days. Is this something I should include?


Definitely should be included. The panel doctors will look at that information and add his/her comments to your form.

DIAC is interested in your medical information to enable them to access your risk to Australia's medical health system.


----------



## bashishot

philipg said:


> Definitely should be included. The panel doctors will look at that information and add his/her comments to your form.
> 
> DIAC is interested in your medical information to enable them to access your risk to Australia's medical health system.


Thanks! I did end up putting it on there. I had the exam last week!


----------



## yanky

Hey 

I have never visited any other country. While filling form 47sp question no 73 says in which countries have you lived for 12 months or more during the last 10 years? Do i need to write here about my address where i have been staying though i have never been to any other country...


----------



## bashishot

yanky said:


> Hey
> 
> I have never visited any other country. While filling form 47sp question no 73 says in which countries have you lived for 12 months or more during the last 10 years? Do i need to write here about my address where i have been staying though i have never been to any other country...


Are you referring to your home address? I included mine and that is the only placed I have lived for over a year.


----------



## yanky

Ya..
I mean home address... Moreover, my work city is different from home address where i have been staying since past two years.. Do i need to write about my work address also?

Thanks



bashishot said:


> Are you referring to your home address? I included mine and that is the only placed I have lived for over a year.


----------



## bradsterusa

When I called the hotline, they told me my file was currently being assessed, they have always told me before it was in que to be assessed ... hopefully that means someone is looking at it finally! lol


----------



## CollegeGirl

yanky said:


> Ya..
> I mean home address... Moreover, my work city is different from home address where i have been staying since past two years.. Do i need to write about my work address also?
> 
> Thanks


On the Form 80, there is a separate section where you list all the jobs you've held. That's where you'll include the address for your workplace.

When they are asking where you've lived, that's all they want to know - where you've lived. Where you've worked is different.


----------



## bashishot

yanky said:


> Ya..
> I mean home address... Moreover, my work city is different from home address where i have been staying since past two years.. Do i need to write about my work address also?
> 
> Thanks


I believe they only want your residential address, not where you have worked but as someone else said it looks like there is a place to list work addresses on another separate form.


----------



## bashishot

bradsterusa said:


> When I called the hotline, they told me my file was currently being assessed, they have always told me before it was in que to be assessed ... hopefully that means someone is looking at it finally! lol


That's amazing! I hope this is your week? Will you move ASAP once it's granted?


----------



## raingel.thunder

hey guys, just call me rain, i have different situation than anyone else in this forum. just wondering if you guys can help me with my application.

me and my husband has the same surname when we were gf and bf. we are 4th cousin actually. we dont know each other before.we just met 2009, 4yrs ago. and we were in an mutual understanding kind of relationship, then got officially gf and bf, 2012. and got married feb 2013. and now we were applying for his spouse visa to come here in australia. can u please help us what requirements do we still need?..and please advise us as well for additional information we can provide since me and my husband was related by surname.


----------



## raingel.thunder

can someone help me with my situation, please thank you.


----------



## MarkNortham

Hi Rain -

Please start a new topic for your question - this thread is about the best way to present partner visa application packages.

In response to your question, there are a large number of requirements for any partner visa package - check out immi.gov.au and look under partner visas for the Partner Visa Booklet, which will get you started. You should check online, but I believe 4th cousin marriages are legally recognised in Australia.

Best,

Mark Northam


----------



## pmwoodward

How Should I Put My Application Together?
Please do not make complex collations of your application papers. We waste a lot of time (and risk injury to life and limb) deconstructing applications which have been extensively stapled or artfully put together in complex folders with indexes, dividers and tabs. Do not use plastic inserts. Please leave the papers, loosely divided by slide-on paper clips if you feel it is absolutely necessary, in a simple stack. Application form on the top; sponsorship form next; key personal documents next (birth and marriage certificates etc); formal statutory declarations next; and other supporting documents last.

Please do not send us video tapes or photograph albums. If you would like to support your claims with photographs, please choose a representative selection and make a photocopy.

Please do not send us phone cards at all as they can tell us nothing. If you wish to send examples of correspondence, please be very selective and send copies only.

_*Thank you for sharing this information... very helpful!!!
*_


----------



## Renny

Hi guys,

I’ve recently submitted my wife’s onshore application and was process within 2 months considering everyone was telling us we had a 13month waiting period.

The way we submitted our application was
We looked at the checklist and we placed everything in the order that it was on the checklist.

We did her FBI check and medical check before we submitted and included them in the application

We also included:
8 Photos with a short sentence or two on the back explaining the photo.
1 Month Mobile bill, showing we were in contact.
1 A4 page of facebook chat log. 
1 A4 page of facebook activity. Showing we have common friends and photos
1 A4 skype call log.
A few receipts of gifts that we have bought each other.
Marriage certificate
Benefactor of my Super
A few print out of air tickets that shows we meet up with each other.
Pictures from a ultrasound what shows my wife is pregnant.
Bank statement showing we have joint bank accounts.
Statements from both of us
And all the usual forms that’s needs to be included

On most of the evidence of our relationship, I placed a sticky note and mentioning what they are looking at and if need I can provide more.

I think having done the FBI Check and medical speed things up a lot as well.

We placed everything in a big yellow envelop that we picked up from the DIAC office.
Nothing was stapled or put in sleeves apart from the FBI check and Medical which we left unopened.

My wife is pregnant so I’m not sure if that speed things up for us or not.

Good luck all and thanks everyone for the information they have provided on this forum as it has been a big help in putting our application together.


----------



## goodekl26

Hey all, 

Just got approval for my 820 visa in less than a month, and I'm sure that all the advice on how to present and prepare my application I've gotten from here was a MASSIVE advantage to the timely processing of my visa.

I haven't seen too many sample tables of contents in too many threads, and the ones I did find I made sure to print off, as they ended up being a huge help in outlining what I should include and how I should include it. 

Because mine was so successful, I thought it'd be nice to include what my table of contents looked like for anyone interested. 

Table of Contents:

Application Document Checklist – 2 passport photos of applicant and sponsor attached

1 Forms and Identification Documents
1.1	Completed Form 47SP
1.2 Completed Form 40SP
1.3 Certified copy of American passport- applicant
1.4 Certified copy of Australian passport- sponsor
1.5 Certified copy of American birth certificate- applicant
1.6 Certified copy of VIC birth certificate- sponsor
1.7	Certified copy of current ANZ VISA Debit card – applicant
1.8	Copy of Letter from employer confirming employment – sponsor

2 Medicals and Character Documents
2.1 Medical assessment results
2.2 United States FBI Police check 
2.3 Statutory declaration explaining WI circuit court access
2.4 Wisconsin, USA circuit court background check 
2.5 Australian Federal Police Check
2.6	Completed Form 80

3 History of the relationship
3.1 Statutory Declaration- applicant
3.2 Statutory Declaration- sponsor
3.3	Copy of VIC Defacto Relationship Certificate

4 Evidence of a genuine and continuing relationship
4.1 Financial Aspects
4.1.1 Statement explaining the following evidence
4.1.2 Copy of bank records for previous 12 months - applicant
4.1.3 Copy of bank records for previous 12 months - sponsor
4.1.4 Copy of shared Flybuys Account information

4.2 Nature of the household
4.2.1 Statement explaining the following evidence
4.2.2 Statement outlining the basis on which responsibility for housework was/ is distributed
4.2.3 Copy of Residential Tenancy Agreement for ((address))
4.2.4 Proof of Residential Tenancy at Deakin University - applicant
4.2.5 Proof of Residential Tenancy at Deakin University - sponsor
4.2.6 Copy of Wannon Water Agreement for ((address))
4.2.7 Copy of bank statements addressed to applicant and sponsor at ((address))

4.3 Social Context of the relationship
4.3.1 Statement explaining the following evidence
4.3.2 Copies of photos of applicant and sponsor
4.3.3 Copy of Christmas card 2012
4.3.4 Receipt for purchase of music festival tickets
4.3.5 Copy of music festival tickets – applicant and sponsor
4.3.6 Copy of Facebook friendship
4.3.7 Copies of two Facebook invitations/events (including comments)
4.3.8 Four Statutory Declarations of Australian Citizens
4.3.9 Two Statutory Declarations of non-Australian Citizens – mother of applicant, friend of applicant and sponsor

4.4 Nature of our commitment to each other
4.4.1 Statement explaining following evidence
4.4.2 Copy of birthday letters – given to sponsor from applicant
4.4.3 Copy of pages of book – given to applicant from sponsor
4.4.4 Copy of deferment confirmation for James Cook University - applicant


As per everyone's suggestions.. the only things I had paperclipped were the forms 47SP, 40SP, and 80 - just to make it easier to separate the most important forms from all the rest. Each section (1-4) was tucked into a plain sheet of paper folded in half around them. After that we just popped everything into a nice protective envelope and sent it off. easy as that right??

^kidding. it's lots of work and gathering of evidence, and we had stat decs at the beginning or in the middle of almost every section just to explain the relevance to the application. That way the CO could look at the stat decs, see what we included and why, and decide whether or not they actually needed to go through that part at all or if they could move on. On things like pictures or individual transactions from bank statements, dates on cards, etc. we highlighted what was relevant and put a short blurb next to it with a further explanation if we thought it was necessary.

I thought I may have gone overboard in the organization of it all, but it does pay off!

Good luck all


----------



## queliwantstogo

Hi. I applied for a defacto partner visa from the United States at the end of April, and reading the information everyone submitted with their applications, I am nkw terrified that i did not provide enough information with my application - especially in terms of evidence of the relationship.

I am applying for the partner visa based on having a de facto relationship with my partner. I lived in australia with my partner for just under 12 months, but we registered our relationship with the NSW Registry of Births and Deaths and submitted that certification with our visa application - so that we may have the 1-year relationship requirement waived. 

The thing is - because I was there on a work and holiday visa (meaning I had work restrictions and couldn't make a lot of money) and my partner is in University and not working, we lived out of one bedroom in his parents' house rather than having our own place together and used his mum's old car rather than buying a car of our own together. So we don't have a lease with our name on it or car insurance taken out together or anything. 

With our application, we both wrote our stat dec's - and mine was about 8 pages long. We provided our 2 supporting dec's - one from a mutual friend, who was there when we met for the first time, and one from my partner's mum. And I provided about 20 cards total - some from him to me, some from me to him, some from our families to the other partner, and a few addressed to both of us at the same address. I also provided a small flat photo book that I made for each of us as an anniversary gift. We also opened a joint account together about halfway into my trip to Australia and started using it to pay for groceries, dinners, trips to the movies, and a few activities we participated in together on trips. So I provided a few bank statements showing those transactions. 

I didn't know that I was meant to supply dinner receipts, movie ticket stubs, and stuff like that, though. I am really worried we don't have enough physical evidence to prove the validity of our relationship - not just in what we already provided but in what I could pull together at all if more evidence was needed.. 

Is there any chance that this would be considered sufficient evidence to have the visa granted? Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to what I should do now - if anything? Should I be worried?

Thanks! :/


----------



## KrystHell

queliwantstogo said:


> Hi. I applied for a defacto partner visa from the United States at the end of April, and reading the information everyone submitted with their applications, I am nkw terrified that i did not provide enough information with my application - especially in terms of evidence of the relationship.
> 
> I am applying for the partner visa based on having a de facto relationship with my partner. I lived in australia with my partner for just under 12 months, but we registered our relationship with the NSW Registry of Births and Deaths and submitted that certification with our visa application - so that we may have the 1-year relationship requirement waived.
> 
> The thing is - because I was there on a work and holiday visa (meaning I had work restrictions and couldn't make a lot of money) and my partner is in University and not working, we lived out of one bedroom in his parents' house rather than having our own place together and used his mum's old car rather than buying a car of our own together. So we don't have a lease with our name on it or car insurance taken out together or anything.
> 
> With our application, we both wrote our stat dec's - and mine was about 8 pages long. We provided our 2 supporting dec's - one from a mutual friend, who was there when we met for the first time, and one from my partner's mum. And I provided about 20 cards total - some from him to me, some from me to him, some from our families to the other partner, and a few addressed to both of us at the same address. I also provided a small flat photo book that I made for each of us as an anniversary gift. We also opened a joint account together about halfway into my trip to Australia and started using it to pay for groceries, dinners, trips to the movies, and a few activities we participated in together on trips. So I provided a few bank statements showing those transactions.
> 
> I didn't know that I was meant to supply dinner receipts, movie ticket stubs, and stuff like that, though. I am really worried we don't have enough physical evidence to prove the validity of our relationship.
> 
> Is there any chance that this would be considered sufficient evidence to have the visa granted? Does anyone have any advice or suggestions as to what I should do now - if anything? Should I be worried?
> 
> Thanks! :/


I wouldn't worry too much about whether you have provided them with enough details or not. If they require any more info from you they will let you know.

I met my now husband while I was on a working holiday and we did not have a lease in our name either because no estate agent would let me sign a year's lease on a working holiday visa. 
I never supplied receipts for restaurants or movies or whatever else other people may have provided immigration with. Immigration never asked us for more info than we had supplied them with.

I tend to think the more you put in there, the more suspicious it sounds especially considering the situation you were in.

As long as your application sounds honest and genuine I don't see why they wouldn't approve it!

Don't think about it too much. Some people have gotten lucky but it's always down to the CO. You cannot predict how long you'll have to wait. The first few days after sending the application are always stressful but it'll ease down in the next couple of weeks. Just relax. As long as you believe in your relationship and mutual commitment everything is going to be ok


----------



## queliwantstogo

Thanks so much, KrystHell. I am a naturally anxious person - so I will definitely be worried throughout the process, but your response has really calmed my nerves. I am glad to know that there have been some people who have had their visas granted without a mile long list of pieces of evidence. 

My application was lodged on the 19th, and I received my CO on the 25th. Review of my app is currently halted, though, because I have been asked to provide an AFP. I would loved to be approved by July, but I am realistically anticipating October.


----------



## pmwoodward

goodekl26 said:


> Hey all,
> 
> Just got approval for my 820 visa in less than a month, and I'm sure that all the advice on how to present and prepare my application I've gotten from here was a MASSIVE advantage to the timely processing of my visa.
> 
> I haven't seen too many sample tables of contents in too many threads, and the ones I did find I made sure to print off, as they ended up being a huge help in outlining what I should include and how I should include it.
> 
> Because mine was so successful, I thought it'd be nice to include what my table of contents looked like for anyone interested.
> 
> Table of Contents:
> 
> Application Document Checklist - 2 passport photos of applicant and sponsor attached
> 
> 1 Forms and Identification Documents
> 1.1	Completed Form 47SP
> 1.2 Completed Form 40SP
> 1.3 Certified copy of American passport- applicant
> 1.4 Certified copy of Australian passport- sponsor
> 1.5 Certified copy of American birth certificate- applicant
> 1.6 Certified copy of VIC birth certificate- sponsor
> 1.7	Certified copy of current ANZ VISA Debit card - applicant
> 1.8	Copy of Letter from employer confirming employment - sponsor
> 
> 2 Medicals and Character Documents
> 2.1 Medical assessment results
> 2.2 United States FBI Police check
> 2.3 Statutory declaration explaining WI circuit court access
> 2.4 Wisconsin, USA circuit court background check
> 2.5 Australian Federal Police Check
> 2.6	Completed Form 80
> 
> 3 History of the relationship
> 3.1 Statutory Declaration- applicant
> 3.2 Statutory Declaration- sponsor
> 3.3	Copy of VIC Defacto Relationship Certificate
> 
> 4 Evidence of a genuine and continuing relationship
> 4.1 Financial Aspects
> 4.1.1 Statement explaining the following evidence
> 4.1.2 Copy of bank records for previous 12 months - applicant
> 4.1.3 Copy of bank records for previous 12 months - sponsor
> 4.1.4 Copy of shared Flybuys Account information
> 
> 4.2 Nature of the household
> 4.2.1 Statement explaining the following evidence
> 4.2.2 Statement outlining the basis on which responsibility for housework was/ is distributed
> 4.2.3 Copy of Residential Tenancy Agreement for ((address))
> 4.2.4 Proof of Residential Tenancy at Deakin University - applicant
> 4.2.5 Proof of Residential Tenancy at Deakin University - sponsor
> 4.2.6 Copy of Wannon Water Agreement for ((address))
> 4.2.7 Copy of bank statements addressed to applicant and sponsor at ((address))
> 
> 4.3 Social Context of the relationship
> 4.3.1 Statement explaining the following evidence
> 4.3.2 Copies of photos of applicant and sponsor
> 4.3.3 Copy of Christmas card 2012
> 4.3.4 Receipt for purchase of music festival tickets
> 4.3.5 Copy of music festival tickets - applicant and sponsor
> 4.3.6 Copy of Facebook friendship
> 4.3.7 Copies of two Facebook invitations/events (including comments)
> 4.3.8 Four Statutory Declarations of Australian Citizens
> 4.3.9 Two Statutory Declarations of non-Australian Citizens - mother of applicant, friend of applicant and sponsor
> 
> 4.4 Nature of our commitment to each other
> 4.4.1 Statement explaining following evidence
> 4.4.2 Copy of birthday letters - given to sponsor from applicant
> 4.4.3 Copy of pages of book - given to applicant from sponsor
> 4.4.4 Copy of deferment confirmation for James Cook University - applicant
> 
> As per everyone's suggestions.. the only things I had paperclipped were the forms 47SP, 40SP, and 80 - just to make it easier to separate the most important forms from all the rest. Each section (1-4) was tucked into a plain sheet of paper folded in half around them. After that we just popped everything into a nice protective envelope and sent it off. easy as that right??
> 
> ^kidding. it's lots of work and gathering of evidence, and we had stat decs at the beginning or in the middle of almost every section just to explain the relevance to the application. That way the CO could look at the stat decs, see what we included and why, and decide whether or not they actually needed to go through that part at all or if they could move on. On things like pictures or individual transactions from bank statements, dates on cards, etc. we highlighted what was relevant and put a short blurb next to it with a further explanation if we thought it was necessary.
> 
> I thought I may have gone overboard in the organization of it all, but it does pay off!
> 
> Good luck all


This has been extremely helpful in putting my application together!! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us all 
Our application is complete (deep sigh of relief) and will be sent today!


----------



## ddalw1

Hi there,

I am a Sri Lankan national currently finishing off a PhD in Melbourne and my current visa expires in March 2014. Due to the current state of visa regulations, I am unable to apply for PR until I have a year's worth of work experience. In the event that I do not get offered a job after I finish my PhD, my partner and I have been discussing applying for a partner visa. He is an Australian citizen and we've been in a relationship for a little over 3 years. However, due to cultural reasons, we do not live together, so we don't classify as a de facto relationship. He'd like for us to get married before my visa expires so that I can stay. However, he's also a grad student, without full-time employment and is living with his parents at the moment (yep, we grad students are pretty pov!). If we were to get married, I would be living with him and his family, at least until one of us finds full-time work.
Does anyone have any advice to offer under these circumstances, or has anyone else been in a similar situation? I'm just wondering what our chances are, 'cos we're stressing out a fair bit about being separated from each other!

Thanks so much for your time!


----------



## Eizzi

Obviously this is going to be of limited use to folks, since I've only just applied so there's no saying if it's a good method or not.

I found too many sections were causing too much indecision about the order of the application. Dividing it into sections results in a lot of crossover. For example, a bank statement might show a) the joint account (financial evidence), b) supermarket and house purchases (household evidence), and c) travel costs (social evidence). Of course, I could've printed the same thing 3 times and added it to each section... but...

So, in case anyone else is going through the same thought process, here's how I organised my application:

- Application cover letter
- A list of both of our family members/friends who are mentioned in the application, just for clarity's sake.
- A basic timeline of our relationship

1: Forms, Checks and Documents
1.1 Application Document Checklist
1.2 Document table of Contents
1.3 Completed Form 47SP
1.4 Applicant’s passport photo page (Certified copy)
1.5 Applicant's 2nd passport photo page (I have two valid UK passports) (Certified copy)
1.6 Applicant’s Birth Certificate (Certified copy)
1.7 Applicant’s Victorian Drivers Licence (Certified copy)
1.8 2 passport-sized photographs of Applicant and Sponsor
1.9 Form 40SP – Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia
1.10 Sponsor’s passport photo page (Certified copy)
1.11 Sponsor's Birth Certificate (Certified copy)
1.12 Sponsor's Victorian Drivers Licence (Certified copy)
1.13 Sponsor's two most recent payslips (originals)
1.14 Sponsor's tax assessment notices (two; certified copies)
1.15 Sponsor's permission letter for Long Service Leave, showing how long Sponsor has worked (certified)
1.16 Form 80 – Personal particulars for character assessment
1.17 Form 1221 – Additional Personal Particulars Information
1.18 Applicant's character Statutory Declaration
1.19 Applicant’s Police Certificate – AFP (Original)
1.20 Applicant’s Police Certificate – UK (Original)

2: History of the relationship
2.1 Applicant’s Statutory Declaration detailing the history of the relationship
2.2 Sponsor’s Statutory Declaration detailing the history of the relationship
2.3 Form 888 – Statutory declaration by a supporting witness relating to a partner visa application – Sponsor’s Sister
2.4 Form 888 – Statutory declaration by a supporting witness relating to a partner visa application – Applicant’s Aunt (Aus PR)
2.5 UK Statutory Declaration to support application – Applicant’s Father
2.6 to 2.8 3x Form 888 – Statutory declaration by a supporting witness relating to a partner visa application – Sponsor’s Friend (two have known us both from before we started dating)

3: Sealed results of applicant's visa medical

4: Evidence
- Everything. All the financial, travel, work/commitment to stay in Aus, household, social, co-habitation evidence. All in date order, with a clear, numbered table of contents, and a corresponding numbered sticker on each item. The table of contents had a box in which I added explanatory info for each item if it was required (for example, I have a HR licence from the UK and I re-took my test here in Aus to show willingness to obtain work in the same vein as I used to, etc. I explained this in that box.)

5: Photos
15 photos, printed 2 per page, with a short description of the events and people pictured.

I made copies of everything so we have an exact replica of what has been sent. I made sure there were no staples or clips beyond the main two. I clipped the sections 1 and 2 together in a bulldog clip, and 4 and 5 in a second one. I left the medical results envelope un-clipped between the two clipped piles. I put it all (about the size of a ream of paper from officeworks) in a plastic ziplock bag. I wasn't sure how to safely send the passport photos, so I cut a square section from a plastic wallet and sticky taped it to a piece of paper with the top edge of the plastic open.


----------



## Pxer

Eizzi said:


> I found too many sections were causing too much indecision about the order of the application. Dividing it into sections results in a lot of crossover. For example, a bank statement might show a) the joint account (financial evidence), b) supermarket and house purchases (household evidence), and c) travel costs (social evidence). Of course, I could've printed the same thing 3 times and added it to each section... but...
> 
> So, in case anyone else is going through the same thought process, here's how I organised my application:


I had the same thoughts. This is really helpful, thanks!


----------



## Chris112358

Hey guys
Can someone please tell me what is the visa that I apply for after marrying an Australian, I am from Spain. Also what is the full cost of this visa? 
I'm very confused. Thanks for helping.


----------



## queliwantstogo

Chris112358 said:


> Hey guys
> Can someone please tell me what is the visa that I apply for after marrying an Australian, I am from Spain. Also what is the full cost of this visa?
> I'm very confused. Thanks for helping.


Are you applying from Spain or Australia? When will you marry?


----------



## kmmr

Thanks for the very helpful post *goodekl*! I am just starting to pull together my information for a subsection 309 visa. We are married 2 years, and together for 7 so hopefully we can do this fairly smoothly. I have a few questions about a few things on your list - hopefully people can help!

Please bear with me as I am just starting this, and I'm sure there are answers around, I'm just struggling with all the paperwork.

1.8	Copy of Letter from employer confirming employment - sponsor
Does the Sponsor have to be employed? I (the sponsor) won't be employed when we go, but we have a lot of capital available instead, and plan to not work for 6 months or so anyway. 

2.1 Medical assessment results

Is it just the applicant who needs to do a medical check? Or the sponsor as well? The booklet refers to 'you and all members of your family unit'. As a spouse (but an Australian citizen) does that include me?

2.2 United States FBI Police check 
2.5 Australian Federal Police Check
2.6	Completed Form 80
Is this necessary for applicant AND sponsor? How do you go about getting this kind of thing? (In UK) 
Update: I've worked this out. And I assume it is only for the applicant

4.3.6 Copy of Facebook friendship
What do you mean by that? Just a screenshot showing your relationship status?

4.3.8 Four Statutory Declarations of Australian Citizens
I thought 2 was enough. Did you just get 4 as further evidence?

4.3.9 Two Statutory Declarations of non-Australian Citizens - mother of applicant, friend of applicant and sponsor
Was this necessary? Did you use form 888 for all the stat decs?

Another slightly confusing question. My partner is known informally by a second name. It's totally different to his name, but is a normal name. eg - his real name is George, but friends call him Andrew. I (his wife) call him Andrew, as does my family and friends, and a number of his friends too. However his family call him George, and in formal documents he is George. (It's a long story, but just a nickname that stuck, and as it is a 'real' name, people assume it is his real name).

This causes a slight problem in that all informal letters, cards, etc from my family refer to Andrew. Do you think I should just exclude them, or explain it all during the application. It may look slightly dodgy... but it is the truth.

Thanks all! Once I have enough posts I will properly update my signature.


----------



## Chris112358

queliwantstogo said:


> Are you applying from Spain or Australia? When will you marry?


Hi thanks for the response, I'm applying from Australia, I'm here on a tourist e-visa but we are getting married before it expires. Would I have to apply for the subclass 820? How much does it cost in total?


----------



## queliwantstogo

Chris112358 said:


> Hi thanks for the response, I'm applying from Australia, I'm here on a tourist e-visa but we are getting married before it expires. Would I have to apply for the subclass 820? How much does it cost in total?


Hey Chris,

So if you marry your partner before your current visa expires and choose to apply from Australia, you will apply for the onshore partner visa (820/801), which costs $3975 AUD.

When you submit your application, you will actually be applying for 2 visas at the same time: a temporary visa (820), which will last for ~2 years if granted; and a permanent visa (801), for which your case will be reevaluated after 2 years - if this is granted, you will be given permanent residency.

While your partner visa is being processed, you will likely be granted a (free) bridging visa to stay in Australia until a decision is made on your partner visa.

Find more info on the onshore partner visa at: http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/partners/partner/820-801/

Here's a PDF on partner migration as well: http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/booklets/1127.pdf


----------



## MarkNortham

Chris112358 said:


> Hi thanks for the response, I'm applying from Australia, I'm here on a tourist e-visa but we are getting married before it expires. Would I have to apply for the subclass 820? How much does it cost in total?


Hi Chris -

The DIAC visa application fee for the subclass 820/801 onshore partner visa application is $3975.00 - unsure of whether they will raise that on 1 July when other new rates are typically announced.

Best,

Mark Northam


----------



## CollegeGirl

kmmr said:


> Thanks for the very helpful post *goodekl*! I am just starting to pull together my information for a subsection 309 visa. We are married 2 years, and together for 7 so hopefully we can do this fairly smoothly. I have a few questions about a few things on your list - hopefully people can help!
> 
> Please bear with me as I am just starting this, and I'm sure there are answers around, I'm just struggling with all the paperwork.
> 
> 1.8	Copy of Letter from employer confirming employment - sponsor
> Does the Sponsor have to be employed? I (the sponsor) won't be employed when we go, but we have a lot of capital available instead, and plan to not work for 6 months or so anyway.


It's okay if you're not working. You should include a statutory declaration, however, that details how you plan to support your spouse once you arrive. Probably wouldn't hurt to also include any evidence you have of that, too.



> 2.1 Medical assessment results
> 
> Is it just the applicant who needs to do a medical check? Or the sponsor as well? The booklet refers to 'you and all members of your family unit'. As a spouse (but an Australian citizen) does that include me?


Only the applicant and any dependents they have need a medical check. 


> 2.2 United States FBI Police check
> 2.5 Australian Federal Police Check
> 2.6	Completed Form 80
> Is this necessary for applicant AND sponsor? How do you go about getting this kind of thing? (In UK)
> Update: I've worked this out. And I assume it is only for the applicant


Yes, only the applicant needs these, and only for countries in which they lived 12 months or longer. UNLESS there are minor children migrating over, too, in which case the sponsor would need one as well. 



> 4.3.6 Copy of Facebook friendship
> What do you mean by that? Just a screenshot showing your relationship status?


I can't speak for goodek, but if you go to Facebook.com/us you can print out all the pictures/interactions etc. you have together as well as your relationship status.



> 4.3.8 Four Statutory Declarations of Australian Citizens
> I thought 2 was enough. Did you just get 4 as further evidence?


2 from Aussies is the *minimum.* Many people provide more if they can. 


> 4.3.9 Two Statutory Declarations of non-Australian Citizens - mother of applicant, friend of applicant and sponsor
> Was this necessary? Did you use form 888 for all the stat decs?


This is not _mandatory_, but it's a good idea. Those from other countries providing stat decs do not need to provide them on Form 888 - they can just be on regular paper, but they must be signed/certified. 



> Another slightly confusing question. My partner is known informally by a second name. It's totally different to his name, but is a normal name. eg - his real name is George, but friends call him Andrew. I (his wife) call him Andrew, as does my family and friends, and a number of his friends too. However his family call him George, and in formal documents he is George. (It's a long story, but just a nickname that stuck, and as it is a 'real' name, people assume it is his real name).
> 
> This causes a slight problem in that all informal letters, cards, etc from my family refer to Andrew. Do you think I should just exclude them, or explain it all during the application. It may look slightly dodgy... but it is the truth.
> 
> Thanks all! Once I have enough posts I will properly update my signature.


Lots of people have nicknames. It's not uncommon. Has he ever used that name for any legal documents? If he has, you'd need to list it anywhere in the forms that asks for aliases/other names. If he hasn't, if it's just informally among friends and family, I'd just explain it prominently in your statement about him and/or in a cover letter you provide with your application. You definitely don't want to not be able to provide lots of evidence that could be helpful.


----------



## danielle_ramon

Hi all, I just received an email from Manila embassy saying my fiances visa is in the final stages and no additional documents are required they will email me immediately once the decision has been made! Feeling excited and sick at the same time!

Sent from my iPhone using Australia


----------



## Danar2amir

If anyone has any tips or experiences they can share, I would appreciate it greatly.


----------



## philipg

If you read through this thread, you'll find many helpful instructions and tips. 

Yes, it's a lot of reading but well worth the effort.

It will mean the difference between having your loved ones immigrating sooner or a slower than average processing time.

All the best


----------



## KrystHell

Danar2amir said:


> If anyone has any tips or experiences they can share, I would appreciate it greatly.


Well, after reading this forum I was very confused by the amount of information I had just had thrown at me.

You have to take away the things that do apply to your relationship.
I know a lot of people say they have kilos of documents which they eventually send to immigration. My husband and I didn't have that much. Between our application for the Prospective Marriage last year and the Partner Visa this year, the total would have probably been 5kg, 4 of which were probably the immigration forms themselves.

I don't think it's about the amount of paperwork you're sending. It's about sending the right documents to support your application. We literally followed the check list and provided them with everything that was being asked.

We had strong statutory declarations though: 10 in total but we could have had 20 had we asked our friends for more.

But as far as the other documents are concerned, we provided them with very little. We do not have any mortgage, nor do we have a joint bank account. The only thing in common was our lease.

We just tried to be as honest as we could and that's all. The checklist is really helpful, but I personally don't think the more the better. My mum told me something last year when we were getting everything together: she said that were she an immigration agent, she would treat applications with A LOT of documents as more suspicious than one with very simple yet relevant details.

Something to think about!


----------



## sheila

Hi everyone, im new here in the forum. Would like to ask if the Case Officer and Visa Processing Officer are just the same? I haven't been told that i was assigned by a CO but someone just emailed me asking for some additional documents and the requesting party is a Visa Processing Officer. Thanking you in advance.


----------



## philipg

KrystHell said:


> We just tried to be as honest as we could and that's all. The checklist is really helpful, but I personally don't think the more the better. My mum told me something last year when we were getting everything together: she said that were she an immigration agent, she would treat applications with A LOT of documents as more suspicious than one with very simple yet relevant details.
> 
> Something to think about!


Hi KrystHell

I'm inclined to agree with your mother.
Too much information is not necessary.
Basic, honest information is all that's required it seems, as long as it provides the information DIAC is looking for.

We put ourselves in the DIAC officer's shoes.
If my job is to sift through volumes of information, it makes my job harder.
So our aim was, to try and make the officer's job easier, by providing relevant and summarized information.
Including presenting the application in an orderly sequence.

DIAC is providing the applicant a service. 
It's a benefit to the officer, for the applicant receiving the service, to be as helpful as possible.


----------



## norwegianwood

Hi,

My partner (Aussie) and I (Belgian) are preparing our application but we're drowning a little bit..
We have a bit of a difficult situation. We have been together since 23rd May last year, when I was here on an ETA. I went back home to pack up my stuff, say goodbye to everyone and apply for a WHV.
So we were apart until I 27th of July, when I returned on my WHV.
I lived with him and his mother for 3 weeks and then we decided to move out because his mother doesn't like me all that much and living together is impossible. We moved into a room in a shared house. We weren't on the lease and because the bills were only 20 dollars each, I paid my housemate in cash. I paid for rent from my Belgian bank account, so I withdrew money from my account and deposited that in his account, cash.I kept all the receipts but have recently lost all my paperwork (we are still baffled about how this could happen because I'm always so careful). We asked to be put on the lease but the housemate refused so we left the house at the 28th of November. Housemate didn't want to give our bond back so we had a big falling out, so him testifying is impossible. We took a road trip around Australia (partner had 6 weeks leave and we didn't have the responsibility of the house anymore so why not?!) and when we returned moved into my partner's father's house (this is the first of January 2013).
But now we have the problem that we can't prove that we lived together for all those months. We weren't on the lease, bills paid in cash and weren't in our name and my partner didn't change his address to the shared house. We have a friend that visited us at that address and can vouch we lived there and we have money withdrawals from the area and payments and the local Safeway. I doubt this will be enough though..
This is not looking very good and we know it. 
We were thinking about registering our relationship but I haven't lived in Victoria for 12 months yet and when I have lived here for 12 months, I have to leave.

It's a long and confusing story and I'm not expecting any 'godsend' answers, just getting this off my chest has been an absolute relief.


----------



## Eizzi

For anyone who has been thinking of organising their application by date and not by category, just an update on my visa, which was applied for on 20th May and granted today(!!). The layout list is quoted below. This is not to say it's a lazy or short-cut approach, just a different way of organising it. I've been told form 1221 is unnecessary, so take that out. Otherwise, it's clearly not a harmful method to list all the evidence by date order, with a table of contents at the beginning in which to add any relevant info or explanation about each item.

Thanks to all whose info on this thread helped me make decisions on my application. Much appreciated!



Eizzi said:


> Obviously this is going to be of limited use to folks, since I've only just applied so there's no saying if it's a good method or not.
> 
> I found too many sections were causing too much indecision about the order of the application. Dividing it into sections results in a lot of crossover. For example, a bank statement might show a) the joint account (financial evidence), b) supermarket and house purchases (household evidence), and c) travel costs (social evidence). Of course, I could've printed the same thing 3 times and added it to each section... but...
> 
> So, in case anyone else is going through the same thought process, here's how I organised my application:
> 
> - Application cover letter
> - A list of both of our family members/friends who are mentioned in the application, just for clarity's sake.
> - A basic timeline of our relationship
> 
> 1: Forms, Checks and Documents
> 1.1 Application Document Checklist
> 1.2 Document table of Contents
> 1.3 Completed Form 47SP
> 1.4 Applicant's passport photo page (Certified copy)
> 1.5 Applicant's 2nd passport photo page (I have two valid UK passports) (Certified copy)
> 1.6 Applicant's Birth Certificate (Certified copy)
> 1.7 Applicant's Victorian Drivers Licence (Certified copy)
> 1.8 2 passport-sized photographs of Applicant and Sponsor
> 1.9 Form 40SP - Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia
> 1.10 Sponsor's passport photo page (Certified copy)
> 1.11 Sponsor's Birth Certificate (Certified copy)
> 1.12 Sponsor's Victorian Drivers Licence (Certified copy)
> 1.13 Sponsor's two most recent payslips (originals)
> 1.14 Sponsor's tax assessment notices (two; certified copies)
> 1.15 Sponsor's permission letter for Long Service Leave, showing how long Sponsor has worked (certified)
> 1.16 Form 80 - Personal particulars for character assessment
> 1.17 Form 1221 - Additional Personal Particulars Information
> 1.18 Applicant's character Statutory Declaration
> 1.19 Applicant's Police Certificate - AFP (Original)
> 1.20 Applicant's Police Certificate - UK (Original)
> 
> 2: History of the relationship
> 2.1 Applicant's Statutory Declaration detailing the history of the relationship
> 2.2 Sponsor's Statutory Declaration detailing the history of the relationship
> 2.3 Form 888 - Statutory declaration by a supporting witness relating to a partner visa application - Sponsor's Sister
> 2.4 Form 888 - Statutory declaration by a supporting witness relating to a partner visa application - Applicant's Aunt (Aus PR)
> 2.5 UK Statutory Declaration to support application - Applicant's Father
> 2.6 to 2.8 3x Form 888 - Statutory declaration by a supporting witness relating to a partner visa application - Sponsor's Friend (two have known us both from before we started dating)
> 
> 3: Sealed results of applicant's visa medical
> 
> 4: Evidence
> - Everything. All the financial, travel, work/commitment to stay in Aus, household, social, co-habitation evidence. All in date order, with a clear, numbered table of contents, and a corresponding numbered sticker on each item. The table of contents had a box in which I added explanatory info for each item if it was required (for example, I have a HR licence from the UK and I re-took my test here in Aus to show willingness to obtain work in the same vein as I used to, etc. I explained this in that box.)
> 
> 5: Photos
> 15 photos, printed 2 per page, with a short description of the events and people pictured.
> 
> I made copies of everything so we have an exact replica of what has been sent. I made sure there were no staples or clips beyond the main two. I clipped the sections 1 and 2 together in a bulldog clip, and 4 and 5 in a second one. I left the medical results envelope un-clipped between the two clipped piles. I put it all (about the size of a ream of paper from officeworks) in a plastic ziplock bag. I wasn't sure how to safely send the passport photos, so I cut a square section from a plastic wallet and sticky taped it to a piece of paper with the top edge of the plastic open.


----------



## Springerella

Hi!

I'm new to the site today. The info on this site has been extremely helpful for me, I'm so glad I found it. Thank you to everyone who contributes so much useful information.

My 820 onshore application was delievered by post to Perth office on 16th May 13, payment came out 24th May and confirmation letter was recieved 26th May. I just realised today though that we didn't have our personal statements certified or witnessed!! Aaarggh.

I'm going to have them re-done and certified and posted next week. I really thought I had covered every detail. I hope I don't go to the bottom of the pile as I marked the application decision ready.


----------



## KrystHell

Springerella said:


> Hi!
> 
> I'm new to the site today. The info on this site has been extremely helpful for me, I'm so glad I found it. Thank you to everyone who contributes so much useful information.
> 
> My 820 onshore application was delievered by post to Perth office on 16th May 13, payment came out 24th May and confirmation letter was recieved 26th May. I just realised today though that we didn't have our personal statements certified or witnessed!! Aaarggh.
> 
> I'm going to have them re-done and certified and posted next week. I really thought I had covered every detail. I hope I don't go to the bottom of the pile as I marked the application decision ready.


Our personal statement weren't certified or witnessed either and it didn't make any difference!

The important ones are the statutory declarations from friends and family! You should call Immigration before you go through the hassle of getting them certified


----------



## Springerella

Thanks so much KrystHell, that has put my mind at ease. Everything else that need to be was certified. We put together a pretty comprehensive application based on all the info I collected from this website so I have faith that my application is complete! Let the waiting begin.


----------



## Sydiealex

*Help!*

HELP! anyone know if I will even be considered? I have been with my partner for 3 years and just married him in May. We haven't lived in our own place together (a year with his parents, and 9 months at college in a dorm). We don't have any commitments like house, animals, or bills. We have quite amount of time seperated. Any advice for me as I am trying to include as much as possible in my Partner Visa Offshore.
Thanks!


----------



## bma

Sydiealex said:


> HELP! anyone know if I will even be considered? I have been with my partner for 3 years and just married him in May. We haven't lived in our own place together (a year with his parents, and 9 months at college in a dorm). We don't have any commitments like house, animals, or bills. We have quite amount of time seperated. Any advice for me as I am trying to include as much as possible in my Partner Visa Offshore.
> Thanks!


You have been with your partner for 3 years, which means you probably have lots of evidence. Go through your bank statements, look for the evidence that connects you, get Statutory Declarations from people who knew you back then when you started dating and when your relationship turned into a de facto, get Stat Decs that will confirm you're in a (married) relationship...

Are you living together at the moment? Even if you don't have a lease agreement or the bills, there's a chance you've given your address to the bank, to your doctor, tax office, mobile phone provider etc.

Go through the Partner Migration booklet and see what evidence can you find in all 4 categories. Download the booklet here: Partner Migration Booklet

Then go through this forum's threads, there are many many threads on the evidence for a partner visa.

Good luck!


----------



## kmarees1986

Sydiealex, I met my husband in a hostel in London then spent the next 3 years privatley renting people's spare rooms around london with no formal leases and we still managed to come up with evidence. A quick list:

- Bills/Bank Statements - we had to have a registered address for our mobile phones and banks so we had statements and bills to include showing we lived at the same address.
- Stat decs from housemates/landlords confirming you lived together as well as friends and family who know us as a couple.
- Flight Itineraries from trips taken together.
- A collection of 10 photo's from the past 3 years.

My husband and I have a strictly independant attitude towards fincnaces in our relationship, we have our own accounts with our own money and then contribute to our life expenses and savings as evenly as possible. Obviously we support each other where necessary but it means that we didn't have any joint financial records and our CO was easliy satisfied of our genuine relationship and commitment.

Did you get married in the US? I don't know the process there but did you need to prove your relationship to get a licence for marriage? If so, do you still have the documents you used then?

I wouldn't worry, you're certainly eligible. Piece of cake infact. The good news too is since you have been together for 3 years and are now married if you can send proof of all three years in your application you may be considered for the subclass 100 and skip the 2 year temporary on the 309. We only sent off 12 months worth of proof as that is all they request but our CO asked us to make up the year before we got married so she could put us straigh to permanent at the end of the process if approved.

Good luck!


----------



## aminur

Hi
I have a question. I am a citizen of australia and currently living in melbourne along with my wife and a daughter. My wife is an international student in melbourne. I have gone through the booklets also gathering the documents that are asked in the form and booklets. I have few questions thought which are 

It was written somewhere in the immi website is. If you have two years relation with a child you get PR straight instead of Temporary visa. So my question is do i have to fill up some other form as we have been married for two years + and we have a daughter who is also a citizen of australia

Second question is now forms can be downloaded from their website and it also has an option to type and print ( without saving the pdf ) so if i type and print and submit will that be okay?


Cheers
Aminur


----------



## CollegeGirl

Hi Aminur - There's no separate form to be considered for permanent residency. If you qualify when you submit your partner visa, you will automatically be considered to go straight to PR. However, it doesn't hurt to remind your CO that you qualify - including a cover letter in which you say you'd like to be considered to go straight to permanent residency wouldn't hurt.

Yes, you can download and type/print forms. Not a problem to do that.


----------



## Sydiealex

" if you can send proof of all three years in your application you may be considered for the subclass 100 and skip the 2 year temporary on the 309"

what kind of proof do they need? In my statutory dec and in my partners, it says we have been together since may 2010. We don't really have proof other than old facebook messages and skype sessions.

We got married in Minnesota just last month


----------



## kmarees1986

We recieved a letter from our CO asking for another year of evidence to make 3 even though we had our stat decs and a couple of family member stat decs attesting to when we met.

The letter asks for:

- Joint financial or legal documents such as bank accounts and bills
- Seperate financial or legal Documents showing same address.
- Stat Decs (no more than 2)

It specifically asks not to send photos or personal correspondance so I take that as facebook screenshots not being accepted but its best to ask.

We were lucky because we lived together so we were able to provide bills showing we lived together and a Stat Dec from a former housemate who knows us both. I dont know if they accepted what we sent yet as it was only due today.

Best of luck!


----------



## scubagirl

*Do I have enough ?*

Hi guys...

My husband and I just get married this year in Australia after 2 years of dating.
He's Australian & I'm Indonesian. We currently live apart since I only have a tourist visa and has to go back after the wedding. We travel back and forth during the 2 years and only live together during when I'm in melbourne or he is in Indonesia

We are planning to lodge Visa 309 (offshore) 
Im very worry on the evidence part. since we have not (yet) permanently living together, we dont have a shared bill / lease showing both our name.

any idea on what evidence we can put forward on the household & financial commitment ?

Tried getting a joint account in Indonesia bank but they refuse since he does not have a residence visa here.

The evidence we have :
- Lots of pictures n comments on FB from friends n family for the past 2 years
- Australian marriage certificate & pictures
- Indonesian Government document recognizing the marriage
- 2 Stat dec from australian friends, 1 from his family
- Photocopy of me putting him as beneficiary in my pension fund & my mutual fund
- Originals of our flight tickets showing both traveling at the same time
- Hotel Voucher coincides with the flight tickets
- Photocopy of stamps in my passport & his passport showing the dates we travel
- 1 wedding invitation from a friend
- 1 letter from my mom showing both our name in Jakarta address.
- Photo copies of my credit card bills showing expenses of our travel
- Photo copy of my credit card showing payment for his car registration
- Photo copy of my annual tax return and letter from my employer
- Photo copy of several months of his pay slips

Do I have enough evidence ? have a chance on getting this ?

Please help ..


----------



## Kiterunner

hi there I too need some help with my defacto application Can you advise there seems to be two checklists one is shown on section 76 part 1 of the 47SP pg 19 and then there is yet another one on the main immi.gov.au website under 'How to Apply' Please can you let me know what documents from the Immi should I be downloading and which checklist should I use. Much appreciated.


----------



## bma

scubagirl said:


> Hi guys...
> 
> My husband and I just get married this year in Australia after 2 years of dating.
> He's Australian & I'm Indonesian. We currently live apart since I only have a tourist visa and has to go back after the wedding. We travel back and forth during the 2 years and only live together during when I'm in melbourne or he is in Indonesia
> 
> We are planning to lodge Visa 309 (offshore)
> Im very worry on the evidence part. since we have not (yet) permanently living together, we dont have a shared bill / lease showing both our name.
> 
> any idea on what evidence we can put forward on the household & financial commitment ?
> 
> Tried getting a joint account in Indonesia bank but they refuse since he does not have a residence visa here.
> 
> The evidence we have :
> - Lots of pictures n comments on FB from friends n family for the past 2 years
> - Australian marriage certificate & pictures
> - Indonesian Government document recognizing the marriage
> - 2 Stat dec from australian friends, 1 from his family
> - Photocopy of me putting him as beneficiary in my pension fund & my mutual fund
> - Originals of our flight tickets showing both traveling at the same time
> - Hotel Voucher coincides with the flight tickets
> - Photocopy of stamps in my passport & his passport showing the dates we travel
> - 1 wedding invitation from a friend
> - 1 letter from my mom showing both our name in Jakarta address.
> - Photo copies of my credit card bills showing expenses of our travel
> - Photo copy of my credit card showing payment for his car registration
> - Photo copy of my annual tax return and letter from my employer
> - Photo copy of several months of his pay slips
> 
> Do I have enough evidence ? have a chance on getting this ?
> 
> Please help ..


If I understand correctly, you have been together for 2 years and you just got married. How many months were you two living together in the past 2 years?
Would you say you were only dating until you got married, or did your relationship turned into a de facto relationship any earlier? Were you engaged or did you get married over the night?

Have you downloaded the Partner migration booklet? You can find it at the following address: Partner Migration Booklet
Check it out, especially the part on 4 evidence categories...

About financial commitment: have you ever transferred any money between your accounts? Has your partner ever bought something for you with his credit, paid any your bills, have you paid any of his bills? Go through your bank statements for the past 2 years and try to find the transactions that connect you.

Get Statutory Declarations from people who know you are living with your partner when in Australia, and your partner is living with you when in Indonesia. Get their statements to confirm this, and if they can they could write a couple of sentences about your relationship as well. Use form 888 for this statements or they can write their own, but follow the pattern of form 888. www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/888.pdf
Don't forget to get the signatures certified.

Who usually pays for the flight tickets? That could be good evidence as well...

What about your partner's superannuation? Has you partner named you as his beneficiary? He can do that straight away.

The same goes for naming you as a nominated driver on his car insurance policy. Other drivers can be usually added without any extra cost and it's good evidence.

You do have some good evidence already, you paid for his car registration, that's good evidence.

About the evidence for the future of your commitment: try to get the wills done, too. Apparently that's good evidence. You can write them yourselves, or you can buy a "do it yourself" will kit at the post office.

All the best!


----------



## bma

Kiterunner said:


> hi there I too need some help with my defacto application Can you advise there seems to be two checklists one is shown on section 76 part 1 of the 47SP pg 19 and then there is yet another one on the main immi.gov.au website under 'How to Apply' Please can you let me know what documents from the Immi should I be downloading and which checklist should I use. Much appreciated.


Are they much different? I'd use both and make sure I have everything from both lists.


----------



## scubagirl

Hi bma !

Yes I have read everything, thus why all these questions arise. I am worrying about the financial and household evidence since we usually just take turn to pay for shared expenses during our travel, and we dont live together for a long time. We didnt think that we need the paper trail !

We travel back and forth to see each other every few months and during that time we stay together.

We are in a committed relationship (not just dating) but we don't stay in one home. we do get engage first, but again.. no picture is taken, he just asked me out of the blue and i said yes, and next month i told my parents and things are in motion.

Thanks about the tip on the designated driver, that would help alot !


----------



## Kiterunner

*marriage certs and birth certs*

thank you for that also my partner is divorced do we need to submit both the marriage and the divorce decree? plus he has two children Over 18 now does he need to submit their birth certs even though they are not part of the visa application as one lives in oz and the other is at home in college.


----------



## kmmr

Hi all, 
I am nearly there on my application, and thanks to everyone for posting their info on this thread. It's been really helpful. I think the application is harder when you worry about it - now it's done it's not been as bad as I expected. 

Tonight will be lots of photocopying, and I've a booking with a notary on Thursday to get relevant documents certified. Once I'm done I will put up my contents page in case it helps someone else.


----------



## kmarees1986

Woah Kmmr, are you sure you need to go down the route of a Notorary for all your certifying? We were quoted £60 - £80 per document for a notorary (in London) and Solicitors do it for £5 a page. Get a cost first is my suggestion.


----------



## aminur

I have a question here I know both me and my partner need to provide a letter of history of our relationship. it has to be a statutory declaration. Was there any form where we can fill up as it needs to be a declaration format.

or any one of you any format that u can share?

My partner is an onshore applicatant

thanks


----------



## kmarees1986

Hi Aminur, 

Each state has their own template you can use. You should be able to Google Victoria Statutory Declaration or Queensland Statutory Declaration for example and get the templates from the state justice website.

There is also form 888 available on the immi website but I think these are typically used for your witnesses.


----------



## kmmr

kmarees1986 said:


> Woah Kmmr, are you sure you need to go down the route of a Notorary for all your certifying? We were quoted £60 - £80 per document for a notorary (in London) and Solicitors do it for £5 a page. Get a cost first is my suggestion.


Don't worry I didn't pay that much! It was £60+vat for all my documents. About 15 documents, or 20 pages and he signed, stamped and embossed each one. They look quite nice and formal now.

I must have asked him six times 'is that for all or per document?' So he may have thought I was a little simple. 

In central london. PM me if you want the name.


----------



## Becky26

LovingWife said:


> After a lot of sweat and tears, we managed to get ALL of our documents together, translated and certified and have FINALLY lodged our application recently. Hooray!
> 
> I am extremely lucky to be situated in Berlin, so I lodged my application in person.
> 
> When the Client Liaison Officer saw the way in which I had prepared and presented my application, she said "WOW! What beautiful work".
> 
> HOWEVER, it seems that I went to TOO much trouble in making it very organised, as it wasn't really that necessary. I had bought a beautiful folder and had everything catagorised and each tab was labelled with its' contents.
> 
> I had to pull all the paperwork out, so that she could stamp everything and then use Immi's filing system and had to take the folder home.
> 
> What we both found to be useful was a List of Contents which I typed up, together with the Checklist, Immi provides.
> 
> Heading: Partner Visa: Offshore Temporary and Permanent (Subclasses 309 and 100) & Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner
> 
> Table of Contents:
> 
> 1.	Application Document Checklist
> 
> 2.	The Applicant
> Form 47SP - Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner
> Certified copy of passport
> Four recent passport photos
> Certified copy of birth certificate
> Certified copy of divorce papers
> Translation of divorce papers
> List of travel destinations and travel dates during 2001 - 2011
> 
> 3.	The Sponsor
> Form 40SP - Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia
> Certified copy of passport
> Four recent passport photos
> Certified copy of birth certificate
> Certified copy of divorce papers
> 
> 4.	Commitment of Relationship - Evidence that Relationship is Genuine
> Statement prepared by applicant
> Statement prepared by sponsor
> Live chats, emails and SMS messages during periods of separation
> 
> 5.	History of our Relationship
> Emails, live chats and SMS messages from date of meeting to wedding (only 3 months)
> Timeline leading up to meeting & wedding date
> 
> 6.	Details on our Wedding
> Certified copy of marriage certificate
> Wedding photos and invitation
> 
> 7.	Our Home
> Photos of our apartment
> Copy of Lease Agreement in both names
> German legal verification of joint address
> Bills in both names
> Correspondence/cards/envelopes sent to our current address
> 
> 8.	Financial Aspects of Relationship
> Copies of debit cards for joint bank account
> Statement of our current bank account balance
> Both Wills
> 
> 9.	Holidays & Social Photos together
> Holidays snaps of our trips together
> Copies of travel bookings and boarding passes (where possible)
> 
> 10.	Supporting Witness Declarations
> Form 888 - Statutory Declarations by family and friends
> 
> 11.	Joint Employment Prospects & CV's (optional)
> Professional Profile - the applicant
> Professional Profile - the sponsor
> Letters of potential employment by employers in Australia
> 
> If I was posting the Application, I probably wouldn't even use plastic sleeves to segrate everything. Just have everything in some sort of sequence.
> 
> Good luck everyone!
> Loving Wife


@ Lovingwife

Amazing post!!! My husband and I have been so stressed just thinking about how to start putting the application together.

My husband is australian, my first partner visa application was denied (lost $3060) because of insufficient evidence. Our Compliance officer at the DIAC in Brisbane, Australia didn't put in the evidence of our relationship when he took my application and so it ended up being rejected.

But after going through your post, it has helped me a lot.
We will be putting together our paperwork very soon and submitting it at the Australian High Commission in India, New Delhi.

Because my partner visa application was denied, my husband had to fly to India with me.
Hope all this trouble the DIAC has put us through, pays off at the end with an approved visa.

Thanks again.

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## kmmr

Becky26 said:


> @ Lovingwife
> 
> Amazing post!!! My husband and I have been so stressed just thinking about how to start putting the application together.
> 
> My husband is australian, my first partner visa application was denied (lost $3060) because of insufficient evidence. Our Compliance officer at the DIAC in Brisbane, Australia didn't put in the evidence of our relationship when he took my application and so it ended up being rejected.
> 
> But after going through your post, it has helped me a lot.
> We will be putting together our paperwork very soon and submitting it at the Australian High Commission in India, New Delhi.
> 
> Because my partner visa application was denied, my husband had to fly to India with me.
> Hope all this trouble the DIAC has put us through, pays off at the end with an approved visa.
> 
> Thanks again.
> 
> Kind Regards,
> Becky


Wow that makes me nervous! I kind of thought a partner visa was a sure thing. What evidence was accepted? And what are you doing different this time?


----------



## Becky26

kmmr said:


> Wow that makes me nervous! I kind of thought a partner visa was a sure thing. What evidence was accepted? And what are you doing different this time?


@ kmmr,

All our compliance officer took from me when I applied for the 820 Partner Visa (Onshore) was:-
Form 47SP
Form 40 SP
2 X Form 888
My partner's Victorian Birth Certificate copy; and
My Passport copy.

I had a file weighing a kg worth of evidence. Just because the DIAC officer didn't take my evidence, my application got rejected and I lost $3060 
When I applied for my onshore partner visa, I was applying on the basis of de-facto relationship. My husband and I got married in March 2013, so this time I will have an Australian Marraige Certificate to added to my 1kg file of evidence. 
Plus because I was asked to leave Australia, my husband left Australia with me to come to my home country.

Now I have photos of us with my parents, our plane tickets proving we left Australia at the same time, an affidavit from the court in my country with my Maiden name changed to my married name and my surname changed in my bank account and cheque books in my home country.

Plus the 1kg file of evidence.

We are brain storming as to how to start putting up our file. I have read every single post on this blog and it has helped tremendously.

Big thanks to everyone who has posted their table of contents of their application files,

Hope this time, everything goes well.
Thanks again.

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## Becky26

Hi guys!

After reading all the posts on this thread, I came across one thing that confused me a little.

I read that some of the files are moved from temporary partner visa application straight to permanent. Is there a minimum period of time couples have to be together or is it up to the DIAC to decide whether the applicant will get the temporary or permanent visa?

My husband and I have been together for over 2 and a half years. Living together for one and a half year, and then we got married in Australia itself.

Anyone with advice. Thanks a lot!
Look forward to your suggestions.

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## CollegeGirl

You have to have been a defacto couple for 3 years or longer, or 2 years if you have a child together.


----------



## Becky26

CollegeGirl said:


> You have to have been a defacto couple for 3 years or longer, or 2 years if you have a child together.


Thanks CollegeGirl!

We have been together for two and half year.

One more thing I wanted to know, I saw in one of the posts that I will be applying for two visas together, temporary partner visa and then permanent partner visa at the same time which will be reassessed two years from the date of approval of the temporary visa. Does that mean that there is no other application fees to be paid after I pay for the Stage 1 partner visa? Or is there fees for Permanent Residency?

I have heard from a few of my friends who have applied for their PR that they had to pay about $6000 for their PR process.

Thanks for your help.
Look forward to your reply.

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## pttks

I just went thru some pages on this thread. My personal belief is that COs are trained well enough to distinguish between fake and genuine relationships. When i put my pen on the paper to write my declaration, i got tears in my eyes. Was this visible to the CO? Off course not. BUT when i was writing, all my emotions came out on the paper. Here in Dubai my partner and I were offered by our company paid accommodation. No bills, no rent, nothing. However i described this on my declaration and said we were living together even though there is no tangible evidence. That was the truth. When i applied, i had been away from my partner for 12 months. I explained what the reason was for that in one or two lines. If they need more, they will call you or e mail you. I also said that my partner paid for my car which we bought in cash so no evidence for that. But i still said it coz it is the freaking truth and i knew i was not lying. So bottom line is, just let yourself loose and just write the plain truth. It might be quite possible that some things will look dodgy to the CO but there will be other stuff that will make up for them!!! Have faith to your relationship and it will show up on ur application. Just my 2 cents. Patience to all! X


----------



## CollegeGirl

Becky26 said:


> Thanks CollegeGirl!
> 
> We have been together for two and half year.
> 
> One more thing I wanted to know, I saw in one of the posts that I will be applying for two visas together, temporary partner visa and then permanent partner visa at the same time which will be reassessed two years from the date of approval of the temporary visa. Does that mean that there is no other application fees to be paid after I pay for the Stage 1 partner visa? Or is there fees for Permanent Residency?
> 
> I have heard from a few of my friends who have applied for their PR that they had to pay about $6000 for their PR process.
> 
> Thanks for your help.
> Look forward to your reply.
> 
> Kind Regards,
> Becky


Your friends must have applied through a different visa originally - there is no charge for your PR application once you've been granted a spouse visa.


----------



## Becky26

pttks said:


> I just went thru some pages on this thread. My personal belief is that COs are trained well enough to distinguish between fake and genuine relationships. When i put my pen on the paper to write my declaration, i got tears in my eyes. Was this visible to the CO? Off course not. BUT when i was writing, all my emotions came out on the paper. Here in Dubai my partner and I were offered by our company paid accommodation. No bills, no rent, nothing. However i described this on my declaration and said we were living together even though there is no tangible evidence. That was the truth. When i applied, i had been away from my partner for 12 months. I explained what the reason was for that in one or two lines. If they need more, they will call you or e mail you. I also said that my partner paid for my car which we bought in cash so no evidence for that. But i still said it coz it is the freaking truth and i knew i was not lying. So bottom line is, just let yourself loose and just write the plain truth. It might be quite possible that some things will look dodgy to the CO but there will be other stuff that will make up for them!!! Have faith to your relationship and it will show up on ur application. Just my 2 cents. Patience to all! X


No CO has seen what ups and downs people go through in a relationship. They just see things which are on paper. They need evidence. Who knows what evidence to keep or what movie/concert/play tickets to file? To prove the honesty of ones relationship. No one knows how one has supported their partner but the two people who are in a relationship.

That was the reason why our application got denied. The CO couldn't find any proof of "Emotional support or commitment or psychological support" that I gave to my partner.
I mean how on earth is one meant to keep records of that?

Good luck to all going through the visa processing.

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## aminur

Hi i am another question. is it okay if we type our statutory delcration or do we have to write it by hand?

as we print out all the forms do we have to staple the form .. and leave the document without staple?

thanks


----------



## bma

aminur said:


> Hi i am another question. is it okay if we type our statutory delcration or do we have to write it by hand?
> 
> as we print out all the forms do we have to staple the form .. and leave the document without staple?
> 
> thanks


It's OK to type, but don't staple anything, apparently they hate the staples. Use paper clips instead.


----------



## Yapa

We just handed our application in at the Melbourne office, no interview however, just payment and quick check of the files included.

She told us 13 months approx before TR or decision can be made, but might be quicker in some cases.

*In regards to application presentation*, we neatly presented ours in a Marbig "Handy file" expanding folder (A to Z pockets) and stuck an index to the front showing what was in each pocket (labelled A to Z etc). Papers were joined using "butterfly" clips (no staples!!!!)

However this was pointless as the officer took the whole application out, checked it and took the paperwork away without the folder. They did appreciate the order and neatness of it though, which was good as it makes their job easier.

So I would just make sure everything is organised into sections divided by section papers with titles of each section. 
Then a cover page, index etc. (use butterfly paper clips)

Here is our index for reference use, might be useful to some (please remember each application will be slightly different). Good luck.

APPLICATION INDEX

Section:

A - Application Cover Letter
List of Names (Family/Friends) in Application

B - Application Document Checklist

C - Form 47SP

D - Applicant Certified Passport copy
Applicant Certified Birth certificate copy
Applicant Certified Family book copy

E - Applicant & Sponsor photographs

F - Form 40SP

G -Sponsor Certified Passport copy 
Sponsor Certified Birth Certificate copy
Sponsor Certified Citizenship Certificate copy
Sponsor Certified Drivers License copy
Sponsor Letter from Work
Sponsor Tax Assessment Notices for 2 years

H - Form 80

I - Applicant Police checks (original)

K - Applicant History of Relationship letter
Sponsor History of Relationship letter

L - Form 888 Supporting Witnesses x 3
Statutory declarations from Friends and Family

M - VISA Medical Results Envelope (sealed)

N - Evidence of Relationship Statement Letter
Marriage Certificate & Photos from Wedding
Wedding Expenses & Receipts
Wedding Invitation and cards from guests

P - Evidence of Relationship Travel Documents

R - Evidence of Relationship Statutory Declaration
Evidence of Relationship Life insurance, Bank Statements, Receipts 
Evidence of Relationship Applicant Accounts / address
Evidence of Relationship Joint Bank account / address

S - Evidence of Continuing Relationship Whatsapp (logs)

T - Evidence of Relationship Facebook history

U - Evidence of Relationship Photos (certified copies)


----------



## kmmr

That's a reassuring list Yapa - mine is almost the same. 

I resisted the urge to provide everything is a folder and have sent it all just with a few paperclips and minibulldog clips. I've also included the form to put me as the authorised representative - as my husband (who the visa is for) would probably ignore all the emails! 

I sent it registered mail, and I can see it has already been delivered today to the high commission in the UK. The guy at the post office showed me that the person before had sent a parcel to exactly the same address. Quite bizarre...

Has anyone else done this as an authorised person, rather than the applicant? And when should I expect to get a first email from a case officer?


----------



## kmarees1986

kmmr said:


> That's a reassuring list Yapa - mine is almost the same.
> 
> I resisted the urge to provide everything is a folder and have sent it all just with a few paperclips and minibulldog clips. I've also included the form to put me as the authorised representative - as my husband (who the visa is for) would probably ignore all the emails!
> 
> I sent it registered mail, and I can see it has already been delivered today to the high commission in the UK. The guy at the post office showed me that the person before had sent a parcel to exactly the same address. Quite bizarre...
> 
> Has anyone else done this as an authorised person, rather than the applicant? And when should I expect to get a first email from a case officer?


I was the representative for a different visa application for my husband. Our migration agent is the rep for our partner visa. They lodged to Australia House in London and they forwarded us the first contact from our CO exactly 2 weeks later. I've seen some other London applicants mention they heard back in 2 weeks too so I guess expect that.


----------



## kmmr

Here is my list if it helps anyone:

Contents page:
Forms, certificates and other checks. 
1.1	Form 47SP
1.2	Form 40SP
1.3	Form 80
1.4	Form 956A
1.5	Form 1193
1.6	Information about names used in this application. 
1.7	Applicants Passport photo page (certified copy)
1.8	Applicants Birth certificate (certified copy)
1.9	Applicants drivers licence (certified copy)
1.10	Applicants Police certificate (original)
1.11	Sponsors certificate of Australian citizenship (certified copy)
1.12	Sponsors Australian passports photo pages – maiden and married name. (certified copy)
1.13	Sponsors birth certificate (certified copy)
1.14	4 passport sized photographs of applicant
1.15	2 passport sized photographs of sponsor.
1.16	Sponsor and applicant marriage certificate (certified copy)
1.17	Sponsors two recent payslips (original)
1.18	Sponsors P60 for y/e 2013 (original)
1.19	Sponsors bank account summary (original)

History of the relationship
2.1	Timeline of relationship
2.2	Applicants statutory declaration detailing the history of the relationship
2.3	Sponsors statutory declaration detailing the history of the relationship
2.4	Additional personal item

Evidence of the relationship
Financial aspects:
3.1	Written explanation of financial relationship
3.2	2011-2012 Council Tax bill (original)
3.3	2013-2014 Council Tax bill (certified copy)
3.4	Car insurance. Applicants name with Sponsor as named driver (copy)
3.5	Home insurance. Sponsors name with Applicant as Joint policyholder. (original)
3.6	Travel insurance. March 2013. Sponsors name with applicant named in policy (original)
3.7	Bank statement showing saving transfer from Applicant to Sponsor bank account.
3.8	Various documents relating to honeymoon. Gift list, paypal transactions into Applicants account, and payment from 

Sponsors account. 
3.9	Sponsors workplace insurance benefits (health, life and critical illness) showing applicant is also covered under the same policies. 
Social Context of the relationship
4.1	Form 888 – Statutory declaration by supporting witness.
4.2	Form 888 – Statutory declaration by supporting witness. 
4.3	Form 888 – Statutory declaration by supporting witness.
4.4	Statement to support application. (Applicant’s sister)
4.5	Evidence of joint travel
Various travel confirmations and certified copies of passport pages to show visa/arrival stamps at the same times. 

4.6	Annual Christmas party invitations
4.6.1	2010 Email.
4.6.2	2011 Facebook invite.
4.6.3	2012 Facebook invite. 
4.7	Cards (copies)
4.7.1-9: Various cards and invites. 
4.8	Pictures. Selection of photographs, with dates noted on each picture.


----------



## SummerSun

Hi, just a quick question - I am handing my 820 de facto application in tomorrow. I have an appointment. My partner won't be present though as he is working. Is that ok? I hope he doesn't need to be present!


----------



## tash

*police check*

very very helpful as I am in the process of getting my visa atm.

My police clearance is in german and I was wondering if you happen to know if I need a special person/agent the immigration system has, to translate my police check into english or if I could go anywhere in South Australia to get it translated and certified.

Thanks


----------



## meesha121

Hi all - quick question. I was recently told by a migration agent to put all of my larger documents such as lengthy phone records and what's app / Skype logs and also photos of us together onto a CD to make it easier for DIAC to view. However I seem to remember reading on this forum somewhere that CD's / DVD's are not advisable. 

Has anyone else included info on CD/DVD and DIAC have been ok with this?


----------



## kmmr

The message I got from DIAC in London was NOT to send electronic media. 

The CO will only have to probably read them and print them out, so you are adding to their work so you won't make friends with them. I'd sent printouts. How long can a phone record be!


----------



## Pxer

meesha121 said:


> Hi all - quick question. I was recently told by a migration agent to put all of my larger documents such as lengthy phone records and what's app / Skype logs and also photos of us together onto a CD to make it easier for DIAC to view. However I seem to remember reading on this forum somewhere that CD's / DVD's are not advisable.
> 
> Has anyone else included info on CD/DVD and DIAC have been ok with this?


Ya the only info i've read on this is from the 820-801 Checklist
http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/_pdf/820-801-checklist.pdf
On page 3 it says no computer disks. Although this list is from May 2012 so I dunno how applicable it is.
Best to call DIAC to be sure.


----------



## meesha121

Thanks for the info kmmr and Pxer. 

I have sent an email to DIAC in Jakarta to confirm but I think I will avoid the disk given what it written in that checklist from 2012. The phone records are apprx 10pages per month for 2.5yrs so it's quite a bit of paper - and that doesn't include Skype records so think I'll just print a few and include a statement to say I can provide more if necessary.


----------



## Pxer

meesha121 said:


> Thanks for the info kmmr and Pxer.
> 
> I have sent an email to DIAC in Jakarta to confirm but I think I will avoid the disk given what it written in that checklist from 2012. The phone records are apprx 10pages per month for 2.5yrs so it's quite a bit of paper - and that doesn't include Skype records so think I'll just print a few and include a statement to say I can provide more if necessary.


Np. Yah I don't think they'd like it if you sent hundreds of pages of phone records. I'd say 1 or 2 correspondences per month- with concentration on the past year- to show you guys were in contact over the years. Maybe a nice mix of Skype, phone records, e-mails or however you kept in contact. But that's just my opinion. I'm no migration agent.


----------



## kmmr

Since you have all the records, why don't you make some kind of table of them. So for each month put eg.
Nov 2010: 10 Skpe calls, 27 Whatsapp messages, 4 phone calls
Dec 2010: 4 Skype call, 12 Whatsapp, 3 Phone calls (details attached)
etc. 

I'd include the full summary page and say you have the records if requested, but include a few of the records for key dates. I would include 2.5 years ago, 1.5 years ago, and a few recent ones. Do you have them for 3 years? It's helpful if you can show three years.


----------



## meesha121

Thanks for the idea about the table kmmr - that should make it easier for them. We have only been together for 2.5yrs so no I don't have records from 3yrs ago. 

I actually received a reply from immi today saying it ok to send the information on a computer disk (obviously this may be different for other offices but this was Jakarta) so I think I will just provide a hard copy of the table and save all the actual records to a disk in case they want to view details. 

Thanks again


----------



## Honeybee

anyone here from Melbourne?


----------



## kmarees1986

Honeybee said:


> anyone here from Melbourne?


I'm from Melb but haven't lived there for nearly 5 years.


----------



## aussieinarg

meesha121 said:


> Hi all - quick question. I was recently told by a migration agent to put all of my larger documents such as lengthy phone records and what's app / Skype logs and also photos of us together onto a CD to make it easier for DIAC to view. However I seem to remember reading on this forum somewhere that CD's / DVD's are not advisable.
> 
> Has anyone else included info on CD/DVD and DIAC have been ok with this?


I am not sure if you saw it but I posted about this earlier in the week, we lodged last week at the Australian Embassy in Buenos Aires for a partner defacto visa (309) for my Argentine girlfriend.

At the Embassy, the girl at the visa desk (who is actually our case officer) actually suggested to us to put together a CD when we went a week earlier to ask some questions and get certifications done. She actually said how much she loves seeing photos and suggested the CD which really surprised me given what I had read.

My suggestion would be to get in touch with the embassy because each seems to have their own specific requirements and preferences and although they may not give information they also may.

Good luck!!


----------



## Becky26

Hi guys!!

My husband and I have been trying to get out partner visa 309 & 100 ready. It took us a month and a half to get everything together. 
I have been reading all the posts on this thread and would like to thank everyone for their tips and advice as to how we should present our file.
After having our file rejected once (losing $3000) because of lack of evidence to prove that our relationship was genuine, we tried to be as clear as possible in presenting our evidence.
Our application was 7cm thick :-/
We put everything that we thought had a relationship to our case. We put evidence like flow charts, letters from our land lords, our Facebook account print screens, etc.

So finally we submitted our visa application today. Paid $2680 for the application again :-/ 
Freaking out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I'm from India an my husband is an Australian citizen. We were told that it will take 7 months to process the application. I'm very scared after having read a few posts, some people on here have been waiting for their applications to get approved and have been separated from their loved ones for months and some even years. 

This is my profile:-

Application submitted- July 19th, 2013

Application submission centre- VFS Global Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.

Nationality- Indian 

Husband/Sponsor- Australian Citizen 

National police checks from India and Australia- Submitted July 19th, 2013

Medicals submitted- TBA

Case officer assigned- TBA

Visa Granted- TBA

I would just like to thank everyone for sharing their experiences and knowledge regarding how to prepare the application. All this advice has helped us in an indescribable way. 

I really hope to hear something back from the High Commission soon. Hope our application gets approved this time. Good luck to everyone!

Let the painful wait begin!!

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## littlenomad

Hi everybody!

I am new to this forum, as I was stunned at how much great advice has been given. I am currently finishing up the application for my Partner Onshore Visa 820, and have a few questions. 

1)I have the 2 stat declarations from Australian citizens. In the Partner Migration booklet it says it is ok for it to be written on a normal paper as long as it is signed, dated and authorised. Would it still be required to hand in the Form 888 with it, attached?


2) My partner and I have never had joint bank account, but have gone on frequent travels together where everything was split. therefore I have many copies of hotel bookings, flight bookings, over the course of our relationship all with names etc. 

I am however, not sure how to present all the evidence. Should I divide all the evidence with dividers (such as a blank white paper stating Financial Aspect, Social aspect etc)?Is it a good idea to have stat declarations for all the evidence, such as photos?

I also have a lot of ticket stubs, such as back from 2008 when we went to sport events together, etc. How to present that sort of evidence? Would it be formally ok to glue them onto a white page, and is it acceptable to write details underneath?


Am very anxious as I want to hand in a good application. Any sort of tips would be greatly appreciated 

Kind regards
Lulu


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## CollegeGirl

Welcome to the forum, Lulu!  

1) All Australian Citizens need to provide their statement on Form 888 (and I believe provide a certified copy of their ID as well). Statutory declarations can be written on plain paper for people who are NOT australian citizens, but Australians have to use Form 888. They are legally culpable if they lie, so statements on Form 888 are "official."

2) Organize these things however you feel is best. If you've read this thread, you can see there are many ideas on the topic. But the first place to start is with your own embassy's website. Each embassy prefers things different ways, and there may be tips for how to best present it in there. 

I don't know that I would glue anything to paper, because if they wanted to examine the back of it, they couldn't. 

For photos, you definitely need to describe who's in the picture and what the event was, but it's not necessary to do a stat dec for that kind of thing.

Let me know if you have further questions!


----------



## kmarees1986

CollegeGirl said:


> Welcome to the forum, Lulu!
> 
> 1) All Australian Citizens need to provide their statement on Form 888 (and I believe provide a certified copy of their ID as well). Statutory declarations can be written on plain paper for people who are NOT australian citizens, but Australians have to use Form 888.


You know CG our migration agent gave us a template to give to our stat dec writers - including Australians. We ended up getting the stat decs written on state templates and not the form 888. No id sent nothing and it was accepted. I wonder why our migration agent wouldn't get us to get the Aussies to do form 888?


----------



## CollegeGirl

Actually, I think your agent was right - but it still has to be on either the Form 888 or the specific template provided on the attorney general's website.

It says this on the Form 888's instructions, here. (Page One)

It's funny - I've seen the stat dec template used for those outside Australia, but never for those who are Australian citizens. Looks like it's perfectly okay, though. Learn something new every day.

Still, why not just use Form 888 if you're the OP? The point is the same - you still can't just use "regular paper" as the OP asked for Australian citizens.


----------



## buffingp

Hey everyone,

I'm applying for a de facto offshore this week.

If much of my financial evidence is joint travel purchases, should I distribute them across sections? Our proof for financial is a bit shallow without any travel purchases? What do you think? 

Thank you.


----------



## Honeybee

kmarees1986 said:


> I'm from Melb but haven't lived there for nearly 5 years.


I am a filipina. I would just like to ask if you know any filipino communities here in Melbourne?


----------



## petite

hi Honeybee! where you at in Melbourne?


----------



## Honeybee

petite said:


> hi Honeybee! where you at in Melbourne?


I live in craigieburn. How about you?


----------



## Honeybee

kmarees1986 said:


> You know CG our migration agent gave us a template to give to our stat dec writers - including Australians. We ended up getting the stat decs written on state templates and not the form 888. No id sent nothing and it was accepted. I wonder why our migration agent wouldn't get us to get the Aussies to do form 888?


Did you try to ask your migration agent for any reason for doing so? THat is strange.


----------



## petite

i'm from Ferntree Gully!


----------



## ibosley3

*Australian visas*

I did a Partner visa in Vietnam a couple of years ago and I was advised to look at the application through the eyes of a bureaucrat, i.e. what would make it the easiest to read and follow. Photos do not need to be notarized and in my case I had about 6 to a page with a typed heading for each. I made an index based on the list of material needed that was provided by DIAC and used a document index page separator. Having said that, remember that DIAC will be scanning all pages into a computer and do not like staples, ring binders etc. A strong snap clip is OK as they can then separate easily and scan. 100 photos is huge, not needed. They need enough to see you are in a genuine relationship, there is no fixed rule. I gave about 20 covering a range of social situations. Xmas cards etc are OK but remember they could easily be faked so use them as backup to real evidence. I got my app for my lady through in 5 months in Vietnam, far quicker than in Oz which is about 12 months. Also, DIAC do not always give you a second chance by telling you they need more evidence. They often just refuse and you then have to look at appealing. An appeal will cost you as much as using an expert at the start. I have now qualified in Australia as a migration agent as I found the process really interesting. Also remember that you MUST send the app to the correct address. In some places they do not accept them over the counter. See me on myvisa4australia 
Cheers


----------



## jas

Hi There,
I am new to this forum and am amazed to see all the information we can get here.
I applied for partner spouse visa 820/801 in april 2012 and then got asked to submit some more evidence in feb 2013, after that we heard nothing until august 2013 and that too when my migration agent inquired about the progress only to be told that the case officer has retired and a new case officer has been assigned . Its been 17 months now and m still on the first stage. Is there anything we can do ??
thanks Jas


----------



## CollegeGirl

Unfortunately DIAC is currently quoting up to 18 months for onshore 820/801 applications. So.. hopefully you'll hear something soon! There are complaints you can file, etc. but I haven't seen a whole lot of good come of those, in my experience. You do know that BVAs have full work rights now, yes? If yours didn't originally have them when you applied you can call DIAC and they can tell you how to get them. So if that's one of the issues about waiting for you, that's easily solved at least.

Also (as long as this application is granted) you'll be eligible to apply for Permanent Residency two years *after you applied* for your 820... so the length of time they're taking to process this is at least not postponing that for you! So if you applied April 1, 2012, for example, you'd be eligible to apply for PR April 1, 2014 (which is not that long from now!)

That is, of course, if you didn't already qualify to be approved for PR straightaway when your 820/801 is granted (which you would if you had evidence of being married/living as a defacto couple for 3 years or more, or 2 years or more if you have a child together).

Hope that helps!


----------



## jas

*college girl*

Thanks So much,
we are just so hopeful,
Jas


----------



## zaw005

Hi, this is my first ever post on this forum. I have been invited to apply 190 visa and am applying 190 visa soon and I would like to apply together with my wife. We have just married last week as we planned early this year. Before that, we were living in separate countries and we had a long distance relationship. Now, I would like to show that we had a regular contact via Emails, Skype, Viber and Whatsapp. What i would like to know is how to show the evidences of these contact. We had been in a long distance relationship for more than 5 years and I have lots of emails to show, may be more than 1000 emails. Moreover, how to show the evidences of regular contact on the contacts of Skype, Viber and Whatsapp. Please share your experiences. Thank you


----------



## Renee

*Table of contents?*

Hey all,

First post here! I am in the final stages of putting my application together for Partner Visa 309 and I was wondering if it is a good idea to add a table of contents in my application even though I have written out a stat dec for each separate section (Financial, Social etc) that explains exactly what everything is and will sit on the top of that specific section. Would it be overkill to add the ToC as well? I'm having a harder time deciding this than getting everything together lol. Help!!


----------



## CollegeGirl

I think it would be overkill, personally. Sounds like you've already gotten it well organized.


----------



## mattbaron

Please guys I need help from someone.. I've realized that the forms 888 I posted to DIAC were not signed by a justice of peace. All the other documents were, including the photocopies of the passports of people who signed the forms, but not the forms themselves. Will my visa be refused?? (820/801 -12 months waiting so far). Please I need some help I am freaking out here!!! :-( :-( :-(


----------



## CollegeGirl

If you've been waiting 12 months, I would *think* if it were an issue and were going to make your application invalid you would have heard well before now. I'm not sure what I'd do in your place, honestly - resend them certified, or call, or just do nothing and hope they'd contact me if they needed them redone.  Sorry I don't have better answers here.


----------



## mattbaron

CollegeGirl said:


> Unfortunately DIAC is currently quoting up to 18 months for onshore 820/801 applications. So.. hopefully you'll hear something soon! There are complaints you can file, etc. but I haven't seen a whole lot of good come of those, in my experience. You do know that BVAs have full work rights now, yes? If yours didn't originally have them when you applied you can call DIAC and they can tell you how to get them. So if that's one of the issues about waiting for you, that's easily solved at least.
> 
> Also (as long as this application is granted) you'll be eligible to apply for Permanent Residency two years *after you applied* for your 820... so the length of time they're taking to process this is at least not postponing that for you! So if you applied April 1, 2012, for example, you'd be eligible to apply for PR April 1, 2014 (which is not that long from now!)
> 
> That is, of course, if you didn't already qualify to be approved for PR straightaway when your 820/801 is granted (which you would if you had evidence of being married/living as a defacto couple for 3 years or more, or 2 years or more if you have a child together).
> 
> Hope that helps!


Sorry CollegeGirl I'd like to ask you something. Do you mean that Immigration must give you PR within 24 months, even if you haven't been guaranteed 820 yet? Which means none is going to wait longer than that anyway,? (it's a long time, don't get me wrong, but at least we can "see" the end of the nightmare...) Sorry if I ask you, but I can see you've got plenty of knowledge about this topic, which is great!


----------



## CollegeGirl

Thanks for the compliment, Matt.  No, it means you're *eligible to apply* for Permanent Residency 24 months from your 820 application. If you were still waiting on an 820 decision 24 months in, you'd be then eligible to be granted an 801 (PR) instead if/when they grant your visa. But of course, if you were denied, you'd still be denied. Hope that helps.


----------



## Becky26

*Table of contents for our spouse visa 309- attempt 2*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

*1. Application Document Checklist from Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.*

*2. Visa Application Fees/Demand Draft made in favour of "Australian High Commission"* of INR_________________
2.1 Demand Draft Number ____________________
2.2 Demand Draft Submission Date ¬¬¬________________
2.3 Above mentioned Demand Draft issued by VFS Global Services Pvt Ltd.

*3. The Applicant*
3.1 Form 47SP- Application for Migration to Australia. (Page 7-26)
3.2 Certified copy of Passport. (2 Pages)
3.3 Certified copy of Birth Certificate. (2 Pages)
3.4 Original Indian Police Clearance Certificate. (1 Page)
3.5 Original Australian Police Clearance Certificate. (1 Page)
3.6 Form 80- Personal Particulars for Assessment Including Character Assessment. (Page 1-18)
3.7 Four recent Passport Photos.

*4. The Sponsor*
4.1 Form 40SP- Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia. (Page 7-16)
4.2 Certified copy of Passport. (1 Page)
4.3 Certified copy of Indian Tourist Visa (1 Page)
4.4 Certified copy of Australian Birth Certificate-Front. (1 Pages)
4.5 Copy of Apostilled Australian Birth Certificate- Back. (1 Page)
4.6 Four recent Passport Photos.

*5. Commitment of Relationship- Evidence that Relationship is Genuine*
5.1 Statement prepared by applicant. (4 Pages)
5.2 Statement prepared by sponsor. (2 Pages)

*6. History of our Relationship*
6.1 Timeline leading up to our Wedding Flowchart. (2 Pages)
6.2 Applicant's Facebook timeline showing the relationship Progression. (11 Pages)
6.3 Sponsor's Facebook timeline showing the relationship Progression. (8 Pages)

*7. Details on our Wedding*
7.1 Certified copy of our Australian Marriage Certificate- (1 Page)
7.2 Copy of our Apostilled Australian Marriage Certificate- Back. (1 Page)
7.3 Copy of Wedding Invitation Card. (1 Page)
7.4 Wedding Photographs. (14 Pages)

*8. Our Home*
8.1 Copy of Lease Agreements in both names from our last two rentals (4 Pages)
8.2 Letters from our ex-Landlords *3 (2 Pages)
8.3 Letter sent to our last address in Spring Hill before leaving Australia. (1 Page)

*9. Financial Aspects of Relationship*
9.1 Copy of Applicant's Joint Bank Account with the Sponsor in Australia, NAB- National Australia Bank. (Page 1-8 + 3 Pages= 11 Pages)
9.2 Copy of Sponsor's Joint Bank Account with the Applicant in Australia, NAB- National Australia Bank. (8 Pages)
9.3 Copy of Applicant's Indian Bank Account's Passbook/Bank Statements with her married name. (1 Page)

*10. Holidays Together*
10.1 Payment/Booking Confirmation from the Hotels. (4 Pages)
10.2 Copies of our Ticket Bookings and Boarding Passes (Malaysian Airlines) - Trip to India. (5 Pages)
10.3 Copy of Sponsor/Husband's Overseas Travel Insurance. (1 Page)

*11. Holiday/Social Photos Together *
11.1 Photos of the Applicant and the Sponsor with friends. (4 Pages)
11.2 Photos taken during Anniversary Trip 2013. (1 Pages)
11.3 Photos from our Journey to India. (1 Pages)
11.4 Photos with my parents. (2 Pages)
11.5 Our trip to the Taj Mahal with my husband and parents. (2 Pages)
11.6 Our tickets from Taj Mahal trip (1 Page)

*12. Supporting Witness Declaration*
12.1 Form 888- Statutory Declaration by X. (Page3-4)
12.2 Form 888- Statutory Declaration by Y (Doubles Sided Page 3-4)
12.3 Affidavit signed by the Applicant's Father and Mother. (2 Pages)
12.4 Applicant's Affidavit showing the change in her maiden name to married name. (1 Page)

Hope this helps.
Good Luck guys!

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## vrvl

Hei guys.. 
new to forum n new to the ways of australian immigration dept.. cant afford a migration lawyer and hence doing my own application.. spent lot of time browsing n reading n trying to get everything right.. would appreciate any help and words of guidance.. so thank you guys in advance.. 

the scenario: I am an indian national, on a TR, valid for only 45 more days and my partner is an australian citizen, We have been in this relationship since 2009 but have been living together only for 8 months now. When we decided to do the partner visa, we knew this would be a problem so we got our relationship registered at BDM. We got most of the documents ready, except for my medicals (yet to do, made an appointment for in three weeks time from now) and indian police clearance (have applied for it and apparently takes 5 weeks to get back, so waiting on it). 

Doubts and questions: 
1. since i have only 45 days on my visa left, what will happen after i apply for the partner visa, will i be granted a bridging visa immediately? how do i apply for the bridging visa? can i travel internationally with the bridging visa?
2. Is it mandatory to have a lawyer, cause most of the people who i know who have had a successful partner visa granted have applied through a lawyer. Am I making a mistake applying by myself? (sorry, big freakout moment)
3. is it ok for me to apply the visa without the medicals?? cause i have only 45 days more it will be very close if i wait to do medicals. i was planning on applying for the partner visa once i get my indian police clearance but will do the medicals after the application
4. the statutory declaration by the applicant and the sponsor, is there a specific way to do it? or can it be just in a letter format, signed and attested by the JP? is there a cover page kind of application form for it? 

Please please give me a hand with this...


----------



## CollegeGirl

vrvl said:


> I am an indian national, on a TR


Which visa?



> 1. since i have only 45 days on my visa left, what will happen after i apply for the partner visa, will i be granted a bridging visa immediately? how do i apply for the bridging visa? can i travel internationally with the bridging visa?


If you apply for your partner visa while your other visa is still valid, yes, you will be placed on a Bridging Visa A. It happens automatically - no need to apply for it. You cannot travel internationally, however - you will have to apply for a Bridging Visa B if you want to leave the country temporarily while your visa is being processed. *Generally* (but not always) they make these valid for about three months. Keep in mind your 820 cannot be granted while you're offshore.



> 2. Is it mandatory to have a lawyer, cause most of the people who i know who have had a successful partner visa granted have applied through a lawyer. Am I making a mistake applying by myself? (sorry, big freakout moment)


No, it is absolutely possible to apply successfully for a partner visa without an agent or lawyer. Of course, the benefits to having one are enormous as they can catch a multitude of things you might not know to look for - but do a LOT of reading and your own research, and unless your case is really difficult, you should be fine. Medical issues, criminal histories, histories of staying in a country illegally, etc. are all things that usually require professional assistance.



> 3. is it ok for me to apply the visa without the medicals?? cause i have only 45 days more it will be very close if i wait to do medicals. i was planning on applying for the partner visa once i get my indian police clearance but will do the medicals after the application


If you were applying offshore I'd say it depends on the embassy, but since you're applying onshore... DIAC information on their website still suggests you include them with your application in order to "avoid processing delays," but considering medicals are only valid for 12 months and their average 820 processing time is up to 18 months right now, I can't imagine they're requiring that. Hopefully someone else will chime in who waited to provide their medicals and applied onshore... I'm 90% sure you can wait, but just want someone to back me up on it!



> 4. the statutory declaration by the applicant and the sponsor, is there a specific way to do it? or can it be just in a letter format, signed and attested by the JP? is there a cover page kind of application form for it?


There's no standard format for it. Make sure you each include all the information they describe in the Partner Migration Booklet (make this booklet your best friend!). There's no cover letter for your history statement.


----------



## vrvl

*Re:*



CollegeGirl said:


> Which visa?


GSM Skilled migration 485 visa.

And CollegeGirl thank you heaps for your input.. I will read and reread n try to get everything right...


----------



## Fran89

tash said:


> very very helpful as I am in the process of getting my visa atm.
> 
> My police clearance is in german and I was wondering if you happen to know if I need a special person/agent the immigration system has, to translate my police check into english or if I could go anywhere in South Australia to get it translated and certified.
> 
> Thanks


you need it translated by a NAAFTAI office I done it with The Migration Translators Provide Fast & Professional Immigration Translations because it goes really fast and via e-mail...no trouble at all.


----------



## Frenchee

Hi there,

I've got almost all the evidene ready to be copied, sorted and put in a stack.

Unfortunately I already feel lost! I don't know how to present the financial evidence. I am using our bank statements to prove mainly 3 things:
- grocery expenses from each of our account
- exchange of cash
- shared travel expenses
Obviously the same pages are used for any of the three sections, so I don't know if I should provide one stack of statements and highlight each section on a different colour
or provide statements for each section and highlight only what is relevant to this section (some pages will then appear three times)

I hope I was clear enough for you to get what I mean (so hard to be clear and organised!!!)
Thanks for your help


----------



## rheia

Frenchee said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I've got almost all the evidene ready to be copied, sorted and put in a stack.
> 
> Unfortunately I already feel lost! I don't know how to present the financial evidence. I am using our bank statements to prove mainly 3 things:
> - grocery expenses from each of our account
> - exchange of cash
> - shared travel expenses
> Obviously the same pages are used for any of the three sections, so I don't know if I should provide one stack of statements and highlight each section on a different colour
> or provide statements for each section and highlight only what is relevant to this section (some pages will then appear three times)
> 
> I hope I was clear enough for you to get what I mean (so hard to be clear and organised!!!)
> Thanks for your help


We used different coloured highlights and only one set of statements (that's already plenty of paper for each of our personal accounts + joint account).

So I highlighted groceries, restaurants outings, household expenses etc. in one colour, contributions to our joint account by myself or my partner in the second colour, and travel expenses in a third colour.

In addition to this I wrote a short explanation next to each transaction. This was often just a word - "groceries", "home insurance" and sometimes "birthday dinner", "flights to xxx".

If there was a mention of finances anywhere else in the application, I would simply refer to the section that contained the statements. ("Financial Aspects of Relationship")


----------



## philipg

Or submit duplicates for each section that uses the same information as support.
It's only a couple of extra pages.
Put yourself in the position of the immigration officer and consider what makes easier for him/her.


----------



## Fran89

Hey guys, just asking if someone can check, if I have everything together for my visa 801/820 onshore, want to bring it to the post office tomorrow if possible ;-)

Shortly: we are married since 01.09.2013, together around 11month, we will have a baby together around end october this year. We shared all the time a household, at first staff accommodation and since may a rental house. We worked together as F&B at a hotel for about 6 month.

here we go: 

- Form 47SP 
-bank details for credit card for application charge including 4575$ as total visa charge
- 2 written statements (one of me and one of my husband)
-my passport copie certified
-my husbands passport copie certified
- 2 passport photos of mine (name written on the back)
- 2 passport photos of my husband (name written on the back)
- my birth certificate copie, NAATI translated and certified
- my husbands birth certificate copie, certified
- our marriage certificate copie, certified (it´s not the registered copie from the Registry of Birth, Deaths and Marriages -> try to get that one tomorrow if not, is it ok to send it later???)
- 3 Forms 888 statutory declaration with certified passport copies and certified birth certificate´s
- Form 40SP
- Evidence of the nature of the houshold: 
-copie of birthday card for my husband from me
- copie of valentines day card from my to this time still boyfriend, now husband
- 25 pictures of me and my husband at different locations including wedding photos with my husbands parents and brother 
Evidence of social context of the relationship:
- congratulation card copie for our wedding from our workplace about 25 people included in this card
- congratulation card from my husbands uncle and auntie to our wedding
- congratulation card from 2 friends of us to our wedding
- congratulation card from my husbands brother and his girlfriend
- my husbands employee commencement with me as emergency contact
- 2 carts from friends to our babyshower 
- one card from friends to christmas saying that we visited friends in November together
- my maternity book cover with my husband as my great support, also says that my parents will visit us in december
- letter to my tax office wittnessed from my husband
- 32 sites facebook relationsship printout (showes for example 35 same friends and general things like dinner together or shared days together -> typical facebook)
Evidence of the nature of our commitment to each other:
-our wedding draft
- parcel cover with both our names in adress
- parcel cover from my parents from germany with both our names to same adress
- letter that we have same keys for our house with signature
- letter to our rental adress from roberts real estate for a inspection
- letter from roberts that we keep the property in good condition and that the owner is most grateful
- inventory report for our rental we share
- residential tenancy agreement with both our names and signatures
Evidence financial aspects:
-bank statement printout from october 2012 until now from my husbands bank account, I marked grocerie shoppings and dinner or lunch we had together (we only use this bank account together I can´t work high pregnant so my husband basically pays at the moment everything but the account is in his name... is that ok???)
- receipt of doctor visit we had, with both our names on it payed out of one account
- bond pay receipt for our rental with both our names on it
- Frequent shopper club membership letter with both our names on it
- my husbands notice of assessment from the last 3 years showing is yearly income

Thats it, you reckon it´s enough and in a correct order? 
I get my police check from germany translated in the next week, so I can send it later too and I can´t make the health check yet, because of the pregnancy...

thanks guys


----------



## Becky26

Fran89 said:


> I get my police check from germany translated in the next week, so I can send it later too and I can´t make the health check yet, because of the pregnancy...
> 
> thanks guys


Hey Fran89,

How are you? You must be feeling quite relieved after putting all the documents/visa file together 
I don't know how much of what I'm telling you is true for onshore applications; but I think you should wait for your translated Police Clearance i.e. submit as much paperwork as you can. The less paperwork your CO asks for, the quicker you file moves.

I have seen this a lot specially with the offshore 309/100 partner visa applications. Because you are applying onshore in Australia luckily you can also submit the medicals done along with your initial set of documentation.

The offshore applicants (specially from high risk countries have to wait till they get contacted by their CO and have to go to a Panel Doctor which sometimes have a waiting list.

I only had my Medicals left when I submitted my application. A file 7cm thick.

Hope this helps.
Best wishes to you.

Congratulations to you and your partner for the baby 

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## Fran89

Hey Becky,

yes it feels much better, I would love to open a bottle sparkling wine, but have to wait, babybelly wouldn´t like it ;-)
I can´t wait for the police check, my visa runs out next week, that means I send the police check a week after my application, I think it should be fine. They have to wait for my medical check anyway, and I don´t think germany counts as a high risk country 
My file is about 4cm thick, but I guess, because we will have the baby and we are married and life in australia, we have it a bit easier...hopefully, you never know ;-)
My biggest relieve is, that I will get medicare in the next days and have another year here. The big worry, that they may send me home pregnant without my partner and I can´t have him next to me when I give birth and maybe have to apply offshore is gone with that.


----------



## jccsyd

*Stapled forms*

Hello all. My fiancee just lodged a PMV at the VIA center in the Philippines. I carefully assembled the 150+ page app into sections with side on paperclips.

My fiancee said they removed all the paperclips and *stapled* each section!

That was a surprise. Hope the Aus Embassy requested them to do that


----------



## Fran89

jccsyd said:


> Hello all. My fiancee just lodged a PMV at the VIA center in the Philippines. I carefully assembled the 150+ page app into sections with side on paperclips.
> 
> My fiancee said they removed all the paperclips and *stapled* each section!
> 
> That was a surprise. Hope the Aus Embassy requested them to do that


I don´t think that is relevant for you application, on the end the only thing what matter is the content!!! Who care´s? They don´t give you a yes or no just because of paperclips and stapled sections....


----------



## Fran89

Could anyone else have a short look at my application, before I send it? Just want to make sure, that I have everything I need.


Fran89 said:


> Hey guys, just asking if someone can check, if I have everything together for my visa 801/820 onshore, want to bring it to the post office tomorrow if possible ;-)
> 
> Shortly: we are married since 01.09.2013, together around 11month, we will have a baby together around end october this year. We shared all the time a household, at first staff accommodation and since may a rental house. We worked together as F&B at a hotel for about 6 month.
> 
> here we go:
> 
> - Form 47SP
> -bank details for credit card for application charge including 4575$ as total visa charge
> - 2 written statements (one of me and one of my husband)
> -my passport copie certified
> -my husbands passport copie certified
> - 2 passport photos of mine (name written on the back)
> - 2 passport photos of my husband (name written on the back)
> - my birth certificate copie, NAATI translated and certified
> - my husbands birth certificate copie, certified
> - our marriage certificate copie, certified (it´s not the registered copie from the Registry of Birth, Deaths and Marriages -> try to get that one tomorrow if not, is it ok to send it later???)
> - 3 Forms 888 statutory declaration with certified passport copies and certified birth certificate´s
> - Form 40SP
> - Evidence of the nature of the houshold:
> -copie of birthday card for my husband from me
> - copie of valentines day card from my to this time still boyfriend, now husband
> - 25 pictures of me and my husband at different locations including wedding photos with my husbands parents and brother
> Evidence of social context of the relationship:
> - congratulation card copie for our wedding from our workplace about 25 people included in this card
> - congratulation card from my husbands uncle and auntie to our wedding
> - congratulation card from 2 friends of us to our wedding
> - congratulation card from my husbands brother and his girlfriend
> - my husbands employee commencement with me as emergency contact
> - 2 carts from friends to our babyshower
> - one card from friends to christmas saying that we visited friends in November together
> - my maternity book cover with my husband as my great support, also says that my parents will visit us in december
> - letter to my tax office wittnessed from my husband
> - 32 sites facebook relationsship printout (showes for example 35 same friends and general things like dinner together or shared days together -> typical facebook)
> Evidence of the nature of our commitment to each other:
> -our wedding draft
> - parcel cover with both our names in adress
> - parcel cover from my parents from germany with both our names to same adress
> - letter that we have same keys for our house with signature
> - letter to our rental adress from roberts real estate for a inspection
> - letter from roberts that we keep the property in good condition and that the owner is most grateful
> - inventory report for our rental we share
> - residential tenancy agreement with both our names and signatures
> Evidence financial aspects:
> -bank statement printout from october 2012 until now from my husbands bank account, I marked grocerie shoppings and dinner or lunch we had together (we only use this bank account together I can´t work high pregnant so my husband basically pays at the moment everything but the account is in his name... is that ok???)
> - receipt of doctor visit we had, with both our names on it payed out of one account
> - bond pay receipt for our rental with both our names on it
> - Frequent shopper club membership letter with both our names on it
> - my husbands notice of assessment from the last 3 years showing is yearly income
> 
> Thats it, you reckon it´s enough and in a correct order?
> I get my police check from germany translated in the next week, so I can send it later too and I can´t make the health check yet, because of the pregnancy...
> 
> thanks guys


----------



## priyankbadola

Hi, 

I am from India and applying under 190 visa class. I am married for past 4 years and we are a family of three. I am still at applying for EOI and was confussed over a point, whether I include my family (2 dependants) now or can I do it in a later stage. If I do it in the later stage what will be the process of getting it done? I can apply for my visa presently and ask my family to follow in later times also. Do we have some restrictions to this process? Kindly reply whosoever knows the answer to this jigsaw.


----------



## Becky26

Fran89 said:


> Hey Becky,
> 
> yes it feels much better, I would love to open a bottle sparkling wine, but have to wait, babybelly wouldn´t like it ;-)
> I can´t wait for the police check, my visa runs out next week, that means I send the police check a week after my application, I think it should be fine. They have to wait for my medical check anyway, and I don´t think germany counts as a high risk country
> My file is about 4cm thick, but I guess, because we will have the baby and we are married and life in australia, we have it a bit easier...hopefully, you never know ;-)
> My biggest relieve is, that I will get medicare in the next days and have another year here. The big worry, that they may send me home pregnant without my partner and I can´t have him next to me when I give birth and maybe have to apply offshore is gone with that.


Hey Fran89,

I guess you are in a safer position cause Germany is a low risk country plus you have a baby on the way. 
I highly doubt they will send you to Germany during your visa processing unless there are any complications.
DIAC will just wait for your medicals to clear cause you won't be able to get your chest X-Ray done cause you are pregnant. 
Nothing to worry about. It's just for the safety of your baby.

Speaking from my experience, I wasn't contacted by the department and after four months of my application in which they rejected my application cause they didn't think my husband and I were in a "genuine/ongoing relationship". No emails, no contact made by the CO requesting additional documents; just a decision and that too was sent in the mail as in a letter.
I didn't even have enough time to apply to MRT for a review and had to leave Australia.

So be vigilant and stay in touch with the immigration department.
Hope everything goes smoothly for you and your partner. My best wishes and prayers are with you. Once you apply for your Partner Visa, try and stay in touch with the DIAC for precautionary reasons.

If you have any queries don't hesitate to write.
Have a nice day.

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## Becky26

Fran89 said:


> Could anyone else have a short look at my application, before I send it? Just want to make sure, that I have everything I need.


Hey Fran89,

The table of contents looks pretty well done. 
Just make sure that everything is in order.
That is a lot of evidence you have which is great. The more, the better.
My file was 7cm thick and about 250 pages.
Also quality is better than quantity.
If there is quality in the quantity of the evidence you are submitting, you are pretty much submitting a decision ready file. The less work a CO has to do trying to organise the documents, the better.

PS- don't use staples, only paper clips. My application there was no staples. The VFS office operator stapled the ID documents of me and my husband the rest of the file was sent in the order of my table of contents.
Hope this helps.

Good luck!

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## red-devil

I have submitted my partner visa application today in Bangladesh. I think different countries work differently. I decided to arrange my evidence based on the checklist posted on VFS's local website that it seems the local agent here for accepting Australian visa application. After telling them my visa type at the counter they pulled out their own checklist, which is a bit different than their posted checklist, and asked me to give them papers one by one. So, they first said 47SP and i give it to them. It went like that. I also used paper clips instead of staples. But they were either stapling my papers or leaving them loose. They also seemed very allergic to accepting original papers apart from police certificate. For example, I have my wedding invitation cards, movie tickets, receipts etc but i have to submit photocopy of them as they did not accept original. I found this a bit strange. Another thing was even though I have certified my passport photocopy, they again copied it including visa stamps of other countries. It could be because I photocopied first five pages based on their posted checklist guideline. 

Outside the checklist guideline they asked for rent agreement of my wife's house which I did not have and they seemed not to mind about it. They also asked for e-mail conversation but I submitted phone bill and snap shot of skype and whatsapp conversation.

Even though I used table of contents for evidence, I was thankful I used post it notes to explain things. Cause papers were arranged not on the basis of my table of contents.

So this was my experience. Hope it was helpful. And thank you all for your wonderful posts that were very helpful to me.


----------



## red-devil

I submitted my application yesterday and today the high commission sent me an e-mail providing me with a HAP ID for the medical. A bit surprised with fast response but maybe that is how they are till the medical in Bangladesh and then it is the usual waiting game.


----------



## Becky26

red-devil said:


> I submitted my application yesterday and today the high commission sent me an e-mail providing me with a HAP ID for the medical. A bit surprised with fast response but maybe that is how they are till the medical in Bangladesh and then it is the usual waiting game.


Hi red-devil,

I applied for my 309 on July 19th, 2013 and got a CO allocated on July 24th, 2013 which was amazingly quick as compared to some of the other applicants I know from another forum who have applied before July 2013 (which is when the new financial year for Australia begins).

I don't know if I'm right but I think AHC has changed their procedure of CO allocation from July 2013; CO allocation for applicants before July used to take/still is taking between 80-100 days (12-14 weeks approx) in India. But my application was assigned a CO within 3 working days and quite a few of the other July applicants got CO assigned within a week as well.
They all have been asked to get the medicals done i.e. HAP IDs were sent to the applicants via email.

The reason of my worry is that since I have submitted my medicals which was on July 26th, 2013 I haven't heard anything from my CO. I have no idea what's going on, if the medicals have been cleared, or if my application is sitting underneath a pile of 100s of other applications waiting for its turn or if the processing is in progress 

Usually the high commission will always tell you that the standard processing time for partner visa (309) is between 7-12 months for high risk countries; but I have read about some people who have got it in about 4 to 5 months max. 
It all depends on your case; as every application/file is different.
So keep your hopes up and sit tight as the waiting has just begun (for the both of us). If you and I are lucky we will hear some good news from the High Commission very soon 

Wish you and your partner good luck and a speedy approval.

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## shimul

Hi I am from Bangladesh. I have just got my visa in late August 2013. 

It took almost a year of waiting. 

It was a long wait. Just keep patience, keep the papers updated whatever they ask for and submit them ASAP. Send them emails if you have any questions. 

Anyway we are so happy indeed and looking forward to see each other and plan for the future! Thanks everyone and goodluck!


----------



## Honeybee

priyankbadola said:


> Hi,
> 
> I am from India and applying under 190 visa class. I am married for past 4 years and we are a family of three. I am still at applying for EOI and was confussed over a point, whether I include my family (2 dependants) now or can I do it in a later stage. If I do it in the later stage what will be the process of getting it done? I can apply for my visa presently and ask my family to follow in later times also. Do we have some restrictions to this process? Kindly reply whosoever knows the answer to this jigsaw.


Hi priyan,

It would be best to include the dependents on the application for there is a portion that asks about any dependents of yours. If you tick none, it will be a big problem later on because it means you are giving a wrong information and will cost you a lot of money and time.

I hope this information helps.

JODI
Max M Lawyers (immigration lawfirm)
Melbourne,Australia
maxmlawyers.com


----------



## priyankbadola

*Thanks for the reply*

Hi Jodi,

Thanks for clarifying my doubt. Also if you can help me with few other things.

I have applied for EOI on 6th of September 2013, however the status of the application is showing as submitted since then. I want to know if I need to wait for CO to be assigned or should I drop in a mail.

Should I apply for Police Clearance Certificate(PCC) as it takes a month and a half for it to get processed.

Should I apply for my childs PCC as she is just 6 months old?

It would be a great help if you can answer these queries.

Regards

Priyank


----------



## _misshall

Hi all!

We're finally at the stage where we're ready to send our application off! Thank god! After about 2 months of compiling and having things sent from Australia, we're sending our application to the London office. But i just wanted people to let me know if we've included everything. I've included our list of contents below.

I also just have 2 questions. 1 being that the last year we've lived with each other in my partners mothers house. So we haven't had a lease agreement or any formal rent to pay. We've helped out with bills and groceries and i've stated this and highlighted it on our bank statements. And my partners mother has written a statement say we've lived in her home for the past 14 months. Is this enough? And number 2 for each of our (applicant and sponsor) statements. Should they be typed or handwritten? Mine is currently 5 pages typed and would hate to think how long that would take me to write!!

1: Forms, Checks and Documents
1.0 47SP - Applicant’s Form to migrate to Australia
1.1 Applicant’s passport photo page (Certified copy)
1.2 Applicant’s Australian Working Holiday Visa from May 2008 – May 2009 (Certified copy)
1.3 Applicant’s Birth Certificate (Certified copy)
1.4 4 passport-sized photographs of Applicant
1.5 Applicant’s most recent end of year certificate (original)
1.6 Form 80 - Personal particulars for character assessment
1.7 Form 40SP - Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia
1.8 Sponsor’s passport photo page (Certified copy)
1.9 Sponsor’s UK Visa (certified copy)
1.10 Sponsor's Birth Certificate (Certified copy)
1.11 2 passport size photos of Sponsor 
1.12 Sponsor's two most recent payslips and end of year certificate (originals)
1.13 Sponsor's 2012 tax assessment notice (original)

2: History of the relationship
2.0 Applicant’s statement detailing the history of the relationship
2.1 Sponsor’s statement detailing the history of the relationship
2.2 Form 888 - Sponsor’s Brother
2.3 Form 888 - Sponsor’s Cousin
2.4 Form 888 – Sponsor’s Friend
2.5 Applicant’s Mother’s statement detailing the history of the relationship
2.6 Applicant’s friend’s statement detailing the history of the relationship

3: Financial aspects
3.0 Joint statement explaining shared financial commitments
3.1 Applicant and Sponsors credit / debit cards (Certified copies)
3.2 Joint Bank Account statement BOI (2013)
3.3 Joint account statements WESTPAC (November 2011, August 2012 and March 2013)
3.4 Applicant’s Personal Bank Account Statements from the UK (June 2009-August 2013)
3.5 Applicant’s Personal Bank Account statements from Australia (June 2009-August 2013)
3.6 Sponsor’s Personal Bank Account Statements from the UK (August 2012 – August 2013)
3.7 Sponsor’s Personal Bank Account Statements from Australia (June 2009 – August 2013)
3.8 Car insurance (July 2012 – July 2014)

4. Nature of the household 
4.0 Joint statement explaining nature of the household(s)
4.1 Housework distribution 
4.2 Joint responsibility for all day-to-day living expenses including highlighted expenses across our personal bank accounts over the last 12 months
4.3 Proof of cohabitation in Northern Ireland 
4.4 Corresponding addresses to each of us at the same address in Northern Ireland and Australia
4.5 Letters addressed to us both in Northern Ireland and Australia

5. Social context of the relationship 
5.0 Joint statement outlining the social context of relationship
5.1 Evidence that we are accepted as a couple socially (3x wedding invitations and 4x birthday invitations)
5.2 Cards from sponsors and applicants families while in Australia and UK
5.3 Selection of photos over our relationship (approx. 18 with captions)
5.4 Evidence of joint participation in sport, social and cultural events 
5.5 Evidence of joint travel 
5.6 Facebook screenshots 

6. Nature of commitment to each other
6.0 Joint statement outlining nature of commitment to each other including future plans 
6.1 Selection of Skype logs during time apart
6.2 Facebook relationship screen shots
6.3 Facebook messages sent to each other during times apart
6.4 Personal birthday/Xmas/Valentines cards between Applicant and Sponsor
6.5 Evidence of travel to visit and live with each other


----------



## rheia

_misshall said:


> And number 2 for each of our (applicant and sponsor) statements. Should they be typed or handwritten? Mine is currently 5 pages typed and would hate to think how long that would take me to write!!


typed is absolutely fine - from what I've heard they actually prefer it to having to decipher someone's handwriting....


----------



## rheia

_misshall said:


> 1.6 Form 80 - Personal particulars for character assessment


We will be applying through the London office as well but hadn't planned on including Form 80.
Were you asked to include it or have you found a resource telling you it's a requirement?

I know that here in the forum a lot of people are of the opinion that it should be included anyway but as the London embassy doesn't list it in it's list of required documents we didn't think we had to.


----------



## kmmr

I included it. 

It's not that complex, and repeats a lot of stuff from the other forms, so in some ways it's easier to do them at the same time. 

I got no comments about including it or not from the CO.


----------



## ozzy

We are sending my bf's application next week. We are also from northern ireland. We didnt include form 80..it says on the checklist will be asked if needed..i have it printed just in case though


----------



## _misshall

rheia said:


> We will be applying through the London office as well but hadn't planned on including Form 80.
> Were you asked to include it or have you found a resource telling you it's a requirement?
> 
> I know that here in the forum a lot of people are of the opinion that it should be included anyway but as the London embassy doesn't list it in it's list of required documents we didn't think we had to.


We weren't told to include it but we thought it just might be a little easier incase they ask for it down the track.


----------



## _misshall

ozzy said:


> We are sending my bf's application next week. We are also from northern ireland. We didnt include form 80..it says on the checklist will be asked if needed..i have it printed just in case though


Oh really?! Where abouts? Are you living here at the moment?


----------



## ozzy

_misshall said:


> Oh really?! Where abouts? Are you living here at the moment?


Yes in west belfast. Ive dual citizenship been here 4 years. Dying to go home though lol.
Where abouts are you?


----------



## dejainc

With your personal statements and statements from your family and friends, how long should they be?


----------



## ozzy

dejainc said:


> With your personal statements and statements from your family and friends, how long should they be?


As long as they need to be. Just cover the questions they ask dont go overboard with unneccessary info.
Mine was 3 pages and my partner 1.5 lol


----------



## poocho

*Partner / spouse visa*

Hey,
I and my partner are in the waiting stages of being awarded a spouse visa. We included lots of official information as well as colour photographs. We avoided using folders etc. and just divided the info we had into categories i.e. house, vehicle, holidays, photos and other (invites and cards) with a folded piece of A4 paper with the appropriate label. Our case officer has told us it is a strong application. I obtained a permanent residency visa before I met him and didn't go - my visa ends in april 2014 and we're hoping to go in jan....with notice periods being given in at work we are cutting it pretty fine! official processing times on the immi website are 8-9 months....anyone been granted one sooner...here's hoping!! good luck with the applications people!


----------



## CollegeGirl

It's highly unlikely that your visa will be granted sooner if you're applying offshore from the UK. They generally will hold onto applications until they hit 8 months because of quotas they have. You'll see the rare visa here and there get through in, say 7.5 months, but that's not very common.


----------



## Frenchee

Hi there,

Another practical question, we typed our history of the relationship declarations and some other declarations. Can I print the satutory declaration template and attach it to our declarations instead of trying to insert our text into it?


----------



## CollegeGirl

You don't need to use the statutory declaration template at all. You can write your own statements on plain paper.


----------



## Frenchee

For statutory declarations? Then I just get them certified ?


----------



## PoisonedCooKie

Hello, I was just wondering if I should certify my statutory declaration? I mean, it's me who's applying for visa and of course if I sign it it's my letter! My fiancé is in Australia right now and of course he's gonna certify his and it's so easy to do it over there. On the other hand, I live in Belgium and basically you can't just go anywhere ex. the post office etc. The only place I can think of is an Australian embassy which we don't have here in Brussels  , or have city municipality to do it and for some reason they are not so keen on doing this for "unofficial documents" especially just some letters you've written in English! On the top of all that any little paper costs 8€ here.. I'm willing to pay, that's no issue but the problem is I don't think they are going to do it!  Can a lawyer certify it? Any suggestions from people from European countries will be more than welcome


----------



## onemorecountry

Yes you need to certify them. we did so at a notary public/solicitor. cost us 30€ per page. We typed them to safe space.


----------



## PoisonedCooKie

onemorecountry said:


> Yes you need to certify them. we did so at a notary public/solicitor. cost us 30€ per page. We typed them to safe space.


WOW  per page!! So if my statutory letter is 4 pages I will need to "spit out" 120€??  And I thought 130€ was too expensive for mailing my application with DHL from Brussels to Madrid! Crazy stuff!


----------



## onemorecountry

I found here that it costs 3,75€ per page in brussels. unfortunatly in Austria notary public prices can vary widely and I live in a small town.


----------



## PoisonedCooKie

Oh! Thank you so much for your research  Much much better than 30€ per page  I think it's gonna be 8 € per page in the part of the city I am now but it's bearable compared with 30 x 4  Big thanks again!


----------



## Aysally

New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) Visa {Subclass 461}
What forms am i supposed to print out and fill?
Form 47sp and most of all other forms does not provide any option to choose Subclass 461 as the category i wish to apply for.
Do i have to provide my police clearance upfront as i submit the application or do i have to wait for them to request?


----------



## CollegeGirl

That's because those forms do not apply to that visa subclass. You can read about this visa and what forms you need here:

New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) Visa (Subclass 461)


----------



## Aysally

Thanks and God bless you CollegeGirl 
Do you have any idea if i have to provide my police cerftificate upfront as i submit the application or do i have to wait for them to request?


----------



## CollegeGirl

It would depend on the embassy you're applying through. You'd have to check with them. If you're coming from Nigeria, my guess is you're going to have a very long wait ahead of you (a year or more) so it's probably much wiser to wait until they ask for them as they're only good for a year.


----------



## Frenchee

CollegeGirl said:


> You don't need to use the statutory declaration template at all. You can write your own statements on plain paper.


I'm sorry I still didn't get it, can we print our text and then just signed it in front of witness and that's it it is a statutory declaration? 
Or is it a stat dec only when you use the template? (then sign it with witness too)


----------



## CollegeGirl

Frenchee said:


> I'm sorry I still didn't get it, can we print our text and then just signed it in front of witness and that's it it is a statutory declaration?


Well, each country has its own definition of what counts as a "certified" document. I'm not sure who certifies documents in your country. In the US, we had to sign it in front of a notary public and then she notarized it.


----------



## Frenchee

I'm in Australia...I'm just going to use the template, it's probably safer


----------



## CollegeGirl

Certainly won't hurt.


----------



## _misshall

Are you supposed to sign the back of your passport photos in the application?


----------



## Vshah

I have applied for partner visa subclass 100/309 at New Delhi. 2 weeks after lodging the application, I got a email and phone call to get my medical by a case officer asking me to conduct a medical test and police checks. It has been more than 4 weeks since I have supplied them with those documents. Can anyone please tell me approx. how long it takes to get an outcome after supplying them medical and police check docs. Thanks in anticipation.


----------



## philipg

_misshall said:


> Are you supposed to sign the back of your passport photos in the application?


Write your name on the back of the photo misshall.
No need to sign.


----------



## CollegeGirl

Vshah said:


> I have applied for partner visa subclass 100/309 at New Delhi. 2 weeks after lodging the application, I got a email and phone call to get my medical by a case officer asking me to conduct a medical test and police checks. It has been more than 4 weeks since I have supplied them with those documents. Can anyone please tell me approx. how long it takes to get an outcome after supplying them medical and police check docs. Thanks in anticipation.


I'm not sure about India specifically (you'd need to do some research on that) but about the fastest partner visas are being processed from any embassy these days is six months (most closer to 9 months), so you've got quite a wait ahead of you still.


----------



## Aysally

Does the (statutory declaration form) 888 apply to the New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) Visa {Subclass 461} ???

Myself and my wife have been legally married for over 1 year now, our relationship including dating and friendship is kind of 2 years old, we have only lived together under the same roof for one month, we have nothing that binds us financially, we have access to all our means of everyday communication and we are blessed with a 7 months old daughter.
From the perspective of the high commission how genuine do you think this sort of relationship is?
We will be applying for the New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary) Visa {Subclass 461}

Advices needed please!!!
God bless


----------



## omamaamansikka

Aysally: I cant speak to the Form 888 requirements, but in reference to your other question regarding the sincerity of your relationship - from what I have read and understood, the fact that you are in a legally committed married relationship and have a child together speaks volumes towards the nature of your relationship. 

Its funny how this process makes us question our own sincerity. My advice to you is not to worry about this, because if your relationship is real and genuine this will ultimately show in your application and the evidence provided. There are enough safety measures in place to weed out the scammers and these precautionary measures should not affect your ability to apply on genuine grounds. 

Best of luck to you!


----------



## Aysally

@ omamaamansikka: God bless you for your response, i really appreciate. I have an older sibling who lives permanently in Melbourne, he's also very sure that the fact that we're legally married and we have a daughter together is a big deal even from the high commission's perspective but i am a young man, i have never held my daughter and i miss my wife terribly so i intend to get this right once and for all, be with my family and live happily ever after. May God help us all 

Thanks


----------



## omamaamansikka

Aysally: your circumstances are compelling and I feel great empathy for your situation. I believe that if you are sure to site these issues it would be difficult for any immigration official to deny you the experience of holding your child and being reunited with your wife. For your sake I hope that the process is short and that you are treated with kindness and respect. I will keep my fingers crossed for you. Try not to worry your mind! I have faith you will get through this if you just stay strong. After all, you dont want to arrive at your destination completely empty of any spark or energy. Keep going, you can do it!


----------



## Aysally

OMG, i feel so encouraged.
YES I CAN


----------



## banyuwangi

LovingWife said:


> After a lot of sweat and tears, we managed to get ALL of our documents together, translated and certified and have FINALLY lodged our application recently. Hooray!
> 
> I am extremely lucky to be situated in Berlin, so I lodged my application in person.
> 
> When the Client Liaison Officer saw the way in which I had prepared and presented my application, she said "WOW! What beautiful work".
> 
> HOWEVER, it seems that I went to TOO much trouble in making it very organised, as it wasn't really that necessary. I had bought a beautiful folder and had everything catagorised and each tab was labelled with its' contents.
> 
> I had to pull all the paperwork out, so that she could stamp everything and then use Immi's filing system and had to take the folder home.
> 
> What we both found to be useful was a List of Contents which I typed up, together with the Checklist, Immi provides.
> 
> Heading: Partner Visa: Offshore Temporary and Permanent (Subclasses 309 and 100) & Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner
> 
> Table of Contents:
> 
> 1.	Application Document Checklist
> 
> 2.	The Applicant
> Form 47SP - Application for Migration to Australia by a Partner
> Certified copy of passport
> Four recent passport photos
> Certified copy of birth certificate
> Certified copy of divorce papers
> Translation of divorce papers
> List of travel destinations and travel dates during 2001 - 2011
> 
> 3.	The Sponsor
> Form 40SP - Sponsorship for a Partner to Migrate to Australia
> Certified copy of passport
> Four recent passport photos
> Certified copy of birth certificate
> Certified copy of divorce papers
> 
> 4.	Commitment of Relationship - Evidence that Relationship is Genuine
> Statement prepared by applicant
> Statement prepared by sponsor
> Live chats, emails and SMS messages during periods of separation
> 
> 5.	History of our Relationship
> Emails, live chats and SMS messages from date of meeting to wedding (only 3 months)
> Timeline leading up to meeting & wedding date
> 
> 6.	Details on our Wedding
> Certified copy of marriage certificate
> Wedding photos and invitation
> 
> 7.	Our Home
> Photos of our apartment
> Copy of Lease Agreement in both names
> German legal verification of joint address
> Bills in both names
> Correspondence/cards/envelopes sent to our current address
> 
> 8.	Financial Aspects of Relationship
> Copies of debit cards for joint bank account
> Statement of our current bank account balance
> Both Wills
> 
> 9.	Holidays & Social Photos together
> Holidays snaps of our trips together
> Copies of travel bookings and boarding passes (where possible)
> 
> 10.	Supporting Witness Declarations
> Form 888 - Statutory Declarations by family and friends
> 
> 11.	Joint Employment Prospects & CV's (optional)
> Professional Profile - the applicant
> Professional Profile - the sponsor
> Letters of potential employment by employers in Australia
> 
> If I was posting the Application, I probably wouldn't even use plastic sleeves to segrate everything. Just have everything in some sort of sequence.
> 
> Good luck everyone!
> Loving Wife


Hi,thank you so much for sharing all this information regarding all the necessary document that we have to get it ready for partner visa 309/100 applying offshore...Cheeers...


----------



## gretz57

*Table of Contents/309*



banyuwangi said:


> Hi,thank you so much for sharing all this information regarding all the necessary document that we have to get it ready for partner visa 309/100 applying offshore...Cheeers...


To Banyuwangi

I admire how you presented your documents,well organized and in detail.

I am hoping a prospecive 309 applicant sees how you do this because it helps erase tension and yes, stress in getting into these documents ,sorting them out and present nicely the way you did.

Please accept my appreciation, it is worth reading.

Thank you.


----------



## banyuwangi

gretz57 said:


> To Banyuwangi
> 
> I admire how you presented your documents,well organized and in detail.
> 
> I am hoping a prospecive 309 applicant sees how you do this because it helps erase tension and yes, stress in getting into these documents ,sorting them out and present nicely the way you did.
> 
> Please accept my appreciation, it is worth reading.
> 
> Thank you.


Hi gretz57,then information above that I reply recently is belong to one of the members of australia forum but I thought the information itself it was very important information...Thank you anyway for your kind reply....Cheeers....


----------



## thesmoothsuit

I have logs showing mobile numbers in terms of messages sent to and from my partner and I, is it ok to submit my entire mobile phone tax invoice for a few months?


----------



## ozzy

thesmoothsuit said:


> I have logs showing mobile numbers in terms of messages sent to and from my partner and I, is it ok to submit my entire mobile phone tax invoice for a few months?


Probablu best to just do a few per month.


----------



## thesmoothsuit

I visited an Immigration office today. They has a large glass box which I believe you place your application inside. Is that true?

I noticed someone trying to put a large yellow envelope inside it. Is a large yellow envelope is all that's needed for lodging your application? I assume that inside that large yellow envelope was a stack of paper, all loose, with no staples paperclips etc

Thank you.


----------



## ozzy

thesmoothsuit said:


> I visited an Immigration office today. They has a large glass box which I believe you place your application inside. Is that true?
> 
> I noticed someone trying to put a large yellow envelope inside it. Is a large yellow envelope is all that's needed for lodging your application? I assume that inside that large yellow envelope was a stack of paper, all loose, with no staples paperclips etc
> 
> Thank you.


Im pretty sure you have to post your application. I wouldnt trust just leaving it in a box.


----------



## CollegeGirl

You have to post or courier in Partner Visa applications as of a few months ago, according to regulations. We've heard of an office or two that sometimes have officers unaware of the policy that will take the applications anyway... but probably best to post it just to be safe.


----------



## thesmoothsuit

Many thanks.

How did you guys submit the passport photos? Did you paste them to a sheet of A4 or did you cut them out individually?

I'm struggling to know how to submit them amongst all the paperwork because they are a much smaller size than the other documents.

Did you guys list the passport photos on the contents page as well?

Thanks.


----------



## rheia

thesmoothsuit said:


> Many thanks.
> 
> How did you guys submit the passport photos? Did you paste them to a sheet of A4 or did you cut them out individually?
> 
> I'm struggling to know how to submit them amongst all the paperwork because they are a much smaller size than the other documents.
> 
> Did you guys list the passport photos on the contents page as well?
> 
> Thanks.


We put them in an envelope, wrote "passport-style photos applicant (4x)" on it and attached it to the relevant section using a paperclip.
We also listed them in our table of contents.


----------



## edu

I believe 100 pics is way too much


----------



## aussiegirl

As Rheia has said, I found leaving the photos in the envelope given to me by the place that took them was the most logical way to keep them together and made it obvious what they were to the CO.


----------



## thesmoothsuit

Many thanks. I'll submit them in the paper bag they came in from the store that printed them.

One more question regarding the photos. Did you cut them into individual photos or did you submit them 'as is' in the same condition when you got them (4 photos attached together)?


----------



## onemorecountry

I did not cut mine


----------



## thesmoothsuit

Another question. When did you guys pay for the Visa application fee? Did you pay before or after you posted the application to immigration? How did you pay, was it in person or over the phone?

I'll pay the Visa application fee by credit card.

Thank you.


----------



## onemorecountry

They deduct it from the credit card once they receive the application. Usually the first thing that happens before you get any other notification that they have received the application.


----------



## alon

One thing worth noting is the fees should be applicable to the date the embassy receives the application, not the date of sending.
We paid and sent the application with the package of evidence on 23-August, on 1-September there was an increase in fees, the embassy got the application on 2-September.
It caused a bit of delay until they asked for the addition fees and updated the application as valid, and they only sent us acknowledgement letter on 17-September.
So, be aware of fees changes.


----------



## thesmoothsuit

Many thanks people. Im getting really nervous, we are so close. We think we have prepared well. We believe we got everything they need, just a few small touches. 

Oh boy, this is the most exciting yet most stressful thing i have ever done in my life. I've worked, I've been at university, but this is on another level in terms of stress.


----------



## rheia

thesmoothsuit said:


> Many thanks people. Im getting really nervous, we are so close. We think we have prepared well. We believe we got everything they need, just a few small touches.
> 
> Oh boy, this is the most exciting yet most stressful thing i have ever done in my life. I've worked, I've been at university, but this is on another level in terms of stress.


I know exactly how you feel.

We sent our application off on Saturday and I was actually starting to shake while queuing at the post office. I still can't believe it's gone & it's out there, to be closely examined and judged...

It actually ended up weighing over 2kg and the nice lady at the post office recommended we take some papers out to make it lighter so we wouldn't have to pay so much. I was like "hell, no! no way I'm taking even a single piece of paper out of it".


----------



## bernie

rheia said:


> I know exactly how you feel.
> 
> We sent our application off on Saturday and I was actually starting to shake while queuing at the post office. I still can't believe it's gone & it's out there, to be closely examined and judged...
> 
> It actually ended up weighing over 2kg and the nice lady at the post office recommended we take some papers out to make it lighter so we wouldn't have to pay so much. I was like "hell, no! no way I'm taking even a single piece of paper out of it".


 i sent my application today.. yay im getting nervous..

Question? did you use the new version of forms? Im scared that we used the wrong one.. pls advice


----------



## CollegeGirl

bernie said:


> i sent my application today.. yay im getting nervous..
> 
> Question? did you use the new version of forms? Im scared that we used the wrong one.. pls advice


On the bottom of your forms it should say "Design Date 07/13a." That "a" is important - if that's the version you have, you used the right ones.


----------



## bernie

CollegeGirl said:


> On the bottom of your forms it should say "Design Date 07/13a." That "a" is important - if that's the version you have, you used the right ones.


Thanks CG..

Yes! So eventhough i am like a week closer on releasing a new version they wouldnt send it back to me?


----------



## CollegeGirl

I mean, there are no guarantees with immigration. But I haven't seen any signs of the November forms yet.


----------



## thesmoothsuit

New version? When have the new versions being out?


----------



## CollegeGirl

thesmoothsuit said:


> New version? When have the new versions being out?


Usually there are new versions in April, July, and November each year. Sometimes you can find them a little before the 1st of each month, and sometimes they aren't available until the 1st.


----------



## rheia

*309/100 application - table of contents*

We just submitted our 309/100 application to the London embassy and thought it might be helpful to share our table of contents with you guys, seeing as all the previous posts on this thread have been invaluable in getting our application ready.

Notes: 
- We are both offshore.
- Medical & police checks cannot be front loaded when submitting to London so they're not included in our table of contents.
- I have taken out some personal details and made it a bit more general. This is the Internet after all... 

--------------------------------------------------------------

A. FORMS

- Subclasses 309 and 100 Application Document Checklist
- Form 47SP - Application for Migration to Australia by a partner
- Form 40SP - Sponsorship for a partner to migrate to Australia

B. STATUTORY DECLARATIONS

- 888 Form - Declaration by a supporting witness (2x)
- Austrian Statutory Declaration by a supporting witness (2x)
- UK Statutory Declaration by a supporting witness (3x)

C. PERSONAL DOCUMENTS OF APPLICANT

Proof Of Identity

- Certified copy of biographical data page and all stamped pages of passport
- Certified copy of birth certificate
- NAATI certified translation of birth certificate
- Recent passport sized photographs (4x)

Proof of Applicant's Employability

- Statement explaining the following evidence
- Certified copy of university degree certificate
- Certified copy of translation of university degree certificate
- Employment contract (first and last page)
- Recent payslips
- P60 End of Year Certificate 2013 (tax certificate)

D. PERSONAL DOCUMENTS OF SPONSOR

Proof of Identity

- Certified copy of biographical data page of passport
- Certified copy of birth certificate
- Certified copy of Grant of Australian Citizenship
- Certified copy of proof of arrival date in Australia
- Recent passport sized photographs (2x)

Proof of Sponsor's Ability to Support Applicant

- Statement explaining the following evidence
- Statutory Declaration about Sponsor's ability to support Applicant
- Online bank statement showing latest account balance
- Statement of earnings from accountant
- Personal tax statement 2013
- Letter of extension of employment by employment agency
- Letter from current employer confirming employment
- Statutory Declaration from future employer in Australia
- Payslips from past employment with same employer in Australia
- Certified copy of professional registration
- Certified copy of university degree certificate
- Statutory Declaration from Sponsor's family member about temporary accommodation
- Letter from lawyer and first page of contract for purchase of house owned in Australia
- Settlement fees for house owned in Australia
- Mortgage statement for house owned in Australia
- Property management inspection report and management agency agreement
- Lease agreement for tenants currently living in house owned in Australia
- Certificate of landlord insurance

E. EVIDENCE OF GENUINE AND CONTINUING RELATIONSHIP

History of Relationship
- Statement explaining the following evidence
- Statutory Declaration by Applicant on the history of the relationship
- Statutory Declaration by Sponsor on the history of the relationship
- Screenshot documenting first meeting 
- Relationship timeline

Financial Aspects of Relationship
- Statement explaining the following evidence
- Bank statements for joint bank account
- Bank cards for joint bank account *[NOTE: contributions, regular outgoings, social activities highlighted and short explanation added]*
- Bank statements for the Applicant's personal UK bank account (before joint account) *[NOTE: joint purchases, social activities highlighted and short explanation added]*
- Bank statements for the Sponsor's personal UK bank account (before joint account) *[NOTE: joint purchases, social activities highlighted and short explanation added]*
- Evidence of sharing household bills and expenses *[NOTE: spreadsheet]*

Nature of the Household
- Statement explaining the following evidence
- Joint Statutory Declaration about living arrangements and responsibility for housework
- Tenancy agreement Sponsor
- Addendum to tenancy agreement, adding Applicant
- Joint tenancy agreement
- Council tax statement 2012-2013
- Council tax statement 2013-2014
- Home insurance policy
- Correspondence addressed to both the Applicant and the Sponsor at the same address
- Evidence of joint responsibility for bills for day-to-day living expenses *[NOTE: spreadsheet]*

Social Context of the Relationship
- Statement explaining the following evidence
- Photos of the Applicant and the Sponsor with friends and family and on holiday *[NOTE: family members and writers of supporting statutory declarations named and pointed out]*
- Evidence of joint travel *[NOTE: boarding passes, booking confirmations, entry tickets etc]*
- Evidence of joint membership of organisations or groups *[NOTE: copy of membership cards, screenshots of member lists]*
- Evidence of joint participation in sporting, cultural or social activities *[NOTE: mainly ticket stubs, booking confirmations, restaurant receipts]*
- Cards from Applicant's family and friends addressed to both the Sponsor and the Applicant
- Cards from Sponsor's family and friends addressed to both the Sponsor and the Applicant

Nature of Commitment to Each Other
- Statement explaining the following evidence
- Joint Statutory Declaration of the nature of commitment to each other
- Birthday cards to each other
- Presents to each other *[NOTE: receipts for purchases]*
- Extracts of Facebook friendship *[NOTE: select pages from beginning of relationship and most recent events]*

--------------------------------------------------------------

Btw, our final application weighed in at 2.3kg...
The person at the post office suggested taking a few papers out to make it lighter and therefore cheaper. No way! 

We separated the individual sections with folded paper, tying it all together with an elastic band.
Here's what it looked like:


----------



## CollegeGirl

That is a GREAT list, rheia! Thanks for sharing!


----------



## vvvv

Guys I have applied for spouse visa -- is there any pre visa that I can apply on these grounds -' 
Please suggest me --'


----------



## Jerry Gomez

Hello Aaron,
I'm new to this forum but I am a seasoned migration agent. I have found that good evidence in the other aspects of the relationship - namely financial, household.social, and length of the relationship are the keys. All the best.

Jerry Gomez, Lawyer and Registered Migration Agent (0854080)


----------



## bottleit

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and currently preparing my partner application to submit in London.

I'm hoping it will go smoothly as we've been married for 6 yrs and have 2 childen, both Australian citizens.

I know I need to get the identification documents certified however please can someone advise who by in the UK.

I've collected a large bundle of letters etc to show we are living together and our finances. Do I need to send the originals or would copies suffice? If copies, will they need to be certified?

Finally, are there any tips on what should be included with the statements from friends in oz?

Thanks.


----------



## rhirhi

Thanks for your post Rheia! It really clarified some things for me. I take it you didn't certify your personal statements? I'm a bit worried about our 'social' section as neither of us play a sport or are part of a club with membership.....we have pictures with Friends and family, movie tickets, letters addressed to both of us from friends and family, concert tickets and restaurant receipts....I hope it's enough!


----------



## rheia

rhirhi said:


> Thanks for your post Rheia! It really clarified some things for me. I take it you didn't certify your personal statements? I'm a bit worried about our 'social' section as neither of us play a sport or are part of a club with membership.....we have pictures with Friends and family, movie tickets, letters addressed to both of us from friends and family, concert tickets and restaurant receipts....I hope it's enough!


We certified the relationship statements, the statement about the nature of our commitment and the statement about how my partner is going to sponsor me. (in addition of course to the witness statements).
I gather this is not entirely necessary but we felt it made the statements even stronger (plus the solicitor gave us a good deal on the certification of all our documents and we made the most of it )

None of the statements at the beginning of the sections are certified - we just signed them (which really we just did because I wanted everything to be extra special  )

Oh and it sounds like you have plenty of evidence for the social section! It just happens that my partner & I met at a sports club and share sports as a hobby. We are therefore both members at several sports clubs.
Regarding tickets, we focused on those that had at least one of our names on it, ideally both. But we also included random restaurant receipts & entry tickets.
And we made sure to spread them out over the last year and a half or so, to show that we have continuously been participating in social events together.

The biggest section by far was joint travel though. Do you have any evidence there? We copied boarding passes, accommodation confirmation etc onto A4 paper together so we could cover longer travels in 1 or 2 pages.


----------



## rheia

bottleit said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm new to this forum and currently preparing my partner application to submit in London.
> 
> I'm hoping it will go smoothly as we've been married for 6 yrs and have 2 childen, both Australian citizens.
> 
> I know I need to get the identification documents certified however please can someone advise who by in the UK.
> 
> I've collected a large bundle of letters etc to show we are living together and our finances. Do I need to send the originals or would copies suffice? If copies, will they need to be certified?
> 
> Finally, are there any tips on what should be included with the statements from friends in oz?
> 
> Thanks.


Sounds like you've got every chance to go straight to a PR, given the length of your relationship.

Regarding certification of documents, we got ours done by a local solicitor. The will charge you £5.- per certified document (standard fee) but will sometimes do you a deal if you have number of documents to certify (ours charged us £50.- for a total of 13 certified documents).

Basically, most solicitors are happy to do this for you, as for them it's not much of an effort.
I emailed & called around a bit and found that prices didn't vary much. Same with my UK witnesses. They all just walked into their local solicitor's office (there's at least one on every high street here in London) and got everything certified.
Just check that they are not specialised solicitors (one of our witnesses got turned away because the solicitor only specialised in Chinese immigration).

Regarding non-official evidence like letters you only need normal copies, not the originals or a certified copy.

Statements from your witnesses in Oz should mention your relationship status, where they know you from, how long they've known you for, their impression of your relationship as a genuine and lasting one, their interactions with you and your partner (i.e. going to concerts etc with the two of you) etc etc etc.


----------



## CollegeGirl

bottleit said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'm new to this forum and currently preparing my partner application to submit in London.
> 
> I'm hoping it will go smoothly as we've been married for 6 yrs and have 2 childen, both Australian citizens.
> 
> I know I need to get the identification documents certified however please can someone advise who by in the UK.
> 
> I've collected a large bundle of letters etc to show we are living together and our finances. Do I need to send the originals or would copies suffice? If copies, will they need to be certified?
> 
> Finally, are there any tips on what should be included with the statements from friends in oz?
> 
> Thanks.


There's a thread about visas processed through London somewhere - you might want to use search to find it. The folks in that thread could tell you who in the UK can certify. I think solicitors can. Not positive.

Supporting evidence like letters, cards, bank statements etc. can just be copied - no need to certify.

There's no set information to provide in those statements. They'll want to mention that they know you both and that you're married, live together, have kids together, etc. I would include info on how they first met the other spouse, events they've attended with you guys as a couple, if they've ever been over to your house for dinner, that kind of thing. Basically you're looking for them to establish that they know you are a genuine couple in a committed, loving, lasting relationship.

[EDIT: Whoops, I missed seeing there had been more posts since the one I quoted above. Looks like rheia got it sorted for you.  ]


----------



## rhirhi

@rheia 
Yes we have a lot of joint travel....I forgot to add that to the list. God....I've been on this forum I think for over 6 months and now that we are applying in just over 1 month it feels a lot more scary! Haha


----------



## bottleit

Thank you both for your help. This is an extremely helpful thread. Before we started the visa process I did not realise they would require so much information. I'm glad my wife and I never get around to throwing things away as "they may come in useful one day"!!

Just one more thing, we are looking to move over later next year and we both have good jobs in the UK. Nothing has been arranged workwise in Australia yet. We jointly own a house over there, however, how can we prove my wife can financially suppport me when we move given neither of us have jobs in Australia yet (for obvious reasons!). Any ideas on the nature of evidence required (we've got p60s etc from the UK).

Many thanks


----------



## CollegeGirl

You'll provide evidence of your house ownership, your pay slips, and tax assessments from the UK. Basically you're proving your capability to earn a living once you get over there. You can include in your statement how you plan to look for a job once you get over there, etc.


----------



## rheia

bottleit said:


> Thank you both for your help. This is an extremely helpful thread. Before we started the visa process I did not realise they would require so much information. I'm glad my wife and I never get around to throwing things away as "they may come in useful one day"!!
> 
> Just one more thing, we are looking to move over later next year and we both have good jobs in the UK. Nothing has been arranged workwise in Australia yet. We jointly own a house over there, however, how can we prove my wife can financially suppport me when we move given neither of us have jobs in Australia yet (for obvious reasons!). Any ideas on the nature of evidence required (we've got p60s etc from the UK).
> 
> Many thanks


I think that's the position that most people are in when they first move to Australia together - so nothing you for the Immi people, I'd assume.
You can't be expected to have a job waiting for you (we just happen to be in this very lucky position).

The important thing is to show that your wife has a good employment history, excellent job prospects (maybe include a c.v., reference letter, degree certificates). Definitely show how much she is earning at the moment (P60 as you mentioned) and maybe do a little research into how much she could be expected to earn in Australia and include that (maybe include info about previous employment in Australia). Is her job on the skilled list? A great way to prove that there's a job market out there for her.
Also, for example, nurses earn depending on their "level" (dependent on years of experience etc) and there is a defined wage structure which would make it easy to show how much someone could be expected to earn.

Cheekily, we also included some information about my (applicant) job prospects to show that I'm very keen on working full-time as soon as possible and that my job is on the skilled list.

Great that you've got accommodation already sorted by owning property in Australia!


----------



## CollegeGirl

Rheia gets the gold star for awesome posts for the day!


----------



## rheia

rhirhi said:


> @rheia
> Yes we have a lot of joint travel....I forgot to add that to the list. God....I've been on this forum I think for over 6 months and now that we are applying in just over 1 month it feels a lot more scary! Haha


It's both terrifying and incredibly exciting!

Just be careful with your application, seeing as you'll be applying after Nov 1st to use new forms once they're out!


----------



## rheia

CollegeGirl said:


> Rheia gets the gold star for awesome posts for the day!


I'm clearly incredibly busy at work


----------



## bottleit

Thanks to both again. I'm a lot happier about our application now. Once submitted I'll let you know how we get on. I will also check out the London thread.

Many thanks.


----------



## rhirhi

rheia said:


> It's both terrifying and incredibly exciting! Just be careful with your application, seeing as you'll be applying after Nov 1st to use new forms once they're out!


We haven't filled any of the forms out fortunately. Thanks for your help!


----------



## thesmoothsuit

Hello,

Just a question. Some documents we wish to submit have many pages (20+).

Is it OK to staple these together for Immigration or must every single piece of paper must be loose?

Many thanks.


----------



## CollegeGirl

I would suggest using a paperclip or a "bulldog" clip. They don't like staples because then they have to pull everything apart in order to scan all those pages, and they risk damaging the paper when removing the staples. (Different offshore embassies have different polices, but I think this is the rule of thumb for most as well as for onshore applications like yours).


----------



## thesmoothsuit

Many thanks for your information. We will use paperclips or we will buy some bulldog clips from office works.


----------



## bernie

Do we need to certified our relationship statements? Pls. Advise 

Thanks


----------



## bernie

I've noticed that we forgot to put dates on our statements as our evidence or history of relationship? Will that gona affect our application?? Pls advise.. im really worried that they might return our application..


----------



## ezzylala

Hi there - 

I am just a bit stuck as to how I should present the bank statements in the application. My partner and I have been together for a few years and I don't know if it is overkill to go through our individual bank accounts and highlight every shopping trip to Coles just to prove we share grocery-shopping duties...

Can anyone advise on how pedantic I should be?!

Thanks


----------



## CollegeGirl

I definitely don't think you need to be that pedantic about it. I would try to provide some sort of financial evidence for each month, but the goal is to show your finances have been combined continuously and you've been living together for all the time you've been de facto.


----------



## QT1

Scan everything you have. A cover letter which has the list of forms/contents built into it is ok (I like Lovingwife's suggestion too) and if you are waiting on medical results etc

Send application by registered post or parcel post depending on how much paperwork you have. That way you can track & confirm delivery. 
I then rang the following week to make sure it was definitely received & being processed (make sure everything is there including payment otherwise it takes weeks to get any reasonable answers and they won't let you speak to anyone in the actual processing centre)!

If you go to the actual processing office be prepared to wait a lengthy period of time to be seen (maybe turn up 15mins before they actually open) or be prepared to be dealt with officers not having a good day. You wont get a receipt at counter (make sure they note in the system) even if u drop off where couriers do (best is a note in actual converga register). Ring and check co check being processed within 48 hours (ask for case officer to avoid being given incorrect/misleading info by call centre officers) and save yourself frustration.


----------



## rper88

*Certifying documents*

Hello

I recently contacted the European Service Centre and thought I would share my experience to hopefully help others.
I noticed on the London office website that they do not require certified copies of documents so I contacted them for clarification. Their response was:

"If you are lodging your Partner visa (subclass 309/100) at Australian High Commission in London please note that it is no longer a requirement to submit certified copies of official documents, such as passports, birth certificates or marriage certificates for visa applications. Clear colour copies of both official and non-official documents will be accepted. For additional information about supporting documents please find below:

Police certificate(s) - original required 
Medical checks - original required (provided to the Department by the panel physician directly) 
Please note that once you have lodged your application your case officer will request your health and character checks by email, phone or letter when it is appropriate for you to complete them. 
Translations of documents into English - original required
Legal documents such as passports, birth certificates, evidence of changeof name - photocopies accepted
Relationship evidence such as bank statements, tenancy agreements -photocopies accepted
Personal statements regarding the history of your relationship - these can be handwritten or typed, as long as they are signed and dated by the person writing them (no certification required)
Statutory declarations - original statutory declaration witnessed, with a certified copy of the photo ID of the person writing the declaration."

I hope this helps.

Rachel


----------



## rheia

That's very interesting, Rachel!

We've just submitted to London and got our copies of official documents certified, as well as our statements witnessed.
Looks like that wasn't entirely necessary. (still a good feeling to have done it though, just in case...)


----------



## rper88

I agree, it can't harm to have it done! We didn't certify the documents, partly to do with the costs of doing it, but mostly because I'd had enough of looking at the visa application and couldn't wait to see the back of it!

Good luck!


----------



## bottleit

rper88 said:


> Hello
> 
> I recently contacted the European Service Centre and thought I would share my experience to hopefully help others.
> I noticed on the London office website that they do not require certified copies of documents so I contacted them for clarification. Their response was:
> 
> "If you are lodging your Partner visa (subclass 309/100) at Australian High Commission in London please note that it is no longer a requirement to submit certified copies of official documents, such as passports, birth certificates or marriage certificates for visa applications. Clear colour copies of both official and non-official documents will be accepted. For additional information about supporting documents please find below:
> 
> Police certificate(s) &#150; original required
> Medical checks &#150; original required (provided to the Department by the panel physician directly)
> Please note that once you have lodged your application your case officer will request your health and character checks by email, phone or letter when it is appropriate for you to complete them.
> Translations of documents into English &#150; original required
> Legal documents such as passports, birth certificates, evidence of changeof name &#150; photocopies accepted
> Relationship evidence such as bank statements, tenancy agreements &#150;photocopies accepted
> Personal statements regarding the history of your relationship &#150; these can be handwritten or typed, as long as they are signed and dated by the person writing them (no certification required)
> Statutory declarations - original statutory declaration witnessed, with a certified copy of the photo ID of the person writing the declaration."
> 
> I hope this helps.
> 
> Rachel


Hello,

Do you have a generic email address for them? The UK web site does not include it. I've looked at site and it states certified copies are not required. You will be asked by CO if they do.


----------



## rper88

Hi there

This is what is stated on the wesbite (which prompted my emailing them):

"Certification of documents
Visa Applications
For visa applications lodged at the London office, if you are required to provide a police clearance, you must provide the original document.

If you are required to provide a statutory declaration, you must provide the original statutory declaration and a certified copy of the photo ID of the person making the statutory declaration.

For other documents, please do not send originals unless you are requested by your case officer to do so. *There is no requirement that documents are certified when you lodge your application*. If your case officer requires an original copy or a certified copy, they will contact you directly."

The email address I emailed (and got my response) was:
*[email protected]*

Hope this helps.

Rachel


----------



## CollegeGirl

Crazy (and awesome for London applicants!). Thanks for sharing, Rachel!


----------



## bottleit

I just can't wait to get this thing sent by the end of the month!! Documents now sorted (apart from 1 or 2) so just the form filling and statements to go. I'm sooooooo happy we don't need to certify the personal documents for London now.

I've been researching the form 888 statement from friends/family. Within the research I found that the statement writer must include the words "i declare that x and y are in a married relationship" if not the application could be thrown out. Is this true? Are there such strict criteria the CO will be looking at in the evidence we provide?

I got a question reg the format of the statement. I know that our personal statement can be typed, but can the form 888 be typed? You download it in pdf. Is there an official version that can be downloaded to be typed on?

I'm looking forward to having fun writing the personal statement


----------



## rheia

bottleit said:


> I just can't wait to get this thing sent by the end of the month!! Documents now sorted (apart from 1 or 2) so just the form filling and statements to go. I'm sooooooo happy we don't need to certify the personal documents for London now.
> 
> I've been researching the form 888 statement from friends/family. Within the research I found that the statement writer must include the words "i declare that x and y are in a married relationship" if not the application could be thrown out. Is this true? Are there such strict criteria the CO will be looking at in the evidence we provide?
> 
> I got a question reg the format of the statement. I know that our personal statement can be typed, but can the form 888 be typed? You download it in pdf. Is there an official version that can be downloaded to be typed on?
> 
> I'm looking forward to having fun writing the personal statement


The form 888 downloaded from the Immi website is editable (e.g. in Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, etc).
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/888.pdf‎
All our witnesses typed their statements.

Regarding the language used in the form, we made sure that everybody that was writing a statement for us mentioned somewhere that we were in a defacto relationship. We did not prescribe how exactly to include that in the statement, or what words to use exactly.
I do not think you have to write "I declare that x and y are in a defacto relationship" but just make sure it is mentioned somewhere in the statement, even if it is in a more informal way.


----------



## QT1

We issued Form 888 to our witnesses and they completed using Adobe .pdf.

The exact words i.e "I declare that x and y are in a defacto relationship" was not in our witness statements either but they did have to PROVE why they believed our relationship was genuine and ongoing etc on paper. This includes meeting in social and/or work situations, coming to our place of residence etc. If the persons writing stat decs have known each of you or both for a long period of time it's easier for them to write.


----------



## Jam

Jeez, if presentation is so important why don't the DIAC give a guide how to do it on their website or in the application forms? (And make it clear and obvious if there is one and I managed to miss it )
I've already sent off our application for an 801/820 and from what I've just read in this thread I've done just about everything wrong! lol
Stapled documents in plastic envelopes in a lever-arch folder...


----------



## CollegeGirl

I wouldn't worry, Jam. The contents are the most important part.


----------



## philipg

Jam said:


> Jeez, if presentation is so important why don't the DIAC give a guide how to do it on their website or in the application forms? (And make it clear and obvious if there is one and I managed to miss it )


Jam
You make a good point.
Applicants are left to their own imagination regarding presentation.

My years of presentations, job applications, etc, would suggest a submission like yours.

Sometime ago, I read on the forum somewhere, very helpful suggestions from an immigration officer.

Like you, I wonder why DIBP don't have a standardized format for presentation.
DIBP have a form for just about everything else.
It would be interesting to see how much colorful language is generated by fancy covers, spiral binds, thermal binds, plastic dividers, staples and half the stationary accessories from OfficeWorks.


----------



## Jam

haha yeah I figured I shouldn't worry too much. Either someone other than the CO will do it, in which case oh well, and if the CO ends up doing it then pulling all the documents out will at least give them a good introduction to the contents and hopefully help them realize it is pretty much decision ready


----------



## Jam

philipg said:


> Jam
> Applicants are left to their own imagination regarding presentation.
> My years of presentations, job applications, etc, would suggest a submission like yours.
> ...
> It would be interesting to see how much colorful language is generated by fancy covers, spiral binds, thermal binds, plastic dividers, staples and half the stationary accessories from OfficeWorks.


haha yeah it would be ironic if all my attempts to make the application as simple, tidy, and easy to follow as possible just ended up pissing them off.


----------



## rhirhi

Should we keep it short and simple for 888's from over seas friends\family? Is half a page typed sufficient if it says what it needs to say? Might be just paranoid I think haha


----------



## philipg

rhirhi said:


> Should we keep it short and simple for 888's from over seas friends\family? Is half a page typed sufficient if it says what it needs to say? Might be just paranoid I think haha


As a general rule, if you need more space than the 888 provides, your friend/family have said too much.
The space in the form is sufficient.

Also note Mark Northam's advice/warning regarding the wording in the stat dec. 
Make sure your friend/family mentions the type of relationship that you're currently in ie. de facto (not married and living together) or married.

It's important that DIBP know the type of relationship you're in.


----------



## rhirhi

philipg said:


> As a general rule, if you need more space than the 888 provides, your friend/family have said too much. The space in the form is sufficient. Also note Mark Northam's advice/warning regarding the wording in the stat dec. Make sure your friend/family mentions the type of relationship that you're currently in ie. de facto (not married and living together) or married. It's important that DIBP know the type of relationship you're in.


 Yes we've been careful to ask them to include that. The thing is they're not using the 888 format as they are not Australians (we have two Australian already but we need one from my partners parent because we lived with her for a period of time). We just wrote a statement on word...


----------



## Justinkk

Hi everyone,

My partner just lodged a Visa subclass 309 and 100.

My father insisted on giving as many Stat Decs as possible so, he submitted the app with 7 extra (yea sry, he wouldnt listen to me).

Do you guys think it would make them think something fishy.

Also, we got married last year but we have just applied this Visa, will this make question why we waited so long. We had multiple reasons for doing that but no single big reason.

But we are also applying for touris Visa and my wife will come here after her attending her bro's marriage on Jan 20.

So, I mean we will get her a tourist Visa for 12 months so we can live together without waiting for Permanent Visa...


----------



## CollegeGirl

Justinkk said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> My partner just lodged a Visa subclass 309 and 100.
> 
> My father insisted on giving as many Stat Decs as possible so, he submitted the app with 7 extra (yea sry, he wouldnt listen to me).
> 
> Do you guys think it would make them think something fishy.


Why is your father the one submitting your application?? 



> Also, we got married last year but we have just applied this Visa, will this make question why we waited so long. We had multiple reasons for doing that but no single big reason.


Did you explain in your relationship statements why you had to wait? If the reason was something like she was finishing up school, or you couldn't afford to apply and had to save, or she had a job contract that wouldn't let her leave yet, those would all be understandable reasons to wait. If it was something less important than that or if you didn't explain why you had to wait, yes, they might wonder, depending on the reason you gave them.

Also, did you provide evidence that you have stayed in regular contact while you've been apart, and how you've continued to support each other while separated, how you shared expenses, etc.?



> But we are also applying for touris Visa and my wife will come here after her attending her bro's marriage on Jan 20.
> 
> So, I mean we will get her a tourist Visa for 12 months so we can live together without waiting for Permanent Visa...


It is not always easy to get a tourist visa if your wife is from a high-risk country, and even more difficult to get a 12-month one. Is she from a high-risk country?


----------



## Justinkk

CollegeGirl said:


> Why is your father the one submitting your application??
> 
> Did you explain in your relationship statements why you had to wait? If the reason was something like she was finishing up school, or you couldn't afford to apply and had to save, or she had a job contract that wouldn't let her leave yet, those would all be understandable reasons to wait. If it was something less important than that or if you didn't explain why you had to wait, yes, they might wonder, depending on the reason you gave them.
> 
> Also, did you provide evidence that you have stayed in regular contact while you've been apart, and how you've continued to support each other while separated, how you shared expenses, etc.?
> 
> It is not always easy to get a tourist visa if your wife is from a high-risk country, and even more difficult to get a 12-month one. Is she from a high-risk country?


INDIA - I don't know if it comes under high risk category...

I came to Australia 1 week after marriage because of my job and my wife went back to her home because she was studying B.ED. Then she also prepared for IELTS as I wanted her to improve her English. There were many reasons...

I went to India in August and we spent 1 month holiday together and went to hill stations etc.

I will check how much they have explained in the app.

My father applied for VISA because I am here in Aus.


----------



## CollegeGirl

Just because you're in Australia doesn't mean you can't put together your own application... that's just very unusual. You still had forms you had to sign and identification documents you had to provide and you should have written your own relationship statement, so you should know what was in it... You can't get the partner visa without including such a relationship statement, and you're required by law to have written it and signed it yourself, so if you didn't, that's a problem.

Anyway, yes, India is a high-risk country. It won't hurt to try for a tourist visa, just be aware that you'll need to apply for it ASAP as there are a ton of applications this time of year from people who want to visit for the Christmas season.


----------



## dawnw

*compelling reasons for being separate...*

woops, i meant to post this as its own thread. moved.


----------



## rhirhi

Hi guys, 
Just wondering is it acceptable to put all your bank statements in by month until the date you reply? We are applying around December 18 and our last bank statement will be November 30. Is it okay to just put Novembers statement in or do we need to go and get a statement for December a few days before we apply....

Thanks


----------



## CollegeGirl

Can you not get statements online? If you can get a statement for December and you need it to show financial ties for that month I'd get it. Better safe than sorry.


----------



## bottleit

Hello,

I'm currently completing form 47SP (I've been waiting for the new ones to come out). Question 73 asks for details of any travel for less than 12 months. It asks you to include details for all members of my family unit included within my application. I've had to mention our 2 boys (both are Ausie Citizens) in the form however I'm not applying for them (I am the only applicant). Do I just include travel details for me or do I need to include travel for my boys and Spouse (sponsor)?

Thanks

Tim


----------



## CollegeGirl

Anywhere it says "included in your application" it's only people who are actually applying to migrate with you. So no, you wouldn't include your boys or your spouse.


----------



## Becky26

Hey everyone!

How are you? Hope everyone is having a great festive season. Loads of Christmas parties coming up 

I need help with something that is confusing me.
I have applied for Partner (309/100) Visa from India. My application details are in my timeline below 

I called up the Australian High Commission this Monday, December 9th, 2013; wanting to know if they had received my medicals as there was no contact made by them after I was requested to get my medicals done and they were done immediately, I also wanted to know how far my application has processed as it's going to be 5 months on Dec 22nd and the average processing time for the High Commission in New Delhi is between 8-11 months and I hadn't heard anything from them since July 24th, 2013.

So I first, wrote an email to the "person who I thought was my CO". The automated reply from her email said something like this:-

_*Thank you for your email. Please be informed that I have left the organisation.

Kindly forward your queries to [email protected] and you will be responded to shortly.

Regards,
CASE OFFICER NAME*_

Now after readinig this email, I freaked out. So I called AHC the following morning and spoke to an AHC call center operator who informed me that my file doesn't even have a CO to begin with. 
To that I told her that the acknowledgement letter had the name of one of the CO's who work at AHC New Delhi so I assumed that obviously it was my CO emailing me to get the medicals done. I mean who else will request me for additional documents if it wasn't my CO.

Anyways, the operator said that my file is "still" waiting for a CO to be allocated. I asked her if she could tell me how much longer will it take to get a CO assigned and she gave me the "typical" AHC employee reply:-

*"The Standard processing time is 8-12 months" 
*
and asked me to wait longer as there is still heaps of time left.
It has been 145 days since date of lodgement. I was told at the time of visa application that it will take 10-12 weeks to get a CO assigned then they increased that time to 18 weeks. I have crossed 21 weeks and still no CO.
My file has PCCs and medicals included.

Is there anything I can do? Has anyone had this happen?
Guys! please help. Any advice will be highly appreciated. Thank you so much for your help.

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## aussiegirl

Hi Becky, 

The lady could possibly mean you don't have a new CO assigned to your application yet?

If you were asked to provide medicals I assume you have a file or ID number and have a receipt of payment for your visa application?

I would keep hounding them. Call, email, even try complaining through the DIAC website or the High Commision site.


----------



## Becky26

aussiegirl said:


> Hi Becky,
> 
> The lady could possibly mean you don't have a new CO assigned to your application yet?
> 
> If you were asked to provide medicals I assume you have a file or ID number and have a receipt of payment for your visa application?
> 
> I would keep hounding them. Call, email, even try complaining through the DIAC website or the High Commision site.


Hey aussiegirl,

Thank you so much for your reply. Yes, I have the Visa Fees Payment Receipt from VFS in New Delhi, the acknowledgement letter and the medical letter that has "HAP ID" on it. My medicals were cleared on August 4th, 2013. It's been so long, that's what is making me so impatient.
I really want to keep calling AHC until they confirm that my file has a Case Officer, but I'm scared that this might piss them off. Does AHC keep track of how many times we call them?

We have sent them five emails including my husband's emails. There has been no reply from them and the only responses we have received are the automated replies that say that they wll get back to us in 7 working days.

My husband emailed AHC on September 30th, 2013 for the first time and he has not received a reply of that mail till date.

AHC New Delhi have no specific processing method. Some applicants get CO in 2 days, some get them in 120 days and some applicants get their file queued in for final decision in 15 days since the date of application.

This is the worst experience of my life. Every time I have called AHC, I have been told a different story each time. Don't know when I will get to see my husband. Its been 5 months already. And if what the AHC operator told me was correct that my file doens't have a CO, I have a looooooooong wait ahead of me. The processing time for AHC New Delhi is 8-11 months. 80% applicants get their visas in about 7 months.

Worst part is that I come from a High Risk country, that raises red flags on my files without anything else being wrong.

Thanks again for your reply.

Kind Regards,
Becky


----------



## bottleit

Hello,

After 2 months of stress and preparation I finally sent off my application today!! Large glass of wine tonight I think......now the waiting game

To help others here us a summary of what I provided by way of evidence:

Completed Form 47SP
Completed Form 40SP

Personal documents
Passports:
(applicant)
(spouse)
(son)
(son)
Birth Certificates:
(applicant)
(spouse)
(son)
(son)
Change of name certificate for Spouse
Australian Citizen by Descent
Son
Son
Marriage Certificate

Evidence our married relationship is genuine & continuous

Statements
Statement of Relationship:
(applicant)
(spouse)
Statutory Declaration (Form 888) x 2
Statements from UK x 2

Financial Aspects
Joint bank account statement for the past 12 months showing the nature of our finances
Current joint credit card statement
Summary of bank balances 
Documents showing the nature of the ownership of our homes in uk and oz
Evidence of employment skills and employability (applicant and spouse)
Certificate showing professional qualifications/degrees
CVs
P60s

The nature of the household
Evidence we have both resided at the same address
Communications issued to applicant
Communications issued to spouse
Council Tax and Electoral register invoices
Household insurance documents
A selection of statements from our joint account over several years. They provided evidence of:
Living at the same address
We opened the joint account several years ago
Both of our salaries have continuously been paid into our joint account. 
All household bills have been paid from the Joint account. 

The social context of the relationship
Personal statements detailing the social context of our relationship
Statutory declarations (Form 888) & statements from friends in the UK providing evidence that we are accepted as a married couple and attend social occasions
Motor insurance Certificates
Joint memberships
Travel insurance certificates showing that we were both named on the policy
Travel itineraries
Photographs 
Evidence of dating
Early emails 
A selection of extracts from birthday/Christmas cards
Itemised telephone bills

The nature of our commitment to each other
Personal statements
Statutory declarations (Form 888) & statements from friends in the UK providing evidence that we are genuinely committed to each other
Wills


----------



## bottleit

I'm not sure why stat 888 came out with Smillie...........


----------



## IrnaV

Hello everyone...
I just got papers from my Aussie husband. Anyways, I just wanted to ask should I put them in plastic bags or not, because I really want it to be arranged perfectly . I went trough almost everything that is written here and my head is going to explode xD. 
No plastic bags and no staples? Right?
Thank you in advance!


----------



## bottleit

IrnaV said:


> Hello everyone...
> I just got papers from my Aussie husband. Anyways, I just wanted to ask should I put them in plastic bags or not, because I really want it to be arranged perfectly . I went trough almost everything that is written here and my head is going to explode xD.
> No plastic bags and no staples? Right?
> Thank you in advance!


When I put mine together I used no staples or plastic bags.

To sort it out I used a contents page at the front and split the documents into the sections as mentioned above with seporate contents page for each (split by yellow paper to show split). Rather than staples (if needed) I used paper clips and bull dog clips (i think I read they scan them in when arrive and like to avoid damaging the documents removing hundreds of staples.

I hope this helps.


----------



## IrnaV

bottleit said:


> When I put mine together I used no staples or plastic bags.
> 
> To sort it out I used a contents page at the front and split the documents into the sections as mentioned above with seporate contents page for each (split by yellow paper to show split). Rather than staples (if needed) I used paper clips and bull dog clips (i think I read they scan them in when arrive and like to avoid damaging the documents removing hundreds of staples.
> 
> I hope this helps.


Thank you very much. This helps a lot and splitting contents with yellow paper is the greatest idea I heard so far. Wish you all the luck in the world and thank you again


----------



## bottleit

I posted my app on 20th dec. outlaws have advised the fee has been taken but I'm yet to receive an ack. Should I chase? (London)


----------



## norwegianwood

I put in my application on 27/07 and I got granted the 820 visa yesterday!!
This is how I put it together:

hope it helps!!


INDEX
1) THE APPLICANT
1.1 Form 47 SP
1.2 Proof of identity
1.2.1 Birth Certificate (Certified Copy & Certified NAATI Translated Copy)
1.2.2 Passport-biographical page and all stamped pages (Certified Copy)
1.2.3 Belgian Identity Card (Certified Copy)
1.3 Character
1.3.1 Form 80 (Personal Particulars for character assessment)
1.3.2 Australian Federal Police Check Report (Certified copy)
1.3.3 Belgian Police Check Report (Certified copy)
1.4 Medical checks

2) THE SPONSOR
2.1 Form 40SP
2.2 Proof identity and age
2.2.1 Birth Certificate (Certified copy)
2.2.2 Passport-biographical page and all stamped pages (Certified copies)
2.3 Proof that sponsor normally resides in Australia
2.3.1 Current Postal Address (See 4.1.1 Bank statements sponsor)
2.4 Evidence of sponsor’s income
2.4.1 Tax assessment notice 2011 (Certified copy)
2.4.2 Tax assessment notice 2012 (Certified copy)
2.4.3 Tax assessment notice 2013 (Certified copy)
2.4.4 Pay slips June-July 2013 

3) RELATIONSHIP
3.1 History of relationship
3.1.1 Statements
3.1.1.1 Sponsor’s History of relationship statement (signed and witnessed)
3.1.1.2 Applicant’s History of Relationship Statement(signed and witnessed)
3.1.1.3 Evidence supporting applicant’s statement
3.1.2 Proof of Start of Relationship
3.1.2.1 Messages detailing stay of Applicant at Sponsor’s home (11.5.2012-23.5.2012)
3.1.2.2 Ticket from flight to (11.5.2012) and from Melbourne (23.5.2012)
3.1.2.3 Australian visa from applicant for duration of stay
3.1.2.4 Applicant’s stamped passport page stating arrival (11th of May 2012) and departure (23rd of May) from Melbourne (See 1.2.2 Passport pages applicant) 


3.2 Evidence that the sponsor and the applicant have been in de facto relationship for 12 months.
3.2.1 Proof of sponsor and applicant living at current address (January 2013 – now)
3.2.1.1 Deceleration from the homeowner (sponsor’s father) of time period in which both the sponsor and the applicant resided at the address together (January 2013 – now) (See 3.3.3.2 Statutory decelerations from family)
3.2.1.2 Post directed at sponsor and applicant at current address
3.2.1.3 Bills Foxtel and Internet at current address 
3.2.2 Proof of sponsor and applicant living at second address (August 2012- November 2012)
3.2.2.1 Withdrawals applicant and sponsor in Brunswick (See 4.1 Bank Statements, highlighted information in green) 
3.2.2.2 Statement sponsor’s mother and statement friend Nick Kosovac (See 3.3.3.1 Statutory declarations from friends & 3.3.3.2 Statutory declarations from family)
3.2.2.3 Screenshot of Facebook conversation with housemate 
3.2.2.4 Mail directed at applicant
3.2.2.5 Statutory declaration sponsor and applicant
3.2.3 Proof of living at first address with sponsor’s mother (July 2012- Augustus 2012)
3.2.3.1 Statement by sponsor’s mother (3.3.3.2 Statutory declarations from family)
3.2.3.2 Correspondence from sponsor and applicant at address
3.2.4 Proof of staying in contact while apart for two months (23rd May 2012- 27th of July 2012)
3.2.5 Registration of relationship with the council of Melbourne
3.2.6.1 Statement about registration of relationship with State of Victoria
3.2.6.2 Docket showing payment of registration of relationship (certified copy)
3.2.6.3 Copy of application 

3.3 Evidence of relationship
3.3.1 Financial aspects
3.3.1.1 Proof of big money transfers between sponsor and applicant
3.3.1.2 Proof of withdrawal of cash from applicant’s Belgian account
3.3.2 The nature of the household
3.3.2.1 Statement outlining the basis on which responsibility for housework is distributed
3.3.2.2 Correspondence addressed to both sponsor and applicant at the same address
3.3.2.3 Proof of sharing household costs (See 4.1 Bank Statements, highlighted information in orange)
3.3.3 Social context of the relationship
3.3.3.1 Statutory declarations from friends
3.3.3.2 Statutory declarations from family
3.3.3.3 Evidence of joint travel
3.3.3.3.1 Statutory declaration stating and explaining joint travel 
3.3.3.3.2 Withdrawals applicant and sponsor on same place, same time all over Australia (See 4.1 Bank Statements, highlighted information in pink)
3.3.3.3.3 Hotel booking Cairns
3.3.3.4 Screenshot of Facebook friendship applicant & sponsor
3.3.3.5 Photographs 
3.3.3.6 Birthday card from applicant’s mother and stepfather to sponsor (certified copy)
3.3.3.7 Wedding invite from sponsor’s cousin to sponsor and applicant
3.3.4 Nature of commitment to each other
3.3.4.1 Statement about future plans
3.3.4.2 Contact in times of separation (See 4.2 Facebook conversations)
3.3.4.3 Screenshots of Skype conversations with applicant’s family
3.3.4.4 Sponsor’s emergency contact details at employer
4)REFERENCES & ATTACHMENTS
4.1 Bank statements
4.1.1 Bank statements sponsor
4.1.2 Bank statements applicant with Australian bank
4.1.3 Bank statements applicant with Belgian bank
4.2 Facebook conversations between sponsor and application in two months of separation
4.3 Statement about sponsor’s loan 
4.4 Two passport photos of Applicant and two passport photos of Sponsor


----------



## tulauras

Thanks norwegianwood! I have pretty similar evidence to you so I'm pleased to hear you were granted!!


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## owen791

just a quick question my fiance and myself are going to get married while she is out here on a tourist visa (spur of the moment thing), she is from China

once we are married do we apply for the spouse visa while she is here in australia or does it have to be done when she returns to China ?


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## rahul85

Tagging the docs is a good way to submit and helpful for them too.


----------



## bauda

Hi All,

I need your help and some advice regarding my partner visa application:

This is my situation. I am Italian, I came here last year with my working holiday visa and I am in a relationship with an australian citizen.

I am nearing the end of her working holiday visa and I have not managed to find a job that will get her sponsorship (457 visa).

We are looking to get her onto a tourist visa without the no further stay condition (8503) so we can start producing our application for the partner visa (820 then 801). We will base our visa application that we are legally and genuinely in a de facto relationship.

The main requirement for the partner visa is evidence that we have been in a relationship for a minimum of 12 months prior to lodging our application.

The reality is we met in mid-February 2013 (the 2nd day I arrived in Australia on my working holiday visa). We've been 'dating' since then so we have arguably would have been in a relationship for at least 12 months

We intend to register our de facto relationship with the NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages agency. We will do this to bypass the 12-month relationship requirement.

Our biggest concern with our application is providing evidence with respect to the 1) financial aspects; and 2) nature of the household. In my opinion we have fairly weak evidence to meet these requirements.
1. We only started living together last week (and we are not on the lease) and we will live with his parents until we lodge our application (in about 2 months). So we don't have evidence of joint ownership of real estate (e.g. leasing, elec/utility account).
2. We haven't started sharing finances or operating bank finances.

I was just hoping to get your professional opinion on the strength of our case, given we will:
1. register our relationship with the NSW BDM
2. provide the necessary medical, character and police checks
3. certified copies of all the ID documents
4. evidence of our trip together to Mexico (August 2013) together to visit my mother's relatives.
5. evidence that our relationship is recognised socially (e.g. Christmas together)
6. our current living arrangements - living at home with my parents.

I hope I haven't overloaded you with information and detail - just want to give you all the facts to give a professional opinion on whether our application will be enough to meet the criteria?

We are looking to maybe see a migration agent too to get another professional opinion. Can you recommend any migration agent that specialise in partner visas in Sydney?

Thanks again for your help on this!!!!!!!
Roberta


----------



## Eizzi

bauda said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I need your help and some advice regarding my partner visa application:
> 
> This is my situation. I am Italian, I came here last year with my working holiday visa and I am in a relationship with an australian citizen.
> 
> I am nearing the end of her working holiday visa and I have not managed to find a job that will get her sponsorship (457 visa).
> 
> We are looking to get her onto a tourist visa without the no further stay condition (8503) so we can start producing our application for the partner visa (820 then 801). We will base our visa application that we are legally and genuinely in a de facto relationship.
> 
> The main requirement for the partner visa is evidence that we have been in a relationship for a minimum of 12 months prior to lodging our application.
> 
> The reality is we met in mid-February 2013 (the 2nd day I arrived in Australia on my working holiday visa). We've been 'dating' since then so we have arguably would have been in a relationship for at least 12 months
> 
> We intend to register our de facto relationship with the NSW Births, Deaths and Marriages agency. We will do this to bypass the 12-month relationship requirement.
> 
> Our biggest concern with our application is providing evidence with respect to the 1) financial aspects; and 2) nature of the household. In my opinion we have fairly weak evidence to meet these requirements.
> 1. We only started living together last week (and we are not on the lease) and we will live with his parents until we lodge our application (in about 2 months). So we don't have evidence of joint ownership of real estate (e.g. leasing, elec/utility account).
> 2. We haven't started sharing finances or operating bank finances.
> 
> I was just hoping to get your professional opinion on the strength of our case, given we will:
> 1. register our relationship with the NSW BDM
> 2. provide the necessary medical, character and police checks
> 3. certified copies of all the ID documents
> 4. evidence of our trip together to Mexico (August 2013) together to visit my mother's relatives.
> 5. evidence that our relationship is recognised socially (e.g. Christmas together)
> 6. our current living arrangements - living at home with my parents.
> 
> I hope I haven't overloaded you with information and detail - just want to give you all the facts to give a professional opinion on whether our application will be enough to meet the criteria?
> 
> We are looking to maybe see a migration agent too to get another professional opinion. Can you recommend any migration agent that specialise in partner visas in Sydney?
> 
> Thanks again for your help on this!!!!!!!
> Roberta


You might have more luck with this question if you post in a different thread; this is for advice and questions on how to present or put together the application for best results, once you have your evidence collected.

Anyway, I'll try to help a little. First off, I'm a bit confused by your wording. When you talk about "her" being on a working holiday visa and wanting to get "her" a tourist visa, do you mean yourself? I assuming you do, since your boyfriend is the aus citizen, right?

As far as I know, you can only apply for a tourist visa and hope they don't give you the "no further stay" condition, it's not something you can plan for in your application. I don't know how likely they are to slap that condition on with someone who has been on a WHV and then straight afterwards applied for a tourist visa. It might make no difference and not be a problem.

Your main concern is that you don't have the conventional amount of evidence spanning 12 months. I think registering the relationship will help. It is possible to apply for a partner visa without 12 months of co-habiting evidence, as long as you give good reasons for not having this. A well written stat dec is important, as are the form 888s. I assume you'll be getting a standard 3 month tourist visa? You should get a joint bank account as soon as possible. The longer you can show solid evidence, the better your chances are. I'm wondering why you're not going to stop living with his parents until you apply - it'll be much better to show that you are living together independent of his parents _before_ you apply, if possible.

Remember, you need to be able to show that you are in a de-facto relationship, not just dating. I know the line is somewhat blurred, but they'll need to be convinced that at your "start date" on your application, you began to have a shared life together to the exclusion of all others.

I think speaking to a migration agent might be a good idea, since you aren't going to be able to show that you've been co-habiting and financially co-dependent for 12 full months. There are ways to do it, I believe, but you'll need to check you're prepared and not just wasting your money.


----------



## Donkey

Just a small note there's no requirement of proof of living together for 12 months when* registering your relationship in NSW*, the only thing is that one of the applicants need to show proof of residence which should be a utility bill or similar not older than 3 months.

Cheers!



Eizzi said:


> You might have more luck with this question if you post in a different thread; this is for advice and questions on how to present or put together the application for best results, once you have your evidence collected.
> 
> Anyway, I'll try to help a little. First off, I'm a bit confused by your wording. When you talk about "her" being on a working holiday visa and wanting to get "her" a tourist visa, do you mean yourself? I assuming you do, since your boyfriend is the aus citizen, right?
> 
> As far as I know, you can only apply for a tourist visa and hope they don't give you the "no further stay" condition, it's not something you can plan for in your application. I don't know how likely they are to slap that condition on with someone who has been on a WHV and then straight afterwards applied for a tourist visa. It might make no difference and not be a problem.
> 
> Your main concern is that you don't have the conventional amount of evidence spanning 12 months. I think registering the relationship will help, though you usually have to have to provide evidence that you, personally, have been residing in NSW for 12 months when you apply for the relationship registration. The tourist visa will give you time to do that. It is possible to apply for a partner visa without 12 months of co-habiting evidence, as long as you give good reasons for not having this. A well written stat dec is important, as are the form 888s. I assume you'll be getting a standard 3 month tourist visa? You should get a joint bank account as soon as possible. The longer you can show solid evidence, the better your chances are. I'm wondering why you're not going to stop living with his parents until you apply - it'll be much better to show that you are living together independent of his parents _before_ you apply, if possible.
> 
> Remember, you need to be able to show that you are in a de-facto relationship, not just dating. I know the line is somewhat blurred, but they'll need to be convinced that at your "start date" on your application, you began to have a shared life together to the exclusion of all others.
> 
> I think speaking to a migration agent might be a good idea, since you aren't going to be able to show that you've been co-habiting and financially co-dependent for 12 full months. There are ways to do it, I believe, but you'll need to check you're prepared and not just wasting your money.


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## Eizzi

I stand corrected, it was that way in Vic when I tried. I'll change it. Thanks.


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## kmmr

Hey all. Someone just sent me a private message, and it reminded me that if the urge takes you it is helpful if you out your details on this online spreadsheet. It's only for London applicants at the moment.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...2TWJoLVE#gid=0

Also good if you want to see how long things are taking on average.

We are just approaching the 8 month mark, and checking emails daily!


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## Lockythai

Sorry, link doesn't work for me.


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## Daniel123

Hey guys, from VIC! we have applied for our 820 and my partner by mail (snail mail) is currently on a BVA we were recently emailed by immigration and requested to send an Australian Police check, we were given and email and sent police check over however the emailed bounced, and we cant find the email anywhere  would anyone know what the email is.


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## Becky26

Daniel123 said:


> Hey guys, from VIC! we have applied for our 820 and my partner by mail (snail mail) is currently on a BVA we were recently emailed by immigration and requested to send an Australian Police check, we were given and email and sent police check over however the emailed bounced, and we cant find the email anywhere  would anyone know what the email is.



Hey Daniel123,

How are you? You should try calling or maybe go in and discuss this issue with the DIBP office. Maybe someone in the office can help you by uploading your police check manually in their system with your other documents.

Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Kind Regards,
Becky


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## Dancyu

Hi all, I have a quick question..

We have just applied for our 309 visa online and now are about to submit form 40SP and upload the evidences.

There are the exactly same questions as form 47SP on form 40SP. Can we just write the same thing or do they have to be different? (E.g. Financial aspects etc)

And also, how different a history of relationship written by each should be? I am concerned as my Aus sponsor used my format and writing, and he just changed it by his writing. I wrote a timeline chart, but there is also the same one in his.. So even though the content is not exactly the same, I am worried that the base is my writing.. 

Does anyone know about this?
Thank you..


----------



## semps

A question about writing the statements...what term have people used to describe the partner? Have you used their name or wife/husband or spouse? Had someone tell me to use wife / husband all the time but it reads strange saying that all the time. Thanks.


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## rheia

semps said:


> A question about writing the statements...what term have people used to describe the partner? Have you used their name or wife/husband or spouse? Had someone tell me to use wife / husband all the time but it reads strange saying that all the time. Thanks.


I just used my partner's name, to be honest, as that is how I would naturally refer to him when talking about him. Mind you, we're not married, so it might come more natural to you to refer to your partner as your husband/wife if you are.

I think I may have mentioned something along the lines of "... and that's when I met my defacto partner xx..." once or twice but that's it. The statement itself explains in (far too much ) detail everything there is to know about our relationship.

We just made sure that the statements from other people made our relationship status clear by calling him my defacto partner.


----------



## CollegeGirl

Dancyu said:


> Hi all, I have a quick question..
> 
> We have just applied for our 309 visa online and now are about to submit form 40SP and upload the evidences.
> 
> There are the exactly same questions as form 47SP on form 40SP. Can we just write the same thing or do they have to be different? (E.g. Financial aspects etc)
> 
> And also, how different a history of relationship written by each should be? I am concerned as my Aus sponsor used my format and writing, and he just changed it by his writing. I wrote a timeline chart, but there is also the same one in his.. So even though the content is not exactly the same, I am worried that the base is my writing..
> 
> Does anyone know about this?
> Thank you..


This is a problem. He needs to write from his own mind *his own* statement about your relationship. It needs to be different from yours, but of course must agree on the facts like important dates, etc. If they think your statements are not individually written, they may ask you to re-do them (which will delay your application).

I did not let my fiance read the statement I had written until he wrote his own for this exact reason - I'm a strong writer, and I wanted his statement to be obviously his own and not come out sounding like mine. And then once it was done, we checked both over to make sure they agreed on timeline, dates, facts, etc. (which they did). I even forced myself to not really edit his, lol (except for spelling) because I wanted to make sure that it didn't end up sounding like my "voice."

I think you need to wait until it's been a while since he read your statement, and then make him write his own from scratch. Don't use the same chart or whatever, either. It's supposed to be his own statement.


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## ozzy

CG is right.
And it clearly says in the migration booklet you must write in your own words.


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## aussiegirl

As the sponsor I made one time line on a seperate sheet. But, we both wrote our own statements. Don't worry about poor English because the key point is that the applicant uses their own thoughts. I helped husband if it sounded reaaly confusing, but he said as much as he wanted, making sure he covered all four aspects. You can use "I" and your partners name otherwise it doesn't sound sincere in my view.


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## hooyn

Hey all,

Nearly finished gathering all of the stuff we need for my partner and I's 801 partner visa application. Just need to get the statuatory declarations witnessed and signed off. 

As its a bit troublesome for us to both be present to see a JP (work commitments) is it possible to get a registered doctor to sign off on it? One of my mates is a doctor so that would make it so much easier. 

As most of her close friends here arent Australian citizens is it worth it to get them to do stat declarations on our relationship? 

She is on here on a WHV which expires on 1st April this year but has been living with me since the day she came here. We are planning to submit our application in the last week of March and then add more evidence that we have been living together for a full year in the first week of April, is this ok? (we are also getting our relationship registered in QLD) 

Thanks
Henry


----------



## Dancyu

CollegeGirl said:


> This is a problem. He needs to write from his own mind *his own* statement about your relationship. It needs to be different from yours, but of course must agree on the facts like important dates, etc. If they think your statements are not individually written, they may ask you to re-do them (which will delay your application).
> 
> I did not let my fiance read the statement I had written until he wrote his own for this exact reason - I'm a strong writer, and I wanted his statement to be obviously his own and not come out sounding like mine. And then once it was done, we checked both over to make sure they agreed on timeline, dates, facts, etc. (which they did). I even forced myself to not really edit his, lol (except for spelling) because I wanted to make sure that it didn't end up sounding like my "voice."
> 
> I think you need to wait until it's been a while since he read your statement, and then make him write his own from scratch. Don't use the same chart or whatever, either. It's supposed to be his own statement.


Thank you everyone for your advice! He seemed he doesn't want to rewrite his statement and just agreed to delete the same time line table from his, so I took that out from his statement, and also changed mine slightly.. in order to sound more different to his.

What I confused was, even though we wrote our statements based on the details of 'how, when and where you first met' and 'how your relationship developed' etc, we still have to fill out the 4 sections of 'financial aspects' and 'the nature of the household' etc in each box online. And I misunderstood only the applicant needs to fill out these boxes, so I just used some writings from my AND his statement...

Now found out there's a big problem when we saw the same questions of 'financial aspects' etc on the sponsor's form!!! 

So, the applicant form is like below;
Financial aspects-> my writing 
The nature of household-> my writing 
Social context of the relationship-> my writing
The nature of your commitment-> my writing
How the relationship developed-> I COPIED HIS WRITING FROM HIS STATEMENT!!

We are on the way to write the sponsor's form, and haven't uploaded our statements yet..

Once submitting the form, it's impossible to change it, right?

Anyone has any advice???


----------



## snowkitten

Dancyu said:


> Now found out there's a big problem when we saw the same questions of 'financial aspects' etc on the sponsor's form!!!
> 
> So, the applicant form is like below;
> Financial aspects-> my writing
> The nature of household-> my writing
> Social context of the relationship-> my writing
> The nature of your commitment-> my writing
> How the relationship developed-> I COPIED HIS WRITING FROM HIS STATEMENT!!
> (


I just did a 40SP, but these questions were not on the form - I just checked and the version I completed is the one on the immigration website. Do you have the most up-to-date version of the form? Or do I have the wrong one?


----------



## rheia

snowkitten said:


> I just did a 40SP, but these questions were not on the form - I just checked and the version I completed is the one on the immigration website. Do you have the most up-to-date version of the form? Or do I have the wrong one?


If I'm not mistaken the post above referred to the online form - are you filling out the "paper" form?

This might explain the difference in structure / wording.
As you are using the most up to date PDF from the Immi website, you'll be fine (well, at least until they change it again )


----------



## snowkitten

Ah, I see - the paper form 40SP doesn't have these questions, but the online version does.


----------



## snowkitten

Dancyu said:


> Thank you everyone for your advice! He seemed he doesn't want to rewrite his statement and just agreed to delete the same time line table from his, so I took that out from his statement, and also changed mine slightly.. in order to sound more different to his.
> 
> What I confused was, even though we wrote our statements based on the details of 'how, when and where you first met' and 'how your relationship developed' etc, we still have to fill out the 4 sections of 'financial aspects' and 'the nature of the household' etc in each box online. And I misunderstood only the applicant needs to fill out these boxes, so I just used some writings from my AND his statement...
> 
> Now found out there's a big problem when we saw the same questions of 'financial aspects' etc on the sponsor's form!!!
> 
> So, the applicant form is like below;
> Financial aspects-> my writing
> The nature of household-> my writing
> Social context of the relationship-> my writing
> The nature of your commitment-> my writing
> How the relationship developed-> I COPIED HIS WRITING FROM HIS STATEMENT!!
> 
> We are on the way to write the sponsor's form, and haven't uploaded our statements yet..
> 
> Once submitting the form, it's impossible to change it, right?
> 
> Anyone has any advice???


So it seems the paper version of the 40SP doesn't have those questions - you could fill in the paper version and upload that with the documents in the space provided in the main application (below where you upload all the documents for the applicant).


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## Paul OC

No need to notarize the photos
Only give 10 -20 Photos
Use a clip - dont staple or put in a folder is ok
seems like you may be lacking in evidence for the genuine relationship - do you have stat decs? from Australians confirming the relationship?
Do you have joint bank accounts?
Are you planning to go to Australian soon?
Which Country are you applying from - each country's Australian Embassy has different requirements for this visa


----------



## kangaroogirl

Paul OC said:


> No need to notarize the photos
> Only give 10 -20 Photos
> Use a clip - dont staple or put in a folder is ok
> seems like you may be lacking in evidence for the genuine relationship - do you have stat decs? from Australians confirming the relationship?
> Do you have joint bank accounts?
> Are you planning to go to Australian soon?
> Which Country are you applying from - each country's Australian Embassy has different requirements for this visa


Paul, some members have recently been asked to supply more photos than what you've stated, so be careful telling people to only supply a certain number, as immigration gives no guidelines on this. Most applications are now being done online so extra photos combined into one pdf file is not really a problem.


----------



## S'n'E

Hi everyone,

I just dropped by to say that my De Facto visa has been granted today after 15 long long months.


We haven't heard anything from the immi for more than 13 months so we started writing some emails to the WA partner office and not even the automated reply was coming back. It seemed too strange so I called the 13 - something phone number and guess what I found out? My application WAS NEVER MOVED TO WA but it has always been sitting here in Sydney somewhere...basically the email I received on November 2013 stating that my application would from that moment in time processed in WA was a mistake, a mess up...I don't know.

Anyway, the very kind lady who answered the phone told me she would have contacted the temporary partner office in Sydney to ask if they could prioritize my application. 10 - 15 days ago I received an email stating that the partner temporary manager authorized my application to be prioritized. Period. No CO assigned..nothing..

Today my partner was called by a very nice lady from the immi to be asked a couple of questions. " I am about to grant your partner her visa, I just need to ask you a couple of questions.... "

Fifteen minutes later I found an email in my inbox stating my Temporary Visa 820 was granted....


----------



## Paul OC

CollegeGirl said:


> If you've been waiting 12 months, I would *think* if it were an issue and were going to make your application invalid you would have heard well before now. I'm not sure what I'd do in your place, honestly - resend them certified, or call, or just do nothing and hope they'd contact me if they needed them redone.  Sorry I don't have better answers here.


The correct thing to do is to have the new form 88's notarised/certified and send them to immigration at the local post. If not you can wait for them to email you and then send by email.


----------



## Mish

kangaroogirl said:


> Paul, some members have recently been asked to supply more photos than what you've stated, so be careful telling people to only supply a certain number, as immigration gives no guidelines on this. Most applications are now being done online so extra photos combined into one pdf file is not really a problem.


We have had this conversation before haha. But I honestly agree fully with you that noone should be saying how many photos to provide as each case is different. Also offshore applicants from high risk countries need more proof! We were asked for more photos from our case officer as she was after more photos of us with other people. Also when she rang and ask me a few questions after my response she would reply with "do you have proof of this". As more and more people are applying for partner visas they require more and more evidence and it now looks like simply saying we did x is not going to be enough they want photos of it too!

I honestly would really hate to see someone rejected because they only provided 10-20 photos and being told they did not provide enough photos.


----------



## kangaroogirl

Mish said:


> We have had this conversation before haha. But I honestly agree fully with you that noone should be saying how many photos to provide as each case is different. Also offshore applicants from high risk countries need more proof! We were asked for more photos from our case officer as she was after more photos of us with other people. Also when she rang and ask me a few questions after my response she would reply with "do you have proof of this". As more and more people are applying for partner visas they require more and more evidence and it now looks like simply saying we did x is not going to be enough they want photos of it too!
> 
> I honestly would really hate to see someone rejected because they only provided 10-20 photos and being told they did not provide enough photos.


Yeh, I think more is better than not enough!! They're not going to reject a visa for having too much evidence now are they


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## Paul OC

Yes Immigration requests not too many Photos because they have to file them and the more you send the longer it takes. Advice from most posts is that 20 is enough. Photos are not the only evidence needed they are combined with the other evidence to make the case to grant the visa.
You are correct in saying that more will not result in a refusal. I have personally provided up to 200 for one application I submitted because the first one submitted by another agent was refused and in that case I wanted to give more than enough evidence.
If the applicant wants to submit more it will not be rejected but the instructions re this can be found on the Embassy Websites and High Commission Websites. 
Remember, evidence is sometimes different from one country to the other


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## Paul OC

I understand what you say, however my information comes directly from the temporary entrant managers who request this for processing efficiency. Case officers have quotas to meet each month.

It is not so much the numbers as the range of Photos that makes the difference and the actual photos. 
For example if you provide a photo of a wedding and no one is smiling then it will certainly raise a question on the case officers part. 
Similarly if the couple are not appearing to be in a loving relationship in the Photos that will also raise queries. 

Choose photos carefully

My experience is that if you provide 20 it is easy for the case officer and if they do ask for more you can certainly provide them quickly.
However if the applicant wants to submit more then there is nothing to stop them and the application will still be processed


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## dejainc

We had ours all neatly sorted in a folder with a table of contents and everything. Took it in and they emptied the folder and took what they need and cross checked with the checklist. Looks like the office in Shanghai don't care about presentation, only the contents inside.


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## LouElla

Just on Photos, my husband and I have made a point throughout our relationship (when we decided it was serious enough to go through this process) to make sure we got pictures of iconic/popular places or place names. For example we have pictures (selfies) of us in places around Melbourne and Oz and also in the UK with visable monuments or signs (such as Manchester Museum) behind us. We figured that would be easier to show we had both been with each other in both countries.

The only thing we didn't do though is get the camera to time/date stamp the pics, which in hindsight would have probably been helpful.


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## marinasydney

Hello !!
I've been reading the last few pages of this topic, and all the applicants talk about "paper application" with "plastic bags" or "staples"...
However, I've been told to lodge my application online.
What should I do ????
Thanks heaps !!
Marina


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## CollegeGirl

The online application is new, so most of the applicants you read about on this thread would have filed before it was an option. It's up to you which way you apply, but many are choosing the online option now that it's out in case it speeds up the application (though we don't know if it does or doesn't for sure yet).


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## xxxxxxxxxxshmaa

Hi there,

What is the time difference between online application and paper application?


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## Gerrywins

xxxxxxxxxxshmaa said:


> Hi there,
> 
> What is the time difference between online application and paper application?


Mmmm there isn't any information on this.


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## Gerrywins

Hey guys, I need clarification on something.

In a few hours I will be posting our 820/801 application. My question is, do I need to include the supporting documents (i.e letters sent to us at the same address, cards sent to both of us, etc etc) which I provided with my pmv application and then also include the ones we have received since then?


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## Mish

Gerrywins said:


> Hey guys, I need clarification on something.
> 
> In a few hours I will be posting our 820/801 application. My question is, do I need to include the supporting documents (i.e letters sent to us at the same address, cards sent to both of us, etc etc) which I provided with my pmv application and then also include the ones we have received since then?


You need to provide everything pmv and since pmv. Think of it as a new application.


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## Gerrywins

Mish said:


> You need to provide everything pmv and since pmv. Think of it as a new application.


Thanks Mish, very helpful.


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## ausvisaoptions

I have always found that the more organised an application can look and the more easily the case officer can access the information included, the more easier you make their job. This should be your aim to get processed quickly. Always include a list of documents and number each one so they can be cross-referenced. Follow the document checklist and arrange your evidence into identification documents, relationship evidence, character documents, sponsor documents and health. 20 photos is sufficient, but only a small part of the relationship evidence you need to include.


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## H.Protagonist

Regarding the online application and uploading the documents, I'm uploading everything into the best approximate categories, but naturally they can be used as evidence for multiple categories. As long as they're there, they'll be considered across the board, right? And therefore, there's no need to upload the same document multiple times to cover all the categories it can be used as evidence of?

It seems silly if you did have to upload the same thing multiple times, but just to be absolutely sure...


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## CollegeGirl

No, no need to upload it multiple places. They'll take it into account across the board. If you're extra-paranoid (and who could blame you, when it comes to visa issues) you could always upload a note for each category that says something like "Evidence uploaded in other categories that also applies to category "Evidence of Shared Address": bank statements (uploaded in Financial Evidence), cards from friends (uploaded in Social Context of the Relationship)..." etc. etc. You get the idea.


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## H.Protagonist

CollegeGirl said:


> No, no need to upload it multiple places. They'll take it into account across the board. If you're extra-paranoid (and who could blame you, when it comes to visa issues) you could always upload a note for each category that says something like "Evidence uploaded in other categories that also applies to category "Evidence of Shared Address": bank statements (uploaded in Financial Evidence), cards from friends (uploaded in Social Context of the Relationship)..." etc. etc. You get the idea.


Thanks, CG. I knew it sounded ridiculous, but as you say, when it comes to VISAs, take no chances.

For each of the long form responses on the application "Give details of the nature of the household," etc., I actually included footnotes at the bottom referring them to particular pieces of evidence.

Ex.

Please also see the following supporting documentation:

ApartmentBond.pdf
ApartmentUtilityBill.pdf
Relationship_FB_Timeline.pdf (Sections: Nov _C, Dec _A)
JointGeneralBankAccount.pdf
JointSaverBankAccount.pdf

So, hoping it's clear. Tried to make it as streamlined as I could to help the person looking over it, anyway. Hopefully it'll be enough. I'm just worried I'm missing something vital or not showing enough evidence for stuff they weigh more heavily. I have 26(?) documents, some of which are multiple pages long, but still... -_-


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## CollegeGirl

Streamlined is good. That sounds like a great way to do it.


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## H.Protagonist

CollegeGirl said:


> Streamlined is good. That sounds like a great way to do it.


Hope so! Seeing some people on the forum with 200+ pages of evidence makes me wonder if I'm going about this wrong, though.


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## CollegeGirl

Some people like to throw absolutely everything in "just in case," especially when they are from a high-risk country, there is a history of a criminal conviction, or when they are not 100% sure they meet the twelve-month living together requirement for the de facto visa. Different people handle things different ways. I'm of the opinion that if you're from a low-risk country, with a straightforward application, a *moderate* amount of evidence is good. You don't want to look like your file is slim, and you want to make sure you're providing adequate, solid evidence in all categories. But you don't necessarily want to overwhelm the CO, either, as they have to read alllll the evidence you provide. Additionally, people with large numbers of documents may, for example, be submitting bank statements individually rather than all together in one PDF file, or they may not know how to compress PDFs so they can fit them all in one file, so require uploading multiple files to get all their bank statements in. That kind of thing. I really wouldn't be too worried. Make sure you feel confident you're providing adequate evidence in all the categories such that a reasonable person could look at it and say "This is a genuine married/defacto couple who present themselves that way to friends, family, and the community at large. They live together like a married couple, they share their household expenses, and their relationship is genuine and continuing." If you think a reasonable person would say that and you've provided everything Immi has asked for, I think you're fine.


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## danegirl

H.Protagonist said:


> Regarding the online application and uploading the documents, I'm uploading everything into the best approximate categories, but naturally they can be used as evidence for multiple categories. As long as they're there, they'll be considered across the board, right? And therefore, there's no need to upload the same document multiple times to cover all the categories it can be used as evidence of?
> 
> It seems silly if you did have to upload the same thing multiple times, but just to be absolutely sure...


We had exactly the same dilemma 

What we did, was to upload the document under its primary category i.e. bank statements went under financial aspects, my mother's statement went under nature of household as she is our landlord etc. We also uploaded a document for each of the four categories called something like "Additional evidence" and then listed each piece of already uploaded evidence that also went under that category. i.e. for the extra document for Social, we nominated my mother's statement; for nature of household, we nominated our bank statements due to the address, etc. We didn't have any problems with this method.

Edit: soooo, exactly what CG suggested 

Hope that makes sense!


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## H.Protagonist

CollegeGirl said:


> Some people like to throw absolutely everything in "just in case," especially when they are from a high-risk country, there is a history of a criminal conviction, or when they are not 100% sure they meet the twelve-month living together requirement for the de facto visa. Different people handle things different ways. I'm of the opinion that if you're from a low-risk country, with a straightforward application, a *moderate* amount of evidence is good. You don't want to look like your file is slim, and you want to make sure you're providing adequate, solid evidence in all categories. But you don't necessarily want to overwhelm the CO, either, as they have to read alllll the evidence you provide. Additionally, people with large numbers of documents may, for example, be submitting bank statements individually rather than all together in one PDF file, or they may not know how to compress PDFs so they can fit them all in one file, so require uploading multiple files to get all their bank statements in. That kind of thing. I really wouldn't be too worried. Make sure you feel confident you're providing adequate evidence in all the categories such that a reasonable person could look at it and say "This is a genuine married/defacto couple who present themselves that way to friends, family, and the community at large. They live together like a married couple, they share their household expenses, and their relationship is genuine and continuing." If you think a reasonable person would say that and you've provided everything Immi has asked for, I think you're fine.


Thanks, CG. I feel a bit better now. My concern about adequate 'proof' stems from the rather, ah, international nature of our relationship. He was living and working in Japan, me the US, long periods apart punctuated by visits to US, Japan and Australia, etc. We were finally able to live together for 3 months and we got an apartment in Melbourne (married this jan), but I had to come back to the states as my tourist VISA was up and I had both work and the wedding party in the states to organized. We're in constant contact, but I worry because it's so here-there if you look at our actual time spent physically in the same place.  I think I have a good presentation (I've known the bloody guy for 7 years after all), but I wouldn't mind a seasoned opinion on the docs/evidence I have.



danegirl said:


> We had exactly the same dilemma
> 
> What we did, was to upload the document under its primary category i.e. bank statements went under financial aspects, my mother's statement went under nature of household as she is our landlord etc. We also uploaded a document for each of the four categories called something like "Additional evidence" and then listed each piece of already uploaded evidence that also went under that category. i.e. for the extra document for Social, we nominated my mother's statement; for nature of household, we nominated our bank statements due to the address, etc. We didn't have any problems with this method.
> 
> Edit: soooo, exactly what CG suggested
> 
> Hope that makes sense!


Wow. You were really organized. I've been uploading things and being descriptive (though succinct) about what they represent, but I don't have say, guides for each of the 4 categories with files divvied up like that. I did make sure to list the ones I thought most important at the end of my long answers at least!


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## rosyverma

I and my husband want to come to australia. I have eight years of teaching experience. I have M.A., N.T.T. I am thirty eight years old. My points are 65 as 25 for age, 20 for experience, 20 for M.A. How can i apply please guide me.I have two daughter 12 years 8 years. Can they come with us.


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## sohag

*apostille on fbi background check*

apostille on fbi background check give you a certificates issued giving by a us department.When you feel to attested the certificate for visa purposes then the following link will be help you.


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## Rains

Hi, H. Protagonist

I would add my two cents, see if it will be of use to you. 

I have applied for 309/100 last September offshore and visa was granted from the Australian Consulate in Hong Kong last month (April 2014), it took 6 months. Like you, my Australian partner and I have lived together and have had separation periods (due to work situations), what I have included in the application, besides the normal material, are the IDD bills and air tickets during the time of separation. We also use whatapp and Wechat a lot but that is a bit difficult to document. Include the air tickets, if you have, to show your visits to each other, that can be a strong evidence too.

I lodged in paper form, so I don’t know whether you can organize folders in the online application or not. Learning from this wonderful thread, I had indexed my material and paper-clipped them accordingly, printed a table of content and used it as the top page, so to make it easier for the CO to read my application and evidence. I think I have put in about 80 odd pages besides the two forms. I do not recommend too much evidence, you don’t want to overwhelm the officer, but to select and organize your material in a logical and convincing way is more important.


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## pauline_t

Hi all,

Thank you for all the useful information shared! I just lodged my application today for subclass 309 visa in Singapore (I live here with my partner, he's Australian I'm French). We were asked by the officer, in this order:
- Applicant's forms
- Sponsor's form
- Applicant's declaration
- Sponsor's declaration
- Sponsor's supporting documents
- Forms 888
- Relationship supporting documents, starting with the photographs.
We had labeled and organised the supporting documents by section (history of relationship, financial aspects, social aspects etc), but they seem to have their own way to organise everything. The officer just took whatever documents we gave her (and there were a lot!). We only stapled documents that were longer that 1 page when printed and left the rest loose.
The interview is in 10 weeks - fingers crossed!


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## Rooh

*query regarding skill assessment*

Hi members,

There is a small yet an important query. My husband is planning to apply for OZ PR and regarding the skill assessment we need some advice.

My husband is BE( electronics)
MBA (markiting & Finance)
Work exp: 2.5 years in India and 2.5 years in Australia in IT (total)
Intend to apply as a Business analyst

The query is one, business analyst or System Analyst, which field would . be more feasible?

Two, what all documents we require to submit. ( can somebody share sample of documents removing their personal details)

Three, since the work experience is in IT and the bachelors degree is in electronics, we understand that out of the total 5 yrs , 4 yrs would be deducted and only 1 year would be considered for calculating points. Thus would the one year be considered as an OZ experience or not.

Last, how much important is it to apply for OZ PR from Australia, I mean can we apply from India as well, or is it considered to be better and quicker to apply from OZ.

Please help and advice


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