# Questions regaridng mine and my partners stat dec



## lalulabelle (Aug 13, 2010)

Hi,

My partner is applying for a partner defacto visa shortly and we are in the process of getting all of our paperwork together.
My question is, can our stat dec's be typed and then signed by us and certified or do they need to be hand written?

I am from Sydney, Australia (we are currently living in Canada - im on a working holiday visa) and we will be applying onshore - heading abck to Australia in November. Instead of lodging the application in Sydney we are thinking of going to stay with my best friend on the Gold Coast for a few weeks to visit and lodge the application in person at their gold Coast office in the hope of a speedier approval. 

Do we need to stay in the Gold Coast for the approval process or are we able to return to Sydney during this time? Am I able to put a Sydney contact address (my parents) even though we lodged in QLD or would we need to put the Gold Coast address of my best friend?

Any assistance would be greatfully appreciated.


----------



## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

You can type up the stat decs but you'll still want to do them on the 888 form or a stat. dec form that you can get from post offices and places and then sign them in front of the appropriate witness.
You'll want to make sure your partner is coming in on a visa that does not have a No Further Stay condition and/or not be stating that the intent is to apply for a partner visa or otherwise your plans will be thwarted.
Visas are to be used for intended purpose is one rule.

You can lodge at the nearest office and if that is the GC when ready to lodge and you'll be on your way down to Sydney, if Sydney is initially more permanent then that ought to be the Australian address you use.
Partner Visa: Onshore Temporary and Permanent (Subclasses 820 and 801)


----------



## Chrissie (Jun 29, 2010)

sometimes Wanderer, I wish that you are paid from Immi - to answer all these questions......if not - you should be!!!!!!! 
Because i am obsessive about my own Visa process, i check every post every day to see if there is information I can use..........your posts are so informative, and so accurate that we should all be so grateful to you............

So thanks, Wanderer, you are helping so many people get through a highly stressful procedure!


----------



## wimo (Apr 12, 2010)

I agree with that statement! this site is very informative and has helped me lots! Keep up the good work Mr Wanderer!


----------



## lalulabelle (Aug 13, 2010)

Thanks Wanderer

Could this visa just be a tourist visa that he comes in on? And say that we are visiting my family (which of course we will be).

Do we get our Australian family/friends to prepare stat decs on the Form 888, and do I prepare mine on Form 888 also as it seems strange that I am to use the Form 888. It seems more for family/friends that are testifying for us.

As his Canadian family/friends (and also him) are not able to use Australian statutory declaration forms, do they just write something on paper and get it certified?

Im a bit unsure as to who can and should be using which forms.


----------



## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

If he comes in on a standard tourist visa there's every chance it will have a No Further Stay condition on it and therefore he'll not be able to lodge another visa application.

He could apply for an ETA and he may be queried on entry why an ETA, they being cheaper perhaps is one reason but if he [ or you for that matter too ] was carrying a heap of documentation which was revealed on a luggage search or for any other reason it was suspected he was entering to apply for a partner visa that can be seen as not using a visa for its intended purpose and entry can be refused, so some risk in that.
Re use of the forms/stat decs etc., just follow the advice in the *Checklist* and/or *Booklet#1*
You really need to read and re-read all that if contemplating a DIY approach for if you do not fully appreciate what is there, it's a great way to mess your application up and just make it all the more frustrating for yourselves and perhaps even have an application rejected and the fee lost.
You may also want to have a *read of a sticky thread by elkitten* in top of the section.


----------



## lalulabelle (Aug 13, 2010)

Wanderer said:


> If he comes in on a standard tourist visa there's every chance it will have a No Further Stay condition on it and therefore he'll not be able to lodge another visa application.
> 
> He could apply for an ETA and he may be queried on entry why an ETA, they being cheaper perhaps is one reason but if he [ or you for that matter too ] was carrying a heap of documentation which was revealed on a luggage search or for any other reason it was suspected he was entering to apply for a partner visa that can be seen as not using a visa for its intended purpose and entry can be refused, so some risk in that.
> Re use of the forms/stat decs etc., just follow the advice in the *Checklist* and/or *Booklet#1*
> ...


He's applied for ETA in the past and we checked today to make sure there was not a "No further stay" condition on his previous ones so that was all ok.

We were considering that once through customs that I would walk through on my own through the residents line and him walk through the other line on his own, and I would have all the documentation (along with all my other files since living in Canada with me.

We are also looking at having all our stat dec and written statements that need to be certified, certified after he arrives in Australia rather than before, as to not look 'as planned'. I would assume he can get his Canadian documents certified at the Canadian Embassy in Australia.

I'm just concerned of the time frame from him arriving on the ETA and us submitting the defacto application. I think the more time we give it the better, although if it can take up to 6 months for the visa to be approved, then we are just wasting more time before we can settle down.

Thank you for all your help.


----------



## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

When in Australia he should with his passport for ID be able to go along to anybody on the authorised listing for certifying [ a police station for instance as most have senior officers who do certifying and in the case of copies being certified it is just a case of having the original and copies ].
They may even be able to witness statutory declarations or just his signing of a statement.


----------

