People often think that lodging a partner visa application is a straightforward process. However, this is not the case. Partner visas are governed by strict migration laws and regulations. There are situations in which the process seem very daunting and almost difficult to handle. This is why we recommend using a registered migration agent to assist you with the process.
This short article will take you through some facts about partner visas. We will highlight a few pitfalls and provide some recommendations to submit a successful visa application.
1. submitting your application before you get married
People often think that they have to be married to submit an offshore partner visa (subclass 309). In some circumstances, you are eligible to apply for a subclass 309 visa on the basis of an intention to get married. What this means is that even if you are not legally married at the time you submit your application, you will still meet the eligibility criteria provided you get married by the time your application is assessed by a case officer.
2. registering your de facto relationship
You do not have to be married to submit a partner visa application. You can still submit your application on the basis of being in a de facto relationship with your eligible sponsor. However, registering your relationship is a lengthy process and seems complex. For instance, some States in Australia have different residency requirements and it can take up to 6 weeks or longer to process your relationship registration and provide a certificate.
3. financial aspects of your relationship
It is not enough to submit evidence that you and your partner are living together, although this is considered as an important aspect that case officers consider. Case officers will also consider your financial aspects of the relationship. This is where a lot of visa applications tend to be weak because for some people it might not be an option to share or pool their finances together. It is highly suggested to provide evidence of joint bank account and evidence that both applicant and sponsor are actively using the account to pay for daily expenses.
4. social aspects of your relationship
Evidence in the forms of statutory declarations from family and friends are critical. We do not suggest submitting statutory declarations from close or immediate family members as some case officers tend to think that family members will provide a biased statement. This is why we suggest providing statements from friends or work colleagues or even far relatives to provide statements about the relationship.
5. decision-ready applications
Our agents prefer submitting your application using the Department’s ImmiAccount. When handling partner visa applications, our agents will make sure that the application is a ‘decision-ready’ visa applications as they are allocated and processed more quicker than incomplete visa applications. We normally include comprehensive documentation on supporting documents on the relationship and all other required documents to satisfy the migration regulations.
6. permanent partner visa
When you are lodging a partner visa application and paying the visa application charge, you are in fact lodging a combined application for both temporary and permanent visas. Generally speaking, the permanent visa can only be considered 2 years after you initially lodge your visa application.
Our team as Aussie Immigration Services has considerable expertise in dealing with partner visa applications. We will make sure that we will avoid any pitfalls in your way and will submit a decision-ready application so that your application will be processed more quickly and secure a successful outcome.
