Prior to lodging your application for an Australian partner visa, you have to be aware of the documents that will be required, and also understand well what the process is about.
The documents (or evidence) you can attach range from bills and pictures, to boarding passes and invitations; therefore, it is crucial that you know which are the most important for your case.
Putting together all this information is a little complicated, and this is made worse by the Department of Immigration's vagueness.
Thanks to my personal experience I can give you a list of the records that, in my opinion, are critical.
They are: 1.
Proof that you operate a bank account with your partner/sponsor.
To verify this you need to obtain bank statements from your institution and make sure they have both of your names on; the Department then will be able to cross-check with the financial institution.
2.
Two signed declarations from your sponsor and yourself.
You must include in these declarations a brief summary of your relationship.
My recommendation is to begin with how and when you met, followed by a description of the evolution of your shared life, and closing with your future plans as a couple.
Remember that is important that you go over the two declarations to rule out any inconsistencies.
3.
Two declarations from relatives or friends who know you.
The structure of these are a little more relaxed - as long as they include information such as the type of relation you have with them, and how well they know you as a couple.
4.
Lots of applicants do not pay too much attention to pictures; this is a severe mistake because one of the strongest pieces of evidence you can supply the Department of Immigration with is visual evidence.
They consider pictures to be compelling records of the genuineness of your relationship.
5.
Payment for trips, old boarding passes and other travel evidence are also valuable.
So next time you go on a trip, make sure you keep those boarding passes in a safe place.
6.
In order of importance, the next most compelling documents to can attach are shared expenses.
Joint bills are further proof of your relationship and the fact you two live together.
Attach to your application as many receipts and bills you can, though keep in mind that they have to show both of your names for them to be acceptable to the Department.
7.
Lastly, there is social evidence.
The Department will be pleased to know that you're recognised by the society as a couple.
Examples of things you can include in this section are tickets to plays, gigs, movies, invitation to parties, etc.
If you manage to gather all these documents I just mentioned, you'll find yourself with compelling and valuable information about your commitment to the relationship.
After all, the Department is trying to uncover people who are illegally using this scheme as a means to take advantage from the system.
For more detailed information on how to apply, and obtain an Australian partner visa visit the official website of the Department of Immigration.