The partner visa is very expensive with the current visa application charge of $6865. Yet many people feel that their written statement and a few photos are enough to prove to immigration that you should be granted the permanent partner visa to Australia. If you have your partner visa refused and you are onshore, it generally makes it very difficult to apply for another visa from within Australia. So not only do you lose your visa application fee, you will often need to leave Australia to apply for another visa. A partner visa may seem to be a very simple visa to apply for, however there can be nasty surprises for any applicants who are not fully prepared.
Before you apply for your partner visa, make sure you don’t make any of the below mistakes:
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Not preparing documentation early
Too many people get into a relationship and wait far to long before they begin to get evidentiary documentation to demonstrate the genuine intent of the relationship. This means organising to both get of your names on the rental lease, setting up a joint bank account, keeping all of the documents that are sent to you jointly (wedding invites, utility bills etc…), plus so much more. Here is another great article regarding applying for a partner visa.
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Canceling the visa you are currently on
If you cancel the visa that you are on (working holiday or student visa), because you want the unlimited work rights of bridging visa, you may need to leave the country before you can apply for another visa. If you hold a working holiday or a Student Visa, for example, you won’t go onto the bridging visa (with work rights) until the visas expires. If you cancel the visa that you are on, then the bridging visa may also be cancelled.
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Not registering your relationship
If you reside in a state that allows you to register a relationship do it. Register your relationship. By registering your relationship it waives the requirement that you must live together for 12 months. However you are still required to prove that you live together and are in a genuine relationship. So don’t think you can simply register your relationship and provide very little other evidentiary documentation.
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Apply from offshore, if you can apply from onshore
If you apply from offshore, you may be separated for at least 6 months while a decision is made on the visa. However if you apply from within Australia, you will be granted a bridging visa that will allow you to not only remain in Australia, but the bridging visa will often have work rights included. So you can work to pay off that horribly expensive visa application charge.
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Rushing to apply for the visa
Why rush? This is an expensive visa, and the consequences of having a visa refused are far greater than just the money you lose. Take your time, if this means that you need to apply for another visa to give you time to collect the documents, do it.
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Set up a bank account with no transactions
Don’t just set up a joint bank account and not use it. The Immigration case officer is unlikely to consider this to be evidence of the relationship. Be sure to deposit and withdraw funds from the account.
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Provide too many photos and not enough evidential documents
Photos are great and should definitely be included in the application. However photos by themselves may not be strong enough evidence to convince a case officer that your relationship is genuine and you have a commitment to a shared life together. Be sure to include documents that cannot be easily obtained such proof of registering your relationship, joint financial, lease, utilities documents etc…
If you are interested in lodging a partner visa and have any questions, feel free to:
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