mattc1

Hi all,
I've been offered a job on a 457 visa. My question is: what sort of evidence will immigration expect to see to prove a de facto spouse relationship with my partner. We don't have a great deal in the way of utility bills and stuff like that. Any help would be great, ta.

Thanks,
Matt

TheAshleys

They will be looking for 12 months co-habitation (Or they were with us). Shared bank accounts, utility bills etc etc. If you are engaged, that would be good.

You will have to write an 2-3 page essay on how you met, what you have done in your relationship etc etc, and from memory give references of people who can back up your story.

We did all this, but got married before the visa's were issued, so it became a non-issue to an extent, but think they would still have asked us this anyway.

GreenSauce

Welcome Matt!

You will have to prove to them that you have lived together as a couple for at least 12 months. We did this with certified copies of our registry (you have to register when you move in Germany) and two invoices of travels to Australia with both our names on.

Where will you be heading? We are off to Perth on a 457 hopefully in September...

Good luck
GS

pen8uin

Matt

we have just been granted our 457 and we too had to proove defacto relationship. We had a stat dec from each of us, one from each of our mums, one form my partners brother and one from a friend each (a total of 7 including ours). We also had photos with dates on them (digital camera), postcards, cards to each other and from each others families, joint invotes, flight tickets, cinema tickets and lots of other things.

PM me if you like and I will give you a copy of our list.

Cheers

pen8uin

alana

I know of a registered migration agent in australia who can help you. he's really good. if your interested in using the service email me.

alana

Riproarer

I too am on a 457 visa, as are a number of other bods on this forum. I however, work for a large multinational bank, who are giving me no end of troubles when it comes to gaining the LAFHA (Living away from home allowance). After speaking to other expats, this allowance makes a fair old difference to your take home pay.

If you can, get this all sorted with your employer before you get over here.

How I wish I'd found this website, and read the numrous interesting topics before signing the tfr.

Good luck

northernbird

Just in case any of you 457 holders are planning on selling your home in UK, I am led to believe you don't qualify for LAFHA if you do not have a residence in the UK, ie. sell your home or give up a lease on a home if you are renting. That is certainly the case in our situation. You also lose it if you decide to buy a property or if you apply for PR from the date you submit your visa application.

chels

We came over on a 457 visa and provided no evidence of our relationship besides stating in the application that we were a couple. If they had wanted evidence, I'm sure they would have written to us asking for it. At that time we had not lived together so would not have been able to provide evidence of a defacto relationship anyway. We even had different addresses.

On the other point re LAFHA, this was part of the written offer of employment, but because it wasn't in the contract we had a battle initially to get it paid. Get it written into the contract re LAFHA or in some other form of written correspondence if you can.

mattc1

Thanks, good advice on the LAFHA. This is written into my contract so seems kosher, although I obviously will be giving up the lease on my flat in London...

On the partner visa, the company I'm going to work for are helping us out by submitting all the forms and doing all the chasing up and they seem to want some evidence like bills and stuff, and a statement about the history of the relationship, how we met etc.