De-Facto relationship - letters from friends, relatives etc.
May 15th 2003, 5:51 pm
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
De-Facto relationship - letters from friends, relatives etc.
Hi everyone, hope someone can help us out,
I'm currently waiting for my skills to be assessed and then in a few weeks
time me and my girlfriend will hopefully be sending of the full monty
application, so we're just trying to get all the stuff together at the
moment. We've been together a couple of years, living together most of the
time, and we understand that getting references from friends and family will
help in proving our relationship.
Our question is, has anyone else got references from friends and family, and
if so, what on earth did people write in them? Do we need people to put any
specific sentences in, or get people to just write about what a wonderful
couple we are?
Any help would be most appreciated
Thanks
Andy and Jen
I'm currently waiting for my skills to be assessed and then in a few weeks
time me and my girlfriend will hopefully be sending of the full monty
application, so we're just trying to get all the stuff together at the
moment. We've been together a couple of years, living together most of the
time, and we understand that getting references from friends and family will
help in proving our relationship.
Our question is, has anyone else got references from friends and family, and
if so, what on earth did people write in them? Do we need people to put any
specific sentences in, or get people to just write about what a wonderful
couple we are?
Any help would be most appreciated
Thanks
Andy and Jen
May 15th 2003, 6:33 pm
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Posts: 82
We had to get Stat Decs done also. I had to write one about my partner and vice versa. These included dates we first met, how we met, why we're not yet married, what sort of interests we have together. How long we have lived together and how we sorted out our finances. Also how we dealt with problems/household chores, etc (I think at one point my partner put "My girlfriend does much more around the house than I do but regularly reminds me of that !!!!)
Our friends had to write stat decs stating when they first met us, how often we all met up, where we went out together.
Hope this is of some use - Good luck with your application
Diane
Our friends had to write stat decs stating when they first met us, how often we all met up, where we went out together.
Hope this is of some use - Good luck with your application
Diane
May 15th 2003, 11:37 pm
#3
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 250
Andy,
We have never required supporting statutory declarations from friends and familiy to support including a defacto spouse in an application for skilled migration.
The key is to include enough documentation which establishes that you have been living together for at least the last 12 months. This would be correspondence addressed to either or both of you at the same address. If you can't do this, then it would be better to delay the application until you can.
Apart from cohabitation, we generally include a statement from both partners as to the history of the relationship, some cards & letters.
You definitely don't seem to need as much documentation as when you lodge an application for a defacto spouse visa.
Hope this helps,
We have never required supporting statutory declarations from friends and familiy to support including a defacto spouse in an application for skilled migration.
The key is to include enough documentation which establishes that you have been living together for at least the last 12 months. This would be correspondence addressed to either or both of you at the same address. If you can't do this, then it would be better to delay the application until you can.
Apart from cohabitation, we generally include a statement from both partners as to the history of the relationship, some cards & letters.
You definitely don't seem to need as much documentation as when you lodge an application for a defacto spouse visa.
Hope this helps,
May 16th 2003, 7:50 am
#4
Just Joined
Joined: May 2003
Location: Newport, South Wales
Posts: 11
Andy,
My girlfriend and I have just been asked to provide medicals and police checks, so we assume our de facto stuff has been deemed OK.
We provided a Stat Declaration set out as follows :
We, <Name>, of <Address>, do hereby declare that the information given here is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
History of Relationship: A detailed account of when and where we met <Craig at Darling Harbour in 1993, She's English, I'm Welsh>, and then a description of our time together.
Social Details of Relationship: Here we stated stuff like 'Friends and colleagues now us as a couple and that we have been in a long term relationship'. Stated we normally take holidays together, we joined a gym togerther etc.
Domestic Logistics of relationship: Who does what in our houshold.
Financial Details of Relationship: Who pays for what. We don't have a joint bank a/c and why.
'I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the statements to be true by virtue of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835'
This statement was a bit long (5 pages) but we thought it need to be as after 9 years together there was / is a lot of history.
We also had stat decs from friends, 1 of mine, 1 of hers, 1 from jopint friends and one each from our parents. And sent loads of certified copies of bills and stuff, even included credit card statements showing we were both on holiday in a different country at the same time!
Be careful of the dates used in the declaration. I found a template on the web relating to Oz law, when our friends took it to a Lawyer, they refused to sign it as it would be meaningless.
The Oz one went like:
'I make this solemn declaration by virtue of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 as amended and subject to the penalties provided by that Act for the making of false statements in statutory declarations, conscientiously believing the statements contained in this declaration to be true in every particular.'
Hope this all helps. Getting the de facto stuff together was even more nerve racking than the application and skills assessment put together.
Jamie
My girlfriend and I have just been asked to provide medicals and police checks, so we assume our de facto stuff has been deemed OK.
We provided a Stat Declaration set out as follows :
We, <Name>, of <Address>, do hereby declare that the information given here is true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
History of Relationship: A detailed account of when and where we met <Craig at Darling Harbour in 1993, She's English, I'm Welsh>, and then a description of our time together.
Social Details of Relationship: Here we stated stuff like 'Friends and colleagues now us as a couple and that we have been in a long term relationship'. Stated we normally take holidays together, we joined a gym togerther etc.
Domestic Logistics of relationship: Who does what in our houshold.
Financial Details of Relationship: Who pays for what. We don't have a joint bank a/c and why.
'I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the statements to be true by virtue of the Statutory Declarations Act 1835'
This statement was a bit long (5 pages) but we thought it need to be as after 9 years together there was / is a lot of history.
We also had stat decs from friends, 1 of mine, 1 of hers, 1 from jopint friends and one each from our parents. And sent loads of certified copies of bills and stuff, even included credit card statements showing we were both on holiday in a different country at the same time!
Be careful of the dates used in the declaration. I found a template on the web relating to Oz law, when our friends took it to a Lawyer, they refused to sign it as it would be meaningless.
The Oz one went like:
'I make this solemn declaration by virtue of the Statutory Declarations Act 1959 as amended and subject to the penalties provided by that Act for the making of false statements in statutory declarations, conscientiously believing the statements contained in this declaration to be true in every particular.'
Hope this all helps. Getting the de facto stuff together was even more nerve racking than the application and skills assessment put together.
Jamie
