Relationship letter - certify or not?
 

Hi everyone,

My partner and I have just about got our skills assessments sorted and are putting the finishing touches on our 136 visa application.

We have a truckload of docs to support our de facto status as being genuine - our daughter's birth certificate, joint mortgage statement, joint bills, proof of same address etc etc.

We have also written out letters detailing our relationship timeline, hopes for the future etc. My question is do we need to get this certified or just sign it and submit as it is?

Anybody sent them off without certifying them and been successful? Does it depend how pedantic your case officer is?

Cheers for you help.

Sherman

Re: Relationship letter - certify or not?
 

hi there,

didn't get ours certified but they are hot on showing that u have proof for the last 12 months. so make sure u have stuff from last 12 months. we didn't have a letter outlining our relationship, just gave a rental agreement, utility bills and bank account statements.
but having said that, case officers at times have no consistancy so just send everything u have!
cheers

Re: Relationship letter - certify or not?
 

We applied for our De Facto 2 weeks ago and got it granted 1 day later!

We didn't get any of our letters - ours or friends & Family ones - certified as they are the original once signed! We didn't have any problem with them being sent in like that.

But as mentioned above - make sure everything else is copied and certified as you don't get it back!!

Good Luck

Re: Relationship letter - certify or not?
 

We both wrote a stat dec about our relationship and signed it with a JP. But I don't really know if that was necessary..

Good luck!

Barbara

Re: Relationship letter - certify or not?
 

Hi, im under the impression with DIMIA that if you are unsure about something, then just do it as its lazy people that they dont want and the visa process seems to me to be how determined you are in reaching aussie shore, as most people would look at it all, and sod it off!! A quick trip to get if certified may mean that if you dont it could be rejected and the extra wait of 6-12 months is a possibility. Just keep this in mind when wanting to ask questions like this, as i would do it even if you get contrasting stories as everyones case is different.

good luck

alk

Re: Relationship letter - certify or not?
 

Hi Sherman.

My partner and I applied for a 136 skilled independent visa a few months ago, me as the main applicant, kathy as my de-facto.

We included all the usual type of evidence (bank statements, bills, photos, wedding invites, travel docs, gym memberships...) and a two page statement describing our relationship. Everything we sent was a certified photocopy of the original, except the two page description which was the original, signed by both kathy and me.

We got the visa with no further questions asked, so I guess it wasn't necessary to send a stat dec or get the description certified in any way.

Good luck,
Phil

Re: Relationship letter - certify or not?
 

Thank you all for your speedy responses - it's so good to be able to tap into such a huge wealth of knowledge on this forum. Hopefully I'll be able to give some back!

Cheers - Sherman

Re: Relationship letter - certify or not?
 

Who certifies these document? ie bank bills etc ?

Im about to begin collecting these documents so any tips appretirated .

thx :)

Re: Relationship letter - certify or not?
 

solicitor...JP... it does say in the booklet that goes with the visa type you are applying for who can do it...