Aff

Thanks for everyone who offered me advice earlier in this thread. I didn't respond to each person individually. I just needed a break from Visa talk but it helped enormously so thank you.

Figured I'd come back and see if I could offer some support and / or advice to others based on what I've thus far been through.

From what I understand, MiniMe, they do take modern relationships into account and any circumstances are accepted so long as they're explained and documented.

I was initially refused and told that I needed to show more evidence. I panicked (you could maybe look up my posts further up this thread) and began to really stress that I couldn't find any more and that I'd sent everything I possibly could.

But after some advice on here and plenty of research, I worked out quite a bit more evidence that I could send along with statements explaining exactly why our relationship is the way it is and why we don't have this, that or the other and can't provide certain things. We lodge with parents, don't have bills in both our names, don't have a car for joint insurance etc. Our joint account even comes in just my name so I rung the bank, explained the situation and they've kindly sent me a letter stating that although it's in my name only, it is in fact a joint account.

I'm a lot more confident now and feel as though I was a bit wet behind the ears initially. They do take circumstances into account and I'm sure you'll be just fine so long as you state everything in as much detail as possible, along with supporting evidence. Try not to panic!

Pollyana

As long as you can demonstrate either with accounts on paper, or by writing about it in your statement, that you share costs/bills/rent etc and will support each ther financially, thats what they want to see.

MiniMe180

That's really good advice, thanks Aff. I hadn't thought of that. I think I just need to really get started and have a serious look at all the possible evidence I have. Like you and Pollyana say, it just seems like you have to explain everything, even the most silly sounding things. I can see I might just have to send my application in a huge box!

Thanks again for your help.

Aff

The list of evidence (can't remember the form number but it's part 8) in the help section is useful, too. Maybe just go through that and see what you can tick off and if you can't tick it off, think about why and write it down?

It's working for me and after all the headaches, I'd like to be able to pass any tip, no matter how small, on.

Good luck!

sha

When you have to write a statement - for example explaining how you met and how your relanship developed - can you type it out and sign it by hand or does it have to be all hand written.
Also do you need to get each statement witnessed??

Thanks

Aff

Oops, I feel like I'm taking over this thread today!

Both my other half and I typed ours, SHA. As for witnessing, I'm not entirely sure what you mean? If you're talking about having things signed by a JP, you don't have to do that for your statements, only official documents such as passports etc.

sha

Great - thanks for that!

Did you bother to send a statement to for
nature of Household - how you share the housework.
Seems a bit daft to me.

Aff

I didn't send one initially but after being told I needed to send more evidence, I have written one and that will go to my CO this week.

sha

Ok i will send one to be safe.
Thanks again

medon

Hello,

Sorry to ask this question - again! But I just wanted to check what people's opinions on sending photographs (scanned copies) with the application are? I remember someone saying that they had sent some but they were sent straight back, but I was just thinking the other day - were they sent back because they were originals or because they just don't want photographic evidence at all?

Thanks!

sha

Yer - i was going to send scanned copies too.

Aff

The general opinion seems to be that you should scan them and print them on A4 paper, two per sheet. Again, that's how I've done it and I'm just crossing my fingers that it's correct!

medon

Ok decided, I shall send in photos! Now to select a few from the millions we have.....

Townley

Glad there is a dedicated Spouse thread! Im a pom, OH is an aussie. Been together for 2.5 years, living together in the UK. Submitted visa (309 subclass) on August 11th. Had an email from my CO on August 18th asking to arrange a telephone interview (scheduled for this Friday) and for my medical. I had already done the medical but the results from my xray showed a 'slight' enlarged heart... spoke to my GP who said nothing to worry about as its generally nothing but I have to go see a cardiologist and have an echo/get a report before my Panel Doc will send on my Medical... the bummer being that because my GP does not consider it to be anything serious they will not refer me on the NHS... so more £££. Oh well it will be worth it

All very exciting. But reading about the next stage (Perm) I am wondering what we will do as we plan to head off travelling in November... pass through Oz in time to validate my visa this time next year and then head over to Canada to do a season in Whistler... before we eventually go back to Oz to settle and be grown ups (marriage, kids, house etc). How we go about collecting evidence for the next to years... not to mention police reports(!?!) is beyond me... anyone else done/doing the same?

Have my fingers and toes crossed for all u fellow spousies!

TP

donovandenese

hi there - my OH and I spent a year travelling as part of our 5 years together and it was no problem for the perm visa. You only need police reports for countries you are in for a full year (or a number of short periods totalling a year). you can write a statment explaining how you spent that year together, where possible keep copies of any short term rental agreements you enter into together, book any flights, activities, accomm etc jointly and keep copies of evidence, maybe use a joint account or joint credit card for things and keep statements, you could send joint postcards to people and sign them jointly and ask family to save them for your future visa application as they will be signed by you both and stamped with dates etc, take out joint travel insurance. Lots of things like that you can do.