Hi,

My girlfriend and I of 6 years are planning to move to Australia within the next two years. We're both UK citizens—she’s a university-qualified A&E nurse, and I’ll have completed my computer science degree next year. I also run a small web development and digital marketing agency. Assuming she could secure a sponsorship to work in Australia, I have a few questions to help us prepare and improve our chances of getting a visa:

1. Since we’re not married, I’ve read that we’d need to provide proof of a 12-month relationship or agreement. Has anyone been through this process? What kind of evidence is required? For example, would bank statements or letters to the same address suffice, or is something more formal like a joint rental agreement necessary?
   
2. How much does the visa application cost for both of us?
   
3. If we both secure visas, and I join her on a partner visa, how long would we need to wait before we can apply for permanent residency?
   
4. I have a brother, sister-in-law, and nephew who are now permanent residents in Australia and are applying for citizenship. Could this connection help our application?
   
5. I visited Australia a few years ago on a working holiday visa and stayed for five months but didn’t complete my farm work. Would this experience be relevant?
   
6. Are there any other details or advice to help us prepare effectively for the move?
   

Thank you so much for your help!

My girlfriend and I of 6 years are planning to move to Australia within the next two years. We're both UK citizens—she’s a university-qualified A&E nurse, and I’ll have completed my computer science degree next year. I also run a small web development and digital marketing agency. Assuming she could secure a sponsorship to work in Australia, I have a few questions to help us prepare and improve our chances of getting a visa:

1. Since we’re not married, I’ve read that we’d need to provide proof of a 12-month relationship or agreement. Has anyone been through this process? What kind of evidence is required? For example, would bank statements or letters to the same address suffice, or is something more formal like a joint rental agreement necessary?
2. How much does the visa application cost for both of us?
3. If we both secure visas, and I join her on a partner visa, how long would we need to wait before we can apply for permanent residency?
4. I have a brother, sister-in-law, and nephew who are now permanent residents in Australia and are applying for citizenship. Could this connection help our application?
5. I visited Australia a few years ago on a working holiday visa and stayed for five months but didn’t complete my farm work. Would this experience be relevant?
6. Are there any other details or advice to help us prepare effectively for the move?

Thank you so much for your help!

1. stuff in both names like rental agreements or joint bills, bank statements showing money from one of you paying for holidays/bills etc. joint bank statememts even better. Proof of a shared life - both names on insurance policies, letters/emails to both of you from one family or the other, beneficiaries on life insurance, anything of this kind of thing is good.
2. Depends on the visa.
3. Look at a 189 visa first. If she can pass the skills assessment for that, she doesn't need sponsorship but can just move & appmy for a job anywhere, with PR (permanent residency) straight away, and you go on a 189 as well as her spouse. If she goes for sponsorship on a 482, you still go as her spouse (no need for an actual spouse visa) but that is only a temporary visa.
4. They can give you letters to back up the fact you are a couple ( not just dating) bug thats all.
5. Not relevant, though you will have to give details on the application.
6. Lots, but for now work out whether she can get a 189 straight away, and start saving - think like £25,000 by the time you've sorted skills assessment/medicals etc/visa/flights/ shipping/settig up new life etc

Update – Feb 2026

Hi all,

Just wanted to post an update nearly 14 months on from my original thread.

A lot has happened since then and we’re now much further along than we were when I first posted.

Where we’re at now:

• I’ve been granted my second Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) as a UK passport holder.
  
• We’re planning to move around August/September 2026.
  
• My girlfriend is still working in A&E and will have almost two years’ experience by the time we arrive.
  
• She is beginning the AHPRA process, which we now understand is the key step regardless of visa route.
  
• We’ve been in contact with nursing agencies
  
• We’re now strongly considering starting in Perth / WA rather than the east coast due to:
  
  • better employment prospects
    
  • potential regional pathways
    
  • lower cost of living
    
  • stronger PR positioning
    

Originally we were focused heavily on sponsorship straight away (482 etc), but after more research and advice, we’ve shifted strategy:

Current plan:

• Both enter on Working Holiday Visas.
  
• Secure Australian experience first.
  
• Then assess:
  
  • 482 sponsorship, or
    
  • PR pathways (189/190/491) once experience and eligibility are stronger.
    

Financially, we’re in a good position and continuing to save with the move in mind.

It’s been helpful reading older advice about relationship evidence and PR routes — we’re keeping documentation tidy in case we need it later, but for now we’re keeping things simple and flexible.

Appreciate all the guidance previously — it definitely pushed us to think longer-term rather than rush into the wrong visa.

Glad you are moving in the right direction!

You're certainly doing the right thing in gathering relationship evidence as you etc, especially if you go out on a WHV first, you want to make sure that you have all the info with you and not left somewhere in the UK!

As before, if you can head for the 189 thats the best way to go, it means you are totally independent and not tied to any one employer. Having known a lot of nurses who have gone out to Aus, the freedom to move employers, or even sign u with agencies and work on a bank basis, has made a big difference.