Defacto or unmarried visa
 

So aiming for this visa. Says need to be in a stable relationship for 12 months.
We have been in relationship since October 2015.
Problem is i came home to NZ from Late Feb 2016 to December 2016. She came down to visit NZ for a month road trip in August.
We have messages and photos dating back to october 2015. Plenty of evidence. Also now been living with her in UK since December 2016. Planning to move first week of Jan 2018. Living with her until then.

Basically just wanting to convince myself that's the best option visa but hard to apply for it when hasn't been constant living together and i had my stint overseas again. Have literally 1000s of messages over the period and Skype calls, Facebook etc. Anyone gone for this visa? Any complications?

Any help appreciated

Re: Defacto or unmarried visa
 

My husband got the Partner Visa. We found the process simple.

You do need to have lived together for 12 months or more when you apply. You need documentation to prove this aka things like utility bills in both your names for every month lived together.

We included in our application:
- a timeline of our relationship, including explanations for times we spent apart
- lots of joint bills/joint bank statements (vital - proves you lived together and your financial interdependence)
- photos from holidays/with our families
- cards from family/friends (shows our relationship was publicly recognised)
- text/social media messages (we mainly used these to show we shared household responsibilities)

You also need to prove you are both of good character (clean police certificates) and your partner needs to pass the medical.

Re: Defacto or unmarried visa
 

So had to be 12 months at time of application? Got a tonne of social media and stuff to back it up. Joint bills and stuff is a bit tricky as we still have seperate bills. Maybe we should be setting up accounts

Re: Defacto or unmarried visa
 

if you get mail to the same property, that could work but yes is worth setting up joint stuff, have council tax in both names. You can show a relationship dating back to Oct 2015 you should be ok. holiday trips together, her trip details out to NZ to see you etc will be all good as well, invites, photos of you together all good.

Re: Defacto or unmarried visa
 

Yes, 12 months at the time of application.

Yup, definitely set up joint accounts. We did use some separate bills to the same property, but it's easier/a stronger application with joint ones. We had a folder from the start of moving in where we kept all our mail so that we'd have plenty when it became time to apply - start this now.