TerritorianTori

Feb 17 2009, 10:27:02 PM

Hi and welcome back!

Actually, we had a major server crash in October and over 5 months' worth of data was lost. That's probably why you and your previous posts are missing. Sorry 'bout that.

I think you should submit anything and everything you can possibly think of - don't hold back. "More is always better", so the saying goes. I know others have had the difficulty of proving that they live together when one person pays all the bills/all in one person's name... I wonder if there's anything you can show them that would prove you were at least in the same area at the time? Like, ATM receipts? Bank statements showing local transactions? Do you have other friends who can vouch for your relationship and the fact that you've lived together? Do you have letters addressed to yourself or both of you at the same address? Has he put your name on any assets? Has he named you the beneficiary on anything (like his superannuation, a will, or something)?

Those are the things I can think of at the moment. Best of luck and hope your application is approved sooner than later!

Janda

Feb 18 2009, 01:13:36 AM

We didn't have anything as far as evidence from before I arrived in Australia because I came not knowing I would stay forever and I seriously didn't save any of our chats or emails. I started from the time I arrived here in Australia. I printed out mobile phone bills and circled our phone numbers and made handwritten notes on the top saying how they were to show that we talk on the phone each day about 4 times a day. I printed out emails between us from when I was at home and he was at work. I printed out a will for each of us offline and filled it out leaving everything and my son's care to my husband and his family and had friend witness the signing of them. We filled out Guardianship papers to give each other permission to speak for us in the event we couldn't speak for ourselves in a medical situation. We obtained those from Service Tasmania (not sure what your local one is called). After that you can go file them with them and it stays there on file with the state. Just make copies of them. We made photo albums of printed out pictures of me, my husband, my son and my husbands family members out and about. Under each photo I hand wrote what we were doing at the time. We included Bank statements showing we had joint accounts. Basically throw anything and everything that links the two of you together. I also included a couple of extra statutory declarations. They only require 2 from people in Australia but I had my mom and my friend in America fill two out and write a story about our relationship and have them notarized. In your case since his mom doesn't know about your relationship I would have local friends that are aware of the situation all fill out statutory declarations and on there where it asks if there is anything else they would like to declare just have them write everything and anything they know about the two of you and how happy you two are together, what they observe about your relationship, etc. Oh you could have your partner fill out an additional statutory declaration explaining that his mother isn't aware of your relationship (Maybe due to her Health) and that is the reason she won't be speaking for the two of you but he can put a few words about how the two our you live your lives together and how you take care of his mother as if she was your own (just an idea).

That's all I can think of right now but don't be shy...throw it all at them. Remember to be organized because I was told my Case Officer that she really appreciated the fact that I had it all together and that it made things go faster and was much easier that way.

Good Luck and Keep us Posted!

elsja

Feb 18 2009, 02:33:24 PM

Hmm maybe all COs are different. Maybe you got lucky because you also printed some photos out as well. I know someone who only provided a cd with photos and their application was held up because the CO said they wouldn't view the CD and she needed to print and send in photos or copies of photos. I guess if you send both you would be covered.

THis is what the immigration department sent me before my appointment (see highlighted portion)

http://aquate.us/u/visa.jpg

Tors edit: Sorry elsja, your image broke my browser! hehe. I changed it to a link. Click to view.

idiologic

Feb 23 2009, 11:58:06 PM

I submitted a few papers minus my credit card statements with the USA addresses on them. Like some real estate junk I had to witness that made me put my address on it, some notes I wrote to my boyfriend to tell him what he needed to do for the day and a few other things like old phone records. (We have them dating back from 2000...) I found some Christmas cards after I sent the stuff and post cards and things like that. We *had* a joint credit card back in 2001 but the housemate stole mine and charged porn on it so I never got another one. Until now. So it's kind of hard to submit from a year before Aug 2008. But yeah, we've been a couple for like 9 years now almost. Isn't that enough?! I'd much rather do an interview or something.

idiologic

Mar 20 2009, 06:31:28 PM

Just the other day, my case officer called my boyfriend and told him he needed the 2nd Form 888 and our relationship declarations. Funny thing is that it was all sent in to begin with. Like with the visa application (with the 2nd Form 888 (Stat Dec re our relationship in the words of an Australian Citizen... and *just* realized I didn't also get him to send proof of residency, so that's for Monday).

Aaaaand I'm just starting to do the Medicare thing though I think I was eligible MONTHS ago (my fault) so I'll take care of that soon too. Hopefully it goes well.