You'll need to put pen to paper and provide a detailed relationship statement which explains how you met, how you live on a daily basis and what your plans for the future are.
The relationship statement is an important part of your partner visa application. It’s your chance to speak directly to the Case Officer and explain the nature of your relationship. You need to make the most of this opportunity.
As part of an Australian partner visa application, the applicant and sponsor must write what is commonly known as a ‘relationship statement’. This document will:
This statement will help to prove that your relationship is genuine and ongoing. It’s also a chance to present your ‘relationship roadmap’ for the future and This is your opportunity to explain your relationship in your own words, so it’s crucial to get it right. The Case Officer will place weight on this document, so make sure it’s of a good standard.
It should be easy to understand and ideally around 2-3 pages long, at least. The length will depend on your individual situation e.g. whether you have to explain any long periods of separation or unusual circumstances.
If you’re using a Registered Migration Agent to manage and lodge your application, they may be able to provide you with samples or templates showing how the document can be structured.
Don’t worry – your mum isn’t reading this! Explain how and when you met, including the exact date your relationship commenced. Let the Case Officer know how your relationship developed. Did you start off as friends before dating? Did you date previously and then reunite? How long did you know each other before you formed a relationship?
Make this part as detailed as possible and discuss how you transitioned from a casual relationship or friendship into a committed partnership. Go into detail and don’t be embarrassed to explain what attracted you to your partner and how you felt upon making their acquaintance for the first time. It can feel a bit strange putting everything on paper, but it’s all part of the process and demonstrates that your relationship is genuine.
Make sure that your spelling and grammar is on point. Take your time, ensure place names and your partner’s name and family names are correct. If it helps, print the statement off and read it off the paper – you might be surprised what you find when it’s off the screen!
Have you been separated for any long periods of time? Explain how you kept in touch and how frequently. Did you exchange regular phone calls and text messages? Did you use messaging apps or emails? Have you taken any holidays separately? If so, how did you keep in touch during that time?
It’s important to go into some detail here as periods of separation will be heavily scrutinised by your Case Officer. The pandemic and subsequent border restrictions and travel bans led to many couples being temporarily separated. If you were impacted in this way, it’s advisable to go into as much detail as you can and let the Case Officer know how you stayed in regular contact. Did you host family quizzes over Zoom or FaceTime every morning over coffee? Don’t be afraid to get granular with the detail.
Explain how your relationship developed and became more serious. Did any significant events occur? Maybe your partner helped you through a difficult time or did something to really demonstrate their commitment to you. Provide details on the development of your relationship and let the Case Officer know when your partner was first introduced to friends and family.
It’s important that you use the statement to demonstrate the nature of your household. Who does the cooking and cleaning? How do you split responsibilities? Do you go grocery shopping together? If you have pets or children, explain how you share the responsibility and who does what. Don’t worry about going into too much detail. If you do the cooking on a Monday and your partner does it on a Tuesday, write it down. It’s these details – of mundane, everyday life – that will add authenticity to your statement.
What activities do you enjoy doing as a couple? Have you been on holiday? Do you go to the gym together? Use your statement to explain how you spend your time and what kind of activities you enjoy doing as a couple. Explain what you do on a typical weekend or how you spend your annual leave.
Your statement should explain how you share your finances and meet your expenses as a couple. Explain how you deal with financial commitments such as rent, credit card repayments, car loans or food shopping. Do you use a joint bank account? Are your salaries paid into the same account? How do you pay utility bills? Have you prepared a joint will or named your partner as your superannuation beneficiary? Have you purchased joint insurance policies?
Sharing financial commitments is a major part of proving that you’re in a genuine relationship, so this part should be fairly comprehensive. If one of you has no income, that’s fine, just explain how this impacts the household.
Not only do you need to show that your partnership is genuine, you also need to prove that it’s ongoing and that you’re planning to spend your future together. Use the statement to detail your upcoming plans such as holiday bookings or major purchases. You can also explain what your plans are in terms of having children or perhaps getting married. If you’re saving up for a house or planning any other large purchases together, you can also detail those plans.
Now is the time to round up those old wedding invitations and Christmas cards that are languishing at the bottom of a drawer somewhere. Being jointly invited to events shows that your relationship is recognised by your family and friends. Use your partner visa relationship statement to provide details of where you were invited, when it was, and whether you attended or not.
You need to demonstrate the length of your relationship, so make sure your statement is peppered with accurate dates. Remind the reader about the length of time you’ve been together and make sure you mention important dates such as when you began cohabiting, anniversary dates and other dates of importance to you as a couple.
It’s always a good idea to make a rough draft of your statement using bullet points before fleshing out the real thing. You might also find it useful to draw a timeline and add important events on there. It’s vital that the applicant’s statement and the sponsor’s statement do not contain any contradictory information. Double check your dates and timeline of events. It’s easy to make mistakes, so really ensure that you take your time and get it right.
It’s not unusual for a Case Officer to call and interview you about the nature of your relationship, so you need to be prepared for that too. If your interview takes place over the phone, they might question you about the nature of your household or even ask which side of the bed you sleep on (yes… that detailed). If your interview is in person, you might be asked to identify your partner’s family members in photographs. Case Officers are generally allowed to ask you any questions they wish, as long as the line of questioning is appropriate in helping them to determine whether your relationship is genuine.
We offer free consults, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you want to discuss your eligibility or have any questions about your partner visa application.