Having an Australian partner visa approved can be difficult. Your relationship statement plays a crucial part in the application process. This is why it’s important to write a good one. Most people have no idea what a good relationship statement is and most end up sounding too impersonal. In order to make sure that you don’t fall into one of these categories, you have to pay attention every time you write one. After all, your primary goal as an applicant is to make your case officer feel certain about your relationship and ensure that he or she won’t find any reason to refuse you in the end.
In this article, you will discover what you should include in your statement and how to write it in a way that proves how genuine your relationship is to your partner that will be read by the immigration officer.
Partner visas cover the full scope, being onshore partner visas, offshore partner visas and prospective partner visas. In migration these are called the subclass 820/801, subclass 309/100 and the subclass 300.
Before you start writing, make sure you have all your information written down. You will need to provide the following when applying for a partner visa:
How to write an effective relationship statement
- Be Specific. Explain how, when and where your relationship started
When writing your relationship statement you should keep in mind to focus on several things. You should start by describing at what stage your relationship is now and be very specific about the exact date your relationship commenced. Include every detail and try to explain as many aspects of your relationship as possible, including dates and places. Don’t forget to explain how you met, and what impact this person has had on your life.
It’s important to give precise information about your relationship, so the case officer can be sure you’re telling the truth. Be honest and tell them how you fell in love, even if the date might have been a casual one! The more specific details you provide, the easier time you’ll have proving that your relationship is real, genuine and continuing.
- How your relationship has grown over time
As you know, the relationship statement is a very important part of the partner visa application form, because the visa officer will decide whether you deserve to apply for an Australian partner visa or not. For this reason, it is necessary to describe the story of your relationship with the officer in mind. They will never meet you in person, and its unlikely you’ll ever be called in for an interview either (!) So, you must mention all the events you spent together and not write anything fake or invalid in your Relationship Statement. Reveal your relationship, such as are you supporting each other in good or bad times, try and show some vulnerability. You can also write about an event or a family event which your whole family member enjoyed together.
- What are the means of communication while you are not together
When visa officers are making their decision they consider your relationship in its entirety. You need to think about the various periods you have been separated, each of those separations, and how you kept in touch during that period. Sometimes that can be quite difficult because you may not have seen each other for months or even years but you want to prove that it did not break down your relationship. The fact that you were communicating should be proof enough.
- List the things you enjoy doing together
The activities you enjoy doing together are an important part of your relationship. The migration officer will look at the evidence that you send to support your application to decide if you and your partner can live in Australia together. You should explain what you both like to do in your statement and include the things you have been doing together for a long time, such as sports, social clubs or going to the beach. If you and your partner regularly go out to dinner, go to movies or dancing, then this is something that should be included in your application.
- What are the Financial conversations you’re having
This section asks you to explain how you share financial commitments and make decisions together. In general, you’ll need to provide evidence that you have integrated your finances and make important spending decisions together. It should be summarised in a way that highlights several elements of a genuine relationship: how you share your finances, how you meet your debts, how you deal with paying bills (utility), and so on. When writing this statement, there are some things that you have to keep in mind. You should know what you are attempting to prove; once written, it’s mandatory for you to keep it fit for purpose; and it’s also very important not to make any false statements or statements that can be later used against you in court.
- Tell me about your plans for the future
Your relationship statement will be used to show whether your relationship is genuine and ongoing. It’ll also be used to explain plans and intentions for the future, such as having children, getting married or buying that piece of land and growing vegetables. So remember to include a section about upcoming plans. Be descriptive, elaborate on this area. But also describe what would happen if your relationship were to break down. This section is relevant to proving that you and your partner are genuinely committed and planning for the future together.
- Do your friends and family know about your relationship?
The Australian government is highly concerned about bogus or non-genuine relationships. If you have a genuine relationship and you have family or friends that are part of your daily life as a couple, then include this in your relationship statement. The migration officer wants to see that your relationships are not fake so having support from family members is a bonus. This statement will define what level of involvement there is of family members of both yours and your partner’s in your love life or married life. It will give a clear idea of those close people, particularly family members. Generally family members can supply a statement which includes, their contact details and this supports your application by having them included in the application. These statements also help to present you as a responsible person regarding all kinds of matters related to previous children from previous relationships as well as newborn children or even “fur-babies” as the relationship progresses.
- Always recheck what you have written
Lastly, after writing down all the important details about your relationship, you must ensure you do not make spelling and grammar mistakes. Your relationship statement spells out the nature of your relationship with your partner in Australia,, so remember to double check it before signing and submitting it.
By following these, you will be able to write a relationship statement that your visa officer will feel an undeniable passion for. If they are convinced that your relationship is legitimate and you are a suitable couple then you’re in with a good chance.
To sum up, if you are preparing your relationship statement for an Australian partner visa, it is better to focus on a personal aspect of your relationship rather than the ‘whys’ of it. The whole purpose of writing a good relationship statement is to show the visa officer that you are not just in love or that your marriage will be successful but also to prove that you are together and that there won’t be any problem if you two were the sponsor and the applicant respectively. If this proves to be true, then the person with whom your future rests should get a visa without any problem!
If you have any questions or require further information please feel free to contact us by email at info@mirandamigration.com.au
